Donald Trump is a former president of the United States, whose image has been largely impacted by social media. Being an active user on Twitter, he has made controversial statements which abide by conservative worldviews and are unaccepted by liberal standards. Trump’s media presence has been widely discussed in the context of his behavior both before taking the post and during the presidency. Trump is the focus of this essay as a prominent case of a worldwide discourse regarding the negative effects of media on a politician’s image.
Social media has significantly helped Trump during his rise to power in 2016. His presidential campaign was unconventional, while his victory was surprising. According to Francia (2017), Trump focused the press attention on himself through his postings on Twitter. He gained publicity from employing free media without having to spend millions of dollars on advertising (Francia, 2017). Trump’s Twitter account was a way for the future president to clearly share his opinions and be open to the public, which was a factor in his success.
However, during his presidential term, Trump has gained much attention to his controversial statements that are not favored by liberals. The development of leftist thought has brought many critiques to Trump’s persona, and this has indirectly ruined his career. Over the period of 5 years, the political dynamics of America have changed. Although there has always been a balance between Republican and Democratic thoughts among Americans, there are slightly more democracy supporters now than in 2014 (“Wide Gender Gap,” 2018). This trend plays a role in Trump’s defeat in the recent elections, and it has partly been influenced by the former president’s controversies.
In his career, Trump has made many discriminatory statements against women. For example, the former president repeatedly referred to the diplomat Marie Yovanovitch simply by the term “woman,” without ever calling her by the last name (Prasad, 2019). This is an example of gendered language, which does not suggest the value of Yovanovitch as a politician and undermines her professional success (Prasad, 2019). The media focus on Trump’s opinions towards women has brought much attention to the public.
Furthermore, ethnic minorities are also commonly discriminated against by Donald Trump. His infamous border wall is another example of such behavior, which for a while has been a target of media discourse. Trump frequently stated that it is a measure of national security. However, this is not how the mass media portrays it. For instance, Lee (2019) called the construction “a monument to white supremacy” (para. 14). Many other platforms described the wall in a similar light, seeing Trump’s statements regarding it as a mere excuse to mask the politician’s racism towards Mexicans.
Trump openly states his opinions, which are often questionable and, therefore, are the target of the media. The combination of his image and the changing environment of the United States led to his failure to be re-elected for the second presidential term (Bryant, 2020). To maintain his career, Trump would need to adapt his public statements to the current political setting. This would mean a drastic shift to a more liberal, although dishonest, ruler. Considering Trump’s discriminatory statements, it is fair to assume that he is not a democratic leader. His judgments shed light on the true person he is, who should not be a country’s president. This is why the punishment of being impeached twice and losing the 2020 election fits Trump’s wrongdoings.
Social media can have a substantial impact on one’s career. Internet and press can prove beneficial in providing attention to a public image, and it can be an effective way of advertising, or, in the case of Donald Trump, political campaign promotion. Nevertheless, there are also negative effects of the internet on a persona. Once the controversial actions or opinions of a celebrity become known to the public, they are the center of discourse. In a changing environment, such behaviors of the past are less appropriate than they were before. The focus of media on such celebrity attributes, subsequently, can ruin one’s career.
References
Bryant, N. (2020). US election 2020: Why Donald Trump lost. BBC News. Web.
Francia, P. L. (2017). Free media and Twitter in the 2016 presidential election. Social Science Computer Review, 36(4), 440–455. Web.
Lee, B., Jr. (2019). This isn’t a border wall: It’s a monument to white supremacy. Bloomberg. Web.
Prasad, R. (2019). How Trump talks about women – and does it matter? BBC News. Web.
Wide gender gap, growing educational divide in voters’ party identification. (2018). Pew Research Center. Web.