Fans and former contestants praise “Jeopardy” host Ken Jennings after he got political on Bluesky
Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings stepped into political debate on Bluesky this week, and folks quickly took note. While Jennings often keeps his public persona focused on trivia, he hasn't been shy in the past from posting about politics.
On Wednesday, Jennings wrote a post that many users read as a swipe at President Donald Trump and his administration, although he did not name Trump directly.
What did Ken Jennings say?
"The 'prosecute the former regime at every level' candidate has my vote in 2028," he wrote on BlueSky. The post didn't go unnoticed, and not long after, a New York Post article about Jennings began circulating on X. Many of the comments were negative, with people saying they wouldn't watch the show, given Jennings's political views.
Fellow Jeopardy! Champion James Holzhauer (@James_Holzhauer) tweeted a photo of a post from someone who said they never had and never would watch Jeopardy! now. Holtzhauer wrote, "tough choice for Sony. fire Ken Jennings OR alienate a rando who doesn’t watch Jeopardy, causing him to continue not watching."
However, Jennings drew more attention after another Bluesky user quote-reposted him and wrote, "If there’s even an election in 2028."
Rather than ignoring the comment, Jennings responded with a lengthy thread that pushed back against what he described as defeatist thinking.
“A lot of replies here […] were genuinely confused variants on 'But why, they’re right,'" Jennings wrote. He then explained why such comments frustrated him. First, he argued the idea was factually wrong, noting elections occurred during Trump’s first term and would continue to do so. Then, he said the belief was tactically wrong because it ceded ground to political opponents. Finally, he called it rude, comparing it to interrupting strangers to announce doom.
"Drive-by online dooming isn’t a strategy," he added. "It’s selfish and adolescent."
Social media reactions
Following the thread, many Bluesky users praised Jennings for his tone and reasoning in his political posts. While some disagreed with his optimism, others welcomed his refusal to dunk on critics.
"You crushed that," wrote @dromanma1018.bsky.social. "Hope this negativity doesn’t push you away from here because you are greatly appreciated."
Meanwhile, @primarylupine.bsky.social reflected on political history. "I chalk it up to a lot of people online now not being around for the Reagan years," they wrote. "We got through it then, and we’ll get through it today."
"Yup. We’re not doomed," joked @dc3inthesky.bsky.social. "We’re merely in jeopardy of being doomed."
@tedlassofangirl.bsky.social wrote, "I'll take 'Ken Jennings is a great human' for $1000."
"Thank you for using your platform to actually say something. You didn't have to," @lunarsoundandcircuit.com added. "You could've not said anything, or said something generic. But no, you're doing the right thing. Thank you."
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