MARK ANGELIDES: One Of Trump’s Unusual Habits Might Explain Approval Ratings

A conundrum sits in the middle of President Donald Trump’s polling numbers.

On the one hand, verifiable data show that both the economy and international trade with the United States are up and illegal border crossings and crime are down. On the other, the president’s approval ratings in each of the sectors are plummeting. Certainly, part of the paradox could come from media spin or poor messaging, but perhaps the real issue is that Trump has done something no other politician has done before: broken the fourth wall.

Expectations And Experience

Over the years, electorates in almost all Western nations have created a relatively consistent model of what a politician is and can do. So when an unconventional candidate comes along, he or she may be described as shattering a “glass ceiling” – moving beyond the staid, steady, and expected.

The glass ceiling was impervious to two major political stars in recent history. Hillary Clinton was immensely “qualified” to be president and yet was – to many – an entirely unlikable figure. Denigrating a significant chunk of the voting public as “deplorables” did her no favors. Similarly, former Vice President Kamala Harris was mostly held back from office because of her inability to communicate effectively and her cowardice in dealing with any media not in her camp. Their gender, perhaps common sensically, did not blind the electorate to their weaknesses.

When Trump won the presidency in 2016, he was a wrecking ball to the known world of politics. When he won again in 2024, he became a precision detonation. Why then do his approval ratings not match the enthusiasm level with which he was elected?

Pulling Back The Curtain On Trump

Steady, deliberative, and cool-headed are qualities lauded in any politician’s campaign ads. Successful presidents are known for presenting clear and well-laid plans to satisfy the voters who look to him for steadfast and unwavering leadership. Trump, in this aspect as well as others, is notably different. What the public sees from the commander-in-chief is often the thought process involved.

Instead of engaging in closed-door confabs or, God forbid, policy focus groups, the president tells the public directly where he is in his thinking – in the moment.

In the theater world, breaking character and speaking directly to the audience are bold moves that fail more often than they succeed; it’s called “breaking” the fourth wall for good reason. And yet when done well, it creates something quite special. Consider Ferris Bueller’s interactions with the audience or William Goldman’s immensely popular novel The Princess Bride that acts as a book within a book.

When Trump says he is considering military action against Venezuela’s government, this shouldn’t be understood as he has met with his generals and determined how best to strike – but rather that an incursion is one of a number of possibilities. Is such public revelation a prudent practice? Well, that depends on who has tickets to opening night.

Warnings And Wish Lists

The American public hears Trump’s ideas come and go, as he provides unprecedented access to his thought processes. Certainly, such unfiltered openness and transparency is quite a difference from the previous administration, marked by an elusive president and befuddled communications from his team.

Instead of operating in the traditional D.C. manner –  through leaks and veiled ministerial policy hints – Trump has taken it upon himself to keep everyone guessing while inviting the American people along for the ride.

But also looking on are the likes of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other leaders both outside and inside the United States who seemingly never quite know how to deal with Trump. This president has made an art form of strategic ambiguity. Now that the political fourth wall has been broken, however, will such insights become the new expectation of a public so used to secrecy and top-down exposure?

Mark Angelides is LibertyNation.com Editor-in-Chief.  Steeped in US conservative policy and politics, he is the host of Liberty Nation News’  flagship radio show airing across the country on the Radio America Network. Read more articles by thisauthor.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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