June 16, 2016

"Trump is indeed considering creating his own media business, built on the audience that has supported him thus far in his bid to become the next president of the United States."

"According to several people briefed on the discussions, the presumptive Republican nominee is examining the opportunity presented by the 'audience' currently supporting him. He has also discussed the possibility of launching a 'mini-media conglomerate' outside of his existing TV-production business, Trump Productions LLC. He has, according to one of these people, enlisted the consultation of his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who owns the The New York Observer. Trump’s rationale, according to this person, is that, 'win or lose, we are onto something here. We’ve triggered a base of the population that hasn’t had a voice in a long time.' For his part, Kushner was heard at a New York dinner party saying that 'the people here don’t understand what I’m seeing. You go to these arenas and people go crazy for him.'... Trump, this person close to the matter suggests, has become irked by his ability to create revenue for other media organizations without being able to take a cut himself."

From Vanity Fair, "IS DONALD TRUMP’S ENDGAME THE LAUNCH OF TRUMP NEWS?/The candidate is considering starting his own cable empire."

This makes so much sense.

ADDED: Keep your eye on Kushner, who's already in the media business, and the goddess Ivanka. Even if Trump wins the presidency, I think Trump Media will happen. There is a big, exposed gap in news media, as Trump is proving every day, and Fox News doesn't own the conservative audience.

54 comments:

Original Mike said...

If he loses big his name may be mud.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Speaking of Media - News not heard at all on NBC.

cubanbob said...

Trumpy should stick to the election. Afterwards he can do the media modul thing if he loses. If he wins, he would have to be more circumspect.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

win or lose?

If people want to continue to worship him after he loses and gives us a criminal - (as planned) - sad tits to them.

Some people really do fall prey to multi-level "get rich quick" marketing schemes.

Anonymous said...

Donald, please don't go all Glenn Beck on us.

WisRich said...

Original Mike said...
If he loses big his name may be mud.
6/16/16, 9:08 AM


Nope, he'll blame a thousand different people but mainly his own party rather than the Dem's. In the ultimate show of chutzpah, he'll blame the GOP for not raising the $1 Billion needed for the campaign even though his main argument for his candidacy was that he was "really really rich", didn't need or want anybody's money, and wouldn't be beholden to donors.

Scott M said...

Goddess?

I'm Full of Soup said...

American News Network would be a big hit. Comcast / NBC won't like it and will do everything they can to keep it off the Concast cable menu until Brian Roberts realizes he can make money off it.

Trump is an entrepreneur and yakking and dreaming about potential money making opportunities is what entrepreneurs do.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

A few years ago, I was invited by a builder friend of mine to attend a "life changing opportunity." I had no idea what he was talking about but he insisted I go. I reluctantly said OK.
Turns out, it was a multi-level marketing pitch. Some sort of phone service. (I'll look it up) Ironically, I think Trump was involved.

Anyhow, while I sat there and watched the video depicting a family enjoying a very leisurely and fun recreational life, describing how "they only work when they want to" and the money comes pouring in. & ... Imagine the freedom for you and your family. You will never stress about money again. (I thought - bullcrap) but as I looked around the room - people were mesmerized.

This is what Trump has done. He has mesmerized people with his promises. I hate to sound like Romney and I disagree with Romney's tactics... but I really do personally, in my heart, feel that we are being conned. Yes - Trump really wants to win, but he kinda doesn't care. Either way - it was good fun. His wealthy life will continue while we are stuck with his old pal, Hillary. and her judges. (Lord help us, it's over)

traditionalguy said...

Competition cometh to cable News.

MSNBC is 100% out as Anti-Trump. They are rejoicing in running stories based on in the Washington Post's made up news and made up quotes.

Today's MSNBC fake stories are also 100% pro Disney pieces about the Disney World maintained alligator feeding pond stocked with tourist children.

Not a mention that No Swimming signage does not protect a wader on the man made beach from amphibian carnivor killing machines known to live in the lagoon.

