Government by 'Tweedict'
Trump鈥檚 tweets are a new form of governing by edict. They鈥檙e tweedicts.
Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer聽鈥淲hatever he tweets, he is going to drive the news.鈥�
That鈥檚 the problem. In driving the news, Trump鈥檚 tweedicts gain the power of聽 implied threats 鈥� that he鈥檒l, for example, sanction a particular company (Ford, General Motors, Carrier, or Boeing); unilaterally alter foreign policy (recognize Taiwan, encourage Israel to expand on the West Bank, not back NATO against Russian aggression); unleash his angry followers on a particular critic 聽(a local union leader in Michigan, a teenage girl in New Hampshire, a TV news host); cause customers or readers to boycott a media outlet (CNN, the Arizona Republican, Saturday Night Live, the cast of Hamilton); or impose high political costs on Republican members of Congress (for pursuing an investigation against Russia, gutting an ethics office).
聽They aren鈥檛 executive orders (which can be reviewed and overturned by courts). They aren鈥檛 even the statements of a president using his 鈥渂ully pulpit鈥� to make a general point, because they single out particular companies and people.聽
They are arbitrary and capricious, reflecting the daily whims of Donald Trump.聽
And he鈥檚 not even president yet.聽
The media argue that the thoughts of a president-elect are聽鈥�.鈥� Rubbish. They鈥檙e newsworthy only because they drive the news. And they drive the news only because they鈥檙e considered by the media to be newsworthy.
That tautology can turn into a vicious cycle leading to tyranny. 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽
The media should pay less attention what Trump is tweeting and more attention to what Trump is actually doing.聽
This story originally appeared on .
