Public image of Donald Trump
, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, has elicited highly polarized public perceptions about his performance as a head of state and largely controversial opinions about his temperament and personal conduct while in office.
Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality famous for his image as a real estate tycoon. Viewed as an authentic figure by many of his supporters, Trump was not viewed as a serious contender during the 2016 presidential campaign.
He has been named Time Person of the Year, Financial Times Person of the Year and Forbes second most powerful world leader in 2016, and Time Person of the Year again in 2024.
Wealth and success
During his career as a businessman, Trump had an image of "the epitome of entrepreneurial success and glamour", which he advanced by hosting The Apprentice.Trump's first book, The Art of the Deal, published in 1987, was a New York Times Best Seller. According to The New Yorker, "The book expanded Trump's renown far beyond New York City, making him an emblem of the successful tycoon." The book features an image Trump has promoted as a self-made man. This image of Trump as a billionaire self-made man supported his populist appeal in the 2016 election and during his first presidency.
Personal image
Appearance
Tanned face, hairstyle, thumbs up and pouted lips are consistent elements of Trump's appearance that are very recognizable and make up an "iconic" imagery.In 2004, the Chicago Tribune wrote that Trump is "known for his gaudy casinos and unusual mane of copper hair". His hair has been subject to speculation; during his 2016 presidential campaign, it was the subject of much public discussion, wherein it was asserted to be a toupée or comb over. In a 2011 interview, Trump said, "I get a lot of credit for comb-overs. But it's not really a comb-over. It's sort of a little bit forward and back. I've combed it the same way for years. Same thing, every time."
In public appearances, Trump typically wears custom-made suits—described as boxy—designed by Italian fashion house Brioni and tailor Martin Greenfield, with large red ties, tied in a Windsor knot. At times, he has also worn bulky shoulder pads underneath his suits. His fashion has been criticized, such as being called "stuck in the 1980s" by Robin Givhan and designer Tom Ford describing Trump's fashion as "not sartorially elegant".
Temperament and personality
As of 2017, Trump's "unique personal style, brashness and disregard for conventional political norms and discourse" gained him attention and detractors, according to Gallup. Among detractors, perceptions of his temperament, arrogance and a tendency to act contrary to the expectations of presidents were disapproved of. As of 2023, critics perceived Trump to be vulgar and self-obsessed. After his temperament and mental fitness were subject to public debate, Trump responded by saying that he is a "very stable genius". Americans have mostly disapproved of Trump's temperament and personal conduct in office. This can be reflected in current polling. 59% of registered voters are not too confident/not at all confident in Donald Trump's ability to act ethically in office, while even fewer, 34% express confidence in Trump's ability to respect democratic values. His temperament is further reflected in his declaration of the January 6th, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot a “day of love”. To his supporters, Trump is seen as relatable and a simple and straightforward figure, who trusts his instincts.Mental capacities
According to a review of Trump's public appearances by The New York Times, Trump's speeches became longer, less focused, harsher and more profane over the years. On one occasion, he recounted how the audience at his debate with Kamala Harris was on his side, even though there was no audience as the debate was held in an empty hall. According to the article, "He digresses into bizarre tangents about golf, about sharks, about his own 'beautiful' body. He relishes 'a great day in Louisiana' after spending the day in Georgia. He expresses fear that North Korea is 'trying to kill me' when he presumably means Iran."Popular culture
Trump has played himself in the role of a rich and powerful businessman in cameo appearances in films and television shows and from 2004 to 2015 as the host of the reality show The Apprentice.Trump has been the subject of parody, comedy, and caricature. He has been parodied regularly on Saturday Night Live by Phil Hartman, Darrell Hammond, and Alec Baldwin, and in South Park as Mr. Garrison. The Simpsons episode "Bart to the Future"written during his 2000 campaign for the Reform Partyanticipated a Trump presidency. A parody series called The President Show debuted in April 2017 on Comedy Central, while another one called Our Cartoon President debuted on Showtime in February 2018.
