Donald Trump and the Branding of the American Presidency

“Ken Cosgrove has written a masterful and insightful account of the political rise of Donald Trump and his impact on American politics and conservatism. He provides a compelling and readable narrative using the lens of brand politics. He shows how the Trump phenomenon is not necessarily a one-off; this might instead mark a significant transformation of the American presidency. The book does not simply look backwards; it provides insights into current issues. Lessons from the book will shed light on how President Trump has managed the coronavirus crisis, and it is a must-read book in the run-up to the November 2020 election. Long a leading scholar of political marketing, Professor Cosgrove has now established himself as an important analyst of American politics.”—Richard Nimijean, Professor, Carleton University, Canada This book argues that Donald Trump’s election and Presidency represent the triumph of marketing, branding and segmentation in American politics. An early emphasis on political marketing helped Trump secure the presidency, but his use of marketing sharply limited his presidency. President Trump’s political marketing strategy privileged emotion—particularly anger—over policy, constraining his ability to represent all Americans or engage in bipartisan negotiation in Congress. Rather than pushing forward realistic legislation and rallying for bipartisan support, Trump’s campaign and presidency focused on providing emotional gratification to his target audience, leading those outside this audience to ultimately feel unrepresented and unsettled, further fracturing the already divided electorate. Donald Trump and the Branding of the American Presidency considers the impact of this new age of political marketing through an extensive analysis of the Trump phenomenon and its implications for future elections. Kenneth M. Cosgrove is Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Suffolk University, USA.