Donald Trump Report
Democratic National Committee
Submitted: 12/19/15

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Background
Top Narratives
Top Narratives Backup
Trump Is Loyal Only To Himself
Trump Is A Liar
Trump Proposed Banning All Muslims…
Trump’s Campaign Is Defined By Offensive And Extreme Immigration Rhetoric
Trump Has Repeatedly Offended Minorities With Demeaning Comments
Bad Businessman
Trump’s Business Have Gone Into Bankruptcy Multiple Times
Trump’s Predictions On The 2007 Downturn Were Wildly Off
Trump Has Repeatedly Proven To Be Clueless On Key Foreign Policy Issues
Trump’s Foreign Policy Could Make America An Enemy Of The World
Trump’s Gun Policy: More Guns
Repeal Without A Plan On Health Care
Climate Change Denier
Trump Has Supported The GOP’s Reckless Approach To Governing
Trump Has Devalued And Demeaned Women Repeatedly Throughout His Career
Trump On Military Sexual Assaults…
Out of Touch/Hand-Outs For The Wealthy At The Expense Of The Middle Class
Trump’s Ex-Wife Accused Him Of Rape
Trump Timeline
Trump’s Career Overview
Early Life
Family and Upbringing
Childhood
Education
Draft Deferments
Business Ventures
Employees and Contractors
Rent-Controlled Housing
Licensing Agreements
Casinos
Golf Courses
Hotels
Trump University
Development and Land Deals
Beauty Pageants
Business Associates
Bankruptcies and Debts
Bankruptcy: “A Great Deal” and a “Business Tool”
Bankruptcy Filings
Debts
Lawsuits
Labor and Employment Issues
Trump as Plaintiff
Philosophy on Leadership, Business and Management
Loving Bad Markets and “Amazing” Housing Market Collapses
Use of Eminent Domain
Negotiations
Reliance on Chinese Goods
Trump On The Issues
Agriculture
Campaign Finance and Ethics
Criminal Justice System
Body Cameras
Death Penalty
Marijuana Legalization
Crimes Committed By Undocumented Immigrants
Defense and Foreign Policy
“Advisers”
Hawkish Tendencies
Defense Spending
Foreign Aid
Military
Nuclear Triad
Afghanistan
China
Cuba
Egypt
France
Germany
Iran
Iraq
ISIS
Israel
Kuwait
Libya
Mexico
Russia
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Syria
Vietnam
Economic Issues
Great Recession
Wall Street Reform
Employment and Job Creation
Government Assistance
Debt Ceiling
Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy
Federal Budget
Business Regulations
Treasury
Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records
Education
K-12
Higher Ed
Entitlements
Social Security
Medicare
Environment and Energy
Energy Extraction
Keystone XL
Energy Prices
Climate Change Denier
Nuclear Energy
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
Wind Power
Gaming
Guns
Background Checks
Magazine Limits
Permits and Concealed Carry
Assault Weapons Ban
Gun Free Zones
NRA
Mass Shootings
Health Care
Health Care Plan
Affordable Care Act
Universal Health Care
Homeland Security/Terrorism
Torture
Surveillance
Immigration
Immigration Plan Overview
Mass Deportation
Path to Citizenship
Border Security
Undocumented Immigrants
Birthright Citizenship
Visas
Executive Actions on Immigration
Offensive Rhetoric Towards Hispanics And Latinos
Conspiracy Theories
Undocumented Laborers at Trump Projects
Miscellaneous Comments
Labor
Salaries and Wages
Unions/Right-To-Work
LGBT
Religious and Racial Minorities
Affirmative Action And Quotas
Black Lives Matter (BLM)
Muslim Surveillance and Database Proposal
Offensive and Insensitive Comments on Minority Groups
Support from White Supremacists
Taxes
2016 Tax Plan
Tax Burden
Deductions and Incentives
Flat Tax and Fair Tax
Bush Tax Cuts
Net Worth Tax
Corporate Taxes
Capital Gains and Carried Interest
Estate Tax
IRS
Miscellaneous
Trade
TPP
Free and Fair Trade
Trade Wars
NAFTA and WTO
Tariffs
Trade with China and Currency Devaluation
Transportation and Infrastructure
Women and Families
Abortion
Planned Parenthood and Women’s Health Care
Equal Pay
Employer-Provided Child Care
Sexual Assaults
Offensive Comments
Working for Trump
Working Families
Comments on Contributors to American Society
Minimum Wage
SNAP Benefits
“Free Stuff”
Veterans
Plan for the VA
Trump’s Politics
2016
GOP Loyalty Pledge
Campaign Finance
Going Negative
Staffing Problems
Polling
Dishonesty
Political Philosophy
Changing Party ID
Obama Administration
Birtherism
Impeachment
Press Corps.
Endorsements
Trump’s Personal Life
Finances
Member Of The Elite
Net Worth
Inheritance
Dodging Personal Bankruptcy
Personal Health
Marriages and Other Relationships
Ivana Trump
Marla Maples
Melania Trump
Comments on Fidelity and Pre-Nuptial Agreements
Children
Parents and Siblings
Parents
Siblings
Religion
Trump’s Top Video Clips By Issue

Background
Top Narratives

TRUMP HAS NO CORE

One thing is clear about Donald Trump, there is only one person he has ever looked out for and that’s himself. Whether it’s American workers, the Republican Party, or his wives, Trump’s only fidelity has been to himself and with that he has shown that he has no problem lying to the American people. Trump will say anything and do anything to get what he wants without regard for those he harms.   

Trump Is Loyal Only To Himself.  Trump has repeatedly proven that he is only loyal to himself.  Trump has switched his policy positions and political party affiliations multiple times over the course of the last few decades, most often latching on to whatever set of ideas or party is in power or whichever reactionary bandwagon he could jump on to keep his name in the headlines. And despite his rants against outsourcing, China, and free trade deals, Trump has eagerly invested abroad and showed little loyalty to America in allowing his clothing line to import clothes from China. He’s laid off American workers and even complained that American wages are “too high.” Even in his personal life, Trump has openly discussed his view that fidelity is the right thing to do unless a marriage is going poorly, and described his relationship with women as a game.

Trump Is A Liar.  While Trump’s campaign speeches and commentary have grabbed attention for being outrageous and often offensive, they have also been marked by a consistent theme: dishonesty.  Trump has repeatedly used dishonesty and straight-up lies to back up his extremist rhetoric. Trump repeatedly defended a bold-faced lie that he watched “thousands” of Muslims celebrating the attack on the World Trade Center in New Jersey on 9/11. Trump falsely claimed that President Obama was not born in the United States, and when challenged on the facts, simply resorts to polling evidence showing the popularity of the issue among the GOP base. What is clear is that Trump will say anything – no matter how untrue and ugly it may be – to advance his position in the presidential race.

DIVISIVE AND OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN

There’s no nice way of saying it – Donald Trump is running a campaign built on fear-mongering, divisiveness, and racism.  His major policy announcements have included banning all Muslims from entering the U.S., and calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “drug dealers” while proposing a U.S.-Mexico border wall.  And Trump’s campaign rallies have become a reflection of the hateful tone of his campaign, with protestors being roughed up and audience members loudly calling for violence.

Trump Proposed Banning All Muslims From Entering The U.S.  In December 2015, Donald Trump called for a “total and complete” ban on all Muslims entering the United States. Trump’s spokeswoman said under his plan, even American citizens traveling abroad would be prohibited from reentering the United States and Trump defiantly told his supporters he didn’t care if his plan was politically incorrect. Trump claimed his plan was “common sense,” citing two polls for support; however, one of the polls was published by a group the Southern Poverty Law Center called an “extremist think tank” and was widely discredited. The other poll’s publisher — the highly respected, nonpartisan Pew Research Center — said it could not even determine what polls Trump was referring to.  Trump’s call to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. was widely condemned — one of his rivals for the Republican nomination likened it to Nazism, and even former Vice President Dick Cheney denounced it, saying it “goes against everything we stand for and believe in.” Trump’s plan was supported by some groups, however. White Supremacists and neo-Nazis are thrilled about Trump’s call to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. and see it as an energizing force for their movement. 

