6 months ago
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Although Donald Trump’s detractors often dismiss him as a clown, a real-life clown is crying foul at that description — no joke.
In a new op-ed for The Washington Post titled, “Donald Trump is not a clown. I should know,” Tim Cunningham, a board member for Clowns Without Borders, an organization that works to share joy and laughter in zones of conflict and crisis around the world, explains why tagging Trump as a clown is inaccurate on many levels.
Cunningham notes that many Trump critics often use the word “clown” as an insult.
For instance, back in March, never-Trumper George Conway criticized the president’s inconsistent tariff policy by calling him “an incredibly incompetent clown.”
In April, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell said that Trump’s failed attempt to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made him look like a “humiliated clown.”
Cunningham doesn’t think Trump is a clown since clowns “help people relax, heal and prompt others to think differently about the world.”
He then gripes about how his chosen profession gets mocked whenever politics takes center stage.
“Every election season, the word ‘clown’ resurfaces to compare tumultuous Washington politics to a circus,” Cunningham wrote. “Political commentators and social media users are not the only ones who wrongfully sling this jibe. ‘Clown’ is used by almost everyone to belittle those seen as foolish or incompetent.”
He then emphasized the real problem with calling Trump the C-word.
“The more we mistreat the word, the more we lose understanding of a sacred art form,” Cunningham said, before asking readers to “find a better metaphor to despise and depose fascism.”
“Keep Clown out of Trumpian comparisons, and for that matter, all politics,” he said. “Offer Clown the respect it deserves and invoke us for good: in alliance with other artists, activists and humans who believe in a better, happier world.”
Cunningham ended his op-ed by noting that clowns have been uniting people in laughter, levity and creativity for centuries, and then offered an alternative word that he believes expresses Trump’s unique qualities without tarnishing his chosen art form.
“If you’re still stuck on the broken comparison ingrained in our national dialogue, here’s an alternative: Try ‘buffoon,’” he said.
Many people weren’t sure how to take Cunningham’s piece, including White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson.
The Washington Post just published an op-ed from "Clowns without Borders" because they're mad libs use 'clown' negatively. Yes, this is real. 🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/8DSwxwFCiB
— Abigail Jackson (@ATJackson47) July 10, 2025Other people also chimed in, of course.
Ever thought to yourself "calling Donald Trump a 'clown' is an insult to clowns"? Ever wanted a full article on that topic in a major newspaper?
"NO," you say?
"Too fucking bad," replies WaPo. 😂🤣 https://t.co/fryO2n0JBG
You're a clown if you think insulting clowns is funny. Oops.
Next op-ed could be a Space Cadet writing about how insulted he is to be associated with Justice Jackson. @TheBabylonBee
Thank you, WaPo, for further discrediting yourself. #RIPJournalism https://t.co/lWv4wfAnIX
They’re trying to make calling someone a clown equal to an offensive slur because some clown got offended.
— 🇺🇸 Melodi 🇺🇸 (@AutoVisionzEmbl) July 10, 202520 Years Of Free Journalism
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He's a creepy french clown. None of them are funny. Also, lots of people are afraid of clowns. Lots of people think Trump is charming and hilarious. You're just afraid of clowns.
> Donald Trump is not a clown. I should know. https://t.co/Qn7XaLOEdQ
This isn’t the first time members of a niche segment of the entertainment community objected to a president’s comparison.
Back in April 2011, when then-President Barack Obama released his birth certificate, he offended many sideshow performers when he minimized the importance of releasing it by noting, “We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers.”
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