Until the 2016 elections campaign, I knew very little about Trump. Yes, I was aware of his New York real estate business and his TV show (the Apprentice), but I didn’t follow him on Twitter, much less read his books. To me, Trump was just another rich guy that sometimes promoted himself by making some odd claims, nothing more.
However, with the launch of his campaign, in which he immediately began to assault Mexicans and immigrants alike, I began to take notice. At that point I began to read as much as I could about this so-called real estate genius. It was then I paid closer attention and realized what danger he was. As I read more about Trump, I learned about his many failed business (steaks, universities, airlines, vodka, etc, etc), his shady deals in the real estate market, his run-ins with the New York housing authorities around discriminatory practices, and his propensity to push conspiracy theories which only the fringe of our society tended to believe (Obama’s birth certificate for example).
I am not perfect, and individually, none of the issues I noted should, or would, restrict any one person from campaigning for President, and even getting my vote. The world is complicated and who am I to judge. However, as an aggregate, those issues, plus more I didn’t point out, are of concern.
With that in mind, I am both surprised and undisturbed when I see videos like this. Videos where Trump is as transparent as possible. Videos where he screams to anyone paying the least of attention: “I’m a charlatan, I’m an entertainer. This is all a joke”.
How much more transparent does he need to be? I am afraid to find out.
