In fact, Donald Trump doesn’t like to fire people in person.

CNN
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Donald Trump’s place in the public consciousness – that is, before 2016 – revolved around two words: “You are fired”.

That line was the one Trump said at the end of every episode of « The Apprentice, » his reality TV show that laid the groundwork — though we didn’t know it at the time — for his eventual run for president. .

Here’s the weird thing about that fact: In real life, Trump doesn’t really like to send people face to face, preferring the much more impersonal shot of Twitter.

We learned on Wednesday that Trump was weighing dropping his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, from their White House roles via tweet.

According to a forthcoming book by Maggie Haberman of The New York Times, Trump was about to tweet that the duo were leaving the White House, but were stopped by Chief of Staff John Kelly, who insisted the President speak to them. before tweeting their departures.

Trump never had time to do that.

But he fired a number of people through Twitter during his tenure as president.

His first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, was informed of his dismissal by tweet. He was in a Secret Service van on the tarmac waiting for Trump to get off Air Force One at the time.

“I want to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country,” Trump tweeted in July 2017. “We’ve accomplished a lot together and I’m proud of him!

Trump also fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via tweet. “CIA Director Mike Pompeo will become our new Secretary of State,” Trump tweeted in March 2018. “He will do a fantastic job! Thanks to Rex Tillerson for his service!”

Then there was FBI Director James Comey, who found out he had been removed from his position by watching the news on television.

Why is Trump’s public image so different from how he actually conducts business? Basically, Trump wants to be liked. That’s why he’s always been so focused on the size of his crowds and why he’ll never speak ill of any group that seems to like him (witness Trump’s refusal to forcefully condemn the QAnon conspiracy movement).

Point: Despite his badass personality, Trump does not like confrontation. So he relies on social media and other people to do the dirty, uncomfortable job of getting rid of those he sees as trouble.