Dear Editor,
Have you ever wondered whether President Trump’s private persona differs from the one he shows on camera? Many of us have questioned whether the greatest showman in modern politics, literally a showman from “The Apprentice,” puts on one face for the cameras and another in private diplomacy.
This week, however, President Trump has shown that he is largely the same in public as he is in private.
During a visit to a Ford Motor Company plant last week, a worker shouted “pedophile protector” — a reference to Trump’s handling of investigations related to Jeffrey Epstein. Rather than respond with presidential restraint, Trump responded by mouthing “F-you” and raising his middle finger at the employee.
Later, we learned about an extraordinary exchange between Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. After Støre urged de-escalation and more dialogue amid rising tensions over Greenland, Trump replied in a message, linking his aggressive stance to his lack of a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump said he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of peace” because he was “snubbed” by the prize committee.
Maya Angelou once said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Based on what we’ve seen, from the Access Hollywood tape to pictures with Jeffrey Epstein, Trump’s public and private personas appear to align.
Where many once thought “Trump's just being Trump” and to not take his words so literally, we now see that we must take him literally.
Ace Jones, Greensboro