Leave it to a Florida man to trump Donald Trump at his own game. Or at least that’s what the Tampa Bay Times, media blogger Jim Romenesko and the latter’s followers on social media seem to think about Terry Vaught’s letter to the editor published in the paper’s Sunday edition. The Dover resident’s 132-word satire of the Republican nominee’s bombastic manner of speaking is so unbelievably realistic, it might convince you that Vaught once worked as Trump’s ghost writer.
Titled “My letters are so great,” Vaught’s short dismissal of the White House hopeful doesn’t even mention the man’s name. Not even once. Then again, with lines like “I write fabulous letters,” “If you read all the letters I have written, you would agree,” and “Other letter writers are weak, soft and out of touch,” he never has to. (Hell, it even concludes with a dismissal of the paper’s letter-writing contest, suggesting the selection of any other letter other than Vaught’s would indicate its “rigged” status.)
Here’s the letter to the editor in question, courtesy of Romenesko’s Facebook page:
In a follow-up interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Vaught practically stayed in character while explaining who the letter was targeting, and why:
“I think that’s obvious, but I’m disappointed that part of it was edited,” he said when reached by phone. “I also wrote, ‘My letters are so great I’m going to build a wall and put my letters on them. Then I’ll get the other letter writers to pay for building the wall.'”
The would-be comedian also stuck to his guns about the letter’s prominence, suggesting it win the paper’s letter-writing contest for the month of August — despite the fact that there’s a lot of August left to go. “Of course it should [win],” he said. “I’m the best letter writer of them all.”
(Via Tampa Bay Times and Jim Romenesko on Facebook)