It’s that time of year
again: the tree is still up, the stockings have been emptied, there is a nip in
the air, and we are looking ahead to the new year, wondering what it may bring.
You all know what that means: ‘tis the season……for the Annual Hoax-of-the-Year
Awards! A little late this year, as there was such an abundance of deceit from
which to choose. So, hoax fans, let’s get after it!
Each
successive year seems to bring us more hoaxes than the previous one, and,
happily, this year was no exception. But first, let’s acknowledge that last year’s
winner will be incredibly hard to top. The Government Employees Are ‘Public
Servants’ Hoax is one of the greats of all time. That said, my personal
favorite hoax of 2024 was The Secret Service Couldn’t Go On The Roof In Butler Because
The
Slope Was Too Steep Hoax. Well, apparently it wasn’t too steep
for Thomas Crooks, as spindly as he was—and loaded down with a rifle to boot. Nor
was it too steep for the authorities who, just a couple of days after the
assassination attempt, were atop it in street clothes, calmly walking around
and hosing it down, washing any remaining evidence away.
A
proper review of hoaxes would note that several hoaxes really took it on the
chin in 2025. Among these are the Universities Are Unbiased Bastions of Higher
Learning And Are Greatly Beneficial To Their Students Hoax, the Electric
Vehicles (EVs) Will Soon Outnumber Those Powered By Internal Combustion Engines
Due To Overwhelming Consumer Demand Hoax, and the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Has
A Functioning Cerebral Cortex Hoax. (During a CNN town hall in
October, AOC called for “drinkable”
air
and said that “rivers were on fire” because of an accounting firm.) Each of
these have been thoroughly-- and hopefully permanently-- debunked.
On
to the 2025 candidates.
First
off, we have the “New York Jets Are An Actual, Legitimate NFL Organization
Hoax.” While this hoax isn’t widely promulgated or believed, it still deserves
mention due to its sheer preposterousness.
The “I’m
Sticking It To The Man If I Key A Tesla Hoax” was rampant for a time early in
the year. The truthful rejoinder to that statement would be, “No, you’re just
damaging someone else’s car because you are an asshat of epic proportions. You
have vandalized private property, and you’re on camera, moron.”
The “Trump
Is Devastatingly Implicated In The Epstein Files Hoax” turned out to be a
nothing-burger, at least to this point, though several Democrats were, in fact,
implicated.
Then
we have the “ICE Is Targeting Hard-working, Law-abiding Everyday Folks Hoax.” No,
ICE is targeting aliens and criminals (who came here illegally for starters)
from foreign lands whose beliefs, mores, and religion are often antithetical to
ours……and those of a free, representative republic. In other words, potential Democrat
voters. That is the only reason Democrats are so mad about ICE. If/when
they retake power, they will invent reasons to lock up their political
opponents.
More
recently, we have seen the “We Are Terribly Worried That Trump Will Routinely Issue
Illegal Orders To The Military Hoax,” as carefully constructed by the Seditious
Six. Though these borderline treasonous clowns want us to believe they are all
acting solely at the behest of their morally superior hearts and their deep and
undying love for America and democracy…in reality they are trying to sow
division and distrust amongst the troops and citizens while setting
Trump up to be impeached yet again.
A somewhat
related and popular deception that was recently promulgated by the mainstream
media is the “Trump Is Destroying The East Portico Of The White House Solely To
Build A Ballroom For Himself And His Wealthy Friends Hoax.” This is untrue.
Trump will nearly be out of office when the renovation is completed. And yet he
is paying for much of the costs of this much needed renovation himself. The White
House has not heretofore had a ballroom where many guests could congregate at
once in a place befitting a great country. In fact, some past events have
largely been held outside, with Satellite porta-potties functioning as ad-hoc
bathrooms.
Up
next is the “Charlie Kirk Was A Bigot/Fascist Hate-Monger Who Deserved His Fate
Hoax.” This is perhaps the saddest and most despicable hoax on the list. Charlie
was a largely self-taught young man who enjoyed engaging in civil debate with students
on college campuses around the country, something that used to be expected and
routine. He changed some hearts and minds, even while truly listening to those
with whom he disagreed. And then he was shot.
There
is a burgeoning ruse, put forth by the likes of Gov. Tampon Timmy “Glad Hands”
Walz, that I call the “But For One Or Two Bad Apples, Somalis Are wonderful
People, Peerless Entrepreneurs, And Greatly Enrich Our Society Hoax.” Hard to
top that one, especially if you live in Minnesota.
The
final two hoaxes are inextricably intertwined, and, unlike nearly all other
hoaxes of years past or today, are being promulgated by many conservatives.
The “We Are Soundly Defeating Wokeism Hoax” and the “Democrat Party Is On Its
Last Legs Hoax” have been prevalent among Conservative Inc. types since Trump
prevailed in the 2024 presidential election. Neither of these is even remotely
true-- and the latter is the single most dangerous hoax out there. Because today’s
Democrat Party is the biggest, most immediate, and clearly existential threat
to America. If these Republicans don’t stop gloating, end the infighting, eliminate
the faint whiff of anti-Semitism, and do whatever it takes to win, it is
curtains for the Republican Party…and the republic for which it
supposedly stands.
Obviously,
these are not all of the hoaxes extant. Since the onset of the Obama-Biden-COVID
Era, hoaxes have gone mainstream and are virtually ubiquitous.
Nonetheless,
the time has come, the big moment is here. (Drumroll.) The 2025
Hoax-of-the-Year is the “Democrat Party Is On Its Last Legs Hoax.” This is the
one hoax I wish were true but demonstrably is not. (Check back with me after
the 2026 midterm elections for verification.)
[Announcement: This is the
sixth annual ‘Hoax-of-the-Year Awards.’ Some of the hoaxes have been quite
humorous, while others—like this year’s winner—are not. Yet I feel like all are
illustrative and useful in their own way. Therefore, I am going to spend time
in 2026 constructing the Hoax Hall Of Fame. Perhaps an online version at first,
and—eventually—a physical location for
the HHOF. Washington, D.C. seems like an obvious choice for the physical Hall.
Donations accepted.😉]
