Donald Trump's pledge to act more presidential could "actually be the start of his demise," says Jill Abramson, former executive editor of The New York Times.
"Trump's voters love that he 'tells it like it is,' and even bullies, the same qualities he projected on 'The Apprentice,"' Abramson writes in
London's Guardian.
"Yet apparently, we learned last week, his persona on the trail was all an act. The new Donald will be, to use his own words, 'so presidential you'll all be bored.'
"If he stops being interesting, though, he could start losing the media's attention. And if he changes his role too much, he risks losing that aura of authenticity."
Abramson says Trump is compared to Ronald Reagan as both were entertainers. But the similarity stops there.
"As hosts, the two couldn't be more different. Reagan, from host to president, always remained the sunny optimist. He had an infectious geniality …" Abramson said.
Trump's act is all about winning.
"Trump said as much when he explained his formula for success on reality television: always be interesting, speak simply, show flexibility and be able to make a change, never give up — and win."
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