Molly McPherson breaks down why the White House lost control of the narrative around a Minneapolis shooting. Official statements contradicted viral video, messaging prioritized institutions over victims, and spokespeople sounded like spin. Gregory Bevino is out; Tom Homan takes over.
The White House is scrambling. If you want to hear some good news about Minneapolis. I got good news for you about Minneapolis. I just received the notification that Gregory Bevino, he's the top Border patrol official who was sent in to defend the shooting and ended up doing the complete opposite, is set to leave. He will be replaced by someone who is just as bad in messaging, Tom Homan. He's the border czar. This is going to get worse before it gets better for them. And that's good news if you are horrified by what's happening in Minneapolis. So let me give you three reasons why the White House has lost the messaging battle. And I can use Gregory Bevino, he of the Great Coat, as an example. 1. What Bevino said versus what people saw. He went out there from day one on Saturday and said he framed the killing of Alex Preddy as self defense and painted and painted the age as the victims. But the public has been watching viral clips of what actually happened in a narrative fight. If your narrative does not match what people can see with their own eyes, you are going to lose ground. 2. When the wrong values are on display, a crisis rule. You need to lead with shared values. Transparency, trust, respect for human life, the sanctity of life. Instead, the messaging has been centered on Preddy being the agitator, defending force, defending that killing, but also attacking the critic by talking more about anarchists and rioters in Minneapolis. When people can see with their own eyes that it's just citizens who are defending their city. When Bavino protects the institution, people, you've lost control of the narrative. 3. Another crisis rule. When managing an issue, people gravitate to stories that feel honest, that feel human and feel consistent. The White House and all their spokespeople have done none of those things. Nothing is honest. The facts are wrong. They are not valuing human life, and there's zero consistency. The facts are coming from the people. And the video and news reporter Vivino has become the face of that disconnect. Every time Bavino, or Gnome for that matter, get on camera and spew their stories, it looks like spin. And people do not like spin. Any crisis, the storyteller with credibility wins.
