Book fury hits Trump where it hurts most -- his image: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/05/politics/trump-book-image/index.html

by Steve Collinson CNN, updated 6:20am 1/5/18

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He got rich by selling his name, plastering it on buildings, hotels, casinos and golf resorts, and he transferred his tough guy "You're fired" persona to politics, building a personality cult as an ultimate winner and tough-talking President

The President senses good angles when on camera, and he's obsessed with polls, the size of his crowds and the flattery dished out by foreign leaders.

But as Washington consumes a sensational West Wing exposé by journalist Michael Wolff, Trump is being forced to watch as his prized image is ripped to shreds.

When a presidency is anchored so fundamentally on an image, as it is with Trump, rather than a long history of political achievement or ideological consistency, any deterioration of that image can be especially perilous. For Trump, who may be more conscious of how he is perceived than any politician in history, the mockery is likely to be especially painful.

Wolff, in some cases using on-the-record quotes, sketches an image far removed from the one constructed by Trump. It's a picture of a President who knows little of policy details and cares less and appears not to perceive the vast responsibilities of his role.