FLASH
Shkruar nga Luigi Di Gregorio
How has Trump managed to make the world revolve around him?
Donald Trump is not just a politician or an entrepreneur on loan in politics. He is, first and foremost, an admittedly atypical but extremely effective communicator.
To understand this, we must step outside the conventional realms of political analysis and delve into the realms of cognitive psychology and communication sciences. It is no coincidence that those who consider him "inept" often fail to understand the power of his words, the strategic design that guides them, and the effects they produce over time.
The first element to consider: negotiation style . Trump communicates the way he negotiates. His strategy is a maximalist one, based on the principle that " the more you increase the bargaining power, the more margin you have to reduce the offers and get something useful ."
For example, when he says he wants to increase European countries' spending on NATO to 5% of GDP, he knows that this figure is unrealistic, but he still needs to get an increase in financial contributions to the Atlantic Alliance. It won't be 5%, it will probably be 3%: it's still a success. In this sense, 'expecting a big lie' is not a sign of naivety, but a cunning tactic.
Trump always raises the bar, then takes a few steps back, yet still accomplishes far more than he would have with a moderate approach. This brings us to the second element : the Overton window.
In political communication, the Overton window defines those ideas that, at a given historical moment, seem impossible to realize, but that over time and with repetition they first become achievable, then possible, and finally normal.
Trump has made his communications a constant exercise in widening that window. He has talked about buying Greenland and said Canada should be the 51st state of the United States.
All statements that initially cause scandal, but that over time contribute to making positions that were previously considered taboo, less shocking. The mechanism is simple and powerful: say the unsaid, repeat it, legitimize it. Trump is a master at this: he introduces issues, redefines boundaries, shifts the axis of debate and prepares world public opinion, perhaps even for decisions and actions that were until recently considered unthinkable.
The third element: the technical effectiveness of his language. According to Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the marketing bestseller “Made to Stick,” an effective message must meet six criteria, summarized in the acronym SUCCESS: Simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, story. Trump pleases everyone.
Simple : Use short sentences, slogans, basic concepts.
Unexpected : breaks convention, surprises, scandalizes.
Concrete : talks about walls, numbers, money.
Credible : Builds a morale based on personal success and business language.
Emotional : touches on the main emotions such as fear, pride, anger.
Stories : He tells stories, often hyperbolic, about enemies and redemption, about an America that needs to be rebuilt and protected. His communication is intuitive, accessible, and hard to ignore.
Even those who hate him are forced to talk about him and this, in communicative terms, is already a victory, a kind of monopoly of the media agenda.
Finally, perhaps the most divisive aspect. Trump broke every form of protocol and every basic rule of etiquette. He turned debates into arenas, press conferences into spectacles, tweets into agendas. He delegitimized traditional media, invented nicknames for his opponents, spoke directly to his base without mediation. He brought the codes of wrestling, reality TV, and advertising to politics. For many, this is a sign of institutional illiteracy. For others, this is the reason for his success: Trump has deciphered the new zeitgeist, made up of short attention spans, polarization, and extreme personalization. And of the perception that shapes reality, down to alternative facts, a formula he concocted in his first term.
Ultimately, Trump's communication is nothing more than improvisation. It is the product of a clear vision, supported by consolidated techniques, and perfectly adapted to the cultural and technological context in which he moves.
Anyone who dismisses it as vulgar or crude risks underestimating its pervasive power. Trump speaks not to rationality but to the emotional engine of his voters. And as long as he continues to do so with such precision, he will remain a central player in American and world politics. /Adapted from “Pamphlet” by “Il Giornale”
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