‘Doonesbury’ creator weighs in on humor and Trump

In the preface to his new book “#SAD!: Doonesbury in the Time of Trump,” creator Garry Trudeau brings up the old Finley Dunne adage about advocacy journalism, about how it should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. And that reference naturally raises the question: Does Trudeau think that Trump-era satire — from cartoonists to comedians — happens to be serving those same two needs, even if it’s not the aim?

“Trump is as thin-skinned as ever, but now that the slings and arrows are coming from the Justice Department, Big Satire is the least of Trump’s problems,” Trudeau tells The Washington Post about puncturing the powerful. “When you’re fighting for your life, you’ve got less time to worry about whether Alec Baldwin is misrepresenting your hair” on “Saturday Night Live.”

“As for the afflicted, there seems to be no slackening of the public’s appetite for mockery of POTUS,” the “Doonesbury” creator adds. “And as we head into the midterms, it seems like all the wiseguys are bringing their A game.” (He is a particular fan of Stephen Colbert, Andy Borowitz and Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri.)

One satiric tactic that Trudeau is finding particularly fruitful is the mimicry of President Donald Trump’s tweets. Right-leaning “Doonesbury” correspondent Roland B. Hedley Jr. has his own Twitter account, and his Fox News-like takes on this administration become comic-strip fodder for the left-leaning Trudeau.

“Writing for Roland must be what it was like creating material for Colbert on his old show,” Trudeau says. “Every day is Opposite Day.”

“I like the challenge of trying to think like the White House,” he adds, “of finding a positive spin for words and actions that are basically indefensible — and doing it with only 280 characters is a kind of comedy haiku.”

One area of parody that Trudeau likes to mine is Trump’s antagonism of the media — including his threats to loosen libel laws. Does Trudeau believe the president might ever alter the rules of satiric engagement?

“I realize that ‘established precedent’ is looking a little shaky these days, but ever since the (landmark Larry Flynt case) I’ve breathed a little easier — especially since ‘Doonesbury’ was invoked by name in the winning argument before the court,” Trudeau says.