Frankie Pastor ’20

THE ROUNDUP

On Jan. 20, President Trump not only became the leader of the free world, but he also took over as a controversial steward of the most important virtual diary in the world–his Twitter account.

Even with only 280 characters for each Twitter post, President Trump is capable of influencing the thoughts and emotions of people around the world.

President Trump may think that his posts provide a central message, but they are actually dividing Americans and politicians alike.  

According to a poll published by the USA Today, 68 percent of Americans who took the survey said that his posts were inappropriate, while 52 percent stated that the

tweets were dangerous.

Why are the tweets so dangerous and inappropriate? With many posts, the President has sparked controversy and made enemies, both domestically and internationally.  

President Trump has used his Twitter account to insult celebrities, make official statements regarding personnel and policy, and to express his thoughts on world leaders.

On his 13 day visit to Asia in November, the president visited Japan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam. He has met with world leaders to discuss trade, alliances, and strategies to address the North Korean nuclear threat.

Along with his meetings with the world leaders, he has also made time to publicly express his thoughts on the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un.

As hostile tensions have risen with North Korea, propaganda across the nation has been labeling the president as old and insane. President Trump responded to these comments by labeling the nuclear-armed leader as short and fat.

“Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me ‘old’ when I would never call him ‘short’ and ‘fat,’” Mr. Trump said.

The president has also labeled the dictator as “Rocket Man.”

Kim Jong-un responded to the “Rocket Man” label by threatening to increase his country’s nuclear arsenal.

In certain situations, President Trump has contradicted statements made by his cabinet members. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that he will continue to try to negotiate with North Korea in order to calm the nuclear threats. President Trump then tweeted that the time for negotiation was over, a direct contradiction of his chief diplomat.

President Trump has also contradicted his victory win with his tweets. “The Electoral College is a disaster for democracy,” Mr. Trump said on Nov. 9, 2012.

Flash forward to November 15, 2016, a few days after his victory, and he said that the Electoral College is actually “genius.”

In a political climate so clouded by false information and hyperbole, it is important to have a positive, clear, and unifying message coming from the highest office in the land. The president must understand the gravity of his tweets, and act like the “most presidential person” he promised us he could be.