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You are here: Home / Trump Transition / Trump as His Own Executive Producer
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Trump as His Own Executive Producer

January 18, 2025 at 7:28 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Imagery — and Mr. Trump’s mastery of it — played a vital role in powering his return to the White House. In many ways, Mr. Trump was not just a candidate navigating the 2024 race but the executive producer of his own political comeback…”

“In the 2024 race, Mr. Trump repeatedly used visuals to reframe political vulnerabilities — indictments, a trial, a conviction — as visceral symbols of strength and resilience. He showed remarkable instincts as he rose from being shot by a would-be assassin to pumping his fist in the air, the campaign’s most indelible image. And he manufactured a series of memorable moments that broke through the clutter of the campaign, perhaps none more so than handing out French fries from a McDonald’s drive-through window.”

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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