Podcast Summary: On with Kara Swisher – The Onion’s Ben Collins on Political Satire & Why Trump Isn’t Funny

Host: Kara Swisher
Guest: Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion
Date: February 2, 2026
Podcast: On with Kara Swisher (Vox Media)

Overview

In this lively and incisive episode, Kara Swisher interviews Ben Collins, CEO of the legendary satirical publication The Onion. The conversation explores the delicate role of satire in an era when reality is increasingly absurd and politically charged, especially following Trump’s return to office. They discuss the evolution and endurance of The Onion, satire as both catharsis and critique in bleak times, how to lampoon those already performing self-parody, growing The Onion’s print business, and the power of community and truth in the fight against disinformation. The episode is infused with humor, skepticism, and the irreverent, resilient spirit that defines both Swisher and Collins.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The State of Satire in 2026 & The Onion’s Mission

• The Onion’s strategy: Collins describes how The Onion’s persistence and commitment to its core editorial process have helped it survive the “fever” that afflicted much of comedy and media in the Trump era and beyond.
  • “We stuck to our process. And that’s a big reason why I want to take it over… We never wavered. We’ve just always been exactly who we are.” — Ben Collins (03:42)
• The fever breaking: Collins observes that the heightened toxicity and embrace of cruelty in mainstream comedy is waning, returning space for sharp, incisive satire.

2. What Sets The Onion Apart

• Classic late-night writer’s room approach: Collins likens The Onion’s method to the great tradition of late-night TV writing — quality through relentless curation.
  • “It’s closer to Colbert or Letterman, a great Letterman monologue, than anything else.” — Ben Collins (05:01)
• Global influence: The Onion’s model has been replicated worldwide, but Collins asserts their edge is in quality writing.

3. Satirizing Tragedy and Power in Bleak Times

• Humor as catharsis: The Onion’s writers spend hours crafting the perfect headline to give readers release in dark moments, such as recent ICE violence in Minnesota.
  • “By the time we have that perfect take on the moment, it gives people a lot of catharsis.” — Ben Collins (06:29)
• Mocking the powerful and the powerless: The episode probes the paradox: is it harder to satirize powerful evildoers, or impotent “resistance” politicians?
  • “They think they’re omnipotent and they look incredibly weak. In the chasm between that, there lies a lot of comedy.” — Ben Collins (07:48)
• Unspoken truths: The Onion says what mainstream news can't or won't, distilling collective frustration into a single, apt, hilarious line.

4. Satirizing Authoritarianism in the Age of Trump

• On Elon Musk and satirical power: Collins notes that satire unsettles the powerful more than factual reporting; fascists hate being mocked.
  • “Once they feel like they’re being taunted to the point where they’re unpopular widely, which is really all they care about... that’s where they get really upset.” — Ben Collins (10:06)
• Satire as a safe haven for speech: Journalists face increasing incentives to self-censor and avoid direct truths, but satire can say what straight news cannot.
  • “One of the safe havens of that in the world right now is satire.” — Ben Collins (13:23)

Memorable Exchange – “Can you satirize Trump?”

• Justin Theroux’s expert question (22:36):
  Trump’s use of “shitposting” and bad-faith humor blurs the lines for satirical critique. How do you target someone who weaponizes irony and cruelty as comedy?
• Collins’ response:
  • Trump’s style is more bullying than genuinely funny. He never truly laughs, and there’s a shelf life to this kind of mean-spirited humor. The public may tire of cruelty as joke.
    • “He might be operating with the functionality of the baseline of what humor is—A plus B equals joke. But there’s no wider thing there.” — Ben Collins (24:54)
    • “It’s shit talking.” — Ben Collins (27:28)

5. The Onion’s Print Renaissance & Business Model

• Print is thriving: The Onion’s return to print has been a financial and cultural success, now surpassing 65,000 subscribers, described as “contraband” among students.
  • “Jokes are supposed to be read in this way... If it’s a physical object, it works better.” — Ben Collins (30:13)
• Business model: Nearly all revenue comes from subscriptions and brand consulting work; social media remains “top of funnel.”
• Online presence: The Onion’s cultural relevance spikes during national crises—people look to them for the “right needle to thread.”

