The powerful melding of Trump and Twitter

[Commentary] Donald Trump is America’s first Twitter president. The tweet has become an accelerant for his bullying style. Tweets allow little room for argument and yet reach millions with every missive. The wonderful thing about the digital revolution is that Trump has no monopoly on this vast and mighty tool; it is in everyone’s pocket. But Trump, with his 17 million followers, has perfected a powerful strategy. He uses tweets like a class bully with a spitball. The technique is to catch the intended target off-guard, hit them in the back or side of the head. Some people use Twitter to raise questions, express anger or make fun. Trump loves the imperative voice, and Twitter enables it nicely. The imperative is a special grammatical mood for commands, instructions and requests, and if you use an exclamation point, then the thought becomes a shout. Mix this with Trump’s volatile moods, personal authoritarianism, high self-regard and loose command of facts, and you have a captivating form of political communication. Trump eschews complexity. Twitter has no room for complexity. Trump loves a megaphone. Twitter is a giant amplifier. His idea of being boss is throwing down his decisions — “You’re fired!” — but the presidency actually involves intricate relations with other parties. Twitter, on the other hand, is perfect: Why allow Congress or your critics to squeeze into your car when all you want is to be alone at the wheel?