Donald Trump

[west didsblue]

Well if you’d researched the man before he even announced his presidency then fair play.

I used to watch the Apprentice and knew of him and never heard anything about that.

I don’t think if you’d have asked 10 Americans what they thought of him in say, 2005, they’d have said “racist”.

I reckon most would now.

To be honest, I detest the guy so I’m not going to waste energy dying on this hill, as always though Sweep comes in all angry.

I didn't do much research on him before his presidency but it was no secret. I remember seeing a documentary about 20 years ago about the Trump family which probably helped form my opinion. I'm sure many people in NY knew a lot more about him a lot earlier.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I’ll butt in to say, since I’ve followed the guy since the 1980s, that in @Ban-jani ’s defense, I don’t think Trump’s racism was his defining characteristic, the way it was for, say, George Wallace. Is it part of his make-up? It seems so on its face. But his defining characteristics are that he’s a fucking liar and completely amoral and focused 100 percent entirely on what benefits him and him only. Racism is an odd dynamic in that regard, because if you think about it like that, if it benefits him to say things that will encourage racists to support him, he will. If it benefits him to say anti-racist things, he will. We don’t know what he believes, because he’s a fucking liar. And how he acts is entirely a function of what benefits him. As he doesn’t appear to be African-American, what benefits African-Americans is fine if it also benefits him, not important to him if it doesn’t, and opposed if it harms him. Is this “racist”? I think we’re quibbling with terminology. We aren’t when we use the term “fat orange fucking liar”, however, so I prefer that.

 

[Ban-jani]

I didn't do much research on him before his presidency but it was no secret. I remember seeing a documentary about 20 years ago about the Trump family which probably helped form my opinion. I'm sure many people in NY knew a lot more about him a lot earlier.

Well I have just looked at a couple of articles and found this about his life before the Presidency and what New Yorkers thought of him:

As he was living the socialite life, Trump was also building a national image as a smart businessman and dealmaker who navigated the tough world of New York City real estate and finance. That story, as New Yorkers knew, was mostly spin – but Trump was so good at it that he spun it into a successful television show, “The Apprentice,” and then all the way to the White House.

Howard Rubenstein, a prominent New York public relations man, noted over a decade ago, “In my whole life, I have never met anybody who’s as brilliant as Donald is at building a brand … He’s an absolute genius at it.”

12 New Yorkers convicted Trump − but he never fully fit in to New York City

Trump was the first US president from New York City since Teddy Roosevelt, but he was never a hometown hero. City residents celebrated after Biden’s win and again after Trump’s conviction.

www.google.co.uk

In an article critiquing who he was before President, the word racism or racist isn’t mentioned once.

He may well have been and subsequent posts on here have detailed examples of such racism, but I think I am justified in saying that wasn’t what he was known for.

 

[Ban-jani]

I’ll butt in to say, since I’ve followed the guy since the 1980s, that in @Ban-jani ’s defense, I don’t think Trump’s racism was his defining characteristic, the way it was for, say, George Wallace. Is it part of his make-up? It seems so on its face. But his defining characteristics are that he’s a fucking liar and completely amoral and focused 100 percent entirely on what benefits him and him only. Racism is an odd dynamic in that regard, because if you think about it like that, if it benefits him to say things that will encourage racists to support him, he will. If it benefits him to say anti-racist things, he will. We don’t know what he believes, because he’s a fucking liar. And how he acts is entirely a function of what benefits him. As he doesn’t appear to be African-American, what benefits African-Americans is fine if it also benefits him, not important to him if it doesn’t, and opposed if it harms him. Is this “racist”? I think we’re quibbling with terminology. We aren’t when a use the term “fat orange fucking liar”, however, so I prefer that.

I am fairly young so the Apprentice was one of the first TV shows of that kind I watched in America.

I remember viewing him as a Mike Ashley type at the time, especially because I was a Trot originally and viewed rich people as the enemy.

In the article above I’ve just posted it says that New Yorkers saw him not as a brilliant businessman, but as the lucky fraud he is, a total liar as well.

As I say, I’m not saying he isn’t racist, he obviously is at least willing to be to a pretty disgusting degree but it definitely escalated after the presidency, when he needed those votes.

 

[west didsblue]

.

I am fairly young so the Apprentice was one of the first TV shows of that kind I watched in America.

I remember viewing him as a Mike Ashley type at the time, especially because I was a Trot originally and viewed rich people as the enemy.

