The Message Box

The Message Box

Trump Is a Pathetic Loser. Democrats Should Say It More Often

Dan Pfeiffer's avatar
Dan Pfeiffer
Jan 20, 2026
∙ Paid

My background is in communications and messaging. I spend most of my days thinking about the story Democrats should be selling. What’s the right combination of words? How can we weave affordability, ICE, Greenland, corruption, and everything else into a single narrative?

I read polling. I talk to politicians and their consultants. I write newsletter after newsletter on the topic.

And on some days, I think I may be overthinking the whole thing.

Here’s what got me thinking:

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Donald Trump sent the following text to the Norwegian Prime Minister.

Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT

WTF? Trump is going to invade Greenland because he didn’t win the Nobel Prize? This is such huge loser energy.

Last week, Maria Corina Machado traveled to the White House to meet with Donald Trump and plead for the freedom of the Venezuelan people. Machado is a leader of the opposition in her country. After Trump captured Maduro, he installed Maduro’s second-in-command and has offered no plan for free and fair elections. He was particularly dismissive of Machado’s ability to lead her people. Some reporting suggested that Trump was pissed at Machado because she won the Nobel Peace Prize he had been so desperately thirsty for.

Machado knew this, so she brought her Nobel Prize to the meeting and presented it to Trump in an effort to win his support.

And Trump accepted it.

He kept her Nobel Prize. And if that isn’t bad enough, the White House tweeted out this photo of Trump proudly accepting someone else’s medal.

Image

How do these people not realize how pathetic this is?

Beneath all of the bluster and bullying, Donald Trump is a huge fucking loser.

And Democrats should say that more often.

It’s not just true of Trump—it’s true of his entire administration of people waging war on America because they never got invited to a party in high school.

I think it’s a good political strategy.

Seriously.

Let me make the case:

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