Get one thing straight: I believe that President Trump is a good man with a good heart. In my opinion, most of the less-than-stellar moments his administration has faced so far have been due to a combination of political inexperience, an impulse to garner attention with rogue positioning, a pugnacious core personality, and a failure to allow more professional advisors to hone his messaging. I believe he is right on the issues and often maladroit in the arena of communications with the millions of voters outside his base of support.
I don’t believe for a minute that the president is a racist, but with the Russian collusion scandal veering into realms Valerie Jarrett and her ilk probably didn’t bank on, the race card is the new anti-Trump ticket.
These recommendations come from concern for the political climate, and the hope that Mr. Trump can sidestep distractive and largely media-blown fundamental irrelevancies, batten down the administrative hatches, and focus on his winning agenda for the remainder of his term.
Caution (as our old friend Billo used to say): Trump did not get elected singing the tune of conventional politicians. We wanted the bull in the china shop, the dismantler in chief, the swamp-drainer extraordinaire. It can all still happen, but it’s time for some conventional finesse.
Where do I get off presuming to advise the president? I’m just another voter—who voted for Trump and is now exercising his First Amendment rights.
Henceforth, all presidential tweets should be crafted by committee in close association with General John Kelly, Kellyanne Conway, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. No tweet should go out without the approval of the comms staff and without opportunities for input on edits and word choice. It is not that difficult to write essentially banal, all-encompassing, and non-controversial 140-character statements. Any competent corporate communications officer or attorney could rattle one off in less than five minutes.
Tweet content should be confined to policy declarations, in a tone of managerial responsibility, and nothing more.
Tweets should go out only during regular business hours, EST. The opposition is making too much hay out of the late-night stuff—don’t hand them the fodder. Transform the tweet visual to an image of the chief executive at his desk surrounded by trusted advisors.
Phrases like “I’ll have to get back to you on that,” “I don’t want to comment prematurely,” “ongoing investigation,” and “let’s let our law enforcement/intelligence agencies/elected officials finish their review” should become part of the President Donald J. Trump daily lexicon.
Read up on the life of President “Silent” Calvin Coolidge, with a side-order of Eisenhower. You don’t have to comment on every question/issue thrown your way. Most voters, especially your base voters, only perk up and listen when you say the wrong things, because we’re worried about the take-down effort. For the most part, with the ultimate respect, please just clam up.
Never punch down, no matter how rankling the ankle-biter critique. I know that the counterpunch is paramount in your arsenal, but the way the media presents it you can never win punching at Trump Country nonentities like Joe Scarborough. You’re the president; let them spew into a vacuum of non-response. Save the overhand rights and counterpunch uppercuts for dangerous crackpots like Kim Jung Un.
Become receptive to the idea of a border wall as part of a funding package that includes provisions to lessen consequences for law-abiding, sympathetic illegal aliens. Example: so-called “dreamers” who have stayed out of trouble and are making a demonstrable effort to become productive members of American society.
Keep the heat on illegal alien criminals, and remain vigilant on the resettlement/immigration of un-vetted Islamic extremists. With almost weekly reminders like Barcelona, this is your money issue.
Provide and promote more photo opportunities with your immediate family. Put Ivanka and Melania front and center. As much as people want to deny it, the first family is our royal family, and you’re a big winner in the photogenic family sweepstakes. The holidays should provide ample opportunity for such optics.
Keep all criticisms of those in your cabinet or close-knit orbit draconically private. The beltway swamp feeds off palace intrigues; your base of support—especially those who populate your new Red Wall– loathes anything that distracts from the heartland message that got you elected.
The next time a Charlottesville happens, and unfortunately it probably will, use nothing but approved phrasing for days after while everything is sorted out. If you had kept to staff-approved phrasing after the tragedy, I believe Governor Terry McAuliffe would have taken most of the heat. Don’t forget the incompetent Mayor Ray Nagin and the buses he kept idle in New Orleans before Katrina. Much of the time, these Democrat dopes will hang themselves in a crisis if you give them the rope.
The next time a Charlottesville happens, and a sympathetic victim emerges (yes, I’m talking about Heather Heyer), reach out to the family with well-crafted, unassailable condolences. If deemed appropriate and helpful, visit the scene of the unrest.
Keep up the rallies in select U.S. cities. Go where the love is. You have millions of supporters who worry that if things continue in erratic fashion, without the sense of a firm hand and coherent visionary at the helm, the globalist, self-interested, corrupt jackals of our political class both left and “right” will be able to hobble your presidency, if not outright take you down.
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