Hearts & Minds: A very, very important take on 100 days of Trump!

President Donald Trump’s first 100 days are almost over. Just writing those words induces surprise – such has been the level of activity and number of executive orders emanating from the White House. It has taken some getting used to. Every day seemingly there is something new. What we have had to familiarise ourselves with is a different style, an entirely novel approach to comms.

For this president, much is framed in binary, no-holds barred, language. He uses words like ‘always’ and ‘never’, making issues sound like existential crises (‘national emergency’). He leaves no doubt, forcing audiences to pick sides and removing the option of a middle ground. You are either with him or you’re against him.

He self-aggrandises and favours heroic imagery to justify his actions. He is America’s saviour, witness this Truth Social post: ‘He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.’ His deeds are beyond reproach, in the nation’s interest. With that, too, has come the shunting aside of traditional democratic considerations. Normal checks and balances do not apply; court orders are to be defied; justices’ rulings are to be disregarded and the judge threatened with impeachment. He has not got time for the nice, inevitably slow, stuff; he is a monarch in a hurry. ‘LONG LIVE THE KING!’ was another posting.

Threats and coercion are regularly deployed. The Governor of Maine was told to ‘comply’ with his executive order or lose federal funding. Again, lest there be any doubt, it is for the collective good, so the flag is constantly flown. ‘The American Dream is unstoppable’ and ‘America is back’ are catchphrases. Likewise, he exaggerates and repeats, so not saying ‘very’ or ‘many’ but ‘very, very’ and ‘many, many’ for emphasis and memorability.

Contradiction and concession abound. Frequently, something turns out to be a negotiating ploy and was not intended to be serious.

Opponents, including some sections of the media, are scorned as enemies. Frequently, his attacks are accompanied by fearmongering and tugging at emotion to engender support and justify his behaviour.

His is a comms style that is unfettered, off-script, deliberately provocative, sometimes repetitive and rambling – ‘the weave’ as he terms it. He dominates news cycles and keeps everyone guessing. He demonises the mainstream media at will, when it suits him. He owns his media, preferring the directness, simplicity and personal messaging of social media.

That was the first 100; some 1,363 remain.

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.