Trump’s building what? How to B² the border bill in the real world

Donald Trump made some interesting statements about border security on last night’s “On the Record.”

Video: “I build the best buildings, walls are easy. And believe me, I would build a wall that is not penetrable.”

The soundbite is making news for all the wrong reasons. While The Donald may love to take a no-holds-barred approach, his message doesn’t resonate with a broad audience. The question is, how do you realistically respond to tough questions without alienating friends and foes?

Lucky for you, it is Tuesday.  B² day.  We’re focused on the Border Bill’s potential media messaging pitfalls.

Journalists are bound to ask questions that pit colleagues against one another leading up to Wednesday’s vote. The next B² is written to help you and your boss lead the way through a thorny message trap.

Q: “This bill doesn’t seem to make anyone happy. Can there be a consensus or is this leading to another GOP debacle?”

B²: “Where we can agree is that securing our borders is essential, especially as terrorism remains an ever-growing threat, but for any bill to move forward we must <insert talking point>.”

Whatever your position, don’t take the bait and make a GOP fight the news story. Start with common ground and then insert your talking point on immigration. Finding common ground is the best way to diffuse a hostile question and take the interview back to what the interview should be about – your message.