The media is filled with Donald Trump. But why? His campaign seems to be a joke. A Trump supporter isn’t the same as a Republican supporter, they’re an entirely different kind of Republican, and somehow even worse. I wonder if we’re all forgetting who Trump is. The media is quick to report on his “ideas” for the country.
Trump is not a politician, he’s a rich businessman who has made it too far in a national campaign. Even before his campaign for presidency his actions and words were more than questionable. Now that he’s trying to become one of the most powerful men in the world, it’s important to look back at what he’s done.
Representing ACN, a possible pyramid scheme
Trump collected an estimated $1.35 million in speaking fees for representing a questionable company called American Communications Network (ACN). This company was charged by the state of Montana with operating a pyramid scheme and the state demanded refunds for their citizens. This company is still in operation and in question, but at the time of Trump’s endorsement it received hundreds of complaints from representatives claiming that they were losing more money than they made.
ACN operates as a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) model, so if their representatives were failing to earn money, where was the money going? The successful and legal forms of MLM models allow their representatives to earn money based on public sales. To lure people into this shady company, and coerce them to pay the nearly $500 startup fee, ACN features a resounding Trump endorsement,
“ACN has a reputation for success, success that’s really synonymous with the Trump name and other successful names, and you can be a part of it.”
Donald Trump played a central part in bringing vulnerable people into an operation that cost many people their time and money. If he was so willing to risk his own supporter’s money merely to benefit his already full bank account, how will he abuse the entire nation’s trust?
His companies have filed bankruptcy FOUR times
Trump supporters may argue that since Trump did not file for his own personal finances, that this shouldn’t reflect on Trump himself. However, Trump is a businessman and his businesses reflect who he is and his success. One of his leading arguments is that he is qualified for the White House based on his success in business. But is his success as clear as the American people might think? His corporations filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991, 1992, 2004 and 2009. The first bankruptcy put his business in the red, and his personal finances were estimated at $900 million in accrued personal debt. This is just one example of how Trump’s success in business is not as solid as he would like us to believe.
NBC and Univision cut ties after racist comments
Okay, I know this isn’t really a forgotten mistake of Donald Trump, but it was right before his official campaign and very important. Hopefully, we are all aware of Trump’s racist and derogatory comments about immigration during his presidential announcement speech. That alone causes me to ask why anyone would support him. Why support the racist-fueled campaign? NBC and Univision refused to. Both chose to cut business relations with Trump. According to NBC,
“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstone to our values.”
Shouldn’t respect and dignity for all people be cornerstone to our country’s values as well? The important aspect of these companies cutting ties is that if companies that have profited from Trump, but now refuse to endorse his outrageous behavior, then why should the citizens of our country?
Rape Allegations From Ex-Wife
His ex-wife Ivana Trump claimed she was raped by her then husband in 1989. This wasn’t taken to court to charge Trump, but used during their divorce in the early 1990’s. In a deposition, Ivana admitted she felt violated and accused Trump of raping her. It’s yet to be proved whether Trump actually raped or abused his ex-wife. She recanted her statements recently, claiming they came from “a time of very high tension.” This was after his campaign announcement and it’s reasonable that she would backtrack in order to protect her ex-husband. When Trump’s lawyer was questioned about this old allegation, Michael Cohen defended Trump stating,
“You’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual that would never rape anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse…there’s very clear case law.”
This was followed by threats to the reporter interviewing Trump’s lawyer not to publish any stories
“that has Mr. Trump’s name in it, with the word rape.”
In reality, spousal rape is rape, and it is serious. Marriage is not an ownership of your spouse against their will and I hope Cohen learns this. While it is not Trump himself saying these things, it calls into question those who are informing and representing him.
In conclusion
Trump has a track record of bullying media to ignore or not report on anything that does not show him in a good light. As evidenced by his ability to bury a 1991 documentary for 25 years, he is relentless in portraying a positive public image. It is time for the nation to learn about the skeletons in Trump’s closet and to remember the things in this man’s past that make him unqualified to represent our nation as our top leader.
