As many of Donald Trump’s opponents scramble to earn a spot in the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee on Aug. 23, the former president has been waiting for months for a long-awaited It has been claimed that the event may be postponed.
This again shows Trump’s marketing savvy and shrewdness in navigating an ambiguous media environment that only likes to put him in a negative position regardless of what he says or does. Either way, it’s not to your advantage to have Mr. Trump on the debate stage. It will only pay off for the media conglomerates who love to hate him, using the undeniable fact that he has garnered a charismatic reputation. With all these networks striving to make him look bad, why should he pull up all the ratings? Even if he did well, the media ecosystem would find ways to curate and ruthlessly distort his performance.
If Mr. Trump is fighting a fair fight, if it makes sense for him to be treated equally and objectively, then taking the stage would be a different story. But after more than eight years of endless and often unwarranted attacks, it’s clear that it won’t happen anytime soon under the unscrupulous scrutiny of the mainstream media. (Related: Adam Weiss: President Trump looks easy to dominate the competition)
Moreover, the first debate will be broadcast on Fox News, which has recently strayed from the “fair and balanced” path. The second, which President Trump is believed likely to be absent from, will be hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, but the association will not bother to invite him to speak while in office. The association is chaired by Fred Ryan, publisher of The The Paper. Washington Post. The newspaper revels in the former president’s near-daily attacks. So why should Mr. Trump go out of his way to condemn them for his existence? Nothing good will come of him.
Hypocrisy is undeniable. Arizona Democratic gubernatorial nominee chose not to hold a debate with Republican rival Kari Lake last year, even though the press has already been flooded with accusations just by mentioning the possibility that President Trump won’t. The media outlet did not flinch when it did, but rather accepted the stance. Despite polls showing the two women to be evenly matched.
And with Trump, you don’t even have to worry about enemies getting closer. No matter which poll I look at, the 45th president so far has no other candidates (Ron DeSantis, Scott Walker, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie) who meet the Republican criteria to enter the debate. , Vivek Ramaswamy) are several miles ahead of other candidates. . Mr. Trump is clearly boxing’s heavyweight champion, and like any top performer, he can afford to wait a few inches or at least a little closer before he can hold his own in the ring, before making his way through a distant underdog. There is
Of course, some candidates don’t admit they did poorly in the polls, but instead accuse Donald Trump of being “afraid” of fighting them. What nonsense. Even if you’re not a rocket scientist, it’s clear that President Trump faced some of the world’s most brutal dictators when he took office and didn’t hesitate to take his word for it. The feeling of being scared is not in his DNA. Trump is an open, high-profile powerhouse who doesn’t need to contend with others with much lower approval ratings. Trump is also a word doer. Let’s not forget, he also avoided the Fox News debate stage ahead of the Iowa caucuses, amid a public feud with then-anchor Megan Kelly. (The event was later canceled) not out of fear, but out of opposition to principle and unfair treatment. . (Related: William O’Reilly: Republican Party’s 2024 Presidential Candidates Need Clearing, Should Start With Ron DeSantis)
And other candidates will appreciate the opportunity to get their voices across to a wider audience without President Trump at his side. Like it or not, Trump’s natural style is to monopolize the spotlight. Rumors then spread that President Trump would offer some kind of countermeasure as the first debate ended, and perhaps a rally or another event would be held at the same time. In that case, it’s not hard to determine which showdown will get the most interest and attention.
President Trump should continue to play by his own rules, given that the media has exercised its will over his treatment. The obvious frontrunner hardly ever needs to take the stage right away, perhaps only when the teeming caravan of hopefuls is down to two candidates or three of him.
Trump has been burned enough over the years that there is no need to give the press a gratuitous and undeserved pass. Winners never make the same mistake twice.
Adam Weiss is CEO. AMW PR, a New York-based political strategy and communications firm. His office works with Jim Brown, Judge Janine Pirro, Rep. Lee Zeldin, Eboni Williams, Corey Lewandowski, David Bossey, Andrew Giuliani, Gov. Hayley Barber, and Steve Hilton. I’ve been Anthony Scaramucci etc.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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