I was going to begin this article by asking if you, dear reader, had seen President Donald Trump’s tweets, but of course you have! Whether you have seen them on the news, social media, on t-shirts, or any other surface, you have encountered Trump’s Tweets.
And I, for one, look forward to each day’s round of outbursts! Hold your laughter, I’m serious.
What better way is there to get into the mindset of the President than through 140 characters sent in the dead of night. Look at Trump in opposition to a president like Nixon, who shrouded himself in secrecy. Trump is practically an open book, we know what his policy positions are, what he thinks of “fake news,” and his high opinion of our court system that provides checks and balances.
By airing his personal views in such a public way, Trump has opened up the door for opposition to easily rally against him. Not only do his tweets go viral, but so does the mockery of them.
Take for example when, after a federal court refused to reinstate his travel ban, he tweeted, “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”
The internet went wild. The popular meme for the next few days was a picture of former President Obama and Vice-president Biden laughing, with text that read, “Then he said, see you in court…to a court!” In this way, Twitter has opened Trump up to more ridicule.
Some Trump supporters enjoy the fact that they have direct access to the words of the president himself. They buy into Trump’s claim that the mainstream media, or as Trump calls it, fake news, does not accurately reflect Trump’s viewpoints and positions.
Of course, I would ask, how exactly does one convey meaning in 140 characters? Could we imagine FDR having a fireside tweet?
While some see Trump’s tweets as a way into his mind, I see them as a step away from reality.
On February 13, news broke that Trump’s National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, was resigning due to a leak, in which the Justice Department warned the White House that Flynn could possibly be blackmailed due to his contacts with the Russian Ambassador.
A day later, Trump tweeted, “The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc?”
No, Mr. President, that is not the real story. There have always been leaks in Washington, but what happened to Michael Flynn might be a reflection on your administration and your presidency. But of course, that’s fake news to you.
