Devaluing His "Brand" - By Greer Clem

"I call my own shots, largely based on an accumulation of data, and everyone knows it. Some FAKE NEWS, media in order to marginalize, lies!" - President Donald Trump

Probably written while sitting on the john at 7:07 a.m., this Tweet in essence describes, for me, what Mr. Trump does not understand about both the media and democracy. "Calling your own shots" may have worked when you were a fake boss on The Apprentice, but the executive branch was created with something else in mind. As if we needed proof, this sentiment validates what we already know: that Mr. Trump does not value experience in his advisers but submission. Mr. Trump's vision of his presidency is him calling the shots from his toilet throne while he Tweets incorrect facts that corroborate his selfish agenda. Sad! Talk about fake media - Trump practically invented it. 

This childish behavior provides us with insight that we can use as ammunition over the next four years: Donald Trump is terrified of devaluing his name. Think about it. His legacy is built on him constructing lavishly gaudy buildings that he can then slap his name on in huge, gilded font. He and his family have branded their name so brazenly across the globe that they mistakenly believe this gives them validation. But you saw it in this weekend's news: the brand is crumbling. Nordstrom's pulled Ivanka's clothing line as sales plummeted. The D.C. hotel has been in hot water since day and recently made headlines for not offering federal rates for government employees, something that is standard practice among D.C. hotels, much like letting service members board airplanes first. 

Donald Trump envisioned his presidency as the ultimate brand booster. Who wouldn't want to stay at the hotel founded by the President of the free world? Well, it turns out, a lot of people. Trump lashes out on Twitter when he feels his personal brand is being threatened, and this is all the better. This is how we know we are getting under his skin. The name "Trump" may have meant something when he was an irrational reality TV star, but the Office of the Presidency means far more and the American people understand this. 

There's been much talk lately about not using Trump's name. Some of my own family members have cautioned me against it, arguing that it validates his authority. I'm going to make a different argument. Use his name until it means nothing. Use it into the ground. Use it until it has been reduced to dust and carries no fear, no intimidation, and no meaning. In the words of Albus Dumbledore, "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." We are not afraid. Donald Trump chose to make the American people his customers, but we're not buying it.