From: officialflagrant
Donald Trump views himself as a significant influencer, noting that he was once described as the “biggest of all influencers” due to his large online presence [01:01:01].
Social Media Presence and Reach
Before his accounts were taken down, Trump stated he had approximately 280 million combined followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, believing he was “number one” on Facebook at one point according to Mark Zuckerberg [01:01:16]. He described the removal of his access to these platforms as going “cold turkey” [01:01:40], which made it difficult to communicate his ideas [01:02:05].
Following this, he adopted an “old-fashioned press release” approach, calling it “Save America,” which garnered millions of readers [01:02:12]. He now primarily uses Truth Social, referring to it as “my voice,” and also utilizes X (formerly Twitter), acknowledging Elon Musk for his work with the platform [01:02:23]. A previous interview he conducted with Elon Musk reportedly accumulated 275 million views [07:53:00].
Public Perception and Media Handling
Trump frequently discusses the role of media and public perception in politics. He often refers to mainstream news outlets as “fake news” or “Meet the Fake Press,” asserting that these media entities spend millions of dollars on their branding only for him to redefine them with critical nicknames [02:51:16].
He attributes some of his political challenges to media portrayals, citing instances where his statements were allegedly misrepresented or cut short, such as his comments on Charlottesville or his “peacefully and patriotically” remark before January 6th [01:13:00]. He has expressed frustration over politicians making false claims about his stances, such as his position on IVF, which he says is demonstrably untrue [01:14:05].
He noted that while he is generally a “truthful person,” his opponents’ actions provide him with “so much ammunition” [01:14:45].
Nicknames and Communication Style
Trump is known for coining nicknames for political figures, such as “Tampon Tim” (which he admits is “hard to say” and “a mouthful” [01:04:20]) and “Comrade Kamala” [01:04:41]. He also calls himself “Tik Tok Jack” [01:04:09]. He describes his speaking style as “the weave,” where he can digress on a topic but always return to his original point [02:22:24]. He views humor as essential for survival in politics, stating, “if you don’t have humor you won’t even survive” [02:46:27].
Response to Criticisms
Trump claims that allegations against him, such as those regarding his taxes or the Russia hoax, are often “lobbed” and then abandoned by the media when proven false, without retractions or apologies [02:55:00]. He initiated a lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize committee, demanding they retract awards given for coverage of the Russia hoax, arguing that maintaining these awards implies the hoax was true [02:55:57].
Regarding the assertion that he would not cede power if re-elected, Trump clarified that his remark, “just vote for me one time you won’t have to vote again,” was meant to emphasize the critical importance of the upcoming election, suggesting that if successful, the country would run “swimmingly” thereafter [02:21:11]. He acknowledges that his “shoot from the hip” communication style can sometimes be “twisted into rhetoric,” and stated he would be “a little bit more mindful” of the power of his words if re-elected [02:39:00].
Perceptions of Political Figures
Trump opines that the media’s portrayal of political figures and issues significantly impacts public perception and political outcomes [02:51:16]. He believes that the current administration’s actions are presented dishonestly [01:12:58], and that the country is currently in “decline” [00:50:42]. He hopes his legacy will be tied to “Make America Great Again,” aiming to restore the country to a state where its greatness is unquestionable [01:26:39]. He also stated that he believes Joe Rogan and Kim Kardashian are major influencers [01:03:41].