This is one of those where he hasn’t learned it thus far, so he’s never going to. When he rants and raves about someone, it’s pretty much a boost for them. This is not something he would want to do, you would think. Too late now, and more power to his “opponent”. Congrats! Compliments to Raw Story:
President Donald Trump’s late-night tirade against journalist Maggie Haberman over her new book backfired in real time this week, as critics — including a fellow conservative — seized on the attack to mock the president and, in at least one case, boost sales of the very book he was trashing. Trump had unloaded on Haberman in an all-caps Truth Social post, dismissing the book as “mostly made up” and deriding the New York Times reporter as a “third-rate writer,” while repeatedly mangling her name as “Magot Hagerman.”
This happens Every Single Time. Trump gives permission for a book to be done. Trump sits for interviews and so forth. Trump decides, far too late, that he doesn’t like said book after all. Trump rants. Book sales increase. More power to the author(s)! His record is great as he’s bitched, moaned, and complained about every one. Shoot, he’d probably complain if he did it! He lives to complain. He loves to complain. Rinse and repeat.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper responded by flipping the attack into free promotion for the book, “Regime Change,” co-authored by Haberman and Jonathan Swan. “Disagree, Mr. President!” Tapper wrote. “REGIME CHANGE by @maggieNYT and @jonathanvswan is a great and fascinating read. Maggie is a great writer and intellect and was right about you and the elections, and much more!” He then added a link so readers could buy the book. Matthew RJ Brodsky, a conservative foreign policy analyst, pointed out the obvious flaw in Trump’s claim that Haberman was irrelevant. “Trump literally calls her all the time,” Brodsky wrote. “Another self-own.”
Trump does so well at that. Again, Every Single Time. Maybe he should have “don’t self own” tattooed on himself somewhere so he’ll remember. …. Nah. It wouldn’t help. Also, tattoo Trump, ew. There is some curiosity here, but since people seem to be sharing the “good” parts, maybe later. There is quite enough to read in this household that would be a lot more fun than something about Trump.
Writer Brent Snyder delivered an extended takedown, opening with a dig at the president’s eating habits. “Oh, Donny Two-Scoops, bless your fragile little heart,” Snyder wrote, before characterizing the post as “another all-caps meltdown over a book you clearly couldn’t put down fast enough to ‘brief’ on it.” Snyder went on to skewer Trump’s central accusation, arguing the “mostly made up” charge was rich “coming from the guy who turned ‘alternative facts’ into a business model.” He defended Haberman as a chronicler of Trump’s “lies, the chaos, the ego-fueled disasters,” and needled the president over his repeated misspelling of her name: “At least spell her name right while having a meltdown, champ.”
The collective response underscored a familiar dynamic: Trump’s attempts to bury a critical book often serve only to amplify it, handing the author a wave of publicity that money can’t buy — and, as Tapper demonstrated, a direct sales link to go with it.
We’ll hear more on it soon enough. In the meantime, Trump is welcome to continue to rant and boost sales for the authors. Perhaps my writing will improve to the author’s level in a couple of lifetimes. For now, here is what I enjoy. And I’ll do my best to keep it up.
See you soon!
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that, of all the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest-working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
