Donald Trump: The King of Flop

Donald Trump: The King of Flop

Choteau Kammel, Executive Editor

It’s the beginning of presidential election season and like every cycle that has preceded it, this year is full of colorful, bland, old, grizzled and new faces hoping to earn their spot on either party’s election ticket. While the Democrats remain embattled between establishment poster girl Hillary Clinton and socialist Bernie Sanders, the Republicans have found that essentially one out of every three people who identifies as Republican has decided to or are currently a considering presidential bid.

The first Republican Presidential debate served as an eye opener to many less known aspects of the candidates and the media that covers them. From FOX News’s censorship of Rand Paul for spouting talk about insane ideas like not bombing the Middle East or making the NSA get warrants, to Chris Christie resorting to using the lives lost on 9/11 as a bargaining chip, there was a part of the broadcast that excited every part of social media and every candidates fan base.

If while searching among this crowded field of hopefuls, people have heard comments or dialogue that reminds them of their middle school lunch table, then they have almost certainly heard Donald Trump opening his cavernous mouth. Even as he continues to lead numerous polls of the GOP candidates, call people fat and Tweet like a high school drama queen, very few GOP voters, nor has the media taken the time to highlight Trump’s past as one of the most left-leaning political donors in recent memory.

Regardless of the loads of entertainment that could have been gleaned from the debates, Donald Trump continued to garner the majority of camera time and talking points. With that, what exactly was Mr. Trump saying that made the camera stick to him and what makes people keep supporting him in the polls? If one thinks that this is because he really must be a true conservative and that he has always been unwavering in his support for this ideals, then it’s time to think again.

Throughout his campaign to convince voters that he is a true American conservative, Trump has claimed many things. He’s claimed to be pro-life, against Obamacare, against big money in politics and a simple flat tax. The ironic thing however, is that none of this is exactly what one would deem truthful.

Although now he apparently is against abortion, in 1999 that was not the case. Trump detailed in an interview that even though he didn’t like the idea of abortion, he also fully supported it. He said, “Look, I’m very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. I hate it. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debating the subject, but you still — I just believe in choice,” he said. “…I am strongly for choice, and yet I hate the concept of abortion. I am pro-choice in every respect, but I just hate it.”

Now, Trump claims that he has seen the light on this issue, and that he’s changed exactly like Ronald Reagan did. However, less than a decade ago, Trump donated large sums of money to Hillary Clinton, a candidate in both her 2008 and now 2016 campaigns has consistently promoted the leftist view of abortion.

Like all the other Republican candidates, Trump claims to be against the government overhaul of healthcare known as the Affordable Care Act. Conversely, once more, in 1999, Trump adamantly supported exactly what this bill claims to not be: government subsidized single payer healthcare.

In an interview with Larry King he said, “So I’m very liberal when it comes to health care. I believe in universal health care. I believe in whatever it takes to make people well and better.” This is coming from a man who now claims to support the markets and oppose Obamacare. Even now it seems Trump can’t fully complete his flop on this issue because his only stated solution to Obamacare is, “It’s gotta go. Repeal and replace with something terrific.”

He can’t bring himself to propose anything other than “something terrific.” Not the fact that the single payer system of the Veterans Administration has resulted in hundreds of deaths due to years and years of waiting for simple procedures, the benefits of personalized medicine and the rewards reaped from allowing markets to compete across stateliness, but just “something terrific.”

Political contributions have been a hot topic in this year’s race, and Trump has not shied from throwing his opinion into the ring. In June he bragged that through his wealth he could get anything he wanted from the government when he said, ““I have lobbyists that can produce anything for me. They’re great.” A few months later during the GOP debate he said that the system is “broken.” Obviously he must have read some poll that said voters prefer hearing that over his gloating about being able to lobby for concessions.

Many of the Republican candidates have been talking about the idea of a flat tax, or a tax rate that is standard throughout the country. Rand Paul has already submitted a total overhaul of the tax code where everyone pays 14.5%. Trump said in an interview on Fox, I’ve seen them from 15% to 20%, nobody knows if it works.” This comes in contrast to an earlier stance that had been open to it, and leads back to Trump’s usual place where he voices opinions on issues but submits not solutions of his own.

All in all, Donald Trump is not the conservative maverick and darling that many voters sadly seem to view him as. His views and money seem only to flow wherever popular opinion is flowing. Just as the media was on every single word and action spoken or taken by Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, Donald Trump receives the same is therefore should also be deemed the King of Flop.