At Politico, Jack Schafer writes a quite negative article attempting to debunk the idea that the press helped elect Trump. He points out all the negative coverage Trump attracted early, late, and in between. And then he writes something quite profound about the Trump phenomenon, perhaps explaining better than I’ve seen elsewhere Trump’s political genius.
His supporters don’t care that much about whether he’s telling the truth as they do about his positions or affectations about the culture war, race, immigration, abortion, grievance, police, trade, guns and political elites. Trump knows that when he stretches the facts, the press will call him out on it. But he also knows that his supporters will perceive his falsehoods as symbolic truths and cheer.
Does Trump exaggerate? Absolutely. Does he sometimes state what he’d wish were true as being true? Yes, he does. Do his supporters view this as lying? Not particularly, it is just a flamboyant, bigger-than-life showman doing his shtick.
Trump communicates what he feels, and millions know they feel the same things, wish the same things, hope to achieve the same things. They hear and resonate with his metamessage which he has learned to convey despite the MSM's carping and negativity.
