It was big news that was, apparently, triggered by poorly delivered sarcasm.

On Thursday, The Hill broke the story that Louie Gohmert, a Republican congressman from Texas, was considering a run for the White House. “Ted [Cruz] is a good friend and would be an outstanding President; however, I haven't ruled out an exploratory committee myself,” Gohmert said in a statement. Later that day, a Gohmert aide burst the bubble.“Washington, D.C., contains too many who do not recognize statements made with a figurative tongue in cheek, sometimes known as being ironic,” the staffer told The Texas Tribune.The news that Gohmert, who tried to launch a coup against House Speaker John Boehner (it of course did not go his way), likely won’t be running for president is a sad reality for anyone who craves a more colorful primary season. The hard-right congressman has said that fellow Republican John McCain supports al Qaeda. He really, really wants to bomb Iran. And he has warned America about the threat of “terror babies,” which involves jihadists sending pregnant women to the United States to give birth to more terrorists who would “help destroy our way of life.”

At least we still have Donald Trump, maybe, right?