6. Attempting to Buy Infowars

• Status of Infowars bid: Collins details the legal and absurd challenges to purchasing Alex Jones’ infamous fake news empire as part of a plan to re-appropriate disinformation platforms.
  • “I don’t recommend trying to buy the world’s most famous psychopath’s website...” — Ben Collins (33:49)
• Vision: Use Infowars as a major comedy and media platform, providing a “centralized hub” for satirizing misinformation and how people get their news.

7. Legacy Media, Disinformation, and the Future

• Legacy media criticized: Collins and Swisher lament legacy organizations’ timidity and reliance on bothsidesism, urging more courage in calling out fascism.
  • “The first place to be brave and step up… you’re going to be rich.” — Ben Collins (44:19)
• Media is experiencing a “sea change”: The Minnesota events marked a shift—newsrooms increasingly call a lie a lie.
• On billionaires, tech, and ownership: The Onion insulates itself from billionaire whims by owning its subscriber base, process, and archives.

8. The Future of Satire and Community

• Human connection over algorithm: Collins expresses confidence in real human communities, print media, and hand-crafted jokes over AI-generated content and algorithmic feeds.
  • “People really want this connection… [In] the next five years… people are starting to come back together to be like, ‘I want a funny person to say a funny sentence to me.’” — Ben Collins (55:12)
• Fight against disinformation: The antidote is community, reality, and making art “for the sake of art.” Satire remains vital because memes and fake news cannot foster real belonging.
• Golden age of comedy: Despite claims that comedy is dying, Collins believes the opposite is true.
  • “We’re living in a golden age [of comedy].” — Ben Collins (60:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Onion's Process:
  “The Onion is its process. So if you come in and break the process, it’s not the Onion anymore... If we deviate from that, we’re no longer the Onion.” — Ben Collins (50:10)
• On Trump’s ‘Humor’:
  “Have you ever heard this man actually laugh? Like, like, in a way that you can’t control yourself?... He’s just bullying people.” — Ben Collins (24:54)
• On Satire’s Power Over Authoritarians:
  “Fascists hate being made fun of more than anything.” — Ben Collins (10:06)
• On Community and Hope:
  “My hope is… they’re rediscovering community, they’re rediscovering each other… living in the real.” — Ben Collins (59:23)
• On The Business Model:
  “There are two economies. It’s the economy of the real and then the economy of gambling and speculation and all this extra shit. … I want people to give us dollars for goods and services.” — Ben Collins (53:19)
• On Legacy Media:
  “If you just stand up and report information objectively as it’s going on, you’re going to be in a good spot.” — Ben Collins (46:05)

Important Timestamps

• 03:42 – Collins discusses The Onion’s editorial endurance amidst “fevers” afflicting mainstream comedy.
• 06:19 – Grieving, catharsis, and the role of humor in dark recent events.
• 07:48 – On the comedic chasm between powerful’s omnipotence and weakness.
• 10:06 – Satire’s unique power to unsettle authoritarians, Elon Musk, and Trump.
• 13:23 – The press’s limitations vs. satire’s latitude in speaking dangerous truths.
• 22:36 – Justin Theroux’s expert question about Trump and performative authoritarian irony.
• 24:54 – Collins’s nuanced analysis of Trump’s “humor” and its limitations.
• 30:13 – The resurgence and importance of Onion’s print edition.
• 33:49 – The onion’s ongoing (and surreal) attempt to buy InfoWars.
• 44:19 – Prescriptions for legacy media: calling out fascism.
• 50:10 – The entrepreneurial importance of owning the process and the platform.
• 55:12 – The return to community and real human connection.
• 60:15 – AI in comedy vs. the irreplaceable work of real people.

Conclusion

This episode dives deep into both the art and the necessity of satire in chaotic times. Ben Collins’s stewardship of The Onion reveals the enduring power of sharp humor and community, especially when reality itself is increasingly “stupid.” For Collins and Swisher, the ultimate defense against disinformation and authoritarianism isn’t just fact-checking or reporting, but galvanizing trust and catharsis through well-made jokes and refusing to give ground.

The Onion remains a beacon—sometimes a life raft—of wit, irreverence, and resistance in the post-fact era.

For more:

• Subscribe to The Onion’s print or digital editions
• Listen to Kara Swisher’s “On with Kara Swisher” Mondays and Thursdays via Vox Media
• Related reading: The rise of independent media, challenges for journalism, and the evolution of political satire in the US