We have a Presidential candidate who has said many bizarre, untrue, misogynistic and bigoted things. There are also many things said about him from people who have encountered him over the years.
Probably, the dumbest quote uttered by any candidate comes from Trump and he has used variations several times: “Global warming is a hoax invented by the Chinese to steal our jobs.” Really, because that is some public relations conspiracy.
Another one he has uttered many times including yesterday is “America is the most taxed country on the world.” Mr. Trump, you are not even close as we trail most nations who are part of the Paris-based Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development. One measure has us at 31st out of 34 countries and another at 17th.
Of course, he cannot help himself, being the most prolific storyteller since Politifacts began measuring fact checking for politicians in the 2007-08 campaign. Thomas M. Wells, who worked as an attorney for Trump said “Trump lies all of the time.” Wells had several quotes about Trump, but one that caught my eye is “He is the spoiled young man of privilege with the ‘right’ race … and family fortune to succeed easily and who looks down on others lacking in any of the above who do not.”
Trump’s history reveals a proclivity to bullying people through litigation and threatened litigation. Per Wells, a key tactic is refusing to pay contractors like painters, suppliers, electricians, plumbers, etc. under the guise of bad service. He will bully folks into settling for less than $1 for $1 or await a law suit, so that he can countersue. This tactic has been used so much, a Virginia contractor noted on a PBS voter panel about dealing with Trump Companies, “The word on the street is to get your money upfront.”
It should be noted that Hillary Clinton is not the only who has email issues. In an October 31, 2016 article in Newsweek by Kurt Eichenwald, it details Trump’s own records purges, which included “systematically [destroying] or [hiding] thousands of emails, digital records, and paper documents … often in defiance of court orders.” Eichenwald describes a pattern of a “deny, impede, and delay” strategy—which included destroying court-requested documents.
Much has been rightfully made of Trump’s Access Hollywood tape where he describes his sexual assault of women, that has been corroborated by a dozen women before and after this interview was made public. Yet, not as much has been made of accusations of him walking in on naked beauty pageant contestants, some as young as 15. Trump denies he did this, but in a 2005 appearance on Howard Stern’s show, Trump bragged about doing exactly what the women describe. “I’ll go backstage before a show, and everyone’s getting dressed and ready and everything else,” he said.
In writing this post, there was too much to choose from. But, there are two ways to sum up when to tell Trump is stretching the truth. Anything he says prior to the reminding phrase “Believe me,” is most likely untrue. The other is when he says to a reporter or to his opponent in a debate when accused of saying something, “I never said that.” What he fails to remember is he is recorded saying these things.
Let me close with a colorful reference that was made a few years back. I do not like name calling, but the choice of words by someone who successfully battled Mr. Trump is priceless. At the height of a battle with Trump who cajoled, bullied, and then sued unsuccessfully to get her Atlantic City home in 1998, 70-year-old Vera Coking said of Trump to the New York Daily News: “A maggot, a cockroach and a crumb, that’s what he is.” Using the words “maggot” and “cockroach” are interesting choices in my view, as both sponge off of others.
musingsofanoldfart 