Outrage as Joy Reid calls Trump and Elvis Presley ‘mediocre White men’ who steal culture from other races

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former MSNBC host Joy Reid delivered a scathing critique of President Donald Trump, Elvis Presley, and others on Friday, labeling them as “mediocre White men” who have historically relied on appropriating the contributions of others rather than creating anything original.

Reid’s remarks came during a conversation with writer Wajahat Ali for his The Left Hook Substack, in an episode titled “How Mediocre White Men and Their Fragility Are Destroying America.”

Joy Reid and Wajahat Ali accuse MAGA of failing to build cultural influence

Ali began the episode by highlighting Trump’s overhaul of the Kennedy Center, which critics have described as a “hostile takeover.” Once known for hosting progressive programming, including drag performances, the cultural institution is now shifting toward a lineup centered on conservative themes and pro-American messaging.

Just last week, Trump revealed this year’s Kennedy Center honorees, announcing that he will personally host the awards ceremony.

Ali argued that conservatives lack originality in shaping American culture, saying, “These people cannot create culture on their own. Without Black people, Brown people, the DEIs, there's no culture in America. We make the food better. We make the economy better. We make the music better. Right? MAGA can't create culture. They got Cracker Barrel and Kid Rock.”

Reid and Ali argued that White conservatives have developed their form of outrage culture, saying, “They don't have the intellectual rigor to actually argue or debate with us, right? And what they do is they tattle and tell. They run and tell teacher that ‘the Black lady or the Brown man was mean to me.’ And that's what they always do,” she added.

Joy Reid labels Trump, Elvis ‘mediocre White men'

Joy Reid condemned Trump’s recent review of the Smithsonian ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, suggesting it was an attempt to sanitize history by downplaying slavery and other uncomfortable truths.

“They can’t fix the history they did,” Reid said. “Their ancestors made this country into a slave hell, but they can clean it up now because they got the Smithsonian. They can get rid of all the slavery stuff.”

She further argued that initiatives like PragerU were designed to rewrite history for younger audiences, framing them as a way to “lie about history to the children,” adding, “They can’t originally invent anything more than they ever were able to invent good music.”

Reid reserved some of her sharpest criticism for Elvis Presley, arguing that the celebrated performer’s career exemplified cultural theft. She accused Presley of building his reputation on the work of Black musicians.

“We Black folk gave y’all country music, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, rock and roll. They couldn’t even invent that, but they have to call a White man ‘The King,’ Because they couldn’t make rock and roll, so they have to stamp ‘The King’ on a man whose main song was stolen from an overweight Black woman,” she said.

Outrage after Joy Reid brands Trump, Elvis ‘mediocre White men’

Joy Reid ignited heated debate online after remarks in which she called Trump and Elvis Presley prime examples of “mediocre White men” who, she claimed, “cannot invent anything.”

The statement quickly spread across social media, triggering a wave of sharp criticism and ridicule. One user fired back, “If Black people invented everything as they always say, why is Africa still living in the stone ages?”

Another wrote, “Joy Reid will only get worse with her racism against White people. She’s such a lost cause. No wonder no one wants to hire her.”

Others mocked what they saw as hypocrisy, “So wild how the people yelling ‘Whites never invented anything’ are doing it on iPhones, inside buildings, powered by the grid. Irony isn’t just dead, it’s on strike.”

Some tried to offer a more balanced response. “That’s not helpful or accurate. Innovation and invention have come from people of all backgrounds throughout history. We should celebrate human achievement without trying to divide people by race,” one commenter stated.

Critics also attacked Reid personally. “It must be horrible to have that much hate in your heart,” one user wrote.

Another added, “Wow. Apparently, Joy Reid can’t think of anything in life outside of racism. It must be difficult to carry all that bitterness on a daily basis.”

Others dismissed her comments as jealousy, “This is just her being jealous and projecting,” one user penned.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.