Is squandering his power to persuade

Donald Trump

In little more than two months, President Donald Trump may have squandered the most important power any president can have. Though political, economic and military power reside in the office of president, in the end it is the power to persuade that defines a president. In 1960 Richard Neustadt wrote “Presidential Power.” The thesis is that a president’s power depends on rhetoric (persuasive speech).

A president’s words matter. If those words are not credible, a president’s power is quickly diminished. From petty bickering to name calling, Mr. Trump is squandering that power. That would be bad enough, but it may be his lies that will be his demise.

The agents of the president who attempt to defend the lies will also soon lose credibility. Already White House press secretary Sean Spicer is a favorite on late-night comedy shows. Kellyanne Conway twists words like pretzels and can even make facts sound suspect.

Whether or not the lies are believed, there are consequences. If acted upon as real, false statements have consequences. Think about weapons of mass destruction alleged to be in Iraq. Though not true, they were acted on. Fourteen years later, the country is still involved in a quagmire in Iraq, which cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars and upset the balance of power in the Middle East.

If the lies are not believed, where do we go from there? Already we see evidence that members of the Republican Party do not trust each other. And what are foreign leaders to think? The face of Angela Merkel during her recent visit indicates the incredulity.

At opposite ends of the political spectrum, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan used their words to change the metaphor. Kennedy’s rhetoric changed the dynamic of civil rights. Reagan’s words defined government as the enemy. Each of those legacies remain forceful in the political culture today.

This administration is burning its credibility daily, putting its political agenda in jeopardy. What’s worse, the credibility of American democracy is in jeopardy. JOEY HICKOK

Charleroi