‪Mark Jacob: NYT calls call Trump "maximalist"‬ because they don't think people know what it means

[Dennis Donovan]

‪Mark Jacob‬
@markjacob.bsky.social‬
6m
The New York Times has apparently chosen “maximalist” as its favorite word to describe Trump’s authoritarian, dictatorial and lawless actions without calling them authoritarian, dictatorial or lawless.
NYT knows few people understand what “maximalist” means, so it doesn’t make Trumpers mad. 1/5 🧵


‪Mark Jacob‬
‪@markjacob.bsky.social‬
4m
In the small type, NYT is saying the right things – that Trump is flouting the Constitution and laws. But NYT is afraid to call a would-be dictator a would-be dictator. Trump is “maximalist.” He’s “eschewing normal legal processes.” 2/5 🧵


‪Mark Jacob‬
‪@markjacob.bsky.social‬
3m
“Maximalist” has widely varying definitions in different dictionaries. The first one I posted was Oxford via Google. Merriam-Webster says it means “one who advocates immediate and direct action to secure the whole of a program or set of goals.”
“Maximalist” is safe for NYT because it’s unclear. 3/5

‪Mark Jacob‬
‪@markjacob.bsky.social‬
2m
“Maximalist” also has a definition in the arts, meaning excess or overabundance – the opposite of minimalist. NYT staffers like the word "maximalist" so much they’ve used it to describe brownies and asparagus. 4/5



Mark Jacob
‪@markjacob.bsky.social‬
Instead of running its stories through the euphemism desk, NYT needs to start saying Trump is doing things that are authoritarian, dictatorial and lawless. BECAUSE HE IS. 5/5 🧵
April 24, 2025 at 12:12 PM

Instead of running its stories through the euphemism desk, NYT needs to start saying Trump is doing things that are authoritarian, dictatorial and lawless. BECAUSE HE IS. 5/5 🧵

— Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T16:12:44.543Z

[Kid Berwyn]

1. Euphemistic NAZI Cleansing

Would think the Paper of Record would work less like the ghost of Göbbels and more along the lines of the First Amendment.