Jordan Klepper Got A "Glimmer Of Hope" From A Trump Supporter

By Andrew Sanford | TV | March 21, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | March 21, 2024 |

Jordan Klepper was there on January 6th (working). He’s gone face-to-face with anti-vaxxers who use numerology to justify their ignorance. Klepper has stared in the face of Mike Lindell and called him out on his bulls***. He’s seen the horrors that a cult of personality can create. I have often wondered why he puts himself through it. Why keep subjecting himself to such a disappointing reality firsthand? So I was surprised to learn that one interaction gave him hope.

Klepper covered hosting duties for The Daily Show and took audience questions between takes. He is great with a crowd, especially when they aren’t trying to overturn an election. He is quick-witted, compassionate, and can tell a story like the best of them. There’s one about a pitchfork-wielding insurrectionist that was particularly funny. But the story of a former supporter affected Klepper’s outlook.

One audience member asked if Klepper had ever changed anyone’s mind at these rallies. The answer was a swift no, but he did tell a story of a woman who gave him a “glimmer of hope.” She was someone who stormed the capitol on January 6th, did some jail time, and came out questioning her choices. The Trump supporter then did her own research (but in a good way) and found that she had been fed a buffet of lies. She then began going to rallies to try and convince others that they were making a mistake.

The story is legitimately hopeful! Yes, it would be better if it happened on a grand scale, but every Trump supporter isn’t going to prison. Hell, going to prison hasn’t even changed the minds of a swath of his sycophants. Some people can’t be helped. But this does reveal that some can, and while we may not be able to get to them on a grand scale, there’s still hope that we could all have a tough conversation with that aunt or uncle of ours who still yells “Let’s Go, Brandon,” like it’s some sick burn.

I am a bit past the point where I think Klepper attending these rallies is helpful. He’s good at it, and I’m sure it’s good for YouTube views, but it has become an exhibition of people beyond help. Still, his methodology is sound and his reasoning is empathetic. He’s trying, and it’s hard for me to not appreciate that.