In this May 13, 2016,
photo, Peter Costanzo is shown at the Associated Press headquarters
where he is the digital and archival manager in New York. (AP
Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
WASHINGTON—Peter Costanzo is the man who helped turn Donald Trump into @RealDonaldTrump.
That, of course, is Trump’s Twitter account — a high-octane portal
for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to pump out insults,
political attacks and self-promotion to more than 8 million followers.
But the billionaire’s foray into the world of social media began with a
much simpler purpose, yet one that’s still distinctively Trump: making
money.
Costanzo crossed paths with Trump in 2009 when he was working as
online marketing director for the publishing company putting out the
businessman’s book, “Think Like a Champion.” Twitter was still in its
infancy at the time. But Costanzo saw the 140-character-per-message
platform as a new tool that the real estate mogul could use to boost
sales and reach a broader audience.
He was given seven minutes to make his pitch to Trump — “Not five
minutes, not 10,” Constanzo said — in a boardroom at Trump Tower in
Manhattan that appeared to be the same one used on Trump’s reality
television show.
Trump liked what he heard.
“I said, ‘Let’s call you @RealDonaldTrump — you’re the real Donald
Trump,'” Costanzo said. “He thought about it for a minute and said, ‘I
like it. Let’s do it.'”
Costanzo would spend the next several months helping coordinate
Trump’s Twitter account, as well as his official Facebook page, often
sending out messages for his famous client. He credited Trump with being
an early adopter of the service and says he believes Trump understood
its potential.
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