What Roger Ailes Should Tell Trump

Fraser Seitel

Donald Trump has hired Roger Ailes to advise him on his fall debates with Hillary Clinton.

Ailes, if you remember, before his former rise as Fox News hero and current fall as accused sexual predator, was a formidable public relations executive, particularly skilled in the art of persuasion.

So, while the Donald rearranges the managerial deck chairs on his sinking campaign, he deserves credit for recruiting the best debate coach this side of Ted Cruz.

Here’s what counselor Ailes may well advise the candidate in what is likely to be Trump’s last, best chance to upset the Clinton machine.

You are the message

No doubt Ailes will begin with the title of the book he wrote three decades ago, reminding Trump that every time he sneers or scowls or acts put upon or lashes out below-the-belt, he is sending voters a message.

Thus far in the campaign, that “message” has largely been one of hot head, spoil sport, whiner, not to mention — dare I say it — potential “loser.” What Roger will likely tell him is to “stop it.”

Rather, he will say, present yourself as the confident, self-assured, successful “winner” who sincerely believes the country is in trouble and wants to help save it.

Expose yourself

Perhaps Ailes’ will phrase this differently, given his current problems, but the point he’ll make is that Trump needs to use the debates to show voters that he really does “care” about the people he claims he is trying to help, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, etc.

Anybody can claim they want to “make America great again.” To prove you mean it, you must convince people through your emotions and feelings and passion. In other words: show, don’t tell.

It’s the same advice Ailes gave presidential candidate George H.W. Bush in 1988, when he told him to think first before speaking about the brave soldiers he’d seen fall as a result of war. The elder Bush, a notoriously mediocre speaker, took Ailes’ counsel and delivered some of the most memorable speeches of his political career.

In the debates, Trump must similarly recall the despairing souls he has met on the campaign trail and frame his answers with those sad, real-life stories echoing in his head.

Personalize. Personalize. Personalize.

The Greeks used to say that the finest speakers were those who brought to their words, “the vigor of their own nature” or, in the case of Trump, his own accomplishments and experience.

Ailes should tell him not to obsess over the inevitable gotcha’ questions that probe his knowledge of Kurds and Quds or non-existent hostage-for-cash videos or imaginary 9/11 Muslim celebrants or all the other gaffes he’s been guilty of during the campaign. Rather, he should quickly dismiss these miserable memories and, as they say, “pivot” to …

His own personal experiences in creating successful projects, hiring productive employees, engaging in mutually-satisfactory deal-making and compromising with sworn enemies.

Trump must tell these personal stories to illustrate how, based on personal experience, he would be a “business doer” not a “political talker” as President.

Focus the attack on the Clintons

Trump made great headway in the primaries by jugularly-attacking his fellow Republicans, the media and anybody else who got in his way. But in the general election, it hasn’t worked; indeed, this strategy reached its nadir with the disastrous diatribe against the Kahn family, whose soldier son died in Iraq.

So, Ailes should instruct Trump that in the debates, he should forget all these distractions and instead, take laser like focus on his opponent and her husband. And his attack on Hillary and Bill, Ailes will no doubt recommend, should be withering.

Clinton Foundation? Fair game. Outrageous speaking fees? You got it. Errant emails? Ditto. Pay for play favors? Yup.

In each case, Trump needs to be the aggressor. He can only do that convincingly if Ailes convinces him to study, rehearse and get his facts straight. Trump’s predilection for ad-libbing and letting bravado replace specifics isn’t working anymore.

The only way he can deflect criticisms for his own vulnerabilities — from Trump University to Atlantic City bankruptcies to withheld income taxes — is by turning the tables on Hillary and her husband and putting her on defense. To do that effectively, Trump must be prepared.

Enjoy yourself

In the primaries, the closest Trump got to an “endearing quality” was that in virtually every forum, he seemed to enjoy himself. He was the outsider, the non-politically correct candidate, the anti-politician. He laughed, he joked, he criticized moderators, he had a blast. And he — and his supporters — loved it.

But ever since he was anointed as the candidate, Trump has turned bitter, vindictive and morose. And those are his good days!

So, Ailes needs to remind him to have some fun in the debates ... smile, joke, go after Hillary but do it with some humor. (Lord knows, there’s plenty to poke fun at with the Clintons!)

The harsh reality is that Trump is trailing badly, so he’s got nothing to lose. If he listens to public relations advice like this from Ailes, he may make headway in the all-important debates.

The problem, of course, is that Trump hasn’t listened to anybody up to now and isn’t likely to start at this late date, even from the former Fox pharaoh as his coach.

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Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for 40 years. He may be reached directly at [email protected]. He is the author of the Prentice-Hall text The Practice of Public Relations, now in its 12th edition, and co-author of Rethinking Reputation and Idea Wise.