The Media Has Made Donald Trump Look More Coherent Than He Is. It’s Called ‘Sanewashing’

This piece is about media criticism, not home energy upgrades, so there's nothing here that affects decisions about insulation, heat pumps, rebates, or weatherization for your house.

The article discusses "sanewashing," a term for when news outlets clean up or smooth over a politician's rambling or incoherent public statements when reporting on them, making the speaker sound more organized than they actually were. It uses examples of Donald Trump's public remarks, including a disjointed answer about childcare policy in September 2024, and contrasts how different outlets described his speaking style using milder or more pointed language.

The piece then debates whether this kind of editing by journalists is actually a problem, noting that some filtering is a normal part of reporting, and that outlets sometimes get it right by focusing on substantive policy ideas rather than a poor delivery in the moment.

None of this touches on energy costs, rebate programs, or home improvement decisions, so there is no practical takeaway here for someone weighing an upgrade to their house.