Anonymous said...

Trump has changed the conversation in this country like noone else has. Politics is downstream from culture. Given that the media is owned by a few companies these days, media competition makes perfect sense.

But that won't stop the anklebiters here from whining and complaining that he isn't perfect. What have you done to change the narrative, April?

In other news, West Hollywood today is inundated with pro gun, pro gay posters. But you gullible types keep believing those early polls put out by progs based on 2012 turnout. Real smart.

Michael K said...

"Yes - Trump really wants to win, but he kinda doesn't care. Either way - it was good fun."

I had that feeling about Bush in 2000. Gore was panicked he might lose but Bush winked at someone during one of the debates.

tim maguire said...

AprilApple said...I really do personally, in my heart, feel that we are being conned. Yes - Trump really wants to win, but he kinda doesn't care. Either way - it was good fun.

I always thought Trump got in it for fun and free publicity and that he'd drop out when it stopped being fun. If he's deciding now, after he's blown up the Republican primary, that it's not fun anymore, then, well, I don't know how to finish this sentence. I'm really tired of watching good people work their guts out to reform the system only to be betrayed by charlatans and con artists.

Sebastian said...

"I really do personally, in my heart, feel that we are being conned" Sure. But the conman wants to make real money. In this case, he needs votes in the next round. But as the post shows, and as Trump has done before, he can win by losing. The rest of us, not so much. It's just that in this case, the non-marks will suffer along with the marks.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Trump has .... *I have blind faith that he can win even though he is inarticulate and the media are pounding him, like they pound any GOP, but since Trump is an easy target - they pound him even harder and that's why Hillary leads most polls."

Ignore reality all you want. It's not a narrative, it's truth on the ground.

If Trump surges ahead of Hillary in the polls, I'll be the first to yell *hallelujah.*

Michael K said...

" I'm really tired of watching good people work their guts out to reform the system only to be betrayed by charlatans and con artists."

You mean the past 20 years ?

OK I agree with you

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

My first thought, when Trump entered the race a year ago - "He is gonna hand this to Hillary"

I stand by my first impression. Conspiracy or not. and believe me, it makes me sick. But hey - you blew up the evil GOP. Die GOP die... the mainstream pro-democrat press never had it so easy.

rhhardin said...

The media go where the daily eyeballs are, which is soap opera news. Women's TV.

There's no market for hard news, so there's no niche for Trump news.

Only the opportunity to squash PC in government is drawing audience to Trump. If he's not running with that opportunity in sight, he's toast, newsbizwise.

rhhardin said...

Most of Trump's supporters, e.g. me, don't particularly think he's got great policy ideas, except for the ability to squash PC news coverage of every single problem.

So most won't tune in for wisdom either.

Sam L. said...

I keep hearing Fox is slowly abandoning the conservative content. I don't know, because I never watch it. Or any TV news.

Rick said...

Original Mike said...
If he loses big his name may be mud.


Sarah Palin turned her losing campaign into millions via avid support of a minority of voters.

clint said...

In the first debate, when Trump was going after Megan Kelly, I thought it made sense as a move to create a Trump media empire. You still see hints of that in things like the Washington Post credentials thing, but if that was really his end game, he would have played a lot of the primaries quite differently.

No, I think Trump really does want to be President.

And... Fox News doesn't even *serve* the conservative audience, much less own them. There really seems to be a *huge* opportunity there -- but it's trickier than it seems. I don't think most conservatives would religiously tune in to a conservative TV news program the way so many liberals religiously tune in to CNN or MSNBC. But I could be wrong -- I really think a weekly show with a panel or roundtable format and an assortment of different kinds of conservatives arguing about current events and issues could be a thing of beauty. Instead of having Senators McCain and Schumer and a liberal host, you could have Senator Sessions and Governor Jindal and a conservative host.


buwaya said...

