A New York University journalism professor, a New York Times columnist, and others preemptively attacked any pundits who may praise President Donald Trump's State of the Union address as presidential.
NYU professor Jay Rosen mocked the tendency to call Trump's speeches "presidential," and called out the Washington Post for a story indicating the speech could help reset his presidency.
I hope you're ready for three days of "presidential." Because they're coming.
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) January 28, 2018
Front page, Washington Post today. You can feel it coming. via @JAdeleGold https://t.co/Jrnp79kcpp pic.twitter.com/wo0L9sd6Sh
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) January 28, 2018
Tagging the comments in his morning newsletter, CNN's Brian Stelter wondered if Rosen had a point.
"Will pundits resist the temptation to suggest President Trump is rebranding himself if he sticks to the TelePrompTer on Tuesday night?" asked Stelter. "I will confess that I was a part of this problem last year."
That sentiment was also reflected in an op-ed from the Times' Michelle Goldberg. In the piece titled "Please Don’t Call Him Presidential," Goldberg argued nothing Trump does during the address will make him presidential.
She joked there was a way for Trump to give a good address: "All he has to do is apologize to his fellow Americans for the shame he’s brought upon this country, and resign effective immediately."
"Since that’s not going to happen, I’m begging my fellow pundits not to get too excited should Trump manage to read from a teleprompter without foaming at the mouth or saying anything overtly racist," she continued.
"No matter how well Trump delivers the lines in his State of the Union — announced theme: "Building a safe, strong and proud America" — he will not become presidential."
Others on Twitter also shamed any pundits who would dare declare the State of the Union to be presidential.
Dear Gullible Pundits: You may be tempted to use the word 'presidential' tonight after Trump's State of the Union, as he badly reads prepared remarks from a teleprompter. I beg you, before you do, read this to understand why describing Trump that way makes you look like a moron:
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) January 30, 2018
Memo to journalists and pundits (including Van Jones) who will comment after the State of the Union: a president reading from a teleprompter for 45 minutes without melting down does not make him presidential.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) January 28, 2018
Media, let’s break the cycle:
* Trump reads a speech off a teleprompter and doesn’t puke on himself
* media coverage says wow, so presidential
* next morning he returns to himself
* the rest of us save your tweets/headlines and remind you how ridiculous you look. #SOTU— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) January 28, 2018
Trump has not yet given the State of the Union address.