The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: Andy Borowitz Talks to David Remnick About the R.N.C.
Date: July 25, 2016

Episode Overview

In this episode, The New Yorker’s editor David Remnick calls up Andy Borowitz, the satirist behind The Borowitz Report, to dissect the just-concluded 2016 Republican National Convention (R.N.C.) that ultimately nominated Donald Trump. With trademark wit and sharp commentary, Borowitz reflects on the spectacle, unexpected moments, and theatricality of the week in Cleveland. The conversation blends humor with sharp, insightful analysis of political performance, the Trump family’s presence, and what all of it means in the broader context of American politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Upside-Down R.N.C. Expectations

(01:34–02:26)

• Borowitz begins by admitting his prediction was completely off. He expected that Trump would use his final speech to become more subdued and presidential, providing a stark contrast to the chaos of earlier convention moments.

  "I thought … we would see a Donald Trump who was subdued and presidential and would seem so much more normal than everything we had seen up to that point. Boy, was I wrong."
  — Andy Borowitz (01:54)

2. The All-American Myth Reboot

(02:26–03:36)

• Borowitz highlights the use of a quasi-Ken Burns documentary segment that mythologized Trump as a transformative American hero, humorously exaggerating his achievements.
• Ivanka Trump’s speech is noted for rebranding her father as a proto-feminist figure, which Borowitz finds absurdly at odds with public perception.
• Borowitz pinpoints a telling rhetorical shift in Trump's language:

  “Somebody did like a find replace on his text of the speech and took out all the I's and put in we's … He seemed so uncomfortable with this pronoun...”
  — Andy Borowitz (03:09)

• Audience reactions expose the true mood of the convention:

  “He said, ‘We must be a country of generosity and warmth, but we must also be a country of law and order.’ And you know when he said generosity and warmth? He got crickets from the audience. No one was into generosity and warmth. And then law and order, people roared.”
  — Andy Borowitz (03:28)

• Borowitz draws on Molly Ivins' famous quip:

  "The speech must have sounded great in the original German."
  — Andy Borowitz quoting Molly Ivins (04:03)

3. Showbiz (Or Lack Thereof) at the R.N.C.

(04:12–04:59)

• Remnick and Borowitz discuss the promise of a “showbiz” convention. Instead, it felt more like a B-list TV marathon, populated by soap stars, underwear models, and lesser-known figures.
• Borowitz’s satire spotlights who the R.N.C. did and didn’t platform:

  “Underwear models, very well represented. Not just Melania, but also this guy, Antonio Sabato.”
  — Andy Borowitz (04:43) "It’s an immigrant story that Trump really likes—immigrants who come over here with nothing but the underwear on their ass and turn that into a great American success story… I think his real view is immigrants are okay if they’re hot."
  — Andy Borowitz (05:01)

4. The Surreal Parade of Trump Children

(05:24–06:31)

• Remnick asks about the disproportionate presence of Trump’s children at the event. Borowitz suggests there were simply too many:

  “There were too many Trump kids. They could have lost a few. We could have lost maybe Tiffany and Eric, sort of the marginal ones, just get them out of the picture."
  — Andy Borowitz (05:33)

• Borowitz singles out Donald Trump Jr. as his "favorite," humorously highlighting the burden of inheriting the Trump name:

  "Can you imagine growing up with the name Donald Trump and the pressure on him to be as odious as his dad someday?"
  — Andy Borowitz (05:42)

  • He pokes fun at Trump Jr.’s bungling of construction terms, suggesting he “should stick to tanning.”

5. The Ted Cruz "Hero" Moment

(06:31–07:16)

• The interview zeroes in on Ted Cruz’s dramatic non-endorsement and booing, which Borowitz calls “the greatest moment of all.”

  “Ted Cruz, from my point of view, was the hero of the convention because it was late Wednesday night, and I was really getting sick of watching the whole thing. And then Ted Cruz got booed off stage and completely restored the entertainment value of the RNC. It was must-see TV.”
  — Andy Borowitz (06:36)

• Borowitz dubs Cruz’s knack for alienating a crowd as a “superpower.”

6. Anticipating Hillary Clinton’s Response

(07:16–07:49)

• Looking forward, Borowitz imagines a theatrical countermove by Hillary Clinton:

  “Her entrance, I think, should be that she comes in in manacles and she is actually locked up. And then she just grits her teeth and breaks free with her own sheer force of will ... they can try to lock her up, but it ain't gonna work because she's Hillary.”
  — Andy Borowitz (07:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I thought ... we would see a Donald Trump who was subdued and presidential ... Boy, was I wrong."
  — Andy Borowitz (01:54)
• “He said, ‘We must be a country of generosity and warmth, but we must also be a country of law and order.’ ... No one was into generosity and warmth. And then law and order, people roared.”
  — Andy Borowitz (03:28)
• “The speech must have sounded great in the original German.”
  — Molly Ivins, quoted by Andy Borowitz (04:03)
• “It’s an immigrant story that Trump really likes—immigrants … who turn that into a great American success story. ... his real view is immigrants are okay if they’re hot.”
  — Andy Borowitz (05:01)
• “Ted Cruz ... is capable of turning the entire room against him. I mean, he almost has a superpower when it comes to making people hate him.”
  — Andy Borowitz (06:56)
• “... they can try to lock her up, but it ain't gonna work because she's Hillary.”
  — Andy Borowitz (07:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:34 – Borowitz on predicting a more “presidential” convention outcome for Trump.
• 02:29–03:36 – Deconstructing Trump’s speech tone, style, and audience reactions.
• 04:12–04:59 – The underwhelming “showbiz” and immigrant narratives of the R.N.C.
• 05:24–06:31 – Running commentary on the Trump children’s performances.
• 06:31–07:16 – The drama and fallout from Ted Cruz’s speech.
• 07:16–07:49 – Borowitz’s satirical suggestion for Hillary Clinton’s DNC entrance.

Conclusion

In this quick-hit, razor-sharp discussion, Andy Borowitz and David Remnick unpack the 2016 R.N.C. as a surprising blend of awkward showmanship, political theater, and moments of unexpected drama. Borowitz’s irreverent satire underscores the tensions, ironies, and absurdities that defined the event, providing listeners with a humorous yet incisive critique of the new era of spectacle-driven politics.