One thing that President Trump understands is branding, although with “steel slats” I really think he’s losing his touch (panic will do that to you).
His more successful efforts have included MAGA, Crooked Hillary, Fake News, and, of course the Big, Beautiful Wall, compared to which Steel Slats is New Coke.
Branding is perfect for Trump, whose name is itself a brand, because a brand doesn’t require facts, logic, or any argument at all: just an impression.
This might be a lesson for corporations that have invested so much in creating and building their brands — not least by backing them up with actual goods and services.
Trump sees the power of a brand as pure incantation: simply say the right words the right way, and, as the ancient Irish filid could tell you, the human mind can be ensorceled into believing nearly anything.
Try it: Crooked Hillary. Or Nancy Pelosi.
Do people really know why they’re supposed to hate them? No — unless it’s to recite other powerful though empty incantations, like Benghazi, Uranium One, or (shudder) San Francisco.
In TrumpWorld, it’s brands all the way down.