Donald Trump is totally going to launch his own TV network when he loses

[Rob L 3,811]

http://qz.com/760468/donald-trump-is-totally-going-to-launch-his-own-tv-network-when-he-loses/

Donald Trump hates the media so much that hes probably going to join it.

Back in June, Vanity Fair reported that the Republican candidate for US president was mulling the launch of his own cable TV channel or media platform, should he lose Novembers election to Hillary Clinton. According to people close to him, Trump hoped to leverage his millions of supporters into a loyal television audience, which, to him, might make the long slog of running for president actually worth it in the end.

Hours before that report, Trump tweeted this:

If Trump loses, launching his own news network could be one of his only options. His brand will not emerge from the election unscathedalready theres evidence that the Trump reputation has plummeted among the high-earning consumers his businesses count on.

As of today (Aug. 17), Donald Trump has only a 22.6% chance of winning the election, according FiveThirtyEights polls-plus forecast (the sites polls-only forecast paints an even bleaker picture for Trump). A new Monmouth University poll shows Trump down nine points in Florida, a state he almost certainly needs to win if he wants to be president. Even if he manages to win Florida, Trump still has a lot of work to do in other swing states, like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, to make it close.

So it would seem that, barring an October Surprise, Donald Trump will not become president of the United States. On some level, he must know this, and some of his campaigns recent moves suggest hes positioning himself to launch said news network in the event of an electoral defeat.

Consider the evidence:

He just hired the CEO of Breitbart News to run his campaign

In yet another campaign shakeup, Trump hired Stephen Bannon as his new campaign chief executive. Bannon is the executive chairman of Breitbart News, the aggressive right-wing online news network thats aligned itself closely with Trump and has relentlessly attacked his critics. BuzzFeed reported a year ago that Breitbart staffers privately believed Trump was paying the site in exchange for positive coverage.

Bannon has no campaign experience, but he does control a massive media group whose audience Trump clearly values. Perhaps Trump is hiring Bannon now to oversee the beginnings of a new media conglomerate. Or maybe, instead of creating his own network with Bannons help, Trump will submit himself to Breitbart, becoming the publications official figurehead and helping it make the leap to cable television.

Disgraced Fox News chairman Roger Ailes is helping Trump prep for the debates

The former Fox News CEO, who was ousted from his seat atop the conservative cable news empire following repeated allegations that he sexually harassed his female employees, will help prepare Trump for this falls presidential debates against Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reported (Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied the report). People close to the situation said Ailess role could extend beyond just helping with debate prep.

For all his (alleged) moral failings, Ailes knows how to launch, and maintain, a cable TV behemoth. Hes exactly the type of person youd reach out to if you had plans to start a network of your own. And, conveniently, Ailes happens to be out of work at the moment.

Trump doesnt like Fox News

What most candidates in Trumps position would do after losing an election is to settle for a cushy gig as a host or contributor at Fox News (see Gingrich, Newt; Huckabee, Mike; Cain, Herman; Giuliani, Rudy; and Carson, Ben). But its doubtful that Trump would consent to being just another cog in the Fox News machine. He wants his own machine, one that would rival Fox.

Hes already publicly feuded with the cable news channel, including with some of its most popular anchors. The network rallied around Megyn Kelly after Trump launched a misogynistic tirade directed at her and boycotted a primary debate that she hosted, saying that she was treating him unfairly.

Foxs median primetime viewer is 68-years-old. For now, the network still dominates the cable news space, but its unclear for how much longer. There could be an opening for someone like Trump to cannibalize some of that audience, while figuring out a way to appeal to younger demographics.

And yet, Sean Hannity loves Trump

Foxs leading TV host, Sean Hannity, is an Ailes loyalist whose contract just happens to allow him to leave if Ailes departs. Many in the media sphere perceive Hannity to be in Trumps pocket. RedState, a conservative political blog, said Hannity has developed a malignant, symbiotic relationship with Trump. Hannity has pre-blamed anti-Trump conservatives if the candidate loses to Hillary Clinton in November.