Instapundit is right in that the best bang for the buck in political spending probably would be to pick up some ladies magazines. Or I suppose some female oriented mass media, Ive no idea what that would be. There is no reason one cant have right wing soap opera news and features.

Oso Negro said...

Fox news doesn't own the conservative audience?


Good grief! What about Trump or his supporters suggest "conservative"?

Fox News apparently doesn't represent the raging drunken guy at the bar audience that represent Trump's core constituents

Luke Lea said...

Trump TV -- a new 24 hour news broadcast network in competition with Fox News, CNN, & MSNBC. I like it!

Paul said...

"Good grief! What about Trump or his supporters suggest "conservative"?"

America first. Secure borders. Economic growth. Pushing back against Political Correctness (anti-American Cultural Marxism). Dismantling the AWG hysteria machine...

For openers.

You have a problem with these things?

John Bragg said...

I've suspected this for a while.

Trump is the owner of a valuable "Donald Trump" brand. Is it as valuable as he claims? Probably not, but it's worth a lot.

The value of that brand, however, is directly tied to the persona and celebrity of Donald J Trump, real estate tycoon orange haired buffoon, etc. If he dies tomorrow of a heart attack, in six months the value of the asset goes to zero.

So he's in a similar situation to Yahoo executives today, or AOL executives around 2000--holding an asset that has current value, which they know will lose tremendous value in the future. So what do you do? You trade that current value for something else of enduring value.

AOL sold their magic beans for half of Time Warner's stock. I think Trump is trying to leave his children and grandchildren with significant ownership in a media property.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It seems disagreeably simplistic to me, but there seems to be much merit in the rule by which it should be strongly presumed that the answer is "no" to any clickbait on the internet that ends in a question mark.

Known Unknown said...

betrayed by charlatans and con artists.

Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, I presume.

CJinPA said...

He's 70 years old. Would he really go to such Machiavellian lengths just for that?

Maybe. I guess he didn't realize he might win.

Brando said...

This would explain a lot. Maybe he took a real bath in the housing meltdown (he did, as late as 2007, say he thought it was a great time to get into the market--he might have been full of it, but maybe he really thought that and invested what he had in it) and is still taking losses on his taxes on that, which explains not wanting to release his tax returns. It'd also explain why he won't put his own money (except for some "loans") into his campaign, and even tried to avoid paying a veterans charity until he got called on it (when it seems a no brainer to pay it after his fundraiser, as we're talking a pledge that is a tiny fraction of the "$10 billion" he claims to be worth). It also explains why he won't do some obvious campaign stuff (like focus his appearances in swing states, instead of NY and CA, or pull out the stops in forming ground game rather than assume the RNC has him covered).

If all of this is just a way to make a big financial comeback, he's doing a good job of it. Sure, a lot of people are turned off by him and that may make him toxic for a lot of potential business partners. But if even 25% of the electorate really likes him, that's still a huge number--and from that you can build a media empire and branding empire to make good his losses and pay off debts. Who cares if he wins the White House? That is probably secondary for him--maybe even a detriment because it would take his focus off the business end and give him a lot of stuff to do he is not willing to put in the work for.

If that's NOT his plan, what is he doing differently from what he'd do it if WAS his plan?

Earnest Prole said...

perfect, the entrepreneurial orange-colored spawn of Sarah Palin and Michael Bloomberg

Brando said...

"I stand by my first impression. Conspiracy or not. and believe me, it makes me sick. But hey - you blew up the evil GOP. Die GOP die... the mainstream pro-democrat press never had it so easy."

Anything that can be rolled over this easily sort of deserves to die. Republicans didn't have to fall for Trump, but they chose to, knowing what he was.

It's fine--Hillary will be an awful president, but that's what the voters decided to do this year. We deserve to get it good and hard.

John Bragg said...

"He's 70 years old. " Exactly. Estate planning. Nobody's paying to put dead Donald J Trump on their steaks, wine, vodka, scam school, or building. Eric and Barron and Ivanka and god I know their names etc can't inherit that.

