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We don’t need to tell you that these are uneasy times in America.
The war with Iran has brought simmering tensions to a boiling point, and every day, millions of social media users — some of them former Trump supporters — are venting their frustrations online.
But in debating these issues, it’s important that we don’t forget our humanity — say, by harassing teenagers or bashing people for physical characteristics that can’t be helped.
Yes, depending on your worldview, 18-year-old Kai Trump might be on the wrong side of history.
In fact, in her work as an influencer might — again, depending on where you fall on the political spectrum — be helping to normalize a homicidal regime that’s currently decimating and destabilizing a region that’s home to nearly half a billion people.
So it’s fair game to bash Kai and her family’s politics.
But if you feel inclined to insult her appearance or her way of speaking, maybe remind yourself that she’s a literal teenager.
Earlier this week, Kai posted a video in which she visited the ultra-posh supermarket Erewhon.
And the clip unexpectedly became a teachable moment, as it highlighted the kind of trash talk that’s acceptable in relation to political figures and the kind that’s wholly inappropriate.
Remember, if you bash a politician for being overweight (for example), the politician probably won’t see it — but your overweight friend will.
In Kai’s case, go ahead and talk trash about how she and her family are completely out of touch with the struggles of the average American.
Go ahead and joke about how tone deaf it is to flaunt the fact that you’re spending outrageous amounts of cash on luxury goods at a time when millions are struggling to put food on the table.
But don’t make wisecracks about Kai’s alleged “speech impediment” as so many on X (formerly Twitter) have done in response to her recent post and her previous public appearances.
“Does Kai Trump have a speech impediment? Not trying to be rude here, but she slurs her words a lot when talking,” one X user wrote.
“Kai Trump got a speech impediment or something,” another added.
“Does Kai Trump have an accent or a speech impediment?” a third chimed in.
Don’t get us wrong, the clip — titled “I Brought My Secret Service to Erewhon” — is a tough watch.
But that’s because Kai really did bring her tax-payer-funded Secret Service detail to a grocery store for rich people so that she could make jokes about being poor.
“I’m about to go, like, bankrupt with this stuff,” she says in the video. “I’m going to need to file for bankruptcy.”
Yes, it’s a weird time for that sort of “humor.”
But if Kai does have a speech impediment, it’s extremely minor. And it’s not the sort of thing that adults (or anyone) should be commenting on.
There are much, much larger issues to focus on with regard to her family. In fact, you can be almost certain that some sort of new controversy unfolded in the time it took you to read this article.