Trump’s TV obsession is steering US diplomacy
Trump Turns to TV Screens to Spot Gaza Starvation
Images on Screens Shift Trump’s View
On July 24, Donald Trump recounted seeing pictures of skinny children in Gaza on television. He said the images convinced him that the children were truly starving. Trump’s reaction was a notable departure from his earlier stance that “there was no famine” in Gaza.
TV Habits Persist in Decision-Making
Trump has long relied on visual media for guidance.
- He has attended 22 intelligence briefings since January, yet has shown a preference for written reports from the staff.
- During his first term, he spent hours daily glued to Fox, CNN, NBC and ABC news channels.
- In 2015, the billionaire explained his military education by saying, “I watch the shows.”
Generationally Wired to the Broadcast Window
According to Dan Kennedy, a journalist professor, Trump is a product of his generation. He tends to watch TV rather than TikTok or newer social media platforms. Fitzgerald, Kennedy added, “The visuals on TV can be weaponized for political point-scoring.”
Television Drives Trump’s Public Moments
Trump has vividly used TV moments to capture public attention.
- After a confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February, he cheered, “This is going to be great television.”
- In May, he staged an Oval Office “dressing down” of South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa. Trump played a video montage filled with inaccuracies that tried to prove claims of “genocide” against white farmers.
Conclusion: TV Ignites Trump’s Hunger Sympathy
Trump’s sudden focus on starving Palestinians underscores a new urgency. The television images of Gaza children have shifted him from dismissing famine to urgently calling for aid and highlighting the significance of visual media in his leadership.
