Written by Chris Merkel of the Associated Press
Washington (AP) There is an issue with the White House stenographers.The workers in charge of transcribing Donald Trump’s public statements are finding it difficult to keep up with the volume of his speech.
More than 22,000 attended the inauguration, and 17,000 more attended Trump’s visits to disaster zones in California and North Carolina. Even the most committed stenographer would find it exhausting, especially after four years of Joe Biden’s relative silence.
According to those familiar with the discussions who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal matters, there are currently discussions about employing more workers to keep up with the workload.
One of the most obvious or audible transitions from Biden to Trump is the deluge of words. Trump is a magnet for attention and is more aware than most politicians that it is a source of power. Since the beginning of his second term, he has been talking almost constantly, stifling opposing viewpoints and making it difficult for his rivals to be heard.
For instance, Wednesday. The Republican Trump boasted about his accomplishments, said that Hamas was using U.S.-funded condoms to make bombs in Gaza, defended his administration’s efforts to freeze federal spending and reduce the government workforce, veered through descriptions of migrant violence, and made the unexpected announcement that Guant namo Bay, Cuba, would be used as a detention center for people who are in the U.S. illegally during a signing ceremony for legislation to speed up deportations.
Trump’s remarks continue to be filled with untruths, such as unfounded claims of voter fraud and claims that California water regulations made the latest wildfires worse.He occasionally makes spontaneous remarks about important geopolitical issues, including the latest proposal to force Palestinians to leave Gaza while the enclave is being rebuilt. When he considers serving a third term, which is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, it can be difficult to determine when to take him seriously.
But it’s difficult to ignore Trump now that he’s back in the White House.
Previously a television producer and later a spokesperson for former first lady Jill Biden, Michael LaRosa remarked, “He’s dictating the news on his terms.” He is now the assignment editor for America.
The majority of presidents aim to begin their administrations with a boom, taking advantage of the opportunity to exert their greatest impact. Trump is in a different league, though.
In his first week in office four years ago, Biden, a Democrat, spoke 24,259 words and spent 2 hours and 36 minutes on camera, according to data produced by Factba.se.
Trump’s equivalent figures from last week were 81,235 words and over 7 hours and 44 minutes. That’s more words than Macbeth, Hamlet, and Richard III combined, and it’s longer than seeing the first three Star Wars films back-to-back.
Additionally, it’s a lot more than it was eight years ago, when Trump began his first term in office. He talked 33,571 words during the three hours and forty-one minutes he was on camera at the time.
Trump has practiced the most effective strategies for attracting attention for decades. As a businessman in New York, he stuck his name on every thing he sold, added gold plating to buildings, and provided stories to gossip columnists. The Apprentice, the reality TV program that brought Trump into American homes, was the pinnacle of his endeavors.
According to Republican communications expert Kevin Madden, one of his advantages is that he thinks like an executive producer. He’s always attempting to keep his audience interested and planning for the following hour.
Shortly after Trump took office, a sign of things to come appeared. Following his inaugural address, he immediately made additional, even lengthier, remarks to supporters. After speaking at a rally in a downtown arena, he spent almost an hour in the Oval Office answering questions from reporters while issuing executive orders.
He once turned to Peter Doocy of the Fox News Channel.
Does Biden ever do such a news conference? Trump stated. Peter, how many times has he done this at a press conference?
Like this? Doocy answered.
Trump responded to his own query by saying, “None.”
Trump gave a masterful speech on Friday, proving that he is much more eager than Biden to put himself in awkward positions.
In the morning, as he was leaving the White House, he talked to reporters. He spoke with them once again after arriving in North Carolina, once more at a briefing on Hurricane Helene recovery, and once more while addressing storm victims.
That afternoon, Trump took a plane to Los Angeles, where he discussed the recent wildfires with local officials. On the tarmac, he fielded additional questions from reporters before boarding Air Force One to depart the city in the evening.
Trump spoke to reporters twice in the rear of Air Force One during his weekend travels, which was twice as many times as Biden did throughout his whole presidency.
Openness is back! posted on social media by longtime assistant Margo Martin.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, would not use such term.
According to her, being truthful and being approachable are two distinct things.
More speech doesn’t always translate into greater clarity. When Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski chose to run against Pete Hegseth for the position of head of the Pentagon, Trump assured reporters one day that there were no shocks. Trump declared the following morning that their votes had taken him by surprise.
Jamieson is concerned that the hectic pace may wear people out.
According to her, more individuals will just check out. And it is an issue. A knowledgeable citizen is an active citizen.
According to Kate Berner, a member of Biden’s communications team, Trump’s incessant talking keeps his opponents off balance.
He makes it difficult for his opponents to organize since he says and does so much, she said. Furthermore, it is difficult for one thing to become dominant.
However, Berner noted that Trump also faces a risk. She warned that he would once more begin to wear out his welcome with the American people if he is not careful.
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This report was written by Will Weissert of the Associated Press.