Sitting comfortably in a temperature-controlled CNN studio, discussing whether American workers should have skilled trade jobs might seem easy. But it’s crucial to remember the hardworking individuals who make such environments comfortable in the first place.
This debate came to light recently when CNN analyst Nia-Malika Henderson nonchalantly disregarded jobs like HVAC installation and repair, as well as other skilled trades, suggesting that Americans shouldn’t prioritize them. She argued that reviving these jobs in the U.S. could unsettle stock markets in other countries, questioning their significance.
Let that sink in.
It appears that Henderson believes any disruption in foreign markets, no matter how minor, outweighs the importance of providing American workers with fulfilling careers, steady incomes, and the pride of contributing to something tangible.
The Media Elite’s Quiet Contempt
This is the kind of elitism that’s been rotting through the national media for years. They’ll nod along to phrases like “the dignity of work” and “supporting working families,” but the moment actual working-class jobs are on the table—pipefitting, HVAC, diesel mechanics, welders, electricians, machine operators—they wince.
It’s always the same story: Those jobs aren’t “aspirational.” They’re too dirty. Too noisy. Too blue collar. Too real.
Completely set the tariff issue aside. As much as she would want it to really be about those tariffs, she is revealing her fundamental bias against people with working-class jobs. People who don’t wear the nice outfits she gets to wear on television while looking down on them. This is also a group of people who largely voted for Donald Trump, and that increases her disdain of them a hundredfold.
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You won’t hear these folks mock a Wall Street hedge fund analyst who makes millions rearranging numbers for a living. But a guy who keeps schools, hospitals, and newsrooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter? Suddenly, that job isn’t “worth it.”
These Are the Jobs That Hold the Country Together
Let’s be clear about something: Without HVAC workers, that CNN studio wouldn’t just be uncomfortable—it would be uninhabitable. Without truck drivers, no one’s getting makeup shipped to the green room. Without electricians, the lights go out. Without welders, no one has a desk to sit at. Without construction crews, there is no building to broadcast from.
This country runs on the backs of skilled workers—the very people elite media types so often ignore, stereotype, or outright ridicule.
These jobs aren’t beneath anyone. In fact, they’re the backbone of the middle class. And when the media mocks them, they’re not just showing their ignorance. They’re revealing their disdain for the people who keep America running.
“Worth It” to Whom?
When Henderson asked whether these jobs are “worth it,” she wasn’t just questioning economic policy. She was questioning the value of the people who do those jobs.
Are they worth it if it upsets foreign markets?
Are they worth it if it means recalibrating the global economy?
Are they worth it if the media has to change its narrative?
To millions of American families, those jobs aren’t just “worth it”—they’re essential. They’re the difference between scraping by and getting ahead. They’re how you build something, leave a legacy, and make sure your kids have more than you did.
So yes, they’re worth it.
And if the media can’t see that, it’s because they’ve become too comfortable sitting in air-conditioned towers, completely disconnected from the rest of the country.
