How can one explain members of oppressed minority groups who make a profession out of publicly, as George Orwell quipped, “defending the indefensible,” supporting Republicans and Donald Trump, against their own people’s interests?
On Aug. 28, I watched “Exhibit A” of this phenomenon, “political commentator” Shermichael Singleton, a young Black man, on anchor Jim Acosta’s CNN show. In five-ish minutes, Shermichael proved he was no Sherlock, flunking history, failing math and proving himself wildly incapable (and/or unwilling) to answer a question.
During the “news” program, Singleton and others discussed Trump’s assertion aired Aug. 27 on Dr. Phil’s show, that: “If Jesus Christ came down and was the vote counter, I would win California,” which had voted 63.5% for Biden/Harris in 2020.
In response to Trump’s deranged claim about the Golden State, which voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1992, the question arose as to who was the last Republican candidate to win California in a White House race? Singleton, who has been a paid Republican strategist and served in a GOP administration, had no idea. Another journalist stated it was “Ronald Reagan,” which prompted Singleton to say this was about “30” years ago. Not only did Singleton flub the historical question, he couldn’t subtract correctly either, as a majority of Californians voted for Reagan in 1980 and 1984, which is more like about “40” – not “30” – years ago. (Actually, in 1988, George H.W. Bush was the last Republican candidate a majority of Californians voted for in a presidential contest.)
Singleton compounded his display of sheer ignorance with his non-reply to a question about an altercation between Trump’s team and Arlington National Cemetery administrators about photographing a wreath-laying ceremony there for servicemen killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, in an area where photography for partisan purposes is off-limits, according to federal law. The brouhaha sparked widespread controversy, with critics slamming Trump for exploiting a sacred ceremony at hallowed ground and disrespectfully, cynically breaking the rules by using Arlington National Cemetery – final resting place for 400,000 Americans who’d served in uniform – as a prop for campaign publicity.
When asked about it, Singleton’s lips moved, sounds spewed forth from his mouth – but he never addressed the specific point. Instead, in what could be called “verbal three-card Monte,” seeking to deflect and distract, the professional obfuscater changed the subject to remark upon how purportedly popular Trump was with armed services members. The way Shermichael danced around this question indicated that instead of CNN, he’d be more at home on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Of course, in his non-response response, single-minded Singleton not only completely avoided answering the question he was asked, but never mentioned military-related criticism that has swirled around Trump since he dodged the draft during the Vietnam War.
Nor did Singleton ever mention the scorn heaped upon “General Bone Spurs” by many high-ranking officers who’d served in Trump’s regime. About 12 hours after Singleton’s change-the-subject non-reply, he appeared on Laura Coates’ CNN program, and when Trump’s troubling Arlington photo op was raised again, his two co-panelists answered – Shermichael remained tightlipped.
No wonder: The U.S. Army issued this Aug. 29 statement: “Participants in the August 26 ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 [mainly for graves of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan] visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside,” and, according to NPR, “verbally abused” by Trump campaign staff.
Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita derided the ANC staffer as “a despicable individual” “spreading these lies … dishonoring the … armed forces, and … disrespecting everyone who paid the price for defending our country.” (The uncivil LaCivita also ignorantly referred to “hollowed” instead of “hallowed” ground.) Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung also slandered the Arlington employee as “suffering from a mental health episode.”
A campaign ad including footage of Trump’s visit to the cemetery was posted on TikTok the day it happened. Regarding the ANC fracas, at an Aug. 28 campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance snarled that Democratic presidential candidate V.P. Kamala Harris “can go to hell.”
Singleton’s sycophancy is especially eyebrow-raising, considering he was fired from the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Ben Carson due to his previous op-ed in The Hill criticizing Trump. Shermichael was led out of HUD’s building by security once it was discovered he’d written: “Trump has taken us to a new moral low, where it is acceptable for a presidential candidate to mimic and mock someone with disabilities. Yet our religious leaders stand by and say nothing while defending their reasons for maintaining their support ().” Now, it’s Shermichael’s turn to take “a new moral low” and “stand by,” providing cover for someone he knows is unethical and a convicted felon.
Singleton is a simpleton who demonstrated in five-ish minutes he doesn’t know history, basic math and is incapable of answering questions, doing so to defend the indefensible – even regarding the Defense Department. What makes Shermy run? Why does this young African American ply his trade as a mouthpiece and shill for Republicans and Trump, a virulent racist?
You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce what makes Shermichael Singleton and his ilk tick (and TikTok). Why they contribute to the Big Lie is extremely simple. Going back to the Garden of Gethsemane, history has always had quislings seeking, among other things, 30 pieces of silver. Shooting your mouth off on TV and being a Black Benedict Arnold or African American Elia Kazan, an informer betraying colleagues to the House Un-American Activities Committee, is a much easier gig than working for a living. Being a glib collaborator offers higher pay and status that accords turncoats attention and purse more than pursuing an honest day’s work does.
The real question is why purported “news” outlets such as the Cable “News” Network hire race traitors like Shermichael Singleton to squeal their indefensible obfuscations? The guy proved in roughly five minutes he didn’t know history, couldn’t subtract or answer a simple question. How does he add anything of value to what that another Holmes, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, called the “marketplace of ideas”? Of course, racial renegades like Singleton provide value to the far right by giving “Black cover” to their extremism, often ranting outlandish lies in public members of the dominant majority can no longer do in polite company and on TV/radio/Internet/podcasts.
“Political commentators” like Singleton mainly serve to further cloud America’s low level of social discourse, adding to the plague of disinformation. In their quest to provide different points of view, news outlets need to be careful who they select to provide political commentary, just as NBC became after a rebellion sparked by MSNBC hosts about the network’s ill-fated, short-lived choice of former Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who had lied about 2020’s election results, to be a political analyst was scuttled. As Sherlock would say: “It’s elementary!”
Ed Rampell is a film historian and critic based in Los Angeles. Rampell is the author of “Progressive Hollywood, A People’s Film History of the United States” and he co-authored “The Hawaii Movie and Television Book,” now in its third edition. An extended version of this article appears at Counterpunch.org.
From The Progressive Populist, October 15, 2024
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