What does Donald Trump mean for speechwriters?
The GOP frontrunner is dominating the field with an ad-lib style and an arsenal of insults. Will speechwriting become less formal? Will The Donald adapt, or will he fall flat in the end?
The caller told speechwriter Lindsay Hayes, “I’m calling on behalf of someone, and I can’t tell you who they are. But it’s a businessman, and he’s from New York. And he’s thinking of running for president.”
She remembers thinking, “OK, that narrows it down.”
She declined, but the story, which she recently told as a panel member at a Ragan speechwriting conference in Washington, D.C., captures some of the puzzle of Donald J. Trump, the likely source of the call. In a field filled with poll-tested messages and scripted candidates, Trump is famous—his critics say notorious—for off-the-cuff speaking and bare-knuckles verbal sparring. Who knew he even had a speechwriter?
His candidacy—and his success—are so unexpected that it’s no wonder speechwriters are scratching their heads over what it all means.
New LinkedIn group: Get speechwriting tips and discounts, and add your voice to the conversation.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
