Presidential Twitter: Is the method Trumping the message?
Trey Stewart, Sports Editor
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.
Over the course of his storied presidency, Donald Trump has had his fair share of moments that leave critics scratching their heads. However, some of Trump’s most memorable mishaps in office don’t come from behind the desk in the Oval Office. Instead, they come from behind a screen and the so-called safeguard that is social media, and more specifically, Twitter.
One of the staple appeals of the Trump presidential campaign leading into the 2016 election was the promise to openly communicate with the American people. His supporters ate up the idea of a commander-in-chief who cared enough to keep in contact with the proletariat, working class society of America.
Although even Trump’s worst critics likely wouldn’t argue that he has made good on his word, are Trump’s antics on Twitter a way to communicate with Americans easier and quicker, or has the platform become nothing more than a virtual megaphone for Trump to slander and tear down those who oppose him on his right-wing political ideas and views?
While Trump’s most loyal supporters probably won’t be willing to budge on the topic of Trump’s Twitter use, Trump has come under fire more than ever with his recent tweeting revolving around his impeachment proceedings and the 2020 Democratic election.
On October 2nd, a specific tweet of Trump’s drew enormous backlash. It read:
“The Do Nothing Democrats should be focused on building up our Country, not wasting everyone’s time and energy on [expletive], which is what they have been doing ever since I got overwhelmingly elected in 2016, 223-306. Get a better candidate this time, you’ll need it!”
Lara Eller, Mass Communication professor at North Greenville University, doesn’t personally agree with Trump’s frequent use of his Twitter account to bash opponents. “I think it tends to be a little bit asinine at times. It toes the line of unprofessional way too often.”
Many people agree with Eller’s assessment, and it’s caused stiff debate among the masses as to what is defined as good communication and what is considered unprofessional for a sitting President.
“I understand he needs to be able to connect with people, but I don’t think he is keeping that the main focus of his account,” said Eller. “Not just that, but the fact that he’s using his personal account instead of the official presidential one. It’s a terrible look.”
For the time being, Trump doesn’t seem to be slowing down on the overwhelming use of his Twitter. Whether or not this causes any sort of backlash from his potential supporters ahead of the 2020 election is yet to be seen. But as the political landscape heats up with the upcoming Democratic debates and primaries, it’s highly unlikely that Trump will be letting up any time soon.
