New York Times columnist David Brooks is taking a lot of heat for a column he wrote this week asking why President Trump’s voters stick with him. Why? Because instead of doing what a journalist might do and actually talk to some Trump supporters, he wrote an imaginary conversation between “Urban Man,” who of course is up on the news and thinks Trump’s call with Ukraine’s president proved to be an impeachable offense, and “Flyover Man,” who didn’t read the call transcript and just tries to stay focused on “the big picture.”

So Brooks, aka Urban Man, literally made up a Trump supporter, made assumptions about his knowledge, and put words in his mouth.

.@nytdavidbrooks imagines a conversation between a Trump supporter and a critic https://t.co/UDBtGxGW19 — New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) October 4, 2019

You know you CAN actually talk to people, you don't have to imagine human interaction up. — Spooky Scary K ?️‍??? (@_Vs_The_World) October 4, 2019

I imagine you firing Brooks instead of continuing to pay him a very comfortable six figures for bad salt-of-the-earth fanfic. — ?The Doubtful Guest ? (@InsideATureen) October 4, 2019

He couldn’t just have a real conversation with a real Trump supporter? — Leonardo (@LEEONAWDO) October 5, 2019

You don’t have to have imaginary friends, NYT. We’re out here. We’re better informed on issues than coastal elites & we are willing to have real-life convos with people, when we aren’t at work, bc our free time isn’t spent making Drumpf effigies or crying in a safe space. Holla. — K. Silkwood (@EnterNameHere01) October 5, 2019

David is scared to actually talk to a Trump supporter. Snowflake ❄️ — The not Thomas Pink Fox (@spread_collar) October 5, 2019

Maybe he should actually visit multiple parts of fly over country and talk to real people. Never heard any male or female talk like he imagined. — MamaRoseGold (@FaithImportant) October 5, 2019

So embarrassing for this once proud institution of journalism — peanut (@peanutweet) October 5, 2019

David Brooks couldn’t be inconvenienced to step out of his ivory tower to interview a real Trump supporter so he just made one up. pic.twitter.com/7QYsgoMiYz — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 5, 2019

When they cannot adequately counter real people and their reasons, they go straight to the imaginary every damn time. — Jean Paul Zodeaux (@JeanPaulZodeaux) October 5, 2019

I love how the first thing “Flyover Man” says is, “I really haven’t had time to look into it.” LMFAO Wow, David, you’ve really captured how truly *lazy & uninformed* the right is these days. Keep telling yourself that. — Tape Dispenser (@tape__dispenser) October 5, 2019

“An imagined conversion with Flyover Man.” This is literally fiction. @nytimes publishes opinion pieces based on fictional stories. Sad. — BobbyDank ??✝️ (@BobbyDank) October 5, 2019

I can still remember a time when they didn't admit they make shit up. — Deconstructed NEWS (@siglo__XXI) October 5, 2019

My greatest enemies are the ones I construct in my head. — Chyba Prekladu (@hutsalak) October 5, 2019

Heaven forbid that we try to understand each other. — Technical Animal Fat (@not_human_food) October 5, 2019

I just hypothetically spoke to all of Dave's family members and they can't stand him. — Joe MacKinnon (@JTMacKinnon) October 5, 2019

A microcosm of the political climate that gave birth to the Trump presidency in the first place. Ignoring legitimate concerns of American voters. — Memuneh (@MemunehMichael) October 5, 2019

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