Trump's wealth and lifestyle had been a fixture of hip hop lyrics since the 1980s; he was named in hundreds of songs, most often in a positive tone. Mentions of Trump in hip hop turned negative and pejorative after he ran for office in 2015, including the release of a song called "FDT" which later topped the iTunes charts after Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Relationship with the press
Throughout his career, Trump has sought media attention, with a "love-hate" relationship with the press. Trump began promoting himself in the press in the 1970s. Fox News anchor Bret Baier and former House speaker Paul Ryan have characterized Trump as a "troll" who makes controversial statements to see people's "heads explode". According to conservative media watchdog, Media Research Center, 92% of media coverage of the Trump administration portrays him negatively, which has made Trump accuse the mainstream media of bias.In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries. New York Times writer Amy Chozick wrote in 2018 that Trump's media dominance, which enthralls the public and creates "can't miss" reality television-type coverage, was politically beneficial for him. According to Columbia Journalism Review, "Because Trump entered the presidential stage from the world of business hucksterism and reality TV, he was seen, from the outset, as a less serious contender. In fact, he was treated as a joke." Salena Zito wrote for The Atlantic that "the press takes literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally."
Throughout his 2016 presidential campaign and his presidency, Trump has accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people". After winning the election, journalist Lesley Stahl recounted Trump's allegedly saying he intentionally demeaned and discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you."
Trump has privately and publicly mused about revoking the press credentials of journalists he views as critical. His administration moved to revoke the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts. In 2019, a member of the foreign press reported many of the same concerns as those of media in the U.S., expressing concern that a normalization process by reporters and media results in an inaccurate characterization of Trump. The Trump White House held about a hundred formal press briefings in 2017, declining by half during 2018 and to two in 2019.
Trump has employed the legal system as an intimidation tactic against the press. In early 2020, the Trump campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for alleged defamation. These lawsuits lacked merit and were not likely to succeed, however.
Political image
Approval ratings
At the end of Trump's second year, his two-year average Gallup approval rating was the lowest of any president since World War II. In January 2020, his Gallup rating reached 49%, the highest point since he took office, with 63% of those polled approving his handling of the economy. His approval and disapproval ratings have been unusually stable. In 2019 Gallup found Trump to be the most polarizing president to date.In Gallup's end-of-year poll asking Americans to name the man they admire the most, Trump placed second to Obama in 2017 and 2018, tied with Obama in 2019, and placed first in 2020. Since Gallup started conducting the poll in 1948, Trump is the first elected president not to be named most admired in his first year in office.
Globally, a Gallup poll on 134 countries comparing the approval ratings of U.S. leadership between the years 2016 and 2017 found that only in 29 of them did Trump lead Obama in job approval. Overall ratings were similar to those in the last two years of the George W. Bush presidency.
Politician
Trump was viewed as not a serious candidate during the 2016 presidential campaign. He was viewed positively by some voters as an outsider who was opposed to politicians, appealing in the context of the Tea Party movement.Social media
Trump's presence on social media has attracted attention worldwide since he joined Twitter in March 2009. He frequently tweeted during the 2016 election campaign and has continued to do so as president. As of March 2024, Trump has more than 87 million Twitter followers.By the end of May 2020, Trump had written about 52,000 tweets. These include 22,115 tweets over seven years before his presidential candidacy, 8,159 tweets during the years of his candidacy and transition period, and 14,186 tweets over the first three years of his presidency. Of all those tweets, Trump was found to have lied 30,000 plus times.
Trump has frequently used Twitter as a direct means of communication with the public. A White House press secretary said early in his presidency that Trump's tweets are official statements by the president of the United States, employed for announcing policy or personnel changes. Trump used Twitter to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March 2018 and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in November 2020.
Many of Trump's tweets contain false assertions. In May 2020, Twitter began tagging some Trump tweets with fact-checking warnings and labels for violations of Twitter rules. Trump responded by threatening to "strongly regulate" or "close down" social media platforms.