"This fight w/ the squad is exactly where Trump wants 2020 fought," stressed Amy Walter, national editor for the Cook Political Report, referencing the four House congresswomen ("the squad") who became the target of Trump's bigoted wrath. "The more media/Dems engage him, the better for him. All this fight does is re-polarize the partisans and leaves the up-for-grabs voters (who want to hear about bread-butter issues) tuned out."
Ah, Trump has Democrats exactly where he wants them because they're defending members from ugly, nativist attacks. What exactly, in this scenario, are Democrats supposed to be doing? Apparently, in order to not be out-maneuvered by Trump they're supposed to not "engage him" when he unleashes unprecedented hate speech from inside the White House. Doesn't this view seem like a can't-lose proposition for Trump? He baselessly tells sitting members of Congress to "go back" from where they came from, and if Democrats protest Trump is declared the winner, and if Democrats ignored Trump, he's allegations go unheeded.
Writing at NBC News, Jonathan Allen credited Trump for "flipping the script" on Democrats by leveling racist attacks against four of their members. "Trump surely saw an opportunity to frame the pair of dust-ups for his own base and swing voters as twin examples of Democrats unfairly accusing political rivals of racism," Allen wrote, while awarding Trump points for giving his loyalists another reason to hate Democrats based on their identity.
Note that at the end of last week, a Washington Post piece marveled at how Trump took a humiliating defeat on the issue of putting a citizen question on the U.S. census and turned it into an optical victory by holding an event at the Rose Garden. "Ever the brand strategist, Trump rarely gives up quietly, instead preferring to invite the cameras in and make the case that his losses are actually unexpected victories," the Post reported. "Trump has proved adept at seeing—and promoting—the bright side of failure."
By the way, here's what happened at the brand strategist's White House last week. Trump’s attempt to lower drug prices crashed and burned in the courts. Trump’s attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census crusade crashed and burned. And Trump Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta crashed and burned after he became caught up in the Jeffery Epstein sex scandal. If a Democratic president ever staggered through a week of defining losses like that, the D.C. press would have been writing his or her political obituary. Period. But with Trump, the Post ended the week noting his tactical savvy.
It's all part of the storyline the press wants to tell about how Trump is a uniquely skilled communicator, and how he can bypass the press to forcefully speak directly to Americans. But that's all nonsense, as Trump has had virtually no luck moving public opinion on any of the key points of his political agenda. For instance, he's been trying to sell the border wall along the southern U.S. border for four years and probably hasn't convinced three people during that time it's a good idea during that time frame. Trump has the biggest, loudest megaphone in America and he's been touting that wall relentlessly … and nobody's listening. Look at the polling on the issue. But he's the masterful manipulator?
He's not. He's a bully and quite often a buffoon. The press should in no way confuse that with being a skilled communicator.
Eric Boehlert is a veteran progressive writer and media analyst, formerly with Media Matters and Salon. He is the author of Lapdogs: How the Press Rolled Over for Bush and Bloggers on the Bus. You can follow him on Twitter @EricBoehlert.
This post was written and reported through our Daily Kos freelance program.
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