Donald Trump’s speaking voice is very different to the way he sounds in public, according to one woman who met the controversial US president before he took office
Donald Trump’s tariff policies have shocked the world, triggering a global stock market meltdown that has alienated even some of the controversial president’s former allies. But as he greets this with indifference, even arrogance, one woman who met Trump before his presidency says the real man differs substantially from his abrasive public image.
Polly Vernon of The Times reminisced about a private New York meeting with the former Apprentice star, noting one specific detail that particularly contrasts with his bombastic public image.
Back in 2011, Trump was toying with the notion of entering politics and whilst laying down the groundwork for his presidential ambition, he made headlines with his Scottish golf resort ventures and an eerily prophetic move of launching Trump-branded hand sanitiser before the pandemic hit.
Vernon was struck by the discrepancy between Trump’s renowned bluster and the man she met that day. He asked her what she wanted “in a voice that was softer, more wavering than I’d expected, certainly softer and more wavering than the abrasive, odds-and-catchphrase-screaming version to which we’ve subsequently become accustomed”.
Trump’s beloved son Barron, tipped by some commentators to one day occupy the White House in his own right, also had an somewhat surprising speaking voice, with a gentle Slovenian lilt — a sign of the many hours he spends with his mother, Melania.
Norma Foerderer, Trump’s right-hand woman for over a quarter of a century, has remarked that the commander-in-chief’s bombastic public facade would vanish in private settings.
“Donald can be totally outrageous, but outrageous in a wonderful way that gets him coverage,” she told the Washington Times. “That persona sells his licensed products and his condominiums. You know Donald’s never been shy, and justifiably so, in talking about how wonderful his buildings or his golf clubs are. “
Yet, when out of the spotlight, Foerderer added, Trump can transform into “the dearest, most thoughtful, most loyal, most caring man”.
A White House insider echoed her words, saying that Trump isn’t keen on the public glimpsing his gentler side. “He’ll walk into a room with a bunch of workers and gather them up and hand them out each a hundred dollar bill,” they disclosed to the Washington Times.
The source explained: “There’s no camera there. Those are the moments people just don’t see, like when he’s telling us about how an emotional event has affected him, and he doesn’t want them to see it. He prefers to maintain the tough, rugged façade.”
Trump is known for his meticulous attention to his appearance, even revealing that fashion guru Tom Ford once advised him to ditch his iconic bouffant hairdo: “I’ve combed it this way for a long time. I wash it. I comb it. Sometimes I blow-dry it. And it’s finished.
“Having the look is very important,” he added.
Trump believes his brash public persona has been a key factor in his rise to prominence. In his book ‘The Art of the Deal’, he penned: “If you are a little different or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you.”
