The Four Public Faces of Donald Trump

This is not a pro-Trump or anti-Trump article...although in all frankness after hearing what's been going down with the 2020 alternatives offered by the Democrats, especially from that last debate with Kamala Harris figuratively kicking Joe Biden in the knee over retroactive political correctness, the current president is starting to look better by contrast.  No, this is about his public persona and how he chooses to present himself.  So without further ado, here are the four public faces of Donald Trump as I see them...

1 TRUMP'S TWEETING
It's no-holds-barred with the President and his Twitter habit of immediately responding in emotion-laden and insulting terms to public figures expressing criticism or opposition to him, often referring to them as losers and whatever organization they might be affiliated with as failing.  It's a bad example of vindictiveness and a sad lack of grace that I'm afraid will negatively influence how people in general respond to negativity from others in their own personal lives, even if they don't like Trump...

2 TRUMP'S RALLIES
When Donald Trump is preaching to the choir of his devotees, he reminds me of rock stars Mick Jagger or Steve Tyler when they are onstage in concert performing their act as he contorts his facial expression and gestures while amplifying much of what he Tweets about others.  He also reminds me...when he's in this setting...of early twentieth-century Italian dictator Benito Mussolini: just go on YouTube and watch how that dude looked when he got up in front of a crowd.  The overwhelming majority of the negative reaction to Trump is due to this act of his along with his Twitter habits, which may please some of his most solid supporters but causes just about everyone else to cringe in revulsion...

3 TRUMP ON SCRIPT
I was truly impressed by our President when he gave his first State of the Union address back in January, 2018.  He had his prepared script and delivered one reasoned, rational argument for his policy proposals after another and set the tone...had he stuck to script...for a productive presidency that could have brought the country together...or at least forged a center-right majority behind him and his efforts as Ronald Reagan had been able to do.  He's great when reading prepared material and it saddens me that he doesn't do it more...

4 TRUMP IN INTERVIEWS
Donald Trump the Debater is what we get when he submits to interviews like the ones with Lester Holt or George Stephanopoulos or one of his many impromptu press conferences while standing outside Air Force One or the White House.  Usually lacking here is the ridiculous self-caricature that typifies his rallies, as well as most of the more extreme personal bashing.  Instead, in these settings Trump focuses on directly addressing the questions posed him and bluntly gives his answers, laying out his reasons and why the other side is wrong.  To me, this is Trump at his best...with "Trump on Script" a close second...

At this stage in the game, I don't think that Donald Trump is going to lose his hard-core base of support as he runs for reelection...especially with what's been coming out from the Democratic candidates with their obsession over political correctness.  But instead of acting like a contrived stage act, he would greatly enhance his prospects if he were to coax moderate Democrats by simply doing what he has already clearly shown that he is good at: sticking to scripts during speeches and staying open and available for interviews...the Tweets and rallies are not aimed at the people he needs to attract for victory next year...