Fight fire with fire: opponents borrow from Trump's playbook
WASHINGTON — Looking to get ahead in President Donald Trump's Washington? Borrow his media playbook.
With suggestive statements, cryptic tweets, provocative lawsuits and must-see television interviews, Trump's adversaries are using some of his own tactics to grab — and keep — the spotlight. From adult film star Stormy Daniels to former FBI Director James Comey, each has become a must-see supporting character in the president's daily drama.
At the moment, the most visible is Daniels, who received a $130,000 payment to stay silent about an alleged affair with Trump and is now seeking to invalidate a non-disclosure agreement. She and her attorney Michael Avenatti have teased out details of her relationship with Trump for weeks, with Avenatti giving explosive interviews almost daily and Daniels taunting the president on social media.
Avenatti and Daniels have also hinted she might have proof of the affair. Avenatti tweeted a photo of a CD-Rom that purported to contain evidence. And when Daniels was asked on CBS' "60 Minutes" if she had texts, images or other items, she replied: "I can't answer that right now."
It was, of course, the kind of cliffhanger Trump has perfected.
He mastered the art of the tease, building suspense in the name of more attention, long before he ran for office. He's employed similar tactics in the White House, bringing reality show stylings to the often mundane functions of government.
"He does like to create some mystery around the great Oz behind the curtain," said George Rush, former gossip columnist at the New York Daily News.
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