On one hand, it’s legitimately terrifying that an outgoing president is trying to overturn an election. On the other, Donald Trump is doing such a bad job at it that it’s been amusing, as well as scary. From his Keystone Kops legal team bumbling through one creatively failed presser and hearing after another to a guy whose father and wife he insulted promising to come to his rescue, it’s been a lot. But surely few people imagined that it would come to this: Lou Dobbs almost made Stephen Miller cry.
Dobbs, of course, is one of the president’s most stubborn cheerleaders. Miller, of course, is one of Trump’s most hated minions. They both adore 45. They both hate immigrants. But on Monday night — hours after a report emerged that Trump bungled an attempt to vaccine more Americans early and often — Dobbs turned on Miller. And people on social media found it glorious.
If you enjoy Lou Dobbs’s and Stephen Miller’s tears you’ll like this clip pic.twitter.com/NqN2YwlXvI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 8, 2020
Miller came ready to parrot some familiar and dodgy (and in many cases already debunked) claims of voter fraud. But Dobbs wasn’t having it. He thought the president’s Senior Advisor was just another Republican letting him down, allowing him to get humiliated in one failed court case after another, ready to go down as a disgraced one-timer.
“The president warns for months and months and months about mail-in ballots and the potential for fraud, and the Republicans do nothing, Stephen. Nothing,” Dobbs scolded. “What’s wrong with the Republican party?!”
Miller tried to get in some moth-ridden talking points, even saying America had become a “banana republic,” but not because they elected a potential authoritarian who won’t concede an election he didn’t come close to winning. But Dobbs wouldn’t let him get very far.
“The reality is that this president right now is fighting — and let’s be straightforward about it — he’s fighting all alone,” Dobbs averred. “And Ted Cruz has stepped up to say he’ll argue before the Supreme Court. Why on God’s green Earth wouldn’t the White House jump on it?”
When Miller again tried to save himself with canned lines, Dobbs blew up. “No, no, Stephen. I’m not going to let you do this! I’m not going to let you do that!” Dobbs shouted. “I asked a question. You and I, we’re reasonably smart and decent fellows. Why don’t you answer me? That’s all I’m asking here, Stephen. Why don’t you guys jump and salute Ted Cruz and say, yes, we want you on the team now? My God, this is not a time for internecine nonsense on the part of the Republican party which is watching its blood drain into the streets because they’re gutless!”
Dobbs may have intended to energize Miller into taking a bolder stand, even though, at this point, the administration has done almost everything it could to overturn the election, without success. Instead Miller retreated into himself, looking as though he was about to cry.
Besides, the only people energized were people who dislike Lou Dobbs and Stephen Miller.
https://twitter.com/MichaelEHayden/status/1336139044795912194
This GOP is so mad, they don't even know who they are fighting anymore. Lou Dobbs changed allegiances twice in under two minutes and Stephen Miller…well, unfortunately he's just Stephen Miller. pic.twitter.com/0YhLufFLlE
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/ReesusP/status/1336149151214489600
It’s the deranged versus the demented. https://t.co/rWkcdYjvDM
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) December 8, 2020
And truly, it was a big deal that Lou Dobbs — who regularly gives Republicans a hard time, but not people so close to the president — blew up on Stephen Miller.
Not unusual for Lou Dobbs to be harsh towards establishment Republicans like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsey Graham.
But it's rare for him to be harsh toward immigration hardliners like Stephen Miller.
Dobbs is having a hard time adjusting to reality! pic.twitter.com/ci0ne7hRZm
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 8, 2020
At one point Dobbs floated the idea of hiring Marc E. Elias, who’s been defending the Democratic side of the election, and quite well at that. Elias himself found that quite amusing.
https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1336127557259943938
Still, he had to turn the handsome offer down.
https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1336149814887800832
Some were worried about Lou Dobbs.
https://twitter.com/thor_benson/status/1336108517346963456
Others basically said, “Let them fight.”
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1336110116664446976
Lou Dobbs yelling at Stephen Miller was just what I needed. They’re all losing it.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) December 8, 2020
But maybe what they are is a new comedy team. After all, Republicans definitely need more funny people.
Lou Dobbs and Stephen Miller come off like the Neo-Nazi Laurel and Hardy. pic.twitter.com/IPzflHXRLj
— Mr. Newberger (@jeremynewberger) December 8, 2020
Anyway, barring some bizarre plot twist, Stephen Miller will be out of a job in a month-and-a-half, at which point we can all go back to thinking the most famous person with his name is an old rock musician with a bunch of hits. But will Lou Dobbs stay at the increasingly hated-by-Trump Fox News syndicate? Or will he jump ship to Trump’s revenge channel?