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| Fraser Seitel |
The surest bet on the prediction market is that this year’s most powerful film not only won’t win an Oscar at next month’s ceremonies, but it hasn’t even been nominated.
I’m speaking, of course, about the two-minute tour de force video, conceived, directed by and starring outgoing Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell, which suddenly turned the tables on and ushered in the beginning of the end of Donald Trump.
Chairman Powell’s surprise statement, delivered out of nowhere on a cold January Sunday night, revealed that the central bank had just received grand-jury subpoenas from the Trump administration that threatened criminal indictment for misleading Congress about Fed building repairs.
“The threat of criminal charges,” summarized the cool, confident video star, “is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public rather than following the preferences of the President.”
The video instantly circled the globe as major news, sending shockwaves across the land and delivering a gut punch to Trump. Powell, the mild-mannered economist who had always studiously avoided uttering anything remotely political, had inexplicably thrown down the gauntlet, accusing Trump of threatening the independence of the Fed and thereby creating risks for inflation, employment, the dollar and the credibility of the U.S. economy.
In short order, soon after the Powell Sunday surprise video, the stock market tumbled, cryptocurrency cratered, the President’s policies on the economy and immigration were pilloried and Trump’s popularity plummeted.
Powell’s simple statement had singlehandedly brought to his knees the most brazen, pompous and self-serving leader in U.S. history. As a certain someone once said: “Nobody had ever seen anything like it!”
How could it happen that a bookwormy introvert could beat the self-acknowledged “PR genius” at his own game? Here’s the simple public relations prescription the Fed chairman dialed up to slay the bully.
Be the aggressor
President Trump has little respect for civility, courtesy or even fairness. When he doesn’t like you, he goes for the jugular. If he thinks you’re weak, he goes for the jugular. If you try to compromise, he goes for the jugular. Just ask Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tried to reason with him, or Bad Bunny, who adopted his best behavior at the Super Bowl or Rob Reiner, who recently died. It didn’t matter. Trump is Trump.
Jerome Powell realized that from long and painful experience of respectfully acquiescing, including once in a hard hat, to Trump’s impertinence.
So, this time, he struck aggressively.
Don’t waffle
Republicans who know better and secretly despise the President’s crudeness—cowards like John Thune, Mike Johnson and even Marco Rubio—are often tied in oratorical knots to explain away Trump’s latest callous comment.
Likewise, the Fed Chairman has jumped through verbal hoops at his public appearances to choose the right words so as not to offend the offender-in-chief.
But this time, Powell was unsparing and unambiguous. Of the President’s motives in bringing the indictment against him, Powell said bluntly:
“This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. It is not about Congress’s oversight role. The Fed, through testimony and other public disclosures, made every effort to keep Congress informed about the renovation project. Those are pretexts.”
Shock and awe
To register on today’s communications Richter scale against a bully like Trump, who’s always available, rarely rests and never shuts up, the elements of timing, medium and surprise are key.
Scores of social media influencers, websites and cable channels are devoted to non-stop Trump criticism. In most cases, they’re preaching to the converted. So, there’s nothing special about going after the President.
But when the apolitical Chairman of The Federal Reserve Board unleashes a two-minute campaign video in the dead of night on a Sunday in January, now that’s memorable—and newsworthy.
Thank you and good night
Finally, as everyone from Rosie O’Donnell to Michael Cohen to Hillary Clinton to hapless reporters in the Oval Office has learned the hard way, you can’t out-Trump Trump. Engaging in further discussion, debate or elaboration is futile; he doesn’t listen, he’s never wrong and he doesn’t care what you think. So, don’t take questions.
Jerome Powell understood that. He made his point, declared victory and got out of town, leaving a vanquished, seething adversary in his wake. That’s how you beat a bully.
Are you listening Emmanuel Macron, Mark Carney and Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
***
Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for more than 40 years. He’s the author of the Pearson text “The Practice of Public Relations,” now in its 15th edition, and co-author of “Rethinking Reputation” and “Idea Wise.” He may be reached directly at [email protected].
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