Commentary
The Tone
Much has been written about the tone of former President Trump’s speech. It was generally viewed as restrained, low key, tightly scripted and lacking the cocky swagger and energy supporters have been accustomed to.
“For all those tuning in to Donald Trump’s announcement of his presidential candidacy Tuesday night expecting to see a rip-roaring, fired-up Trump tearing into Joe Biden, trashing the fake news, and generally riling up the crowd, they were disappointed,” wrote Bob Hoge in his Red State piece, “Trump Shocks the World by Nearly Putting Us to Sleep.”
While noting there were some red meat lines, “Crooked Hillary,” “January 6” and “Russian collusion” never came out of his mouth, Hoge recalled Biden’s attacks on Trump being “much more savage” as of late.
“He appeared less vibrant than we’re used to,” Hoge noted, “he was attempting to address serious matters … but if he was trying to convince the Washington Post crowd that he’s a serious leader, that attempt will never work.”
“I can guess at his motivation that perhaps he was trying to reach out to more than just his MAGA crowd. But those that hate him, and there are many, will not be swayed in the slightest by this new, calmer Donald,” Hoge continued.
Ben Domenech of The Transom saw his speech as “low-energy and somber, more serious to voters who don’t want to recall his crazier antics on the campaign trail,” noting that Trump’s argument was simple, “things were good when I was in charge, and now everything sucks.”
Interestingly, during a Saturday Night Live appearance, comedian Dave Chappelle hit on accusations of Trump being a liar, saying, “Trump is really an ‘honest liar’ because although he sometimes exaggerates the truth, he is always basically right. That is something that appeals to the average American, as it should, and seemingly cannot be replicated by any other politician.”
The Media – The major broadcast networks – ABC, CBS, NBC – and MSNBC didn’t bother to carry the speech. CNN dropped out after the announcement approximately 20 minutes into the one-hour speech and Fox left at about the 45-minute mark.
In addition to the earlier media remarks about the tone of Trump’s speech, there were other comments on the content.
After his two-year obsession with the 2020 election, Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Henninger saw Trump attempting to change his stripes, transforming himself into a solidly issues-oriented candidate running on taxes, deregulation, energy independence, traditional schooling, and military strength.
There was no ranting over the stolen election. Trump must have learned that Independents abandoned him over that issue. On that subject, Henninger noted that Trump “threw his failed rigged-election acolytes off the train (or under the bus) while he moved on to a more responsible agenda.” Commenting, “that takes gall.”
Depressed that we may not see an invigorating debate among members of the Republican bench, Henninger said, “he wins by showing up. Instead, we’re getting the final season of “the Apprentice.”
In Stephen Kruiser’s Morning Briefing in PJ Media, headlined “Trump Throws His Hair Into the Ring for 2024,” he recalled comments – subdued and sticking to the script – by his colleagues during the speech, suggesting that approach may or may not have been a good thing.
“Personally, I’ve always been a fan of his extemporaneous, not filter style,” he wrote.
Trump’s statement that it won’t be his campaign; it will be our campaign struck a nerve with Kruiser, who said, “Trump is one of the only politicians I’ve ever believed when he talks about being in it together with his supporters. He viewed the bond he forged in 2016 as “deep and genuine.”
CNBC on line carried a piece by Christina Wilkie with the headline “Donald Trump, twice impeached and under investigation, launches 2024 White House bid.”
Despite his laying out a long, aggressive conservative agenda, Wilkie chose to include his suggestion that people convicted of selling drugs should be executed in her lead paragraph.
Then, in a pathetic example of journalism, Wilkie wrote the obvious – “his first time trying to win votes since his refusal to accept the 2020 election loss and his frantic effort to hold onto power” – followed by an example of fake news – “led to the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
“The first? … DUH … it was the first opportunity for him to seek office since 2020.
“Deadly attack?” – While Democrats have said there were four to six deaths of law enforcement individuals on January 6, however, they lied. The only person killed was Ashleigh Babbitt, an unarmed Trump supporter, by an unhinged Capitol police officer, who was never charged.
Except for an e-mail I received from a friend, who wrote, “I personally can’t stand the man, and would vote for just about any other Republican,” I only came across just two remarks reflecting that bitterness.
“A lot of people hate Trump and they will never vote for him or anyone with his stamp of approval,” wrote Kurt Schlichter.
“Those that hate him, and there are many, will not be swayed in the slightest by his new, calmer Donald,” wrote Bob Hoge in Red State.
“How could you look at the election results and conclude Trump has any chance of winning a national election in 2024,” said Scott Jennings, a former deputy to Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Chris Sununu, the popular governor of New Hampshire, viewed Trump’s decision to announce right after the midterm as “bad politics,” adding that “Mr. Trump shouldn’t be considered the GOP’s figurehead.”
Looking ahead
As I mentioned in my three-part positioning blog post, the country can expect to see the Trump name in negative publicity. Insurrection charges from the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 riot, and the various lawsuits still in play.
“You can also expect the DOJ to indict Trump at some point in the near future,” Red State reported in reference to the Mar-a – Lago document search. “That’s not a reason not to support Trump if you believe he’s the best man for the job, something honest people can absolutely do, but it is something to be prepared for nonetheless.”
But Trump won’t be the sole target of negative publicity. On Thursday, an announcement by Republicans in the House revealed their plan to hold hearings to uncover the corruption in the Department of Justice, including the FBI. Highlighted was DOJ’s effort to shield President Biden’s relationship with his son Hunter’s dealings.
A Wednesday Rasmussen poll revealed that 47 percent of voters still have a “favorable” impression and 27 percent have a “very favorable” view of Trump.
As you might expect, members of Congress are split on Trump. Calls to separate from him have been compounded by the midterm defeats.
The left leaning Politico conducted a poll in collaboration with Morning Consult that revealed Donald Trump is “still the top dog, even if slightly weakened.” Their poll has 47 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents forTrump in 2024 and only 33 percent for Ron DeSantis.
“The biggest, most diverse coalition in America, comprising Democrats, Republicans and Independents, has nothing in common except their desire not to see the Trump experiment renewed,” wrote Wall Street Journal columnist Holman W. Jenkins in his piece “Sunset for Trump and His Foes?”
Brand Management
As someone who worked in brand-conscious corporations, I find the comments about brand management of the Republican Party humorous. “I think the Trump brand is close to destroyed,” said GOP strategist Scott Reed.
Then there was the comment from never Trumper Peggy Noonan, “Donald Trump ruined the Republican Party’s brand.”
Funny, there’s never a concern about the Democrat brand. It’s surely not my father’s Democrat Party.
It’s Early
Others will be considering whether to take on the former president. “For Ron DeSantis and the other wannabe’s, pundit Ben Domenech remarked, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.”
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
