The Two Faces of Trump
Which one will he show at the debate?
Hey fam: Last week I sent out an announcement that we’re bringing on Sam Stein and asked you to consider becoming founding members. From the whole Bulwark team I want to convey my gratitude for the amazing response. This coupled with our fantastic show in Denver where over 500 Bulwark friends came out to see us was just a fantastic start to summer. For those who did upgrade to a founding membership this is a reminder that the Founders Town Hall—an AMA with Tim and Adam Kinzinger—is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9 p.m. EDT on Zoom. (Location details will be emailed tomorrow.)
Debate night is nearly upon us. Watch your inbox for our plans for debate night coverage exclusively for Bulwark members—it’s going to be Thursday Night Bulwark on steroids.
—JVL
1. Two Face
When he’s in front of a crowd at his rallies, Donald Trump gives his people Crazy Trump.
Crazy Trump is the guy who rants and raves. He curses. He calls people names. He goes on rambling digressions about Hannibal Lecter and sharks and how Joe Biden tried to have him assassinated. Crazy Trump will sometimes lose his place. Or reach for a word. He goes on forever. Ninety minutes is nothing for Crazy Trump.
When he’s in front of a crowd, Trump isn’t speechifying so much as performing. He knows who his people are and what they want to hear. So he gives them profanity and conspiracy theories. He insults the people they hate and validates their grievances. More than anything else, Trump knows that his people want him to transgress: to make the rest of America angry or scared.
And so he gives them Crazy Trump.
But when he’s not in front of a crowd? Sometimes, when it’s a more intimate audience, he presents as Reasonable Trump.
Reasonable Trump showed up on David Sacks’s podcast last week.1 I know it’s a big ask, but you should dip in and listen to at least some of it, just to get a flavor for what Reasonable Trump feels like.
Mind you, Reasonable Trump isn’t coherent. Here he is at the 12:35 mark talking about the difference between his energy policy and Biden’s:
We have more liquid gold under our feet—I use that term—we have more oil. More wells. We have more everything than anybody else. When I started we were number three, now we’re number one. Or we were number one. He’s going to keep it that way until after the election. If they ever won the election, there’s no more oil coming out.
How do you fact check any of this? The United States does not have more oil than anyone else. America is number eight on the list of proven oil reserves. We have “more everything than anybody else”? What does that even mean?
And there will be “no more” oil production in the United States if Biden wins?
Where can I find action on this claim? Because I would like to bet my house that Trump’s prediction is completely, wholly, and totally wrong.
But because he’s in Reasonable Trump mode, his nonsense codes as Straight Talk and not the ravings of a loon. Again: You have to listen to this brief passage to get the difference in tone. But it’s real.