The Worst Media Take on the Debate? Easily, It Was Seen in Assassination 'Humor' by The Onion

In the wake of the first – and perhaps only – presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the most notable takeaway from the meetup was not which candidate came out on top; it was how spectacularly horrid the moderators had been. David Muir and Linsey Davis were so appallingly biased in their confrontational approach to Trump that our editor Bob Hoge had the most apt line of the night at the end of the debate: “Will David Muir also be giving a closing statement?!”

The media, as fully expected, were collectively swooning over Kamala’s performance, something that had been pre-written before she even trotted out on stage. All Kamala needed to do was not drool or fall over with her podium, and she would be crowned as the victor. Such is the case when the preamble to this affair was the smoldering crater after the initial debate left by former president Joe Biden. (I require proof of his operational status before labeling him otherwise.)

But of all of the news outlets crowing and cheering for the Democrat during the debate, one outlet managed to distinguish itself with a particularly disturbing entry on social media. The newly reconstituted “humor” site The Onion weighed in with its impressions as the candidates sparred verbally. You might recall (or, if the site traffic is any indicator, you do not recall) that this past spring the outlet was purchased by a group helmed by former NBC News fixture Ben Collins.

Since his takeover, the site has become notably unfunny, with desperate attempts at humor that have been crass, tasteless, and frankly rather desperate in the call for attention, delivering content that is well below the long-established standard for The Onion. It is for this reality that when coming across this nugget from the alleged humorists last night, it was not at all surprising but still disappointing when reflecting on the past level of content from this outlet.

Hey gang, remember Ben Collins when he took over @TheOnion earlier this year?
Just to give a sense of the “hilarity” they are delivering under his guidance:@oneunderscore__ pic.twitter.com/YAbCtLcAEj
— Brad Slager: A Folksy Coach & Joyful As a K-Hive! (@MartiniShark) September 11, 2024

(Screenshot not out of caution of it being deleted, but to avoid granting any further traffic as a reward.)

Not to posture as someone squeamish or easily offended, this is simply not something to consider humorous. A former president was shot, innocent civilians were wounded, and yes - a murder took place in Pennsylvania at that Trump rally. This is not a punchline, regardless of who is involved and where you land politically.

The media in this country loves to pontificate on the divisiveness and intolerance seen between the political factions, but at the same time, there is a tolerance for this when it is applied to the conservative right. Bear in mind, this is the same press that brings up the innocent lives lost in Gaza, but at the same time when an innocent American is killed in a political fashion, the fact they were at a Trump rally means their death is grist for comedy.

This is the level to which The Onion has descended, and it seems remarkable that Collins appears perfectly content with this subterranean plateau for his newly acquired site. It is for this reason that more and more we are seeing a shift in a common aphorism used on social media, one regarding satire. Now, when a crazy news story emerges that is genuine, people are more likely to respond with, “I had to double-check that this was not the Babylon Bee,” rather than reference Ben’s withering humor site.

But there is still hope. According to The Onion account, they may be looking to replace their entire writing staff after last night. It can only be regarded as an improvement.