They CAN inherit stock in Trump Media Ventures, owners of the America 1st News Network.

Becker Bershad said...

These are unnecessary and destructive accusations by people who are unappreciative of the energy and commitment Trump has put into running for President. If you don't like Trump then of course you are going to accuse him of all kinds of evils. But he is genuinely dedicated to doing what he can to improve the country with the skills and knowledge he has.

If Trump were just a con artist he wouldn't have taken the stance on Muslim immigration. Obama is the con artist -- he knows what Islam will bring to the US and yet he pretends he has no idea that there is a contradiction between sharia and the Constitution. I'm sure Hillary must be aware of that as well as the polls which indicate that mainstream American Muslims would prefer to live under sharia law and believe it to be superior.

Look, you could more easily make the case against Hillary Clinton's run for President and her motives. She just wants power so she can continue to socialize with the most powerful people in the world, where she's been for the last twenty five years. And she wants to be President so she can continue to rake in the cash for her daughter and grandchildren and their children.

M Jordan said...

Fox News lost me on the Trump matter. The 6:00 news broadcast with Bret Baier has been almost completely anti-Trump, more so than CNN. I think it's because Trump threatens to out them as the yokels they believe to be his supporters. Those folks worked pretty darn hard to carve out a niche amongst the liberal elite and Trump has pulled back the curtain on them: they're rednecks! Bigots!

Anyway, I actually got a response from Bret Baier from a fairly salty email I wrote him. He was defensive and wished me luck in my future viewing (I said I was leaving Fox). Maybe my email was a tad harsh: I hammered him for hawking Charles Krauthammer's book of old essays "Things That Matter" for almost a year.

David said...

Ivanka for President!

Or Senator.

Or something.

Becker Bershad said...

Speaking of cons. Something I just noticed over at Gateway Pundit:

In December Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal slammed Donald Trump for proposing a ban on Muslim immigrants in the US until the government could alleviate security concerns.

Prince Alwaleed called Donald Trump a “disgrace” for his popular plan.

.@realDonaldTrump You are a disgrace not only to the GOP but to all America. Withdraw from the U.S presidential race as you will never win.

— الوليد بن طلال (@Alwaleed_Talal) December 11, 2015

Donald Trump responded to attacks.

"@Michael2014abc: @Alwaleed_Talal @realDonaldTrump Has your country, Saudi Arabia, taken ANY of the Syrian refugees? If not, why not?"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2015

Trump was right.
Saudi Arabia has banned Syrian immigrants from its country due to security concerns.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

So...Citizen Kane?
I think Sarah Palin had a fair amount of "populist" support...how's her media empire coming along?

Instapundit's been saying for a while that if Repub. billionaires were smart they would have started buying up Media assets a long time ago. I like the Peter Theil approach, too, although that seems to have been more just because Gawker was particularly awful to him and his friends.

Anyway if it hurts the Media I'm for it, but I doubt Trump Inc. will make much of a dent. Besides which, who do you think will co-opt whom in that fight? Media means big $ if you're Leftist, and I personally don't put too much faith in Trump himself having strong non-Left beliefs of any kind.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

tim maguire said...
[AprilApple said...I really do personally, in my heart, feel that we are being conned. Yes - Trump really wants to win, but he kinda doesn't care. Either way - it was good fun. (Lord help us, it's over)]

I always thought Trump got in it for fun and free publicity and that he'd drop out when it stopped being fun. If he's deciding now, after he's blown up the Republican primary, that it's not fun anymore, then, well, I don't know how to finish this sentence. I'm really tired of watching good people work their guts out to reform the system only to be betrayed by charlatans and con artists.


There was a theory going around in 2008, tim, that Obama ran for President that year as a sort of test or introduction, and didn't really expect to win the Dem. nomination (being a pretty junior Senator with little national experience, etc). He started winning and kept winning, though, and now he's President.

And April, I'd say instead: "Lord help us, it's NOT over." It's only June! Oof, it's only June.

