January 3, 2024

While Ronald Reagan was known as “The Great Communicator,” Donald Trump’s rhetoric is lamented by almost everyone.  However, similarities abound between their two communication styles.

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Both relied on their previous work in media to inform their communication.  Reagan made use of his experience in radio by learning to draw his audience in with metaphoric language that enabled him to reach his listeners on a deep level.  He also made excellent use of his experience on television.  Trump drew extensively from his experiences as a celebrity and host of The Apprentice prior to running for president in developing his public persona on the campaign trail. 

Both used humor to help their appeal.  Reagan’s was “self-deprecating” and made him seem more relatable, as when he said, “It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?”  Trump uses it to deflect criticism, such as when he responded, “Only Rosie O’Donnell!” when Megyn Kelly confronted him at a debate about his past misogynistic remarks about women, drawing laughs and gasps from the crowd.

Both were excellent at boiling things down and making them simple.  Ken Khachigian, Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter, likened him to “America’s Teacher,” while Trump was judged to speak at a fourth-grade level by the Boston Globe.  These two demonstrate that the most effective political speech often sounds simple — and that’s what makes it sophisticated.

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Both saw themselves as outsiders, not politicians.  A colleague of Reagan was once quoted as saying, “It is Reagan’s genius that he convinced himself and others that he was not really a politician, which inspired trust in him.”  Trump has proudly declared, “I’m not a politician” and used his outsider status to win the presidency.

Both benefited from soundbites.  Famous soundbites from Reagan include “There you go again,” which effectively discredited Jimmy Carter’s attack on Reagan’s record.  Reagan also said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”  This phrase would become synonymous with the ending of the Cold War.  Famous soundbites from Trump include “Make America Great Again,” his campaign slogan, and “crooked Hillary,” which branded his opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a criminal.  

Both knew how to ask a soundbite thought-provoking question.  Reagan famously asked, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?,” swaying many voters to his cause.  When speaking at a rally in Lansing, Michigan in 2016, Trump posed the question to undecided black voters to get them to vote Republican: “What do you have to lose?”  In nearby Detroit, about 76,000 voters, thought to be mostly black, stayed home in 2016 on Election Day, costing Hillary Clinton the state of Michigan.

Both benefited from being underestimated.  Just as this was a “secret weapon” for Reagan, Trump deliberately works to be underestimated, and he could not have won in 2016 without the arrogance he brought out in Hillary Clinton.  She famously didn’t campaign enough in Michigan and Wisconsin, both of which she lost.         

Both had a unique ability to connect with their supporters and make them feel heard and represented.  Reagan’s abilities were premised on his interpersonal effectiveness, ingenuity, and sincerity.  Trump’s has an extraordinary ability to anticipate what people will think and tactically manipulate his adversaries.  Both have demonstrated extremely high emotional intelligence and commanded great respect among their supporters for their abilities.

Both were leaders who sat on different points in history, at different phases of the left’s execution of its goal to turn the country into a socialist nation.  In Reagan’s day, the media, while perfectly hostile to him and his agenda, still sought to maintain at least an image of professionalism and neutrality.  However, in the age of Trump, an all-out war has broken out between Trump and his adversaries, including the mainstream media (also known as the propaganda arm of the Democrat party).  Both sides are currently trying to destroy each other in an obvious way, and neither side will rest until the war is over.