Jim Gaffigan, Donald Trump and the death of laughter

G.K. Chesterton called humor “the chief antidote to pride” and “the hammer of fools.” He observed that it adds “a new beauty to human life.” Which is a longish way of saying there’s nothing so foolish, prideful or ugly as a society that can’t laugh at itself.

Jim Gaffigan is one of the most successful stand-up comedians of the past decade. His 2013 book, “Dad Is Fat,” spent 17 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. According to Forbes, he earned $30 million in 2019 from his live performances, movie roles and television specials. Everybody loves Jim.

But making America laugh—and getting rich from it—is apparently no longer enough for Mr. Gaffigan. Now the man who rode to fame riffing about Hot Pockets wants to tell you how to vote.