CatherineM said...

Al Gore's Current TV channel had horrible ratings, but he made millions selling it to Al Jezeera. Trump will have similar outcome I am guessing.

Sam's Hideout said...

CatherineM: Current TV's main value to Al Jazeera was the cable/satellite distribution agreements it had (Current TV was partially owned by Comcast and DirecTV). Trump doesn't have any such agreements.

Left Bank of the Charles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Inga said...

Trump knows he'll lose, so he's just feathering his nest now.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

I predict Trump News will not report its own bankruptcy.

Nonapod said...

We may be on the cusp of one of the darkest times in modern American history. As of this time, it seems almost inevitable that Hillary Clinton will be our next president. A person who is almost certainly a vile criminal who will always put her own personal needs way ahead of those of the people. A person who will certainly continue the destructive foreign and economic policies of the Obama administration. A person who will mercilessly continue the cultural jihad against anything even remotely conservative. A person who will continue to divide and conquer the American people. With Hillary Clinton as president we'll probably see more unrest, more riots, and more misery than any time since the 1960s.

The only faint ray of hope is the FBI recommending indictment for her, which may bring her down a bit. Of course Obama's justice department would never actually follow through with said indictment, but it may be damaging enough to shame people into not voting for her. But knowing what I know about human nature, I doubt it.

And as for Trump, whether he wins or not I doubt he'll care. He'll be fine. Better than fine in fact. He'll profiteer of all the chaos with a brand new media empire filled with loud talking heads who'll shout and bluster pseudo-conservative nonsense 24-7.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Matt said...

Becker Bershad said...
"If you don't like Trump then of course you are going to accuse him of all kinds of evils."

I didn't realize that creating a media empire was evil?

StephenFearby said...

Original Mike said...
If he loses big his name may be mud.

That's why the the poll numbers matter so much at the time near the Republican convention.

Major variables include:

--Trump is so much underwater vs the Hildabeast that he believes he is unlikely to win...leaving open his choice to decline the nomination. Everyone (except the Hildabeast and her voters) will be grateful for the noble deus ex machina act...and the Trump Network will be a resounding success.

--Trump is so much underwater vs the Hildabeast that a sufficient number of his delegates decide not to commit suicide by abstaining on the first ballot. Thus denying him the nomination per:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436428/republican-convention-delegates-not-bound-donald-trump

I don't think the Hildabeast being indicted is a major variable because she could easily be replaced by the Dems with Warren or Biden.

Becker Bershad said...

@Matt

The claim was that Trump is running for President not to win but as a scam to build up a media empire. That would be evil.

StephenFearby said...

I neglected to mention Jim Geraghty's comment today in the NR:


There Is No Other, More ‘Presidential’ Donald Trump

"...Trump won the backing of 45 percent of Republican primary voters. A delegate insurrection against his nomination in Cleveland would of course be politically painful. But is anyone certain that the pain of ditching Trump and replacing him with another Republican — any other Republican — would be worse than the pain of officially tying the party’s fortunes to him through November?"

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436686/donald-trump-general-election-pivot-myth


Drago said...

Becker Bershad: "@Matt The claim was that Trump is running for President not to win but as a scam to build up a media empire. That would be evil"

Quite right.

Trump should simply seek to create a Trump Global Initiative and seek billions in donations from foreign powers while jockeying to get family members into policy-influential positions and then receive hundreds of millions directly from regulated industries.

That path come "pre-approved" by the political left.

A said...

Will he hire Megyn Kelly?

jg said...

Are people really recycling "Trump doesn't really want to win"? Mercy. You poor, poor fools.

It is hard for marginal Trump supporters to endure this media onslaught, I suppose. Why not just remember: they're lying.

What I would say, about PC and anti-Trump hyperbole, is: why don't you make *them* pay for their unserious, uncivil, and unconsidered manner of addressing people who disagree? Why buy into their right to so judge? They don't know anything.