“We see the chaos because we see the tweet” – Zerlina Maxwell, MSNBC Commentator
“…He said I was stupid, I’m not stupid…”Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton the Musical
Chaos Theory – A branch of mathematical and physical theory that deals with the nature and consequences of chaos and chaotic systems – Webster’s Dictionary
Not Stupid
The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is not stupid, as badly as many Democrats want to believe it’s true. President Trump is a manipulator, a man solely focused on his own benefit. He knows what he wants, what he needs, and how he thinks he can get it. That’s not a stupid man, that’s a self-centered, brilliant strategist.
The Brand
President Trump has lived his life by the motto: “any publicity is better than no publicity.” The “Trump Brand” is his greatest asset, and he better than anyone knows how to build that “brand.” When Twitter was invented and popularized, it was the perfect tool for Donald Trump’s needs. It gave him an outlet for any and every random thought; and as President, those thoughts monopolize the national conversation.
It maximizes the Trump Brand. It dominates American “news,” so much so that the President’s Twitter feed is the real “fake news.” “Fake news” because much of his musings, and ranting’s aren’t about real things. Trump issues “fake” orders, last week ordering US businesses to withdraw from China. He constantly attacks the media, declaring that stories like Trump’s desire to drop atomic weapons on hurricanes are false despite multiple confirmations. The President rails at his critics, he attacks his own appointees, and he defends his allies.
He keeps the spotlight directly on Trump.
Chaos in the Oval Office
Twitter gives America an inside view of what’s going on in the Oval Office. It’s a scary view, a picture of a leader constantly distracted by differing interests. America sees inside “…how the sausage is made” in this White House, and it’s not a pretty sight.
But it continues to serve Trump’s purpose, keeping the focus directly on him. And it absorbs America’s attention, leaving other “powers,” from the Democratic Presidential candidates to Congress, starving for “oxygen.” It’s not a mistake, nor is it the “rambling” of an out of control leader. The Twitter feed is intentional, and it absolutely serves the President’s purposes.
The Intellectual Presidency
In a larger sense though, Twitter gives America an insight into the Trump Presidency. We had a “normal” vision of a Presidency: wise advisors respectfully putting their views to the President, discussing and perhaps even arguing about the best path for America to follow. A President taking in their wisdom, studying the relevant facts and information, deliberating and determining what course the nation should take.
It’s been an American tradition, from George Washington with the competing intellects of Hamilton and Jefferson, to Lincoln’s “team of rivals,” to Roosevelt’s “New Dealers” and Kennedy’s “Best and Brightest.” Barack Obama, magna cum laude from Harvard Law, epitomized this “intellectualization” of the Presidency.
Hillary Clinton offered a continuation of that “intellectual Presidency,” bringing her own academic credentials from Wellesley and Yale Law. She too offered her version of advisors as the “best and brightest.” Trump offered a radical alternative, a candidate who despite his own Ivy League credentials saw intellectualism as a flaw, and “facts” as flexible. Many Americans were looking for dramatic change in 2016. Those voters got what they wanted.
Trump’s Oval Office
We are now presented with a Presidency where the President isn’t told information he doesn’t want to hear, and where it seems like the “last word” in the President’s ear is the deciding opinion. Where young men of concerning backgrounds, Stephen Miller and Jared Kushner, far outweigh the influence of more seasoned and veteran officials. And where sycophancy is more highly valued than respect or effectiveness.
It all looks crazy, and scary. It looks like a nation careening out of control, a President randomly smashing the stock market, arbitrarily changing border law, and whimsically starting trade wars. But the capriciousness is intentional; it keeps the opposition, and the nation, off balance and constantly focused on the President. It gives Donald Trump control over the attention of the nation.
And we know all about it: we read it on Twitter.