If Hannity leaves Fox News, hed be an ideal fit for whatever news entity Trump (and Ailes?) creates to rival Fox News. Even if Hannity stays put, blaming anti-Trump Republicans could become one of his new mantras after the electionmeaning Trump would still have a friend at Fox News if he ever needed one.

Trump is first and foremost a TV showman

BuzzFeeds Ben Smith wrote a piece today outlining how Trumps campaign has chiefly been a media product (rallies, interviews, social media screeds, etc.), and why Trumps new media alliance with Breitbart could end up being his ultimate political legacy.

Trump is only a few years removed from hosting a reality TV series on NBC. Hes cameoed in movies. He body-slammed WWE CEO Vince McMahon on WrestleMania (video). His convention was supposed to be a glamorous Hollywood affair, but it turns out no actual celebrities wanted anything to do with it.

For better or, more likely, for worse, entertainment and showmanship is in Donald Trumps DNA. He wont be able to stay out of the spotlight once this election is over. Trumps presidential campaign might end, but the Trump Campaign, as a nebulous political movement, will endureprobably in the form of some type of media enterprise.

Read full story

[Jacque67 7,328]

Totes.

[Rob L 3,811]

This will be a bigger disaster than the Taj Mahal, Trump Steaks, Trump University and Trump magazine

[Jacque67 7,328]

What about the following elections? ...take a look at his followers...they won't disappear

[Rob L 3,811]

What about the following elections? ...take a look at his followers...they won't disappear

okay..lets do the math.

He has these huge rallys if 8 to 12k 4/5 times a week. You have to believe that some of that appeal will cool a tad when looses in November, but lets say it doesnt. He is having face time with 75 K people a week, 3.6 million a year...rounded way up or about 1% of yhe country. Thats less folks than the number of those who paid up to $1500 on stub hub to see the Grateful Dead fare thee well tour (Trump tickets are free) and we dont see a Dead Head network channel.

[Jacque67 7,328]

okay..lets do the math.

He has these huge rallys if 8 to 12k 4/5 times a week. You have to believe that some of that appeal will cool a tad when looses in November, but lets say it doesnt. He is having face time with 75 K people a week, 3.6 million a year...rounded way up or about 1% of yhe country. Thats less folks than the number of those who paid up to $1500 on stub hub to see the Grateful Dead fare thee well tour (Trump tickets are free) and we dont see a Dead Head network channel.

No idea about what you just wrote, so I'll just go out and declare you a genius.

Garcia lives, man.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=wOaXTg3nAuY#

[John Miller 761]

Looks like he hurting for a new failed venture. Oh wait, he's got one in the making right now. His campaign. Or what passes for it.

[Rob L 3,811]

Looks like he hurting for a new failed venture. Oh wait, he's got one in the making right now. His campaign. Or what passes for it.

a good entrepreneur

is always thinking ahead

[yuna628 9,527]

TV? Nah. He'd do much better on talk radio surely.

[John Miller 761]

TV? Nah. He'd do much better on talk radio surely.

No way. You can't see his yuuuuge hands in the radio. Or his weave. It's not Trump without those. TV is the correct medium. Edited August 18, 2016 by John Miller

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

I was going to post this today

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/17/media/trump-ailes-bannon/index.html

but the Trump and his new clown parade line up is already being discussed in this thread.

He knows he is losing but can't deal with it so he is getting right fringe media thugs to be his back talk. Continuously.

The man won't shut up, he is just warming up thanks to his supporters and audience, on their backs he is creating this

idiotic talk and tv regurgitated vomit.

It will be talk diarrhea daily for years to come.

People must be so proud of their government and leadership here.

Meanwhile the International Community laughs on and people ask what is wrong with Americans !

Sad times. I enjoyed the times of respected leadership even though we disagreed, this all brings it to a new level.

Mincemeat politics whirling through a blender, cut down to size and all respect has left the building.