John L. Smith’s latest column in Jon Ralston’s liberal blubber-blog, “Coil and hiss: The new year marks a celebration of Trumpian snakes,” is yet another tired, overwrought attempt to paint half the country as villains in his ongoing political soap opera.
If hyperbole were a currency, Smith would be swimming in gold right now.
Unfortunately for him, and the dwindling readership that still takes him seriously, reality has a funny way of rendering such hysterics meaningless.
Let’s start with his dramatic portrayal of President Trump’s recent pardons.
Smith wants you to believe that every single person granted clemency was a dangerous extremist, conveniently ignoring the countless reports of prosecutorial overreach, politically motivated charges, and questionable legal proceedings that led to these convictions in the first place.
The media – including Smith and his fake news publishing master, Ralston – spent years peddling the narrative of an “insurrection” while disregarding the reality that the vast majority of January 6 participants were peaceful, non-violent protestors swept up in the chaos.
But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good Trump Derangement Syndrome story?
Smith wrings his hands over Trump describing the prison conditions as “inhumane,” as if caring about the treatment of American citizens suddenly became taboo.
He conveniently omits the well-documented mistreatment of these prisoners—many held in solitary confinement for extended periods without trial.
Civil liberties used to be a bipartisan concern, but when it comes to Trump supporters, it’s open season for mistreatment and mockery.
Then there’s the obligatory “Trump is a fascist” narrative that Smith trots out like a well-worn security blanket.
He tries to draw parallels between Trump and Mussolini, a comparison so laughably off-base it’s hard to take seriously.
Trump isn’t deploying militias to enforce his will—he’s enforcing immigration laws and restoring order to a country battered by years of progressive overreach and open-border chaos.
Comparing Trump’s constitutional use of the military to a dictator’s thuggery is not only lazy journalism, it’s insulting to anyone with a shred of historical knowledge.
Smith also takes issue with the influence of tech moguls like Elon Musk, suggesting that their support of Trump amounts to an “America’s Got Talent dog act.”
That’s rich, considering the same media that praised Silicon Valley’s censorship of conservatives now panics when free speech platforms offer a balance of perspectives.
Musk and others aren’t puppets; they’re patriots exercising their right to support policies that work for the American people.
And let’s not forget the pearl-clutching over Project 2025, the latest boogeyman for the left.
Smith ominously suggests Trump’s supporters will “silence opposition”—a bold claim from the same side that actively censors dissenting voices on social media, in academia, and in the workplace.
Smith’s final touch? Fear-mongering about Trump’s immigration policies and enforcement of the law, as if protecting our borders is somehow akin to authoritarian rule.
The American people have had enough of the lawlessness and are demanding action. Trump is simply delivering on that promise, and it scares the daylights out of the political establishment.
So yes, the “Year of the Snake” is upon us, but the only thing hissing with venom is John L. Smith’s column—full of recycled talking points, partisan fear-mongering, and a desperate attempt to remain relevant in a world that has moved past his brand of Ralston-like hysteria.
The American people aren’t buying it anymore, and that’s the real story he refuses to tell. Which is why Ralston’s the only media snake still paying him to write such drivel.
