What does your reflection tell you each morning as you peer into the glass? For columnist Ian Warden, writing on January 9 2026, this question takes on a sharp political edge, fuelled by the biting satire of publications like The Onion and the state of modern leadership.
The Satirical Lifeline in a Trump Era
Warden opens with a humorous yet pointed admission: staying sane and cheerful is a challenge with the daily news cycle dominated by the spectacle of Trump's America. His salvation, he reveals, comes from a daily dose of satire from The Onion, the self-proclaimed "America's finest news source." He argues that in an era defined by the "ludicrous Trump administration," the ability to laugh through inventive, absurd, and viciously fair mockery is a precious prop for teetering sanity.
The piece highlights how The Onion has found rich comedic material in figures like US Vice-President JD Vance. Warden focuses on a specific satirical article headlined 'JD Vance booed by own reflection in mirror.' This fictional report, complete with a verifying photograph, describes Vance's mirror image hurling insults, calling him a "morally bankrupt prick" and a "traitor to his values" for his descent into sycophancy.
Mirrors in Myth and the Australian Political Sphere
This satirical gem prompts Warden to explore the deeper lore of mirrors in folklore and literature. He references the poignant poem 'The Mirror in the Front Hall' by C.P. Cavafy, where a mirror finds joy in reflecting honest, pleasant faces. The contrast, he suggests, is the imagined torment of Donald Trump's bathroom mirror, forced to reflect the president's lengthy morning vanity rituals.
The core question Warden then poses is whether prominent Australian political figures receive similar, unflinching judgments from their own reflections. He wonders if they get the "shirtfronting, wake-up-to-yourself lectures" that Vance supposedly endures in satire.
Warden applies this lens to several Australian politicians. He suggests that Senators Linda Reynolds and Anika Wells might see morally outraged reflections challenging them on, respectively, the Brittany Higgins case and the use of travel entitlements.
A Reflection on Leadership and Conviction
The columnist's most critical mirror is held up to the nation's leader. While he withholds his "unkindest thought," he plainly states that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appears to be an "insubstantial man" with barely a ghost of a personality. Warden contends that, appearing to lack core convictions, Albanese "makes almost no impression on Australian public life."
He argues that if an 'Albo' reflection does exist, it must be telling him what a waste his "stand-for-nothing, reform-nothing, ultracautious prime ministership" has been in a nation bristling with injustices.
Finally, Warden turns to Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. He imagines her mirror's face, aghast at the politicisation of the Bondi massacre, shrilling home truths about being morally bankrupt. In her shame, he speculates, she might be unable to face her reflection properly, fumbling with her lipstick and relying on aides to make her presentable for her next media performance.
Through this reflective exercise, Ian Warden uses satire and folklore to launch a broader critique on authenticity, morality, and the capacity for self-reflection in Australia's political class.
