Even before Donald Trump was sworn in as president, he was gleefully picking his slogan for re-election.
“Are you ready?” he asked during a Washington Post interview. “Keep America Great, exclamation point. Get my lawyer!”
Oh, happy day. But just a slogan for 2020 won’t do. What about his post-presidency years? Not to worry. Trump already has set the table for that — literally. Remember when candidate Trump held a televised news conference in front of a display table piled high with Trump Steaks, Trump wine and Trump water? Imagine the possibilities. How about this slogan, Mr. President, “Trump Steaks: Hail to the Beef!”? You’re welcome.
A master at branding, Trump will find previously unimaginable ways to exploit and monetize his presidency. Don’t be shocked when Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue is renamed “President Trump Tower.”
He’s already using his bully pulpit to attack those he sees as hurting the family business. When Nordstrom decided to stop carrying Ivanka Trump’s fashion lines because of declining sales, Trump tweeted, “My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom,” and his aides piled on.
“This is misuse of public office for private gains,” Richard Painter, chief ethics officer for President George W. Bush, told The Daily Beast. Norm Eisen, chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, did him one better. “This is the behavior of a Mafia don . . . not the president of the United States,” he told MSNBC.
Hey guys, chill out! Don’t you see what a golden financial opportunity this presidency presents? The first lady’s lawyer does. After The Daily Mail published a blogger’s unfounded allegation that Melania Trump once worked as an escort, her lawyer, Charles Harden, sought $150 million in damages for hurting her “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” as a famous person.
But back to the 2020 race. Do you like “Keep America Great!”? Have any other ideas? How about “Give Me Another Chance”? Or “Won’t Get Fooled Again”?
I have to admit, “Keep America Great!” is a catchy slogan, and captures the hopes of many Americans for Trump’s presidency.
Short and sweet.
Playwright Mike Vogel blogs at newyorkgritty.net.
