Jeffrey Bennett

Media Appearances

• As Political Decorum Declines, Biden’s Verbal Jujitsu Strategy Emerges

  “It’s hard to say if the president was expecting that reaction, but he was certainly prepared for it. He’s been in this business for a long time,” said Jeff Bennett, professor and chair of communication studies at Vanderbilt University. “The president was arguing that he’s a reasonable person who is willing to reach across the aisle to get things done. And then the hecklers ended up providing the visual evidence he needed to support that claim.”

  February 8th, 2023

• Joe Biden has been better than we could have hoped — but is that enough?

  In an email to Salon, Jeff Bennett, a professor of communication studies, also at Vanderbilt, explains the power and importance of Biden's role as a non-sectarian clerical leader: Biden has been performing what is often referred to as the "priestly function" of the presidency and has been fulfilling this role since the day of his inauguration. During times of crisis presidents often call for unity by appealing to shared values and asking people to sacrifice for the greater good. Biden opened his primetime speech by acknowledging the collective losses that Americans have suffered and his deliberate dwelling on that point serves an important function. Recognizing the extent and severity of our losses — the loved ones who have died, the time that has been lost, the milestones that were never celebrated — is necessary for processing the national trauma that we've experienced and formulating ways to move forward. Trump was not especially good at performing this priestly role. Any acknowledgement of loss seemed to implicate him in the massive numbers of deaths that occurred on his watch. So, rather than discussions of sacrifice or national values, he tended to shy away from this important role. And at the end of the day, it's one of the many reasons he lost the presidency.

  March 18th, 2021

• Biden Seeks Unity After Election Win

  President-elect Joe Biden promoted a message of unity and bridging America’s political divide hours after news networks projected him winning the U.S. presidential election.

  November 8th, 2020

• As White House Becomes COVID Hot Spot, Trump Remains Defiant

  President Donald Trump is back at the White House after being released from the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19, and he is tweeting, urging Americans not to be afraid of the coronavirus. Many of Trump’s inner circle and those who attended a White House event late last month have since tested positive for the coronavirus.

  October 7th, 2020

• Trump Shifts Slightly on Masks Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

  With a spike in the nation’s coronavirus cases and top Republicans joining Democrats in urging Americans to wear masks to slow the pandemic, President Donald Trump, who has opposed wearing one in public, may be shifting his tone.

  July 3rd, 2020

• PrEP would cap and drive down HIV rates in Tennessee, but not enough people know about the drug | Opinion

  One of the most monumental medical developments of the 2010s may surprise you: the definition of safe sex has changed dramatically. And it’s all thanks to a technology called “PrEP.” PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a pill that prevents HIV infection.

  December 1st, 2019

• Why telling people with diabetes to use Walmart insulin can be dangerous advice

  About 7.4 million people in the U.S. require manufactured insulin to stay alive. I’m one of them. I’ve lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 15 years and inject two kinds of insulin every day. These insulins are notoriously expensive, and even with health insurance, people with diabetes regularly struggle to make ends meet.

  November 15th, 2019