# Just how easy to manipulate IS Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 21, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681 "2016-11-21T22:06:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/1 "2016-11-21T22:06:48Z")
Back in October, Kellyanne Conway made some minor news by opening up about the difficulties of dealing with her boss, and how she’d learned to solve them: > [@](#): > > Donald Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway has some telling strategies for managing the Republican nominee, a New York Magazine piece revealed on Saturday. > The piece, which notes that Conway is a mother of four who has had “ample experience with unruly toddlers,” describes Conway and her colleagues’ attempts to rein in Trump’s behavior or influence his decisions in the final days leading up to the election. > According to Conway, the trick is to make Trump think he’s in control at all times: “It all has to be his decision in the end,” she told the magazine. > **[Kellyanne Conway on managing Trump: 'It's like saying to someone, "How about...](https://www.businessinsider.com/kellyanne-conway-on-managing-trump-its-like-saying-to-someone-how-about-having-2-brownies-and-not-6-2016-10)** > > Conway said the trick is to make Trump think he's in control at all times: "It all has to be his decision in the end." That the news _was_ minor–that few seemed to think it was any sort of problem that the GOP candidate had to be handled the way a parent handles a toddler–was disturbing in itself. More disturbing: the reporting on how Steve Bannon openly and overtly guides Trump: > [@](#): > > How Bannon flattered and coaxed Trump on policies key to the alt-right > … In those exchanges, a dynamic emerged, with Bannon often coaxing Trump to agree to his viewpoint, whether on climate change, foreign policy or the need to take on Republican leaders in Congress. > At times, Bannon seemed to coach Trump to soften the harder edges of his message, to make it more palatable to a broader audience, while in other cases he pushed Trump to take tougher positions. He flattered Trump, … [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bannon-flattered-and-coaxed-trump-on-policies-key-to-the-alt-right/2016/11/15/53c66362-ab69-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bannon-flattered-and-coaxed-trump-on-policies-key-to-the-alt-right/2016/11/15/53c66362-ab69-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html) David Fahrenthold, co-author of that piece, appeared on Anderson Cooper’s CNN show November 16. They discussed clips of interviews between Trump and Bannon in which it’s obvious that Bannon is pulling Trump’s strings: > [@](#): > > … You can see in several instances Bannon recognizes that Trump has said something that is impolitic even for Trump. It’s going to get Trump in trouble. And he tries to steer Trump toward the right outcome, toward the more palatable outcome. … [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1611/16/acd.02.html](http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1611/16/acd.02.html) Most famously, perhaps, is the hold Vladimir Putin got on Trump by calling him something Trump chose to believe was “brilliant” and “a genius.” In fact, > [@](#): > > “He called me a genius,” Trump said of Putin at two campaign events in February, three times in April, in a May interview on CNN, at a June rally in California, twice in July, and at an August town hall in Ohio > Trump has been referring to comments Putin made in December 2015, when asked for his thoughts of the billionaire by an ABC reporter. > > “He’s a very colorful person. Talented, without any doubt, but it’s not our affair to determine our worthiness — that’s up to the United States voters. But he is absolutely the leader in the presidential race,” reads the captions on the ABC video. > The Russian president’s words got lost in translation in some corners of the American press. … Putin, himself, denied the “brilliant” translation in a June interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. > > "Why do you always change the meaning of what I said?” Putin responded through an interpreter. > **[Did Putin call Trump brilliant?](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/sep/08/donald-trump/did-vladimir-putin-call-trump-brilliant/)** > > Donald Trump defended his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin during NBC’s Commander-in-Chief Forum, claiming he The point is that the hungry-for-praise Trump chose to misinterpret Putin and that led him to praise the Russian leader over and over again. One little not-quite-complement was all it took to turn Trump into a fanboy. One of many examples: > [@](#): > > He also refused to call on Putin to stay out of the election, “I’m not going to tell Putin what to do. Why would I tell him what to do?” > "Why do I have to get tough on Putin? > **[Timeline: Donald Trump’s praise for Vladimir Putin | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/28/politics/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-quotes/)** > > Donald Trump drew sharp criticism from Democrats and longtime government officials Wednesday when he called on Russia to dig up and release emails his general election rival Hillary Clinton deleted from her private email server. … So, how easy IS it to manipulate Trump? Will the many people who will have his ear—Bannon, Jared Kushner, Pence, Vladimir Putin—all be pulling in the same direction? Or will one induce Trump to do the opposite of what another of the insiders has been stimulating Trump to do? What about others, not in the inner circle but gifted at handling unstable personalities? What might they be able to imprint on Trump without his knowledge? Many CEOs and many world leaders are where they are today because they can read their adversaries and sway them without their conscious knowledge. Half an hour with Trump, and some of these people will be able to get him to agree to anything… ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/2 "2016-11-21T22:13:32Z")
