Special Counsel Changes Trump’s Media Playbook

Leslie Gottlieb, Media ConsultantBy now we all know the messaging and tactics of the Trump Play Book: the Big Lie, doubling down, creating an “us vs them” scenario, and blaming the media when anything goes wrong.Last week, President Trump again attacked the media, stating he was a victim of “the single greatest witch hunt in American history, " referring to the question of collusion between his campaign and the Russians. But blaming the media may not work anymore. The allegations are serious. Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General said it was in the “public interest” to appoint a special prosecutor.Of course, Trump joins a long line of presidents who claim unfair treatment by the media. But no president in recent history has so directly and viciously maligned the media and made them such a target. Trump attacks the media, according to Frida Ghitis of CNN 2/18/17, because “...the real nemesis is the facts. By attacking the media he opens up a new line of attack against the facts, his true target.”Mr. Mueller is charged with finding and presenting those facts and Trump will not have his usual outlets – he cannot deny the facts, he cannot denigrate Mr. Mueller or call him names (one of this favorite tactics) and doubling down won’t help. Actually, if Trump does deny or object to Mueller’s actions, he will only fuel the media’s interest and alienate Republican leaders and his Republican base.Referring to Mr. Mueller, Liz Spayd, Public Editor for the New York Times wrote Sunday,” The special counsel offers a clarifying moment for a press trying to define its place in an exigent period in history…editors have assembled a national security team that has delivered a stream of consequential investigative coverage….”For those of us who work with media regularly, we know once reporters, editors and producers smell a big story they are tenacious. In fact, they will be doubling down and putting on extra resources. The investigation may take months or longer. This story has long legs. It will be a consistent page one story.Major polls continue to show historic low for a president this early in his first term. The weekend’s national Reuters poll shows him at a 38% approval rating. How does it play to his Republican base? According to the same Reuters poll, in just one week Republicans who disapprove of Trump rose 7 points from 16% to 23%.Although the media was very late in asserting its proper role in the Presidential campaign last year, the Fourth Estate has now reclaimed its responsibility to our democracy.Now the narrative and the players have changed with the firing of FBI Director Comey and the appointment of Robert Mueller. Trump is losing ground and the media senses it. For two years Trump relied on his Play Book and, defying common wisdom, it worked. The extraordinary investigative articles and substantive facts reported by the Washington Post and the NY Times last week about Comey and Russian collusion and the appointment of Robert Mueller have created a pivotal moment for his Presidency and the media. The game has changed, indeed.[author]About the Author: Leslie Gottlieb is a seasoned consultant in media, crisis communications and integrated communications, marketing and digital strategy.[/author]