Translator Wanted

Perhaps it is time for the Trump campaign to hire, excuse me recruit a volunteer (because we know Donald does not pay campaign staff) to translate and clarify what he says after public events and after he sends out tweets. I don’t know if you have been paying close enough attention to Trump surrogates and people within the campaign but I heard it on three different occasions yesterday. In discussing Trump’s comments at the Commander in Chief Forum the other night, the phrases, “what Mr. Trump meant to say was …” and “what Mr. Trump really was saying…” were quick off the lips of those supporting Trump. I even heard Mike Pence say it in his interview with CNN reporter Dana Bash at the Reagan library. Pay attention, folks.

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When did we get to the point that a Presidential candidate needs to have his comments explained by his staff and his surrogates. This has been an ongoing problem for Trump. He has no filter and says things without thinking them through to their logical conclusion. Remember when he said women should be punished for having an abortion? Then, thankfully a few days later, he himself had to clarify the statement which is something he rarely does. Usually he let’s his staff and his surrogates clean up the mess and as a result, we get conflicting stories. Some people think that this is a matter of political correctness and they like Trump for it. In actuality, it is a matter of clear communication skills and meaning what you say as you said it.

Language does matter. This is evident especially in the translated word. Trump keeps going on an on about how Vladimir Putin has called him a brilliant leader and how flattered he is by the Russian leaders praise of him. What he doesn’t realize, but Putin’s people have clarified, is the fact that Putin called him a flamboyant leader, not an intelligent one. In other words, Putin was calling Trump a clown but Trump is using that phrase to carry out this bromance with a former KGB strongman and a brutal vindictive dictator. Trump is too narcissistic to understand that Vladimir Putin is using him and when it comes to international diplomacy and political strategy, Putin is light years ahead of Donald Trump. I fear for America if Trump is indeed elected.

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