TRUMP’S FAILED COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY PUTS THE U.S. IN PERIL

TRUMP’S FAILED COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY PUTS THE U.S. IN PERIL
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Sean Spicer

Sean Spicer

Huffington Post

A few short months ago, we in the communications business were vocal in our criticism of United Airlines for its public relations debacle when a man was forcibly removed from an overbooked plane.

The current situation in the White House, and the way the administration has responded to the constant "drip, drip, drip" of potentially incriminating news - and even blatant contradictions - surrounding the Russian investigation, makes United look like a model of p-r professionalism. At least the airline listened to the feedback, apologized and made amends within a few days.

Shockingly, the president, those around him, and even the press secretary, Sean Spicer, have acted like amateurs. After the many emails acknowledging that Donald Trump, Jr.’s meeting with Russian operatives at Trump Tower in June 2016 was about Hillary Clinton oppo research, Spicer said the opposite.

"The President has made it clear through this Tweet. And there was nothing, as far as we know, that would lead anyone to believe that there was anything except for a discussion about adoption and the Magnitsky Act," Spicer said at an off-camera briefing with reporters. "But I would refer you back to counsel on that one."

There are, however, more important differences between United and the White House. The airline, though important to many people, made errors affecting only its customers, employees and its own reputation.

The Trump administration has put the United States and, perhaps the entire world, in peril.

Sadly, the administration is led by a president who simply will not listen to those around him, those who are more schooled, deft and principled on how to own up to mistakes and alter public perception.

As MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace, who worked for the second President Bush, has said, “As a former communications director, there’s a single press strategy for this White House: It’s called an apology."

Even President Bush, himself, sharing a Dallas stage last week with President Clinton, emphasized, "I think it's really important to know what you don't know and listen to people who do know what you don't know."

It may be too late for the Trump presidency. The preponderance of evidence has grown too staggering for a simple p-r solution, but there are steps that can be taken to minimize the damage so Washington can return to the business of health care, taxes, infrastructure, jobs, etc.

  • First, they should come clean and tell the American public everything they can - everything they've done and everything that's been covered up. Stop denying what can easily be verified. Having more bad news emerge during each news cycle (hourly in today's day and age) is a killer.
  • Second, start listening to the attorneys. When they issue advice to stop Tweeting or lying to the camera (even if it is Fox News), the president and his son should listen up. If a meeting took place and there were eight people present with the topic of discussion being oppo, the story shouldn't change from Saturday to Friday. The truth should be told from the beginning.
  • Have a communications strategy and stick to it. Allow your comms professionals to be in on meetings and follow their advice.
  • Stop pinning the bad news on the mainstream media. The Trump base may go for that strategy, but most Americans still believe in the First Amendment and the importance of investigative journalism to keep government in check.

President Trump is doing a terrible disservice to the American people.

Way beyond the distraction of the past few months, his complete disregard for the concepts of right and wrong do not seem to exist at this White House. His modus operandi is frighteningly similar to that of Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood character in House of Cards (although he doesn’t have the initials to match the attitude).

More disturbing is the ever-more-feasible idea that the 2016 election was fixed by the Russians, potentially in collusion with the declared winner.

The current situation will not be righted until there is resignation or impeachment, but at the very least, the current administration can start telling the truth, for public relations reasons and for the good of the United States. The continued lying, subjugation and criticism of the media is hurting the country.

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