Donald Trump has high expectations for how his new made-for-TV drama will appear as Season Four opens with the impeachment episodes.
Trump likes to pay attention to details such as featuring the star in natural lighting, and the camera angles to come from the right side. This is how he thinks his hair looks best. Sometimes he directs camera crews as the press corp moves right or left for the best shots.
He watches closely how his aides perform on television, and has a staffer compile TV ratings. He closely monitors how official speeches will appear on screen.
So it stands to reason that White House aides and allies are bracing for Trump to become supreme producer of the impeachment trial, one of his bigliest moments highlighted on television.
One of the unknowns is how the top attorney, Pat Cipollone, will perform his lead role.
While Cipollone is known as a well-respected litigator within conservative circles and a close ally of the president, his chops on TV remain unproven at best. “I do think we will see a lot of Pat Cipollone for the first time, and that is something everyone is anticipating. I don’t know how much TV Pat has done,” a former senior administration official said.
Trump met with Mitch McConnell last week to discuss the format of the trial, focusing on putting on a good show without turning the trial into a circus of unknown performances by witnesses. Trump is very tuned in to how people perform on TV.
“Oh, he’s going to pay attention and will certainly weigh in as it happens,” a former senior administration official said.
Politico has more on this story.
