As a former reality TV producer and veteran campaigner, President Donald Trump knows a thing or two about stagecraft. Now back in the White House, he’s regained access to the biggest stage in the world.

Trump’s command of his image was on full display over the course of his multiday inaugural festivities. On the eve of the inauguration, he made a joint appearance on stage with the Village People performing “Y.M.C.A.” Carrie Underwood performed at his Inauguration Day ceremony. And, most notably, he signed his first executive orders on stage in Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, at a desk affixed with the presidential seal. In front of a cheering, friendly audience, Trump set the tone for what presidential optics under his administration will look like: a rally-like show with him at the center.

HOW TRUMP CURATES HIS PUBLIC IMAGE

Trump has a history of image-making, often relying on a mix of highbrow with low. The staged images Trump closed his campaign with, cosplaying as a McDonald’s worker and garbage truck driver, were efforts by the billionaire to visually communicate a connection to the common man.

During his first term, Trump argued over photos of his inauguration crowd size; conducted foreign policy conducive to photo ops, such as his trip to North Korea; cleared protesters in Washington to take a photo outside a church; and sought to project strength after being hospitalized with COVID-19 by riding in a motorcade for the cameras.

Now back in office, Trump again has access to some of the most powerful image-making capabilities in the world.

He can still plan photo-ops worthy of a practiced TV star, but he now lives in a house with a press briefing room built right into it. What the president says and does is inherently newsworthy, and he can use elements afforded him by the state as props, like Air Force One or a meeting with a world leader. He can even reschedule regular broadcast television programming, since networks often agree to do so for presidential addresses.

MAGA GOES BIG

Following his inauguration, Trump began his second term at Capital One Arena, rather than in the Oval Office, the ultimate symbol of the presidency. He signed his first executive orders with a thick Sharpie that leaves a signature easily visible for the cameras, a schtick he introduced in his first term. An emcee announced each executive order before Trump signed it. When the ceremony was complete, Trump tossed the commemorative Sharpies to his supporters in the stands—all in all bringing WWE-level spectacle to governance. (He signed remaining executive orders in the Oval Office later that night.)

One thing about Trump is certain: He’s image-obsessed. That can be expected to continue into his second term, with optics that reinforce his desired narratives, and portray him as well-liked, strong, and a man of the people.

“In the modern presidency, concern for image must rank with concern for substance,” Richard Nixon wrote in his memoirs. It’s a lesson Trump’s learned well.