Exactly six years ago, Citizen Trump seized the global agenda and never lost it. Citizen Trump (a new book and film) teaches the “Donald Trump method,” a way to overwhelm the media, crush your enemies and advance your agenda.
Just as there were Reagan conservatives and Kennedy Democrats, a new generation of Trump Republicans will be on the scene for decades to come (from Don Trump Jr. to Ron DeSantis to many of you (75 million strong).
Here are ten ways to carry out the mission like Citizen Trump:
- Speak so people remember your words. The media instantly freaked out about Donald Trump’s June 16, 2015, announcement speech (and never stopped freaking out). Lesson the media missed: The simpler your language, the easier it is for people to remember (and constantly repeat).
- Love thy enemies – but constantly call them out, “brand them,” and frame your narrative. Trump speaks of his enemies as a strict father would dismiss his worst-behaving child: He loves them (really), but he constantly calls them out, branding them as Crooked Hillary, or Low Energy Jeb. Trump always shaped the story.
- Remind others that Americans worship God, NOT the government. In other words, nothing done by the government is sacred or untouchable. We bow down to God but not our elected rulers (who are supposed to work for us, not themselves and their donors).
- Vulgate/Vulgar means common people language. Speaking of the Bible, friends and foes alike would agree Donald Trump could sound “vulgar,’’ but do we remember where the word “vulgar’’ originated? It stems from the Vulgate Bible, the first attempt to translate the Bible from a “fancy” language of Greek into the “language of the common people.”
- Citizenship has its responsibilities and privileges: America First always trumps the world. Whether he was talking to a rally or the United Nations, Trump hammered away at the notion that his administration would always put the needs of Americans first and other nations second. We are America First!
- Audacity, Audacity, Audacity. One of Trump’s greatest heroes was General George Patton (I finished my new book on Patton last November before finishing Citizen Trump). Patton’s mantra (from Frederick the Great) was Trump’s (it’s how he steals the spotlight): Audacity, Audacity, Audacity.
- Learn your story and stick to it. Watch videos of Trump from the 1970s through today, and he always seems to tell the same story (though the adversaries kicking us changes from Japan in the 1980s to China today). Ordinary politicians (and the public) are terrified of the media (note how often Joe Biden runs from the press), but Trump loves the battle.
- Remember your role: Always look and act the part. CBS legend Mike Wallace made fun of Trump for showing up to a 1985 “60 Minutes” interview (on a Sunday by his pool in the summer), wearing his customary Donald Trump suit and tie. Like any great performer, Trump knew performers must always look the part.
- Set – and constantly protect – clear boundaries. From the wall to trade barriers, Trump taught everyone, “if you don’t have borders, you don’t have a country.” Trump, the showman who also studied Carl Jung, makes it clear you need to set boundaries in all relationships, and he who sets the limits controls the conversation.
- Love all Americans like a strong father figure. Trump always acts as a strong father figure. Research in 2016 found that people who most liked a strong authoritarian (aka a paternal father figure) tended to most like Trump. People who resist father figures and strong authority figures were most likely to condemn him the way they rejected their own father figures.
Now, you sons of bitches, wake up and stop playing stupid party games. We no longer care who wins the news cycle or scores a barb in congress.
We are about to hit the beaches of our own cultural Normandy, and it's time to prepare yourself. You have the training you need and the power of your American legacy. You’ll know what you need to do.
I have all the confidence; you will get it done! Now Go. Seeketh out the dark corners of the Media, or institutes of learning and business, and shut them down. Your Americans dammit!
I’ll see you on the beach!