This morning, President Donald Trump announced he would hold a major briefing on the opioid crisis from his country club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
I will be holding a major briefing on the Opioid crisis, a major problem for our country, today at 3:00 P.M. in Bedminster, N.J.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2017
In a rare feat of coordination for the administration, First Lady Melania Trump tweeted about the briefing, which will include her and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price.
Opioids are destroying our youth/people. Mtg w @Potus & @SecPriceMD today to give my support to #STOPDRUGADDICTION pic.twitter.com/aAjNNnu98n
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) August 8, 2017
While the message is certainly admirable, the presentation left much to be desired. Because it’s.. a little low-rent.
https://twitter.com/patrickfdelaney/status/894982632949379076
By contrast, here is the vice president’s tweet about it.
Later @POTUS Trump & @SecPriceMD will meet to discuss continued efforts to end the scourge of opioid addiction in this country. pic.twitter.com/VwbwlFHPiP
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) August 8, 2017
After all, the opioid epidemic is one of America’s most profound social issues. More than 35,000 people died from overdoses of either prescription opiates or heroin in 2015. Surely it merits more than lifting an image from Getty, zooming too far in so it’s pixelated like whoa, and spending nine seconds debating the font?
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/894980754836467713
It’s been a point of humor from the Twitterati that the Trump White House tends to skimp on its budget for design: There was the iMovie sent out after Aya Hijazi was freed, and the initial Trump-Pence campaign logo that was just a bit sexual. But still, the pixelated nature and lack of spaces in the image really left people bewildered.
https://twitter.com/Bro_Pair/status/894983548695924736
https://twitter.com/gabrielleisback/status/894928690378932224
https://twitter.com/tweetsyall/status/894971955681558528
https://twitter.com/patrickfdelaney/status/894982632949379076
I have full faith in our government's ability to STOPDRUGADDICTIONhttps://t.co/OA58styfb9
— Jessica Wakeman (@JessicaWakeman) August 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/jayelIiott/status/894990103357124612
https://twitter.com/_Almaqah/status/894989241427603457
My tax dollars call for a better design eye than this. https://t.co/EMP7Lcprtu
— katherine speller (@Kathriller) August 8, 2017
Then again, maybe that the tired view. The wired view is that a lack of spaces is a new messaging strategy from the administration. After all, here’s what the president tweeted later in the day.
E-mails show that the AmazonWashingtonPost and the FailingNewYorkTimes were reluctant to cover the Clinton/Lynch secret meeting in plane.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2017
Whoneedsspaces?
Then again maybe they’re just bad at this.
so, i’m waiting for trump’s opioid briefing to start and just noticed … the white house spelled opioid wrong pic.twitter.com/nyCvLlOp4Y
— kelly cohen (@ByKellyCohen) August 8, 2017