Show business in the White House

Trust President Donald Trump to make a virtue out of foot-in-the mouth remarks, but this was a case of ‘feet-on-the-sofa’, by Kellyanne Conway, advisor to the US President. The lady was snapped taking pictures of Black college leaders with the president in the Oval Office. It was, shall we say, an unconventional pose. Very unconservative. Disrespectful, shocked, comfortable. No, we didn’t say it. The ‘other’ media rambled on about Conway after she dug her sharp heels into the fine sofa. Ouch! We won’t judge her — yet — but it looked odd in the president’s office and naturally raised eyebrows. The sanctum sanctorum of the administration had been ‘defiled’, and the self-righteous shall have none of it. This is no place for a comfortable pose with the smartphone, even if it is an aide. Trump didn’t mind, though. She sat with both feet on it and might have got the ‘perfect angle’ for the photograph, but social media went crazy about this “breach of protocol” (if they know what they’re talking about). Then, everyone has an opinion; they are entitled to a point of view. Nothing wrong with that, so vent away and be done with it. But it won’t simply vaniesh with users on social media in overdrive.

Conway may have been out of line. She did what she did it without thinking about the outrage to follow. The college leaders who appear with the president in the photos look confused as Conway continues her antics. AFP, the news agency, put them out and it went viral. The rest, as they say, is history about Trump and his inner circle, who have made it their habit to make the headlines daily. They’re not complaining because social media and other outlets are doing it them. Negative publicity endears them to a section of voters. It won’t hurt while the president is busy pulling up ‘fake news peddlars’. For the record, former President Obama was often pictured with his feet up on his desk. No one bothered then. Why should they bother now? Obama was not under this level of scrutiny. Trump is, so is his inner circle. They will have to live with that, but they appear to be loving it. For the media, this presidency is throwing up plenty of entertainment. It’s keeping us engrossed and ceases to shock anymore. There’s no business like Trump’s show business.