OPINION:
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says she has a plan for keeping Congress in Republican hands after next year’s midterm elections. In an interview with the online show “The Mom View,” Ms. Wiles said she hasn’t informed the president about her plan, but it involves putting him on the road to sell to voters what he believes to be his and the Republican Congress’ policy successes.
The big question is whether more than the most dedicated Trump supporters will buy it.
One of those who claim President Trump has not done as good a job as he promised is the retiring (but far from shy) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican. She told Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes” that Mr. Trump has failed to keep domestic policy as his top priority. In her resignation video, Ms. Greene said the president has forsaken the MAGA base, and she pointed specifically to his support of the crypto and pharmaceutical industries.
She also doesn’t like his saber-rattling with Venezuela and what she regards as his failure to put America first.
As one who is also an experienced public speaker, I offer these suggestions, which, based on past performance, Mr. Trump is unlikely to accept but which, in my judgment, would help achieve his goal of a continued Republican congressional majority.
This is not about you but about the nation. Stop bragging and display some humility.
Stop the swearing and name-calling. It helps no one and turns off independents (and perhaps some of the Christian base) who voted for you in past elections.
Stick with the economy and promise even more good news to come as gas and other prices decline. Tell voters not to change horses in midstream when the other “bank” is so close.
Feature at each one of your rallies people who have been helped by your policies. Select them carefully so they don’t engage in the worship of you, as so often occurs in your sycophantic “Cabinet meetings.” Personal stories are more persuasive than your often-rambling and repetitive speeches.
Remind the audience of the policies of the Biden era, which resulted in high inflation that led to high costs, and the open border, which has allowed so many criminals into the country, contributing to rising crime rates in major cities.
Keep raising the fraud issue, which has contributed to the debt. Especially hammer Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, for the massive fraud in COVID-19 spending, some of which allegedly was funneled to terrorist groups at home and overseas.
Ask voters why they would even consider voting for Democrats, who caused the current problems and can be relied on to perpetuate them if they win a congressional majority.
Tell voters that if Democrats do win a congressional majority, it will mean more investigations and more impeachments, as before. Do voters really want to go down that dead-end road again, wasting time and money on things that don’t affect their lives?
Keep the speeches short. Brevity makes people remember more of what you say than blathering on for an hour or more.
Stop repeating what you have said dozens of times before, unless it is to drive home important points on the economy. Don’t ever mention the “stolen election” of 2020.
Use a good speechwriter, and stick to the script. No ad-libbing.
That’s my “top 10” (plus one) list. You can thank me later, if you ever read it or use any of these suggestions.
• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (Humanix Books).
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