Trump’s Campaign Is Defined By Offensive And Extreme Immigration Rhetoric. Trump’s campaign is fueled by extreme, xenophobic and sometimes dangerous rhetoric about immigration.  Trump doesn’t just oppose comprehensive immigration reform like his fellow GOPers, he vilifies immigrants for political gain and proposes outrageous solutions based on absurd and false information. One of the centerpieces of Trump’s campaign is his pledge to build a “great wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep out the “druggies, drug dealers, rapists and killers” coming up from Mexico. As if his promise to rescind President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, deport American citizens whose family members lack proper documentation, and end birthright citizenship for  children he proudly derides as “anchor babies” weren’t bad enough on their own, Trump’s declared he will use a “deportation force” to execute the mass deportation of approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants based on the model of Dwight Eisenhower's brutal and deadly mass deportation of the mid-1950s.

•	Trump Says He Would Build A Border Wall To Keep “Druggies, Drug Dealers, Rapists, And Killers” Out Of The U.S.  One of the centerpieces of Trump’s campaign is his pledge to build a “great wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep out the “druggies, drug dealers, rapists and killers” coming up from Mexico.  Trump then repeatedly stood by his assertion after it created considerable controversy.

•	Trump Has Banned Univision From Events And Kicked Its Reporters Out Of Press Conferences.  Donald Trump’s disrespectful behavior towards Univision and its reporters is unlike anything we’ve seen from a presidential candidate in recent memory.  Trump has barred Univision from covering his rallies, and removed a Univision reported from a press conference after getting angry at questions regarding his broad mischaracterizations about immigrants being criminals.  

Trump Has Repeatedly Offended Minorities With Demeaning Comments.  From the start of his campaign, and well before it, Donald Trump has repeatedly made demeaning and offensive comments about minority groups in the U.S.  In June 2015, Trump said Black youths are at “a point where they’ve just about never done more poorly, there’s no spirit, there’s killings on an hourly basis, virtually, in places like Baltimore and Chicago and many other places.”  And his comments pre-date his presidential campaign by decades:  in 1991, he was quoted as saying “laziness is a trait in blacks.” 

BAD BUSINESSMAN

Despite Trump’s continual boasting about his business success, he has repeatedly run into serious financial crises in his career and his record raises serious questions about whether he is qualified to manage the fiscal challenges facing this country. Trump’s business resume includes a long list of troubling issues, including his company’s record of forcing people from their homes to make room for developments and outsourcing the manufacturing of his clothing line to take advantage of lower-wage countries like China and Mexico.  His insight about the marketplace has proven wrong many times, including in the run-up to the Great Recession. And Trump’s record of irresponsible and reckless borrowing to build his empire – behavior that sent his companies into bankruptcy four times – is just one indication of how out-of-touch he is with the way regular Americans behave and make a living, and it casts doubt on whether he has the right mindset to tackle the country’s budget problems.  

Trump’s Business Have Gone Into Bankruptcy Multiple Times.  Donald Trump likes to brag that he is “very smart,” tout his ivy league education and exaggerate his net worth, but in reality, Trump is not the master businessman he claims to be. Donald Trump’s businesses have gone bankrupt four times and he only barely was able to avoid personal bankruptcy himself. Finally, and most ironically, Donald Trump and would actually have become more wealthy by simply putting his inheritance in a boring mutual fund than he became by “making deals.” 

Trump’s Predictions On The 2007 Downturn Were Wildly Off.  Despite his false claims later on, Trump also failed to foresee the economic crisis, which he blamed, at least in part, on ordinary Americans who got mortgages that eventually went underwater. 

DANGEROUS & IRRESPONSIBLE POLICIES

Trump’s policies – if you can call them that – are marked by the same extreme and irresponsible thinking that shape his campaign speeches.  There is no question that Donald Trump’s rhetoric is dangerous – but his actual agenda could be a catastrophe. 

Trump Has Repeatedly Proven To Be Clueless On Key Foreign Policy Issues.  Over the course of his campaign, Donald Trump has proven time and again that he lacks the knowledge and expertise to be America’s Commander-in-Chief.  During a debate in December, Trump clearly did not understand the principle of the “nuclear triad.”  Earlier, for example, Trump admitted during a radio interview that he did not know the answers to many of the foreign policy questions he was asked.  Trump wasn’t familiar with the commander of Iran’s Quds force, and then mistook “Quds” for “Kurds” during a subsequent answer.  When Trump was asked who advised him on foreign policy, he stated he gets a lot of advice from the “weekend shows.”

Trump’s Foreign Policy Could Make America An Enemy Of The World.  While everything about a Trump presidency is frightening, the notion of Trump as commander and chief and America’s principal geopolitical strategist might take the cake. He has repeatedly boasted about his interest in using extreme force to solve problems around the world, and at almost every campaign rally, Trump brags that he is the “most militaristic person” there is.  At the same time, he has antagonized other countries on multiple occasions while on the campaign trail.  

•	Trump Supports Using Waterboarding And Other Methods Of Torture, Because “Even If It Doesn’t Work, They Deserve It Anyway.” When asked if he would approve waterboarding, Trump boasted, “You bet your ass I would.” Despite evidence that waterboarding is ineffective as an intelligence gathering method and serves as a recruitment tool for America’s enemies, Trump insisted “only a stupid person would say it doesn’t work” but declared even “if it doesn’t work, they deserve it anyway.

•	Trump Has Repeatedly Antagonized Other Countries On The Campaign Trail.Trump has repeatedly antagonized other countries, and proposes outrageous foreign policy plans that use aggression to resolve differences – even with allies. Trump has repeatedly and explicitly called for starting a trade war with China, said he’d bomb countries in the Middle East to take their oil and bragged that he would force Mexico to build a wall along the U.S. border.  He has said that he views the Chinese as our “enemies.” At almost every campaign rally, Trump brags that he is the “most militaristic person” there is.

•	Trump’s Strategy For ISIS: “Bomb The Sh*t Out Of Them” And Send 10,000 American Ground Troops.  Despite an utter lack of specificity or detail, Donald Trump insists he does have a plan to combat ISIS: “People are thinking like I don't have a plan…I would bomb the shit out of them... I would just bomb those suckers…and I’ll take the oil.”  Trump boasted he would employ a policy of “shoot first, talk later” and he supports sending 10,000 American ground troops to Syria.  

Trump’s Gun Policy:  More Guns.  Trump doesn’t just oppose gun control like most of his GOP colleagues; he has actively pushed the idea that more guns are the answer to gun violence. Trump claims that fewer people would be killed by guns if more people carried guns and could thus fight back if attacked. Trump has also bragged repeatedly that he has a “concealed carry” license and sometimes carries a handgun, despite his own admission that “I’m not such a great shot.” Like he has on most issues, Trump has positioned himself as far to the right as possible on gun control. Trump opposes nearly all gun control measures and has frequently claimed that had the victims of recent attacks — such as those in Paris and San Bernardino, California — been armed, fewer people would have died. Trump opposed expanding background checks, opposed regulations on the number of rounds allowed in magazines, and even opposed a ban on military-style assault weapons designed to kill people.  Trump also said he would get rid of gun-free zones in public places, because, he claims, “Gun free zones are like meat to these animals.”

Repeal Without A Plan On Health Care. Like every member of the current Republican presidential field, Trump has called for the repeal of Obamacare. He called it a “total catastrophe,” despite the fact that it has provided more than 17 million Americans with quality, affordable health care. When asked what he would do in the ACA’s place, Trump said he would replace it with “something terrific.”

Climate Change Denier.  Donald Trump seems to be on a mission to out-do his fellow GOP candidates when it comes to denying the scientific reality of climate change and has repeatedly called climate change a hoax. Like on every issue, Trump uses over-the-top language to get attention, like when he declared, “This very expensive global warming bullshit has got to stop.” However, Trump’s bombast doesn’t stand up to reality. Just two weeks after he told a South Carolina crowd “you can’t get hurt by extreme weather,” he tweeted his “thoughts and prayers” to the people of South Carolina after 12 people were killed by historic flooding.

Trump Has Supported The GOP’s Reckless Approach To Governing.  Trump has expressed support for the GOP’s reckless and irresponsible threats to shut down the government over politically-charged and divisive issues.  Trump has expressed support for the shutdown that occurred over Obamacare, has said he agreed with playing chicken with the debt ceiling, and officially blessed” a strategy that would force Congress to defund Planned Parenthood or face a government shutdown.  

MISOGYNIST IN CHIEF

Through both his words and actions, Trump has made clear he thinks women’s primary role is to please men. Trump’s derogatory and degrading comments to and about women, as well as his tumultuous marriages, have been well publicized.  And as a presidential candidate, Trump has adopted many of the backwards GOP policies that we’ve come to expect from his party. 

Trump Has Devalued And Demeaned Women Repeatedly Throughout His Career.Trump has said men need “support at home…not someone who is always griping and bitching,” and once told Esquire that “as long as you’ve got a nice and young piece of ass,” it didn’t matter what the media wrote.  Among other things, he’s called women pigs, slobs and dogs. He has frequently made disparaging comments about women’s weight. He’s complained about being asked legitimate questions during a debate by speculating about a news anchor’s menstrual cycle, and once said of the high rate of sexual assaults in the military: “What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?” 

•	Trump On Military Sexual Assaults: “What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” In 2013, Trump weighed in on the high rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on women who volunteered to fight for their country. Referring to the increase in the number of reported sexual assaults in the military, Trump asked rhetorically, “What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?

OUT OF TOUCH

Trump’s policies clearly reflect his life as a 1-percenter. His plans would slash taxes for the rich and corporations while shifting more of the burden to the shoulders of working families.  He stands with Republicans in opposing Wall Street reform and opposing the minimum wage.  Trump clearly has no conception of the everyday lives of middle class Americans. His description of the “small” $1 million loan that his father gave him to launch his career is proof enough that his worldview is not grounded in reality. 

Hand-Outs For The Wealthy At The Expense Of The Middle Class. Trump’s policies put him and those like him ahead of hardworking American families. Like Bush and Rubio, Trump's tax plan would give the rich a tax cut by slashing top marginal rates, the corporate tax rate, and eliminating the estate tax. All told, Trump's tax plan will give the wealthiest 1% of Americans 34% of the benefit. He also stands with fellow Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz in opposing Wall Street Reform, which was passed to help protect our economy from another Bush-like recession. Further, Trump opposes raising the federal minimum wage, which could lift millions of American families above the poverty line.

Trump’s Tax Plan Would Save Him Millions Each Year.  According to analyses of Donald Trump’s tax plan, his proposals would cost in the area of $12 trillion while saving him millions in personal taxes each year.  The plan would represent the lowest tax rate since World War II – but would shift more of the tax burden onto middle class families while creating windfalls for Trump and his fellow 1-percenters. The plan would dramatically lower the tax rate for the top income earners in America, lower the capital gains rate, eliminate the estate tax, and cut the corporate tax rate to 15%.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Trump’s Ex-Wife Accused Him Of Rape.   Ivana trump once accused the real-estate tycoon of “rape,” although she later clarified: not in the “criminal sense.”Not only does the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination have a history of controversial remarks about sexual assault, but as it turns out, his ex-wife Ivana Trump once used the word rape to describe an incident between them in 1989. She later said she felt “violated” by the experience.Ivana Trump’s assertion of rape came in a deposition in her early 1990s divorce case. The episode was described as a “violent assault.”  

•	Trump’s Organization Responded By Claiming “You Can’t Rape Your Wife.” Michael Cohen, special counsel at The Trump Organization, defended Trump, saying, “You’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual who never raped anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse…You cannot rape your spouse. And there’s very clear case law.” Of course, that is not true, but it is not surprising coming from the mouth of one of Donald’s yes men.

Top Narratives Backup

Trump Is Loyal Only To Himself

OVER THE YEARS, TRUMP SWITCHED HIS PARTY AFFILIATION MULTIPLE TIMES

Trump Was A Registered With The Republican Party, The Independence Party, The Democratic Party, And Was Unaffiliated. “Mr. Trump registered in New York as a Republican in 1987, switched to the Independence Party in 1999, became a Democrat in 2001, returned to the Republican Party in 2009, gave up his party affiliation in 2011 and came back to the GOP in 2012.” [Wall Street Journal, 12/10/15]

TRUMP SWITCHES HIS POLICY POSITIONS AND LATCHES ON TO THE IDEAS OF THE MOMENT

ON GAY MARRIAGE

In 2005, Trump Suggested He Was In Favor Of Marriage Equality. TRUMP: “Well, there's nothing like family. And there's nothing like a great marriage. I mean, having a great marriage is a very important thing and a very good thing, if you find the right person. Male, female, I don't care. I mean, having a great marriage and a great family to me is ultimately the most important thing.” [Canada AM, CTV Television, 9/7/05]

But In 2015, Trump Said He Was Against Gay Marriage Because Of Religious Teachings. TRUMP: “I’ve gone to gay weddings. I’ve been at gay weddings. I have been against [gay marriage] from the standpoint of [the] Bible, from the standpoint of my teachings as growing up and going to Sunday school and going to church and I’ve been opposed to it and we’ll just see how it all comes out.” [“With All Due Respect,” BloombergPolitics, 8/26/15]

ON TAX POLICY

Trump On Tax Policy: “High-Income People Should Pay High Percentages.” TRUMP: “Well, what they did is they just kept cutting the tax rates, cutting the tax rates.  And I'm not talking about for the middle income or the poor.  Leave 'em.  Keep 'em low.  And I shouldn't say this, but high-income people should pay high percentages, but have the ability to spend vast amounts of money on bringing their tax rates down to nothing.  If a man is in the 50 or 60 percent bracket, he's going to invest.  If a man's in the 25 percent bracket or the 30 percent bracket, which is what you have now, there's no real reason for him to invest.  He'll say, 'Hey, look, I'll pay the tax and that's it.' So what's happened.” KING: “So you're saying the rich are under-taxed?” TRUMP: “I'm saying the rich should be taxed at a much higher rate and should have the incentive that, if they want to spend some money by investing in housing, investing in other things, they can get their tax rate down to nothing, if need be.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

2015: Trump Proposed Lowering The Top Individual Tax Rate From 39.6% To 25%. “All other Americans will get a simpler tax code with four brackets – 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% – instead of the current seven. This new tax code eliminates the marriage penalty and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II.” [Trump Tax Plan, Donald J. Trump For President, Released 9/28/15]

ON HEALTH CARE

Trump In 1999: “I'm Very Liberal When It Comes To Health Care.  I Believe In Universal Health Care.” KING: “Patients' Bill of Rights: You mentioned health care as one of the social issues; you for it?” TRUMP: “I think you have to have it, and, again, I said I'm conservative, generally speaking, I'm conservative, and even very conservative.  But I'm quite liberal and getting much more liberal on health care and other things.  I really say: What's the purpose of a country if you're not going to have defensive and health care? If you can't take care of your sick in the country, forget it, it's all over.  I mean, it's no good.  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.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Trump On Obama’s 2009 Health Care Plan: “I Love The Idea.” VAN SUSTEREN: “What is your thought about the health care reform that is being at least proposed, at this point?” TRUMP: “Well, I think it's noble, except I just don't know how a country that's in such debt -- we are really a debtor nation right now, and I just don't know how a country in this kind of trouble can afford it. It's very -- I love the idea, but can this country afford it? Will it destroy the country? Will it destroy other people that have been paying into health care for years? I mean, will that destroy other people? It's a very, very tough situation. I love it from many standpoints, but can this country afford it? And maybe this isn't the right time.” [On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 6/29/09]

2015: Donald Trump Called For Obamacare To Be Repealed. There’s no question. Obamacare is a catastrophe, and it has to be repealed and replaced. And it was only approved because President the different provisions kick in over the next few years, individual deductibles are going to continue to rise. People will have to get hit by a truck to be eligible for coverage because those deductibles are going to be so high. [Trump, Crippled America, 68]

ON ABORTION

Trump: “I Used To Not Be Pro-Life. I Have Become Pro-Life.”  O'REILLY: “Ok. Real quick, social issues. Abortion…You favor it?” TRUMP: “No, I'm as you know, I'm pro-life.” O'REILLY: “Ok, so you're pro-life on abortion. But would you outlaw abortion?” TRUMP: “Well, I'd -- I'd go a step -- I'd go a pretty strong step. Something I don't like, I used to not be pro-life. I have become pro-life. I have seen friends that had children that they didn't want. And now they have children and they are the apple of the eye. So I really have changed in my views over the years but I am pro-life. I would -- I would really -- I'm forming an opinion, I'm forming a very strong opinion but I'll let you know in about three or four weeks if I decided it.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

ON GUNS

Donald Trump Played Up His Support For Nearly Unrestricted Gun Rights Despite Having Supported The Assault Weapons Ban And Longer Background Checks In The Past. “Donald Trump said Tuesday he supports allowing Americans to legally buy and own assault weapons…. Trump has played up his support for nearly unrestricted gun rights throughout the campaign as he has looked to bolster his conservative credentials, especially given his past support for some gun control measures. ‘I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun,’ Trump wrote in his 2000 book ‘The America We Deserve.’” [CNN, 10/6/15]

TRUMP HAS RANTED AGAINST CHINA, OUTSOURCING AND FREE TRADE DEALS…

Trump Has Eagerly Taken Advantage Of The Global Marketplace Despite His Rhetoric Against Outsourcing And Free Trade Deals.  A Significant Percentage Of Trump’s hotels Company’s Hotels And Major“Donald Trump’s appeal is said to be his straight talk. But when it comes to international trade, he sounds like a hypocrite, the classic ‘Do what I say, not what I do’ politician. While bashing companies for investing in foreign countries, Donald Trump’s own company has shown no inclination to invest and build only in America. In fact, a significant percentage of his company’s hotels and major real estate properties are located abroad.”  [Forbes, 8/17/15]

BUT HE HAS EAGERLY INVESTED ABROAD AND HIS BUSINESSES HAVE IMPORTED MATERIALS FROM CHINA

Trump’s Clothing Brand Imports Clothes From China.  “Perry notes Trump has imported clothing from China and Mexico produced for his brand. ‘For Trump to operate, outsource and invest globally while criticizing companies like Ford for doing the same is the ultimate hypocrisy. To be fair to Ford, Trump should either agree to impose a 35% tax on Trump Collection clothing and agree to stop investing overseas, or he should stop his threats against Ford for operating as a global carmaker.’” [Forbes, 8/17/15]

TRUMP HAS LAID OFF AMERICAN WORKERS AND COMPLAINED THAT WAGES ARE “TOO HIGH”

Donald Trump Laid Off Or Furloughed 370 Employees From His Taj Mahal Casino Resort And Trump Shuttle Operations. “Two of developer Donald Trump's operations, the Taj Mahal Casino Resort and the Trump Shut-tle airline, announced Friday they are eliminating a total of about 370 jobs as part of streamlining efforts. The cutbacks come amid speculation that Trump has overextended himself with rapid expansion into the airline and Atlantic City, N.J., casino industries. The Taj Mahal Casino Resort said it is cutting 300 jobs, mostly in its culinary section, less than two months after it opened. In a separate announcement, a spokesman said the Trump Shuttle, which serves air passengers on the busy Boston-New York-Washington, D.C. route, had furloughed about 70 of its roughly 1,000 employees.” [Associated Press, 5/25/90]

9/20/90: Donald Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino In Atlantic City, NJ Laid Off 500 Employees, And The Trump Plaza Hotel Laid Off Another 150. “The post-summer casino slowdown and a weak gaming market spell 500 layoffs at Donald Trump's Taj Mahal Casino Resort, a top Trump official said in a published report.  Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino will also end up with 150 fewer workers, the official said. The casino industry traditionally lays off employees after the busy summer months. Few casinos have been able to turn a profit or boost gross gaming revenues this year, due largely to competition from the Taj Mahal, which opened in April.” [Newsday, 9/20/90]

Donald Trump Laid Off Nearly 200 Employees From His Trump Castle Casino Resort In Atlantic City, New Jersey. “Nearly 200 employees were laid off Monday at the Trump Castle Casino Resort in a money-saving move. Casino president Roger Wagner, who was hired away from rival Claridge Casino Hotel earlier this month to cut costs at Trump Castle, said the layoffs of 190 workers came across the board at the management and executive levels. The layoffs leave the casino with about 3,400 employees, Wagner said. Wagner said the declining economy and flat gaming market prompted the need to cut costs.” [Associated Press, 1/29/91]

4/6/11: Trump Entertainment Resorts, Of Which Donald Trump Owned 10 Percent, Laid Off 600 Workers. “Marc Lasry, chairman and CEO of Avenue Capital Group, was given final approval Wednesday by New Jersey casino regulators to control the Atlantic City casino company that was founded by Donald Trump. Avenue, which specializes in distressed investments, won the company in a bankruptcy battle last year, and is the largest shareholder at nearly 22 percent. Trump, the real estate magnate and reality television star, owns 10 percent. … The company has been paying down debt and cutting jobs since the new owners took over last July. The sale next month of Trump Marina Hotel Casino to a Texas firm will bring its debt to near $300 million from its current level of $332 million, Griffin said. … Trump Entertainment Resorts has cut 600 jobs since last fall and now has a work force for their three casinos of about 8,000 employees, Griffin said.” [Associated Press, 4/6/11]

Donald Trump Opposed Raising The Minimum Wage, Saying American Wages Were “Too High” And That Workers, “Have To Work Really Hard.” “The Fox Business Republican Debate kicked off Tuesday night with a question about raising the minimum wage, as protesters across the country call for the floor to be raised to $15-an-hour. Donald Trump was the first candidate to answer. ‘Taxes too high, wages too high,’ said Trump, arguing it would damage the United States’ ability to compete internationally. ‘We’re not going to be able to compete against the world,’ he said. ‘I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is. People have to go out, they have to work really hard, and they have to get into that upper stratum. But we cannot do this if we are going to compete with the rest of the world, we just can’t do it.’” [Boston Globe, 11/10/15]

TRUMP ONLY BELIEVES IN FIDELITY WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL

Trump: “I'm An Absolute Believer In Fidelity. But If A Marriage Isn't Working, That's A Different Ball Game.” WALTERS: “Do you believe in fidelity in marriage?” TRUMP: “Yes, absolutely I do. Absolutely. I think that there's nothing better than a good marriage. There is nothing worse than a bad marriage. I'm absolutely a believer in marriage, I'm an absolute believer in fidelity. But if a marriage isn't working, that's a different ball game.” [20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

TRUMP THINKS RELATIONSHIPS WITH WOMEN ARE A GAME

Trump: “I Think The Hunt Is Always Fun, Whether It's Deals, Whether It's Women, Whether It's Anything.” WALTERS: “I want to clear something up. In your book, the new book, you say, ‘The fun is in the getting, not the having.’ Does that include women? No kidding.” TRUMP: “Interesting question. I think the hunt is always fun, whether it's deals, whether it's women, whether it's anything. I think, however, that with respect to women, there would be nothing that would make me happier than having a great marriage. An absolutely great marriage, and that would certainly supersede the hunt.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Trump Is A Liar

TRUMP HAS HABITUALLY LIED ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ABOUT MATTERS OF POLICY

Drezner: Trump “Will Continue To Lie As Long As It Works For Him.”  “To sum up: Trump has lied so many times about so many things during the past week that it’s difficult to keep track of all of them. But it doesn’t matter whether one focuses on Trump’s attitudes about crime or American Muslims or trade policy. He lies about all of these issues. And he will continue to lie as long as it works for him.”  [Post Everything, Washington Post, 11/23/15]

USA Today: “Trump Claimed That Economic Growth Has ‘Never’ Been Below Zero Until Last Quarter's Drop, Which Is Far From True. It Has Been Below Zero 42 Times Since 1946.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Said ‘There Are No Jobs’ To Be Had. In Fact, There Were 5.4 Million Job Openings Recorded At The End Of April, The Most In 15 Years.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Said The ‘Real’ Unemployment Rate Is ‘Anywhere From 18 To 20%’ And ‘Maybe Even 21%.’ We See No Factual Basis For This Opinion.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Boasted He Would Have Blocked New Ford Plants In Mexico By Threatening To Impose A 35% Tax On Vehicles And Parts Made In Mexico And Shipped To The U.S. But Only Congress Can Impose Taxes And Such A Tax Would Violate The North American Free Trade Agreement.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “Trump Claimed The Five Taliban Leaders Exchanged For Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl ‘Are Now Back On The Battlefield Trying To Kill Us.’ But All Five Remain In Qatar, Where They Continue To Be Monitored And Are Subject To A Travel Ban, According To The State Department.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Also Made The Misleading Claim That Health Care Premium Costs Are Going ‘Up 29, 39, 49 And Even 55%.’ He's Talking About Some Proposed Rate Increases On The Individual Market That Still Need Regulatory Approval. There Are Also Proposed Rate Decreases Or Single-Digit Increases That Did Not Have To Be Submitted For Review.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

Trump Pushed Falsehoods About Syrian Refugees, Claiming They Were Flooding The United States And Could Be Affiliated With ISIS.  “Trump said: ‘Refugees are pouring into our great country from Syria. We don’t even know who they are. They could be ISIS. They could be anybody…’ In fact, the U.S. has resettled fewer than 2,000 refugees from Syria, out of the millions of people displaced by a civil war that started more than four years ago. In a country of 322 million people, 500 refugees a year is better described as a trickle. Trump actually hit the daily double of falsehood in this claim that refugees are flooding into the U.S…[Trump was also on Laura Ingraham’s talk show talking] about Syrian refugee resettlement. Not only are Syrian refugees “pouring” into the country, according to Trump, they are also being directed exclusively to states with Republican governors.   This one also go the “pants on fire” treatment from Politifact, for several reasons. Trump also used the show to restate the 250,000 refugee number, and the host pushed back. You know when Laura Ingraham is trying to get you to dial back the anti-immigrant rhetoric, you may be crossing a line.” [Fiscal Times, 11/24/15]

TRUMP INSISTED HE WITNESSED PEOPLE CHEERING IN THE STREETS OF JERSEY CITY AS THE TWIN TOWERS FELL – BUT THERE’S NO EVIDENCE IT EVER HAPPENED

Trump Said That On 9/11, He Watched “Thousands And Thousands” Of People Cheering In Jersey City As The World Trade Center Came Down. TRUMP: “Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.” [Campaign Rally, Trump For President, Birmingham AL, 11/21/15]

On 9/11/01, The New Jersey Attorney General Ordered An Investigation Of Reports That Muslims Were Dancing In The Streets Of Jersey City And Paterson To Celebrate The Destruction Of The World Trade Center, And That Investigation Found Those Reports To Be Bogus. “How alarmed were New Jersey officials by reports of Muslims dancing in the streets of Jersey City and Paterson on Sept. 11, 2001, to celebrate the destruction of the World Trade Center? They feared riots would break out and were ready to send in the National Guard and the State Police to preserve order. But John J. Farmer Jr., then the New Jersey attorney general and the state’s chief law enforcement officer, said on Tuesday that he ordered an investigation that very day and found the reports to be bogus, [just] more wild stories born in the stricken hours after the attacks.” [New York Times, 11/24/15] 

Politifact Gave Donald Trump A “Pants On Fire” Rating For His Claim That Thousands In New Jersey Cheered When The World Trade Center Fell On September 11, 2001. “Trump said he ‘watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering’ as the World Trade Center collapsed. This defies basic logic. If thousands and thousands of people were celebrating the 9/11 attacks on American soil, many people beyond Trump would remember it. And in the 21st century, there would be video or visual evidence. Instead, all we found were a couple of news articles that described rumors of celebrations that were either debunked or unproven. Trump’s recollection of events in New Jersey in the hours after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks flies in the face of all the evidence we could find. We rate this statement Pants on Fire.” [Politifact, 11/22/15]

Donald Trump Told A Reporter He Was Sure He Saw Thousands In The Streets Of Jersey City, New Jersey Celebrating The Destruction Of The World Trade Center Because He Had “The World’s Greatest Memory.” KATY TUR: “Now Donald Trump will be speaking here [in Columbus, Ohio] in just a few minutes. He called me late today to once again defend his claims [he saw thousands of people in the streets of Jersey City, New Jersey celebrating the destruction of the World Trade Center]. Telling me that although he doesn’t remember where exactly he saw that video, he does know that he saw it because he has, quote, ‘the world’s greatest memory.’” [NBC Nightly News, NBC, 11/23/15] 

TRUMP CLAIMED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS NOT BORN IN THE UNITED STATES, AND CITED OPINION POLLING AS HIS EVIDENCE

2011: Trump Floated Idea That Obama May Be A Muslim And Mounted Campaign To Release Long-Form Birth Certificate. “Four years ago, Trump mounted a campaign to pressure Obama to release his long-form birth certificate, even saying he would send investigators to Hawaii to find out the truth. The effort helped fuel the so-called "birther" conspiracy theory that held that Obama was born in Kenya -- and Trump also floated the idea that Obama's birth documents may label him a Muslim.” [CNN, 9/18/15]

Trump Said The Birther Issue Was “Very Popular.” TRUMP: “Well, I think it's a very popular issue, and I think that nobody has solved anything. A lot of people are calling my office. They just did a poll, 75 percent of the Republicans think there really could be something to it and about 30 percent of the Republicans don't think that Obama was born in this country. He hasn't provided a birth certificate. It's a certificate of live birth, which is totally, totally different. He hasn't -- I mean, there's so many different things that he hasn't done. He's spending a fortune in legal fees to try and get away from the issue.” [On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 4/11/11]

Trump Proposed Banning All Muslims…

DECEMBER 2015: TRUMP PROPOSED A “TOTAL AND COMPLETE” BAN ON ALL MUSLIMS ENTERING THE U.S.

Donald Trump Called For The United States To Bar All Muslims From Entering The U.S. Until The Nation’s Leaders Could “Figure Out What’s Going On.” “A prohibition of Muslims – an unprecedented proposal by a leading American presidential candidate, and an idea more typically associated with hate groups – reflects a progression of mistrust that is rooted in ideology as much as politics. … Saying that ‘hatred’ among many Muslims for Americans is ‘beyond comprehension,’ Mr. Trump said in a statement that the United States needed to confront ‘where this hatred comes from and why.’ ‘Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,’ Mr. Trump said.” [New York Times, 12/7/15] 

•	Trump Called For A “Total And Complete Shutdown Of Muslims Entering The United States,” Citing Polls That Showed “Great Hatred Towards Americans By Large Segments Of The Muslim Populations.” “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim populations. Most recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing ‘25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad’ and 51% of those polled, ‘agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.’ Shariah authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won’t convert beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to Americans, especially women.” [Donald J. Trump Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration, Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 12/7/15]

•	Trump Said “Our Country Cannot Be The Victims Of Horrendous Attacks By People That Believe Only In Jihad, And Have No Sense Of Reason Or Respect For Human Life.” “Mr. Trump stated, “Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again.” – Donald J. Trump” [Donald J. Trump Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration, Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 12/7/15]

Donald Trump Said He Did Not Care If His Call To Ban All Muslims From Entering The United States Was Politically Incorrect; “We Have No Choice. We Have. No. Choice.” “The billionaire developer and reality television star released a statement Monday calling for ‘a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.’ Later Monday, Trump, 69, read the statement out loud at a rally in Charleston, S.C., where an enthusiastic crowd greeted him with cheers and chants of ‘Trump! Trump!’ and ‘U.S.A.! U.S.A.!’ ‘We have no choice. We have. No. Choice,’ Trump said, with a shake of his head. His statement may be politically incorrect, he said, ‘but I don’t care!’” [Washington Post, 12/8/15] 

TRUMP’S SPOKESWOMAN: EVEN MUSLIM AMERICANS ABROAD WOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM RE-ENTERING THE COUNTRY

Trump Spokeswoman Said His Call To Ban Muslims From Entering The U.S. Applied To “Everyone,” Including American Muslims Who Happened To Be Abroad At The Time His Plan Was Implemented. “Trump, in a formal statement from his campaign, urged a ‘total and complete shutdown’ of all federal processes allowing followers of Islam into the country until elected leaders can ‘figure out what is going on.’ Asked by The Hill whether that would include American Muslims currently abroad, Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks replied over email: ‘Mr. Trump says, ‘everyone.’’ During a Tuesday morning interview with ABC's ‘Good Morning America,’ however, Trump clarified that American Muslims would still be able to travel freely under his plan.” [The Hill, 12/8/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED HIS MUSLIM BAN WAS COMMON SENSE, THEN CITED A POLL FROM A DISCREDITED EXTREMIST THINK TANK AS PROOF

Donald Trump Said His Call For Banning All Muslims From Entering In U.S. Was A “Common Sense” Approach. “Trump said his policy preventing Muslims from coming to the U.S. is a ‘common sense’ approach to preventing a Paris-like attack on the U.S. ‘I have common sense. I know what has to be done, and we don't want to have a situation like Paris. And we don't want to have another World Trade Center,’ he said. ‘We don't want that. We need intelligence in this country. We need a certain toughness in this country or we're going to end up like a lot of the other places and we're not going to have a country left.’” [CNN, 12/8/15]

TRUMP CITED DISCREDITED AND APPARENTLY NONEXISTENT POLLING TO SUPPORT HIS CALL TO BAN MUSLIMS

Donald Trump Cited Data From The “Respected” Center For Security Policy, A Group That Believes There Is A Secret Global Campaign Against Western Civilization, And Said “They Want To Change Your Religion.” “Trump then cited data from the Center for Security Policy — a group that believes there is a secret global campaign against Western civilization and that the candidate described as ‘respected’ — saying, ‘25 percent of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad.’ That statistic was greeted with loud boos from Trump’s supporters. ‘They want to change your religion,’ said Trump. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Not going to happen.’” [Politico, 12/7/15]

The President Of The Southern Poverty Law Center Said The “Center For Security Policy,” Which Donald Trump Cited In His Call To Ban All Muslims From Entering The United States, Was “An Extremist Think Tank.” “The CSP has been criticized across the political spectrum - by high-profile Republicans as well as Democrats - and by organizations which monitor extremist groups. Terri Johnson, executive director of the Center for New Community and J Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, called it ‘an extremist think-tank’ led by an ‘anti-Muslim conspiracist’. The group was heavily criticized in 2012 after it repeatedly accused Huma Abedin, an aide to Hillary Clinton, of being a secret member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Leading Republicans including John McCain and John Boehner denounced the accusations. [BBC, 12/8/15]

Donald Trump Cited A Poll From The Pew Research Center To Support His Call To Ban All Muslims From Entering The U.S. But Did Not Identify Which Pew Report He Was Citing And Pew Was Unable To Identify Which Report He Had Referenced. “Trump’s other citation has drawn more notice because it came from the Pew Research Center, a highly-respected, nonpartisan group. ‘According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population,’ Trump said Monday. But Trump hasn’t made clear which Pew report he’s citing; he has not linked to one in his social media missives or statements, nor did he elaborate during multiple TV appearances Tuesday morning. And the group’s research doesn’t paint the dire picture Trump says it does. … ‘The statement released by Mr. Trump’s campaign does not specify a data point, so we can’t identify the report that he may be referencing,’ said James Bell, Pew’s vice president for global strategy.” [Time, 12/8/15]

TRUMP’S PROPOSAL WAS WIDELY CONDEMNED BY FELLOW REPUBLICANS, ONE OF WHOM LIKENED IT TO NAZISM…

People: “No More Mr. Nice John Kasich. The Republican Presidential Hopeful's Campaign Has Released An Anti-Donald Trump Web Ad That Draws On A Famous Poem About Nazi Germany To Attack The GOP Front-Runner.” [People, 11/28/15]

Vietnam Combat Veteran And POW: You Might Not Care About What Donald Trump Says About Muslims, Hispanic Immigrants, Black Protesters, Or Journalists, “Because You’re Not One. But [If Trump] Actually Becomes President, He Might Just Get Around To You, And You Better Hope That There’s Someone Left To Help You.” “Later in the day, Kasich’s campaign held yet another media availability with Rep. Steve Stivers, Shaker Heights Councilman James Brady, and retired Col. Tom Moe, who the Kasich campaign noted was shot down during combat duty in Vietnam and spent ‘the next five years alongside U.S. Sen. John McCain.’ … ‘You might not care if Donald Trump says Muslims must register with their government because you’re not one. And you might not care that Donald Trump says he's going to round up all the Hispanic immigrants because you're not one. And you might not care that Donald Trump says it’s OK to rough up black protesters because you're not one,’ Moe said. ‘And you might not care if Donald Trump wants to suppress journalists because you’re not one. But think about this: If he keeps going and he actually becomes president, he might just get around to you, and you better hope that there’s someone left to help you.’” [Politico, 11/23/15]

Former Vice President Dick Cheney Said Donald Trump’s Call To Ban All Muslims “Goes Against Everything We Stand For And Believe In.” “Former Vice President Dick Cheney shot down GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's latest proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the country, saying it goes against the country's principles. ‘I think this whole notion that we can just say, 'No more Muslims,' just ban a whole religion, goes against everything we stand for and believe in,’ Cheney said Monday on Hugh Hewitt's radio show. ‘My ancestors got here because they were Puritans,’ Cheney said.” [Newsmax, 12/7/15; Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, 12/7/15]

…WHILE WHITE SUPREMACIST AND NEO-NAZI GROUPS WELCOMED TRUMP’S IDEA

Donald Trump Was A Boon For White Supremacists, Who Used His Candidacy As A Tool To Expand Their Movement. “The Ku Klux Klan is using Donald Trump as a talking point in its outreach efforts. Stormfront, the most prominent American white supremacist website, is upgrading its servers in part to cope with a Trump traffic spike. And former Louisiana Rep. David Duke reports that the businessman has given more Americans cover to speak out loud about white nationalism than at any time since his own political campaigns in the 1990s. As hate group monitors at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League warn that Trump’s rhetoric is conducive to anti-Muslim violence, white nationalist leaders are capitalizing on his candidacy to invigorate and expand their movement.” [Politico, 12/10/15]

•	Politico: “The Ku Klux Klan Is Using Donald Trump As A Talking Point In Its Outreach Efforts.”[Politico, 12/10/15]

Experts From The Anti-Defamation League And Southern Poverty Law Center Said Donald Trump’s Rhetoric was Likely To Inspire Violence Against Muslims. “According to experts at the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center who monitor hate groups and anti-Muslim sentiment, Trump’s call on Monday to halt the entrance of Muslims to the United States is driving online chatter among white supremacists and is likely to inspire violence against Muslims. ‘When well-known public figures make these kind of statements in the public square, they are taken as a permission-giving by criminal elements who go out and act on their words.’ said Mark Potok of the SPLC. ‘Is it energizing the groups? Yeah. They’re thrilled.’”  [Politico, 12/10/15]

Marilyn Mayo, Co-Director Of The Anti-Defamation League’s Center On Extremism, Said Donald Trump’s Candidacy Energized Neo-Nazis And The White Supremacist Movement. “‘When well-known public figures make these kind of statements in the public square, they are taken as a permission-giving by criminal elements who go out and act on their words.’ said Mark Potok of the SPLC. ‘Is it energizing the groups? Yeah. They’re thrilled.’ Marilyn Mayo, co-director of the ADL’s Center on Extremism, said Trump’s proposal this week to halt the entrance of Muslims into the United States is only the latest statement to inject vigor into the racist fringe of American politics. ‘Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s candidacy, we’ve definitely seen that a segment of the white supremacist movement, from racist intellectuals to neo-Nazis have been energized,’ she said.” [Politico, 12/10/15]

Trump’s Campaign Is Defined By Offensive And Extreme Immigration Rhetoric

TRUMP PLEDGED TO BUILD A “GREAT WALL” ALONG THE SOUTHERN U.S. BORDER…

New York Times: “[Trump] Vowed To Build A ‘Great Wall’ On The Mexican Border To Keep Out Rapists And Other Criminals, Who He Said Were Sneaking Into The United States In Droves.” “Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. In the past, he has called climate change ‘a hoax’ and said he has a ‘foolproof’ plan to defeat the Islamic State, which he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group. On Tuesday, he vowed to build a ‘great wall’ on the Mexican border to keep out rapists and other criminals, who he said were sneaking into the United States in droves.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]

Donald Trump Said He Would Build A Wall Along The Mexican Border With “A Big, Fat Beautiful Door” Through Which Immigrants Could Enter Legally. “Presidential hopeful Donald Trump insisted Wednesday night that he has what it takes to get Mexico to build a wall along the U.S. border. ‘We're going to do a wall; we're going to have a big, fat beautiful door on the wall; we're going to have people come in, but they're going to come in legally,’ Trump said at the third Republican debate, hosted by CNBC. ‘Mexico's going to pay for the wall,’ he said. ‘I love the Mexican people; I respect the Mexican leaders, but their leaders are much sharper, much smarter and more cunning than our leader.’” [CNBC, 10/29/15]

Donald Trump Said The Mexican Government Would Pay For The Wall Along The U.S.-Mexican Border Because The U.S. Has A Trade Imbalance Of $50 Billion Per Year With Mexico. “TRUMP: And Mexico’s going to pay for the wall because Mexico — I love the Mexican people; I respect the Mexican leaders — but the leaders are much sharper, smarter and more cunning than our leaders. And just to finish, people say, how will you get Mexico to pay? A politician other than the people in the states — I don’t want to — a politician cannot get them to pay. I can. We lose, we have a trade imbalance — Excuse me, John. — of $50 billion per year. Believe me the world is peanuts by comparison.” [Republican Primary Debate, Boulder, CO, 10/28/15]

Donald Trump Radio Ad: “I’ll Secure Our Borders, And Yes, We Will Have A Wall. You Can’t Have A Country Without Borders.” Donald Trump: “I’m Donald Trump and I’m running for president. Our country is in deep trouble because let’s face it: politicians are all talk, no action. …  I’ll secure our borders, and yes, we will have a wall. You can’t have a country without borders. … If the people of Iowa vote for me, you’ll never be disappointed. I don’t disappoint people. I produce. Together we’re going to make America great again.” [Make America Great Again – Radio Spot 2, Donald Trump Presidential Campaign, 11/5/15

IN ORDER TOSTOP THE FLOW OF “DRUGGIES, DRUG DEALERS, RAPISTS AND KILLERS” FROM MEXICO

Trump: “Druggies, Drug Dealers, Rapists And Killers Are Coming Across The Southern Border. When Will The U.S. Get Smart And Stop This Travesty?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 6/19/15]

Trump On Immigrants Crossing The Border From Mexico: “They Are Bringing Drugs And They Are Bringing Crime, They’re Rapists.” “When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are not sending you. They are not sending you. They are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us, they are bringing drugs and they are bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some are good people, and I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting. It only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It's coming all over south and Latin America and it's coming probably, probably from the Middle East, but we don't know because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what is happening and it has got to stop and it has to stop fast.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15] 

Trump Issued A Lengthy Statement Refusing To Back Off Comments Referring To Mexican Immigrants As Criminals. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stood firm Monday on his description of Mexican immigrants as criminals. The businessman, under fire from critics in and out of his party, issued a lengthy statement refusing to back off comments he made in the speech launching his presidential bid last month. In it, he called Mexican immigrant criminals and rapists, prompting several businesses, including NBC, Univision and Macy's, to cut ties with Trump.” [Associated Press, 7/6/15]

TRUMP VOWED TO RESCIND PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON IMMIGRATION

Trump Would Rescind Pres. Obama’s Executive Actions On Immigration. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants more than a wall to keep out immigrants living in the country illegally. He also wants to end ‘birthright citizenship’ for their children, he said Sunday. And he would rescind Obama administration executive orders on immigration and toughen deportation, allowing in only ‘the good ones.’” [Associated Press, 8/16/15]

Trump On Deporting Undocumented Immigrants: “We're Going To Keep The Families Together, But They Have To Go.” “Trump told NBC News' ‘Meet the Press’ today, ‘We're going to keep the families together, but they have to go,’ referring to the illegal immigrants he would deport.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

•	Donald Trump Said He Would Rescind The Dream Act Executive Order And Deport Entire Families Of Immigrants, Even If Some Family Members Were Legally Documented. CHUCK TODD: “What do you do about the DACA order now? The Dream Act, however you want to refer to it. The executive order that is—” DONALD TRUMP: “The executive order gets rescinded. One good thing about … One good thing about—” TODD: “You'll rescind the Dream Act executive order—” TRUMP: “You're going to have to. …  We have to make a whole new set of standards. And when people come in, they have to come in legally—” TODD: So you're going to split up families? … You're going to deport children—”   TRUMP: “Chuck. No, no. We're going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together.” TODD: “But you're going to keep them together out—” TRUMP: “But they have to go. But they have to go. … They have to go. Chuck, we either have a country or we don't have a country.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 8/16/15]

TRUMP HAS INSISTED ON USING THE OFFENSIVE SLUR “ANCHOR BABIES”

Trump When Told The Term “Anchor Baby” Was Offensive: “You Mean It’s Not Politically Correct, And Yet Everybody Uses It?…I’ll Use The Word ‘Anchor Baby.” “Trump said he'd still use the term after a reporter asked him on Wednesday night in New Hampshire if he was aware the term was considered offensive. ‘You mean it’s not politically correct, and yet everybody uses it?’ Trump asked the reporter, and then asked for an alternative term to use. ‘The American-born child of undocumented immigrants,’ the reporter suggested to which Trump said, ‘I’ll use the word ‘anchor baby.'” [Talking Points Memo, 8/20/15; Trump Press Conference, 8/19/15] 

TRUMP MODELED HIS PLANS FOR THE MASS DEPORTATION OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATIONS ON DWIGHT EISENHOWER’S INHUMANE PROGRAM, OPERATION WETBACK

Washington Post: Donald Trump’s Immigration Plan Calls For A “Deportation Force,” To Execute An “Unprecedented, Expensive Roundup Of Undocumented Residents At Home.” “The Washington Post took a close look at the immigration proposals of the five top-polling GOP candidates: Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Rubio, Cruz and former Florida governor Jeb Bush. … Trump’s plan calls for a wall on the border, and a ‘deportation force’ to carry out an unprecedented, expensive roundup of undocumented residents at home.” [Washington Post, 11/15/15]

Donald Trump Praised Dwight Eisenhower’s Mass Deportation Program During The GOP Presidential Primary Debate In Milwaukee, Wisconsin. DONALD TRUMP: “Let me just tell you that Dwight Eisenhower — good president, great president, people liked him. ‘I like Ike,’ right? The expression ‘I like Ike?’ — moved a million and a half illegal immigrants out of this country, moved them just beyond the border. They came back. Moved them again, beyond the border, they came back. Didn't like it. Moved them way south, they never came back. Dwight Eisenhower. You don't get nicer, you don't get friendlier. They moved a million and a half people out. We have no choice. We have no choice.”  [Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fox Business News, 11/10/15]

