‘Stop Being Awful’ Jake Tapper Slams Hooligans Yelling ‘Retard’ at Tim Walz’s House

Tapper’s instinct to condemn crude heckling is fine. But the story’s framing tries to make this about “Trump-style” politics, as if one vulgar word is the best window into a broader debate. It is not. Turning every bad actor into a partisan morality play lets the real questions off the hook.

Conservatives can say plainly that shouting slurs at an elected official’s home is wrong, while also rejecting the media’s habit of treating decorum as the main measure of legitimacy. Public trust erodes more from failed governance than from cable-news scolding, and free speech does not require celebrating ugliness.

If someone is trespassing or threatening, enforce rule of law and protect institutional stability. Condemn the behavior, yes. But don’t use it to dodge accountability for policies that affect families, budgets, and public safety.