Add to this that Obama is apparently planning on doing some “hand holding” and seemingly has already guided Trump somewhat on the issue of the ACA, and possibly on immigration. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/3 "2016-11-21T22:29:31Z")
Yes, you’re right: there was a certain amount of surprise when Trump, after meeting with Obama, rolled back from his longtime ‘repeal Obamacare’ position to the extent of promising to keep some Obamacare features. All it took, perhaps, was some judicious flattery from Obama. That would have an overall _good_ result. But what about _other_ meetings with _other_ men who happen to be good at flattering Trump? What kind of results might we see? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/4 "2016-11-21T22:38:43Z")
Obviously we could see some terrible results considering the company he keeps. No doubt they are actively working to keep him from consulting with Obama any further. ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/5 "2016-11-21T22:48:02Z")
Given that Trump seems to listen to and respond off the last person he talked to, we will likely see a very chaotic first term. His campaign was reportedly pretty chaotic ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/6 "2016-11-22T00:42:47Z")
Based on the number of campaign managers and other senior campaign aides that came and went without much noticeable change… it’s not very easy at all. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/7 "2016-11-22T00:46:56Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Based on the number of campaign managers and other senior campaign aides that came and went without much noticeable change… it’s not very easy at all. But that could easily have been one of them whispering in Trump’s ear that the other ones were Against Him. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/8 "2016-11-22T16:57:59Z")
We’ll soon find out but you have to think Vlad Putin will play him like a violin. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/9 "2016-11-22T17:03:04Z")
> [@computergeek](#): > > Given that Trump seems to listen to and respond off the last person he talked to, we will likely see a very chaotic first term. His campaign was reportedly pretty chaotic Like constant-rioting-in-the-streets chaotic? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/10 "2016-11-22T17:05:15Z")
I _like_ to think that that Obama, Warren, and Sanders will play him like a violin, but it’s much more likely that it will be Pence, Republican legislators, and corporate lobbyists (and possibly Putin) who will have his ear. Then again, he is obviously concerned about how he’s perceived by the public. Maybe there’s some way that the majority (who voted for Clinton) can use that. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/11 "2016-11-22T17:26:19Z")
> [@computergeek](#): > > Given that Trump seems to listen to and respond off the last person he talked to, we will likely see a very chaotic first term. His campaign was reportedly pretty chaotic As opposed to the smooth-running, calculated, military precision of the operation that got his opponent elected. Anyway, I’ve learnt on this site that his twin problems are: _He doesn’t listen to anyone, and no-one can influence him._ _He listens to everyone and is easily swayed._ ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/12 "2016-11-22T17:50:30Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > As opposed to the smooth-running, calculated, military precision of the operation that got his opponent elected. > Anyway, I’ve learnt on this site that his twin problems are: > > _He doesn’t listen to anyone, and no-one can influence him._ > > _He listens to everyone and is easily swayed._ Different people have different opinions. Some here feel that he’s easily swayed. Some don’t. No public website as active as this one is going to consist of a monolithic view on anything unless it actively censors. Myself, I think how easily he’s swayed depends on the subject, his level of knowledge on that subject, the person he’s talking to, and even his mood that day. This is pretty much true of anyone, but it does seem like he may be more susceptible than most on at least some things. But I don’t know the man so that’s my opinion and you can take it for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/13 "2016-11-22T17:59:27Z")
It could be that he is more easily swayed in strategy than tactics and demeanor. That he isn’t sure from day to day whether to gut the ACA or keep most of it, but he knows how he will accomplish it – speaking from the cuff, midnight tweeting, and denigrating anyone in his way, and he can’t be counseled out of those methods. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/14 "2016-11-22T18:29:21Z")
He’s easy to sway in terms of things like policy, because he doesn’t know policy and has few, if any, firm principles regarding what government should or shouldn’t do (apart from making it easier for him to put his name on things and make money). I think he’s much harder to sway in terms of his own behavior, and it took months and months of bruising self-inflicted damage during the campaign before he could finally be persuaded to stop Twitter-feuding every five minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/15 "2016-11-22T20:20:36Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > He’s easy to sway in terms of things like policy, because he doesn’t know policy and has few, if any, firm principles regarding what government should or shouldn’t do (apart from making it easier for him to put his name on things and make money). I think he’s much harder to sway in terms of his own behavior, and it took months and months of bruising self-inflicted damage during the campaign before he could finally be persuaded to stop Twitter-feuding every five minutes. Yeah; he’s like any toddler: He’s gonna do what he wants to do! But if someone offers him a cookie, that will distract him enough to get him to do what the cookie-offerer wants. With Trump, the ‘cookie’ is praise and flattery. I doubt that it’s possible to go overboard with the flattery; my guess is that Bannon lays it on with a trowel, as the saying goes. Trump will never catch on that he’s being handled. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/16 "2016-11-25T21:22:59Z")
