by Bob Barr
Donald Trump should delete his Twitter account. He does not need it and it does him more harm than good; continuing to use it only improves the bottom-line for Twitter’s liberal CEO and boosts the credibility of the popular but left-leaning platform.
Granted, Twitter is widely used, with more than 150 million active users each day, but is anyone who converses via Twitter really going to change their political views as a result? Some users may turn to Twitter to get their news; but face it, if someone is so shallow as to consider Twitter their news source, it is highly unlikely they would ever vote for Trump or any candidate with similar views.
Twitters-gone-wrong can range from inconsequential typos, to real damage; such as the fallout from the President re-tweeting a video this past weekend that contained footage of a Trump supporter shouting “white power” at Black Lives Matter protestors.
Some Trump supporters may argue that Twitter is one of the only channels through which Americans can hear from the President directly, without being filtered through the biased lens of the mainstream media. This is not the case, and definitely not a reason to continue using Twitter.
The President is the most powerful person in the world, with access to every conceivable communications medium and resource. He can communicate with whomever he wants and whenever he wants — whether to one person or millions.
Donald Trump does not need Twitter. In fact, Twitter needs him more than he needs Twitter. Continuing to patronize the site is actually hurting him. Credible polling shows that Trump’s combative tone on Twitter is costing him support among white, working-class female voters; the ones he needs to win a second term.
Democrat operatives appear to understand what is going on. They know that the more Biden is permitted to communicate publicly, whether in person or on Skype, the greater the risk he will say something that reminds voters just how unfit he really is to serve as the country’s commander-in-chief. Democrat Party bosses and Biden campaign strategists wisely have tried their best to keep Biden away from settings that present such dangers.
It would make sense for the Trump campaign to engage in a similar calculus as a way to minimize the risk of Twitter gaffes.
Yes, Trump has a certain je ne sais quoi that is unique in the annals of modern American politics; it was key to his surprise victory in 2016. Nevertheless, the last four years – and particularly the last six months –have proven that his off-the-cuff, rough-and-tumble style does not translate to the Twitter medium in a way that effectively or consistently delivers a message.
It is time to pull the Twitter plug; at least until Wednesday, November 4th. Such a step would come with a bonus. What better way to stick it to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Twitter stockholders (who by and large appear to despise Trump), than Trump leaving them and taking millions of his loyal followers with him?
Let liberals keep Twitter as their own social media plaything, and perhaps when they realize how boring it is without Trump to pick fights with, the platform might even collapse. It would be Trump taking the high road with a flip of the chin to the Left and the Democrat Party – a “win” any way you look at it.
Neither the Trump presidency nor the Trump campaign can control what the Democrats or the Biden campaign do between now and election day. But the President himself and those to whom he listens, especially his close kin, can control the forums and mechanisms through which he communicates to the American people as president and candidate.
Get rid of the Twitter account; it is a liability. Go back to the model Ronald Reagan perfected – speaking directly and frequently to the American people. It is, after all, something Trump is good at; and he would not have to worry about typos.
Bob Barr represented Georgia’s 7 District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003 and was the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia from 1986 to 1990. He now serves as President of the Law Enforcement Education Foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia.