Donald Trump Turned on the Charm When He Met with World War II Veterans

Trump Meets WW2 Vets (White House YouTube channel)

President Donald Trump often gives speeches that are outrageous, angry, insulting, or packed with falsehoods. Yet he also gives many speeches in which he speaks kindly and professionally. In these personable and reasonable speaking events, which are often ceremonial, he turns on the charm and uses his business skills to encourage discussion, hear people’s viewpoints, and advance our national polity. On April 11, 2019, President Trump met with a small group of World War II veterans in the Oval Office. One of them wore his old uniform, which still fit just fine. President Trump started with a personal story:

“Well, thank you very much.  This is a special moment.  I spoke with Allen Jones about a year ago.  And Allen now is 95 years old.  Great World War II hero.  And when I spoke to him, I said, 'Come on up to the White House sometime and I’ll see you.'  And guess what?  He called and he said, 'Hey, you promised.'  And I deliver, right?  I deliver.  We don’t play games.”

I imagine that many people think that the president does play games, but that isn't really the point here, is it?

Mr. Trump also introduced Sidney Walton, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, as well as Floyd Wright and Floyd Wigfield. He continued: “And Paul – where’s Paul? Paul Kriner is fantastic. Paul is — let’s see, 103.  He doesn’t look a day over 90.  (Laughter.)  A hundred and three.  You look fantastic.  Congratulations.  Congratulations.  War hero.”   

The president next introduced a veteran’s daughter, Mrs. Ellie Walton. She said, “This is our dad, right here. Yeah.” Trump responded, “The most wonderful dad.” Mrs. Walton said, “The most wonderful dad you could ever imagine.” Paul Walton then explained that “What he’s doing, Mr. President, is incredible.  He’s traveling the whole country — all 50 governors, and now meeting the President — he’s spreading the word of how few World War II veterans there are left.  And —” It was called the “no regrets tour.”

The president asked how many World War II veterans were left. Mr. Walton said it was just a handful. They chatted informally for a bit. Mr. Kriner narrated his experiences in the war:

“And, well, I started out in Africa, and Italy, France, and Germany.  And I was in the Alps mountain area when the war ended. Our last position was at Füssen, southern Germany, in an Alps mountain area.  We were pulled out and went into Schongau.  It was a German army camp where they trained Air Force identification people.”

After some more chit-chat, Mr. Trump said, “Well, I want to thank all of you.  Great heroes.  Great warriors.  Highly respected.  And you folks do a fantastic job.  I want to thank you.  And congratulations to everybody.”

This event, which was reported in the news but got little attention, was more important than one might think. The president established good will. He made a good impression on the group. The event was entirely positive. The contributions of the veterans were noted and their lives were put forwards as role models. Fatherhood and family values were acknowledged. CBS News reported the event.

Mr. Trump's critics routinely underestimate his persuasive skill. I have previously asked, "will the real Donald Trump please stand up?" Although Donald Trump is a very complicated man, he knows how to work a crowd, turn on the charm, and make a point. His critics underestimate him at their peril. 

Previous posts:

I have blogged several times about Donald Trump’s skill at roundtable discussions.
 

Ceremonial speaking is much more important than many people realize. Here’s an example of a Hillary Clinton ceremonial speech.

For other posts about President Trump, search for "Trump" in the box at the right.

P.S.: My father, Casper Allen Harpine, Jr., was a veteran of the World War II invasions of North Africa and Southern France, and my father-in-law, Rev. Jesse D. Clanton, was a disabled combat veteran of the US Navy in World War II. My uncle Peter Feduska lost his life at the Battle of the Bulge. World War II touched many families, and the veterans should be remembered.