Facing impeachment, Donald Trump test-drives Boring Trump
- US leader usually mocks idea of being presidential as ‘acting like a stiff’, but even on Twitter, he has been letting others fight his fights via retweet button
- With start of public hearings, aides have sought to cast Trump as being busily focused on policy work and above fray of impeachment proceedings
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nancy Cook on politico.com on November 14, 2019.
US President Donald Trump typically mocks the idea of acting too presidential – equating it with being boring.
He performs a theatrical riff about the concept at campaign rallies, where he will dangle the idea of acting more like a traditional politician as many people outside his orbit have encouraged him to do.
Before a giant crowd, Trump contorts his face into a sour, serious expression, straightens his posture, buttons his blazer and then delivers a stiff wave from the podium before saying in a mock monotone: “It is a great honour to be with you this evening.”
It is a shtick repeated over and over, including recently at a mid-October rally in Dallas just weeks after Democrats formally announced their impeachment inquiry.