It was almost a year ago when then-candidate Donald Trump said the following (bolding ours):
"My wife is constantly saying, 'Darling, be more presidential.' I just don't know that I want to do it quite yet ... because we have a job to do. ... And we're doing so good. And we have to be tough for a little while. And I'll be — at some point, I'm going to be so presidential that you people will be so bored."
That was in Pennsylvania during the GOP primary. At that point, Trump was close to wrapping up the GOP nomination. But there were concerns about his temperament, and he was facing resistance within some corners of the party.
A string of critical northeastern primaries, including Pennsylvania with a crucial cache of delegates, was just days away.
Trump would wind up sweeping the day, setting him on a glide path for the nomination.
There was talk that he was "pivoting." But did he become "so presidential," we all got "so bored"?
We know the answer to that one.
This is what Trump does.
Repeatedly during the campaign, and now during the first days of his presidency, Trump has found himself with his back against the wall. After chaos and controversy, he dangles a reset with a promise to be more presidential, a pledge to be cool and calm or a traditional Supreme Court nominee rollout.
Observers wonder, "Is this the pivot?"
And it happened again this week. President Trump won plaudits for his scripted speech to a joint session of Congress — mostly because of his newly subdued "tone." He reassured nervous congressional Republicans and supporters who want him to be more presidential. More than 8-in-10 people who watched the speech thought that Trump, in fact, was presidential in the address, a CBS survey found.
It all came again at a critical time, with his presidency at a danger point after a month of chaos.
But by the end of the week, with more controversy swirling, he was back to grievance tweeting.
How this past week went
Sunday:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
We should start an immediate investigation into @SenSchumer and his ties to Russia and Putin. A total hypocrite! pic.twitter.com/Ik3yqjHzsA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
Happily talk re: my contact w Mr. Putin & his associates, took place in '03 in full view of press & public under oath. Would you &your team? https://t.co/yXgw3U8tmQ
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 3, 2017
There is no pivot and probably never will be
These ebbs and flows, ups and downs, are just who Trump is. There are no two Trumps. There's one Trump, and he pings back and forth within this spectrum.
And he's given us proof of that over the past year and a half. There two reasons he's already told us for why he reverts:
1. When he feels wronged. This quote from a press conference during the campaign might sum up his thinking best. Almost exactly a year ago, on March 5, 2016, he defended bragging about the size of his genitalia during a nationally televised debate. When asked if the discourse should be at a "higher level," he responded this way (again, bolding ours):
"Here's the story: I would love it to be at a high level. I will be the most presidential candidate in history, other than honest Abe Lincoln. He was very tough to beat, okay? You look at Abe Lincoln. He was serious, right? I will be a very — but when I get attacked by these people at a low level, I have to attack back. I can't stand it. Some people say, you're above it, you should stand it. That's not me. I won't do it. And you know what? I'll never do that for our country, either."
So, if he feels attacked, don't expect him to ever take the high road.
2. When reverting could mean bad ratings (or small crowds). This is the rest of the quote from his event in Pennsylvania from the beginning of this story:
"And I'll come back as a presidential person, and instead of 10,000 people, I'll have about 150 people, and they'll say, 'But, boy, he really looks presidential.' "
In other words, the worst thing that could happen to Trump — is if no one pays attention.
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