Trump should stop tweeting
Finally — citizens of this United States have come together on an issue of importance. Some 64 percent of Americans believe Presidentelect Donald Trump should give up his personal Twitter account. That’s right. A solid majority wants The Donald to pay less attention to rapid responses to celebrity critics and more attention to the business of governing the nation. Agreed. The latest national survey from Quinnipiac University shows that Americans think that @realDonaldTrump, the account Trump has kept since 2009, should be eliminated. Currently, Trump has more than 19 million followers and has delivered some 34,000 tweets; evidently, the 140-character format fits his personality. Since November, when he won the presidency through the Electoral College (losing the popular vote by some 3 million) Trump has used Twitter to share his thoughts with the world.
His early morning rants have become the subject of news headlines. Journalists are in a quandry. They can’t ignore the tweets. This is the president-to-be speaking, after all, but too much attention to Trump’s fits takes the spotlight away from more substantive policy issues.
When tweets show Trump responding to Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes criticisms, such headlines are a distraction and sometimes are amusing. However, the former celebrity television star and businessman doesn’t mind conducting foreign policy via Twitter. That’s dangerous.
Trump had this to say about Russia earlier this month: “Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad!”
Then, in December, there was this worrisome remark: “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.” A president’s off-the-cuff remarks about nuclear weapons are cause for concern, to say the least. Such tweets could end up more destruction than distraction.
Closing his personal Twitter account would be a sign that Trump understands the gravity of his new position and that he realizes a president’s words have heft, able to trigger stock sell-offs or begin a new arms race. Continuing to tweet his topof-the-mind thoughts and reactions is simply irresponsible. He looks a bit silly when a celebrity’s criticism causes him to fire back a response. Presidents can’t be thin-skinned.
Even Trump’s supporters are reaching out — where else but on Twitter? — to send a message that his tweeting needs to stop. Just Tuesday, Sue, @clerk123, tweeted, “@realDonaldTrump please Stop tweeting. I think you are above all of the comments. Doesn’t make those who voted for you feel good!!” (Exclamation points are beloved of Twitter users, including Trump. Sad.)
It’s not as though Trump needs his personal account anymore. He won the election.
Once in office, Trump will inherit @POTUS, the official presidential Twitter account from President Barack Obama the first chief executive to tweet. His tweets will be archived and removed from the Twitter timeline after the presidential inauguration Jan. 20. There’s a new president in town.
Trump loves to be seen as a man of the people. In this case, he should listen to the people. Leave Twitter to folks whose tweets don’t matter. A president has better ways to spend his time.