How Trump Uses the Power and Imagery of His Presidency

Contact Your Elected Officials
The New York Times Header

Donald Trump is capitalizing on his unusual status as both a former president and a candidate to twist the race in his favor in ways big and small.

Only five days after Donald J. Trump left office, one of his aides emailed a lawyer to request approval of a formal-looking seal for use on statements from the office of the 45th president.

Margo Martin, one of his closest personal aides, told the lawyer, Scott Gast, that consultants had designed a subtly-modified seal for Mr. Trump. “They said they changed a few things to avoid trademark issues,” she wrote, asking Mr. Gast if the design was acceptable.

The eventual image that Mr. Trump’s team used — a recognizable eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, placed in a circle — was evocative of the presidential seal that identified Mr. Trump with the job he had just left. And while he is hardly the first former White House occupant to affix an eagle to his website, the early conversations about presidential imagery revealed what has turned out to be an important obsession of Mr. Trump’s: being seen as much as a future president as a former one.

Mr. Trump vacated the White House before noon on Jan. 20, 2021, as required by the Constitution. But from the moment he arrived home to Mar-a-Lago, his members-only club in Florida, he has grabbed at every opportunity to inhabit the role of an incumbent president, including by putting the typical trappings of a post-presidency to use in trying to reclaim the office.

At a minimum, that approach may have helped to soothe Mr. Trump’s bruised ego. But it has indisputably become a crucial factor in his effort to return to power.

A majority of Republican voters, polls show, view Mr. Trump not as a “defeated former president,” as President Biden often calls him, but as a wrongly deposed president whose re-election would amend a grave injustice. Elected Republicans who once privately mocked the conspiracy theories about a stolen election now publicly insist that Mr. Trump was the true winner, out of fear of getting crosswise with their constituents or with him.

. . .

Those aides and confidants were wrong. Far from ruining him, Mr. Trump’s refusal to accept his loss — a monthslong fit of rage that culminated in a deadly assault on the Capitol — almost certainly helped secure his political future: It kept his grip on the Republican Party and allowed him to run his 2024 campaign as if he were the rightful occupant of the Oval Office pursuing no more than his restoration to power.

Mr. Trump — who has inhaled media attention like oxygen for decades — had no interest in the quieter, less visible life of other past presidents. George W. Bush took up painting and high-paid speeches. Barack Obama gave speeches, played golf, sailed with wealthy friends on superyachts and raised money for various causes, including a presidential library in Chicago.

Mr. Trump played a lot of golf, but the similarities end there.

By Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Shane Goldmacher

Read Full Article

The New York Times
The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/
The New York Times brings you unparalleled access to the people and events shaping our world today. we tell stories In a range of formats to fit your lifestyle.

Chambers of Horror

Using a shutdown to legislate is like using a flame thrower to light a candle, it provides light momentarily but destroys everything in its path.

Government Shutdown, Health Care, Tax Breaks=Perfect Storm

The shutdown over cuts to health subsidies for the poor stems from Trump’s OBBB plan, which critics say funneled trillions to the wealthy.

3I/Atlas Comet or UFO Arrives Tomorrow!

The 3I/Atlas object is hurtling toward our solar system on a strange path and composition, set to pass behind the sun, obscuring visual and radio tracking.

‘I’d Be Finished’: Vaccine Researcher Trashes Own Study to Save Career

Most doctors comply with the system, following orders to keep their jobs, income, and prestige, even if it means setting aside independent judgment.

Kamala, Please Run Again

Kamala Harris hinted she wants to run for President in 2028, despite poor poll numbers and her loss in 2024. If she runs, the big winners will be the GOP.

San Jose Proclaims ‘Republic of China Day,’ Honors Taiwanese Community’s Contributions

San Jose declared Oct. 25 “Republic of China Day,” honoring the Taiwanese American community’s cultural and economic contributions to the city.

US Tightens Ban on Chinese Tech Gears

The United States has extended its ban on Chinese electronics to cover products partly made by companies blacklisted on national security grounds.

FDA Says It’s Eliminating Requirements for Generic Versions of Expensive Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration in draft guidance said it will reduce instances where large human trials are required for biosimilars.

Government Shutdown Could Cost US Economy $14 Billion: CBO

The government shutdown could cost the U.S. economy up to $14 billion, a new analysis by the CBO said on Oct. 29.

US, South Korea Finalize Trade Deal Reducing Tariffs, Boosting American Investment

The U.S. and South Korea finalized a major trade deal on Oct. 29 as President Trump wrapped up the final hours of his Asian tour on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump, Japanese PM Sign Critical Minerals, Rare Earths Deal

The U.S. president visited Tokyo on the second leg...

Trump Hikes Canada’s Tariffs by 10 Percent for Not Pulling Anti-Tariff Ad Immediately

Trump announced he will increase tariffs on Canada by 10% after ad by provincial government of Ontario misrepresented President Reagan’s speech on tariffs.

Trump Rolls Back Emissions Rules on Copper Smelters

President Trump issued a proclamation aimed at reversing a Biden-era environmental rule that enforced stricter air emission standards on copper smelters.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central