Quora: Why did Stephen Colbert mention something about Trump saying something that was written by someone else, when a lot of people have scriptwriters or speechwriters?

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Enna Morgan, lifelong field of academic study, observation, and worldwide experience

Thanks for the A2A, Korey.

Because even though there are scriptwriters who prepare the presidential speeches, the truth is that there are many presidents (Obama being an exception) who:

(1) are undisciplined, and choose to disregard the scripted messages on the teleprompter, in favour of their own voice

(2) feel that following a script makes them appear too robotic, and insincere, and thus prefer to ad lib

(3) feel that they are more personable when speaking freely

(4) prefer that the public become more familiar with them as a person, and not just them as a president/ politician.

(5) prefer the thrill of the more human, instinctive, and intuitive, instant feedback loop -the dialectic.

President Trump is one of those presidents who can check all the boxes above, and probably add a few ingenious ones of his own.

But the fact that the presidents divert from the scripted speech, and their reasons for doing so is not the issue here, the discussion is about Stephen Colbert’s reaction to what was said, and so I will return to that inquiry.

Of all the presidents that have graced the halls of the White House, President Trump may be the winner (Bush Jr. is a strong contender) of the title, The Improvisational President.

So, whatever someone, like Colbert, says something that Trump may have said, there is a very high probability that it was not on the script.

Suffice it to say, though, that whether or not what was said was scripted or unscripted, it has no bearing on whether or not someone will take issue with it, and start a controversy.

The other point to consider here is, if Trump did say something (scripted or ad lib), and John Public has as issue with it, to whom should he direct his refutation?

Correct, to none other than the speaker!

And the fact of the matter is that Stephen Colbert and all those who want to take issue with Trump’s utterances, can only respond to them by addressing the horse (Trump), from whose mouth the words are falling. He (Colbert) is not going to track down the writer of the script to start his disputation, or else he will encounter a host of disputes before even getting to the root of the main one.

The first thing he will have to suss out with the writer(s) is,

“Are these your (plural) words, or is Trump improvising again? And if so, which one of you said this? And is it exactly what you said, or was it edited?”

Keeping in mind that there may be a few contributors to a particular script, this task could become labor- and time-intensive, to say the least!

But all that aside, at the end of the day, remember one thing:

CONTROVERSY SELLS!!

And as every modern-day journalist will tell you, if they want to get their stories read, and increase their readership, exponentially, they have to make sure that the content includes Trump!

Goes without saying then that whoever may have a desire to be featured, or to boost his/ her own rating/ visibility, may choose an easy passort: Initiate a controversial debate with Trump.

Win or lose, they will still be on the front (cyber-)page of every media!

Now, was that Colbert’s impetus or objective? You may ask.

I have no idea! Cannot read the man’s mind. I reply.

But I can say, with all certainty,…..

love him, hate him, or leave him, the reality is that Donald Trump is currently a HOT media commodity. And in the USA, and on the international landscape, media rules the day!

……..everyday!

Now, in all seriousness, who would not jump out of bed every morning, just to see..……