Former President Donald Trump (AFP)
Former President Donald Trump’s recent comments about technology have drawn backlash from critics who claim he is “out of touch” with modern media. During a rally in Arizona over the weekend, Trump praised TiVo, a digital video recorder first released in 1999, as one of the “greatest inventions in history,” prompting ridicule online and from political opponents. told by France 24.
Speaking on stage to Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, Trump said, “You know, the TiVo or its equivalent. I give it… the greatest invention in history, TiVo or its equivalent.” He went on to explain that he used it to watch Lake’s debate, adding, “I watched your debate due to that kind of thing that we can do nowadays.”
The comment quickly caught the attention of Trump’s critics, who pointed to his statement as evidence that he is disconnected from current technology. Republican accountability group American Bridge 21st Century highlighted the remark, tweeting, “Donald Trump is old enough to think that recording a televised debate is new technology.” The group’s vice president of communications, Alexandra De Luca, added, “For all that he sucks up to tech billionaires, Donald Trump is incredibly out of touch with how modern media works. He’s still astonished about TiVo!”
Delta combat veteran Travis Matthew also weighed in, pointing out that “TIVO came out in 1999. Trump is clearly out of touch with current social trends and reality.” Others joined in with mocking responses, including the educational group Stop Project 2025, which joked, “Coming soon: Trump TiVo. It will have his face on it on the default screen.”
This is not the first time Trump has made similar comments about TiVo. At a rally in August, he said, “I love the playback controls you have nowadays. They used to call it TiVo, but now they TiVo… I think it’s the single greatest invention. It is better than television.”
The repeated references to TiVo have only added to criticisms of Trump’s age and his grasp on contemporary technology. His slip-ups at the Arizona rally, which even led Fox News to cut away from the broadcast, provided further fodder for those questioning his readiness for a second term in office. While Trump’s supporters may brush off the comments as harmless, his critics see it as another sign of his disconnect from current realities.
As the 2024 election approaches, these kinds of statements are likely to continue fueling debate over Trump’s fitness for the presidency, especially in a rapidly changing media and technological landscape.
