Why Donald Trump Loves To Be Hated

New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman is the latest target of Donald Tump’s vitriol. He’s leading a $40 million lawsuit against Trump University, accusing the professional development program of persistent fraud, illegal and deceptive conduct, and violating federal consumer protection law. Instead of remaining silent, as some publicists would advise in the face of such a major lawsuit, Trump fired back, calling Schneiderman  ”a political hack looking to get publicity.”

Donald Trump is a real estate tycoon, reality TV show star and potential political candidate – and he’s one of the most derided men in America.  He didn’t stumble into this reputation. In fact, he’s built his personal brand on being provocative. With almost 2.5 million Twitter followers, and more than 680,000 likes on Facebook, Donald Trump thrives on controversy, attracting a huge audience by churning out vitriol about everything from the rising power of China to the plummeting reputation of baseball star Alex Rodriguez. Donald Trump has his name on a lot of high-rise real estate, but none of it compares to the towering brand he’s constructed by spewing rage.

In my new personal branding book, Ditch. Dare. Do!, my coauthor and I say,”Don’t be wishy washy. Take a stand and know that some people may not agree with you.” Has Donald Trump taken this advice too far? For his audience, definitely not, but his successful use of negative messages is fascinating. Strong brands often repel as much as they attract. And Donald Trump is the master repellent.

His brand is built on an ever-growing list of enemies dating all the way back to the ’80s. Spy magazine, co-created by Kurt Andersen and Graydon Carter, was packed with sharp words for The Donald, who became the notorious “short-fingered vulgarian” in their relentless spoofs. That was a crucial time for the emerging Trump brand. Not many entrepreneurs can handle being a punching bag. Trump turned every jab into gold. 

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century. Twitter and other social media have amplified the platform, making Trump’s rage a phenomenally prominent attribute of his brand. But social media simply turbo-charged an image that was already built for speed.

Of course, vitriol is a two-way street. Donald Trump invites it, knowing full well that his unrestrained attacks of others brew the contoversy that surrounds him.

Donald Trump strengthens his brand every time he denounces, criticizes, bullies, and berates others. Some assumed this was just part of the shtick he developed for The Apprentice. Not so: the acerbic Trump brand was built on real-world acrimony.

Here are a few other classic targets of the wrath of Trump:

• Barack Obama: A vocal contributor to the birther conspiracy against the President, Trump declared that Obama’s reelection was “a sham and a travesty.”
• Rosie O’Donnell: “She is an average talent who is out of touch with reality, a total loser.”
• Arianna Huffington: “Unattractive both inside and out.”

He has also traded barbs publicly with Jerry Seinfeld, Cher and countless others. It makes you wonder if his to-do list looks like this:

1. Post daily rant against Hollywood.
2. Write ten razor-sharp tweets.
3. Make snarky political comment in public.
4. Keep it pithy. Oh wait … that’s Bill O’Reilly’s line.

Earier this year, an Esquire magazine headline asked, “Why do we all hate Donald Trump so much?” The article’s author, Stephen Marche, answered the question this way: “Here I think is the true source of why Donald is so intensely hateable, why he is the only person on Twitter everyone is allowed to swear at. It’s not the narcissism, the shallowness, the stupidity, or the obliviousness. It’s that he’s getting away with it.” Whether you love him or love to hate him, you have to admit that he not only gets away with it – he’s mastered it.

By: William Arruda

Source: Forbes