Trump: The National Enquirer President

For anyone who might not know The National Enquirer, it makes its living by promoting gossip about the rich and well-known, during which it puts the most unflattering possible spin on what it turns up. Most reputable newspapers don't pay for stories. The Enquirer does, and on occasion it is willing to fabricate:  one story breaking news, next week getting reactions, third week apologizing if needed. It is distinguished from its competitors, such publications as People Magazine and US, by screaming headlines and resorting to populist fantasy to keep the base happy. Lawsuits are few because US law determines that being a public figure makes media attacks and digging dirt fair game, although there may be squabbles over who is a public figure.

Yesterday in the supermarket I noticed the large headline that crooked Hillary Clinton was being accused of masterminding all the current trouble that Donald Trump is having with the Russia investigations. Did I say that the Enquirer loves conspiracy theories? Apparently so do the readers. On  a slow news week, one can expect stories about the so-called feuds between Camilla and Kate (always sells to the support Diana crowd), the imminent abdication of Queen Elizabeth in favor of William and Kate), the latest stage of the Pitt-Jolie divorce, Tom Cruise and the Scientologists, 9-11 conspiracy, and new revelations about whatever divorce/murder/sexual scandal has been popular in recent memory.

You get the picture. All the scandal unfit to print.

The Enquirer loves Donald Trump and he returns the favor. They have even, reportedly, targeted some of his political enemies at his request.  He considers them serious reporters, an opinion not generally shared in main stream media. When they were supposedly being considered for a Pulitzer Prize for digging the dirt on a US politician, one journalist remarked that it was like considering a porn flick for an Oscar. But if it's scandal and dirt you are after (and they are), you can get what you pay for.

In previous blogs, I've talked about the necessary preconditions for Trump to resign and I predicted that he would become more and more outrageous until his party had to turn against him. Then he would go out "defending his family." Well, it's started. First came the eldest son stating emphatically that the Trumps are close knit and defend one another. Then the youngest fell on his sword for his father.  Now Trump is saying he will pardon everyone. It's coming. Expect that we'll be hearing soon about a news network that Trump will set up "sometime" in the future to continue challenging the "fake news" of the main stream media. It's all about money, anyway, and he wants to keep the base.

For now, the National Enquirer and Trump are on the same page. A President Trump behaving like a goon is good for headlines and sales. But there may be limits once Trump has a radio station in competition with them. What Trump will learn then is that he is not larger than the office he holds. Out of office he will have to continue to be the outspoken, sensationalist news promoter he has always been to keep the base, but that's what the Enquirer does.  They will become interested in exposing him once it sells, and the Enquirer will be merciless as a competitor because they have had fifty years to get good at it. I don't envy Trump the learning curve. A Pulitizer is a Pulitzer after all.