Even if Trump masqueraded as his own publicist, it probably doesn't matter
Even if it is true that Trump posed as his own publicist under the name of John Miller in the 1990s 鈥� which it probably is 鈥� it also probably won't make a difference to American voters.
In this May 3, 2016, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in New York. Trump is now his party's presumptive nominee, but in many ways, he's breaking the Republican mold. On a handful of issues, from trade to national defense, Trump has the potential to run to the left of likely Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. And on others, from taxes to social security, he sounds an awful lot like a Democrat.
Mary Altaffer/AP
It seems the man known as America's Id has an alter聽ego.
The Washington Post published a transcript Friday from 1991 between a reporter at People magazine and Donald Trump鈥檚 publicist, John Miller. The recording has sparked controversy because Mr. Miller sounds identical to Mr. Trump himself, by the sound of his voice, the cadence of his speech, his unwavering praise of the business mogul.听
鈥淗e鈥檚 coming out of a marriage, and he鈥檚 starting to do tremendously well financially,鈥� Miller tells the interviewer, regarding Trump鈥檚 recent break-up with his first wife, Ivana. 鈥淎nd he鈥檚 really been working hard and doing well. And probably, as you know, there鈥檚 a real estate depression in the United States and he鈥檚 probably doing as well as anybody there is鈥ut I鈥檝e never seen somebody so immune to 鈥� he actually thrived on the bad press initially.鈥�
Several reporters from the 1970s through the 1990s also claim to have spoken to a publicist by the name of John Miller 鈥� and they also recall Miller as sounding precisely as Trump himself. In come cases, reporters claim Trump also posed as his own publicist by the name of John Barron. (鈥楤arron鈥� also happens to be the name of Trump鈥檚 son with third wife Melania, born in 2006). 聽 聽聽
鈥淲ell, I鈥檓 sort of handling PR because he gets so much of it,鈥� John Miller tells the interviewer. And as for John Miller鈥檚 career before becoming Trump鈥檚 assistant: 鈥淚 worked for a couple of different firms, and I鈥檓 somebody that he knows and I think somebody that he trusts and likes.鈥澛�
In Saturday Night Live鈥檚 opening sketch this week, Donald Trump (played by former SNL cast member Darrell Hammond) talks on the phone to a reporter, posing as his publicist 鈥淛oey Pepperoni.鈥� Throughout the night, SNL rips on Trump鈥檚 unlikely explanation that a voice that sounds identical to his own, is actually not him.
鈥淣o I am not Donald Trump in disguise,鈥� says Hammond-as-Trump. 鈥淭his is just what classy people sound like, ok?鈥�
Later in the show鈥檚 segment of Weekend Update, hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost played a segment of the Washington Post鈥檚 recording.
鈥淭rump is denying that it鈥檚 him. Let鈥檚 listen to the tape,鈥� says Mr. Jost before playing a excerpt of a voice bragging about Trump鈥檚 recent financial success post-divorce. 鈥淐鈥檓on. That鈥檚 Trump.鈥�
Trump has denied being the man behind the voice on that recording, but he has admitted to having used that ploy with reporters on other occasions.
鈥淵ou know, if only there was a way for Trump to prove that John Miller is an actual person,鈥� said Mr. Che in the SNL skit. 鈥淥h, I know! How about you show us John Miller鈥檚 birth certificate. Don鈥檛 you got a guy that can do that?鈥澛�
Reports by the Washington Post and sketches by Saturday Night Live may have brought Trump鈥檚 fake publicist charades back into the spotlight, but accusations against John Miller boil down to the same question poised by other Trump controversies: Will voters care?
鈥淚 get that this stuff is interesting, but ,鈥� says Republican National Committee leader Reince Priebus on Fox News Sunday in reference to the released recordings. Because when it comes down to it, voters care about having 鈥渁 more efficient government,鈥� says Priebus.听
Priebus聽might have a point. When it comes to Trump, voters don鈥檛 seem to care about the lack of an endorsement by House Speaker and , nor the millions of dollars Trump has 聽after having promised to self-fund his campaign, nor in the viability of Trump鈥檚 policy proposals, which the Wall Street Journal suggests could actually .听
So, if this recent revelation follows the pattern of聽Trump鈥檚 聽on the campaign trail, it is unlikely that the existence, or nonexistence, of a publicist 25 years ago will change many minds.