Kellyanne Conway is making news today for her use of a technique for handling Trump that she’d described (in the article linked in the OP) as using media to get his attention. The situation this time appears to be that Trump is leaning toward naming Mitt Romney as Secretary of State, and Conway want media buzz to persuade Trump away from his inclination: > [@](#): > > The Conway tweets that are being read Thursday as tea leaves as to the inside circle’s current thinking on the Foggy Bottom job, in one case passing along a link to a Politico story in which big-name Trump backers are quoted as questioning the motivations of a Secretary of State Romney … [http://www.marketwatch.com/story/do-kellyanne-conway-tweets-signal-a-turn-away-from-romney-in-trump-inner-circle-2016-11-24](http://www.marketwatch.com/story/do-kellyanne-conway-tweets-signal-a-turn-away-from-romney-in-trump-inner-circle-2016-11-24) Apparently _talking_ to Trump is not effective in getting him to make a change. But if there are a lot of news stories about the topic his handlers want him to change direction on, he will do so. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/17 "2016-11-25T22:03:57Z")
This is hilarious. The cognitive dissonance of the left is just amazing to watch. Let’s see: As was obvious to anyone with a room temperature IQ, the media HATED trump. They gave up even the pretense of fairness. Yet Trump manipulated them into what has been estimated as $2 BILLION dollars worth of free coverage. Trump was up against the biggest, richest, political machine the world has ever seen in the Clintons, and yet he manipulated them into saying and doing things that a political novice would know better than to do (deplorables, anyone?) The entire GOP establishment wanted to see him go away, and now Mitt Romney is visiting Trump Tower to kiss the ring. This is someone you think is easily manipulated? I have news for you. He’s not the easily distracted toddler here. I’m not a Trump fan by any means, but the dismissal and underestimation of him is EXACTLY why he is President-elect. This kind of thinking is why you lost, and why you will never understand the true reason why. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/18 "2016-11-25T22:42:21Z")
“Fair” coverage of Trump would have been a whole lot worse than it was. The “media” didn’t hate Trump, the only thing they love is ratings and Trump brought that in spades. He didn’t “manipulate” anyone, all the stupid shit he said was real and heartfelt. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/19 "2016-11-25T22:51:52Z")
Seriously? The ‘Trump is a mastermind’ claim? Everyone has their favorite _'this is when I realized Trump wasn’t too bright_’ moment; I guess mine was when he latched onto The Element of Surprise as a “brilliant” military move that, he seemed to believe, no one but him had ever thought of. He used the claim again and again: > [@](#): > > … He again repeated his refrain about the “element of surprise.” > > “He was trying to play up surprise, but he doesn’t understand the reasons at all why we’ve been forecasting this, which is to get as many civilians out as possible and to push for as many defections from ISIS as possible,” said Clint Watts, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and former Army officer. … Jeff McCausland, a retired Army colonel and former dean at the Army War College, told The New York Times that Trump’s bashing of the Mosul offensive shows he “doesn’t know a damn thing about military strategy.” > > Robert Gates, a former defense secretary who served under both George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, told Politico that he guesses “most folks on active duty don’t take seriously what he has to say.” > > And George Little, a former spokesman for the CIA and Defense Department, called Trump’s comments “shameful.” > **['He appears not to understand basic military activities': Experts blast Trump...](https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mosul-military-strategy-2016-10)** > > Donald Trump was quick to declare a military operation in Iraq a "disaster" before it had even really begun. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681/20 "2016-11-26T17:16:28Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Seriously? The ‘Trump is a mastermind’ claim? > > Everyone has their favorite _'this is when I realized Trump wasn’t too bright_’ moment; I guess mine was when he latched onto The Element of Surprise as a “brilliant” military move that, he seemed to believe, no one but him had ever thought of. He used the claim again and again: > > [Experts Blast Trump for His Comments on Mosul Operation - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mosul-military-strategy-2016-10) **Sherrerd** , your quotes about Trump are very interesting but we live in the Fake News era now. How do we even know that Clint Watts or George Little are even who you say they are? Even CNN is showing child-porn these days and _[businessinsider.com](http://businessinsider.com)_ is _mock.red\_is\_nisseni\_sub_ spelled backwards. Can you get a cite from a better source? The _You Are The Resistance_ Youtube channel perhaps, or [rt.com](http://rt.com)? Sean Hannity’s show? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-easy-to-manipulate-is-trump/772681.md?page=2)