In the article above I’ve just posted it says that New Yorkers saw him not as a brilliant businessman, but as the lucky fraud he is, a total liar as well.

As I say, I’m not saying he isn’t racist, he obviously is at least willing to be to a pretty disgusting degree but it definitely escalated after the presidency, when he needed those votes.

It became very clear in the time leading up to the election that he was a racist. It’s understandable that not everyone realised before then but there were countless articles in the media exposing his historic racism from when he decided he wanted to run for President in 2014 onwards.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Well if you’d researched the man before he even announced his presidency then fair play.

I used to watch the Apprentice and knew of him and never heard anything about that.

I don’t think if you’d have asked 10 Americans what they thought of him in say, 2005, they’d have said “racist”.

I reckon most would now.

To be honest, I detest the guy so I’m not going to waste energy dying on this hill, as always though Sweep comes in all angry.

I've been aware of Trump for a number of years, and I've done my research. I even forced myself to read 'The Art of the Deal' (the guy who actually wrote that book thinks he's a c*nt by the way). Trump is a narcissist and a serial liar.

Whilst The Apprentice was largely successful for NBC, Trump used it a a vehicle to project himself as a successful business man, perpetuating the myth that he used a small ($1M) loan from his farther to build a vast, hugely profitable business empire. It couldn't be further from the truth.

I watched this last night. If you get the opportunity give it a watch.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

I’ll butt in to say, since I’ve followed the guy since the 1980s, that in @Ban-jani ’s defense, I don’t think Trump’s racism was his defining characteristic, the way it was for, say, George Wallace. Is it part of his make-up? It seems so on its face. But his defining characteristics are that he’s a fucking liar and completely amoral and focused 100 percent entirely on what benefits him and him only. Racism is an odd dynamic in that regard, because if you think about it like that, if it benefits him to say things that will encourage racists to support him, he will. If it benefits him to say anti-racist things, he will. We don’t know what he believes, because he’s a fucking liar. And how he acts is entirely a function of what benefits him. As he doesn’t appear to be African-American, what benefits African-Americans is fine if it also benefits him, not important to him if it doesn’t, and opposed if it harms him. Is this “racist”? I think we’re quibbling with terminology. We aren’t when we use the term “fat orange fucking liar”, however, so I prefer that.

But John Barron said Trump was a sound guy.

 

[Ban-jani]

I've been aware of Trump for a number of years, and I've done my research. I even forced myself to read 'The Art of the Deal' (the guy who actually wrote that book thinks he's a c*nt by the way). Trump is a narcissist and a serial liar.

Whilst The Apprentice was largely successful for NBC, Trump used it a a vehicle to project himself as a successful business man, perpetuating the myth that he used a small ($1M) loan from his farther to build a vast, hugely profitable business empire. It couldn't be further from the truth.

I watched this last night. If you get the opportunity give it a watch.

I’m not denying any of that, the guy is a terrible person and I can’t stand him.

I tell myself to try not to hate but he pushes my boundaries whenever I hear the tosser speak.

My only point here is, was he known for being a racist prior to 2015, by the public or media?

Or was it just the odd article that had covered things he said.

Again - I’m not denying he wasn’t a racist, more did the American public and the British public for that matter, of which I am a member, know he was?

Because I knew about the guy and watched the Apprentice and just thought he was a prick, but didn’t know he was racist.

 

[Ban-jani]

.

It became very clear in the time leading up to the election that he was a racist. It’s understandable that not everyone realised before then but there were countless articles in the media exposing his historic racism from when he decided he wanted to run for President in 2014 onwards.

But that’s not my point, I am in agreement with stuff that’s come to light and posted in this thread, that he was racist prior to 2014 and did racist things, I just didn’t think he was known for being so at the time.

Most New Yorkers, according to what I’ve read, just thought he was a sleazy rich guy, who was known for lying and being a creep.

 

[west didsblue]

But that’s not my point, I am in agreement with stuff that’s come to light and posted in this thread, that he was racist prior to 2014 and did racist things, I just didn’t think he was known for being so at the time.

Most New Yorkers, according to what I’ve read, just thought he was a sleazy rich guy, who was known for lying and being a creep.

It’s a bit of a sad indictment of him that his racism wasn’t actually his worst trait, and he was better known for other negative things.

It’s also a sad indictment of his supporters who were too either too dumb to realise or liked his abhorrent behaviour.