Donald Trump Modeled His Plan For “Humane” Mass Deportations On Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback.” “These deportation procedures, detailed by historian Mae M. Ngai, were not anomalies. They were the essential framework of Operation Wetback — a concerted immigration law enforcement effort implemented by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 — and the deportation model that Donald Trump says he intends to follow. Trump made his affinity for Operation Wetback clear during an interview with CBS’s Scott Pelley over the weekend. Speaking on 60 Minutes Overtime, Pelley asked Trump to explain his plans for curbing illegal immigration. ‘We’re rounding them up in a very humane way, a very nice way,’ Trump said, as he has expressed before. ‘What does that roundup look like to you?’ Pelley pressed. ‘How does it work? Are you going to have cops going door-to-door?’ Trump interjected: ‘Did you like Eisenhower? Did you like Dwight Eisenhower as a president at all?’ ‘He did this,’ the presidential candidate said. ‘He did this in the 1950s with over a million people, and a lot of people don’t know that…and it worked.’ ” [Washington Post, 9/30/15]

Donald Trump Touted His Plan To Deport 11 Million Undocumented Immigrants And Cited Dwight Eisenhower’s Deportation Program But Failed To Mention That Program Was Named “Operation Wetback.” “GOP frontrunner Donald Trump’s plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants from the United States has been criticized, even by some fellow immigration hawks, as highly unrealistic. But at Tuesday night’s Fox Business debate, he cited a historical precedent: ‘Let me just tell you that Dwight Eisenhower, good president, great president, people liked him. …Moved a million and a half illegal immigrants out of this country, moved them just beyond the border. They came back. Moved them again, beyond the border, they came back. Didn’t like it. Moved them way south. They never came back. Dwight Eisenhower. You don’t get nicer, you don’t get friendlier.’ He did not mention the name of that program: ‘Operation Wetback.’” [Slate, 11/10/15]

TRUMP BOOTED AND BANNED UNIVISION FROM HIS EVENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS

Trump Banned All Univision Officers And Representatives From One Of His Golf Courses. “Donald Trump sent a letter to Univision CEO and president Randy Falco on Friday informing him that ‘no Univision officer or representative’ is allowed to use his Trump National Doral, the resort and golf club immediately adjacent to Univision offices in Miami, the On Media blog has learned. The move is the latest in a public dispute that started Thursday when Univision announced it would end its business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which is co-owned by Trump and NBCUniversal, based on what it described as Trump's ‘insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants’ during the launch of his presidential campaign. Trump later announced that he would sue Univision for breach of contract and defamation, and accused Univision of defaulting on an ‘iron-clad’ $13.5 million contract, which he said it had no right to terminate. In the letter, Trump writes to Falco, ‘Please be advised that under no circumstances is any officer or representative of Univision allowed to use Trump National Doral, Miami—its golf courses or any of its facilities. Also, please immediately stop work and close the gate which is being constructed between our respective properties. If this is not done within one week, we will close it.’” [Politico, 6/26/15]

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Kicks Univision Out of Florida Rally, Campaign Confirms.” [Hollywood Reporter, 10/26/15]

Donald Trump Barred Univision From Covering His Event At The Trump National Doral In Miami. “He made no mention about Univision — the Spanish-language broadcaster whose studios are next door to Trump National Doral — which wasn’t allowed into the rally on account of Trump’s lawsuit against the company for canceling his Miss Universe pageant. He dismissed the pro-immigration protesters, first with a friendly ‘Don’t hurt ’em’ to security guards physically escorting them out of the room, and then with a more impatient, ‘The fourth group, I’ll say, ‘Get the hell out of here!’’” [Miami Herald, 10/23/15]

Donald Trump Had Univision News Anchor Jorge Ramos Ejected From His News Conference — “You Haven’t Been Called On, Go Back To Univision.” “Separately, Mr Trump had a journalist ejected from a news conference. Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos was trying to question Mr Trump about his call to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants from the US and build a wall the length of the Mexican border. But Mr Trump insisted that he had not been invited to submit a question. ‘You haven't been called, go back to Univision,’ Mr Trump said, before Mr Ramos was ejected from the news conference. As security officers approached the Mexican-American journalist, he said: ‘I am a reporter. Don't touch me. I have a right to ask the question.’” [BBC, 8/26/15]

•	After Ramos Was Removed From The Trump Press Conference, A Trump Supporter Yelled At Ramos To “Get Out Of My Country.” “Just when we thought there was no more controversy to add, Univision posted footage of Ramos out in the hall at which time an apparent Trump supporter —whether he’s a staffer or security personnel was unknown at the time of this writing— clearly tells the Mexican-born (and U.S. citizen, by the way) journalist to ‘Get out of my country’” [Latino Rebels, 8/26/15; Univision Noticias/Fusion, 8/25/15]

Trump Has Repeatedly Offended Minorities With Demeaning Comments

ON HISPANICS AND LATINOS

Trump On Immigrants Crossing The Border From Mexico: “They Are Bringing Drugs And They Are Bringing Crime, They’re Rapists.” “When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are not sending you. They are not sending you. They are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us, they are bringing drugs and they are bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some are good people, and I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting. It only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It's coming all over south and Latin America and it's coming probably, probably from the Middle East, but we don't know because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what is happening and it has got to stop and it has to stop fast.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15] 

ON AFRICAN AMERICANS

1991: Trump: “Laziness Is A Trait In Blacks.” [Gawker, 7/24/15]

1991: Trump: “Black Guys Counting My Money! I Hate It. The Only Kind Of People I Want Counting My Money Are Short Guys That Wear Yarmulkes Every Day.’’  TRUMP: “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.’’ [Gawker, 7/24/15]

Trump On African American Youths: We Are At “A Point Where They’ve Just About Never Done More Poorly, There’s No Spirit, There’s Killings On An Hourly Basis, Virtually, In Places Like Baltimore And Chicago And Many Other Places.” “At a June 23 Maryland Republican Party fundraiser, reporters asked GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump about his views on race relations. Trump said Black youths are at ‘a point where they’ve just about never done more poorly, there’s no spirit, there’s killings on an hourly basis, virtually, in places like Baltimore and Chicago and many other places,’ according to The Independent. The real estate magnate didn’t stop there. He added, ‘I thought that President Obama would be a great cheerleader for the country. And he’s really become very divisive.’” [The Root, 6/25/15]

Trump: “And When Obama Gets 95 Percent Of The Black Vote, Is That Racist?” HANNITY: “But isn't it a danger on his part, class warfare, and more importantly, the Democratic Party has been attacking the Tea Party conservatives as racist, you know, Maxine Waters, the consecutive Tea Party movement can go straight to hell. One congressman says that conservatives want black people hanging from trees. They double down on insane rhetoric. The president has wrapped his arms twice now around the Occupy Wall Street crowd? And is there a danger.” TRUMP: “I think the race card is such a horrible thing. And I've been watching it more and more lately. And I think it's disgraceful. And when Obama gets 95 percent of the black vote, is that racist? I mean, you know, does anybody have ever mention that? He gets 95 percent of the vote. And I see your compatriots, your announcers saying yes, he got 95 percent of the black vote but this wasn't a racial thing. They like his policy. That's a lot of crap. But he's creating a racial divide and I think he's doing it on purpose and I think it's a very unfair thing and it's a very bad thing.” [Hannity, Fox News, 10/18/11]

When Asked If He Was Perpetuating African- American Stereotypes, Trump Said “I Don't Know What You Mean By Stereotypes.” TRUMP: “Well, I really have to go, but I want to tell you I am the least racist. I am a wonderful person as far as you would be concerned as to race. And I think everybody that knows me knows that.” LEMON: Are you aware of the stereotypes about African-Americans? Are you?” TRUMP: “Well, I don't know what you mean by stereotypes. Why don't you define that a little bit in greater detail?” LEMON: “The stereotypes that take place in America about African- Americans, one is that they are not as smart as whites. And when you talk about someone like the President and you challenge whether or not he has an education or deserve to go to Ivy League schools, you're talking -- you're bringing up, you're promoting one of those stereotypes about African-Americans.” [Newsroom, CNN, 5/1/11]

•	Trump Called Accusations That He Was Racist “Ridiculous.” LEMON: “The stereotypes that take place in America about African- Americans, one is that they are not as smart as whites. And when you talk about someone like the President and you challenge whether or not he has an education or deserve to go to Ivy League schools, you're talking -- you're bringing up, you're promoting one of those stereotypes about African-Americans. And as someone running for president of the country, which means everyone, then wouldn't you be sensitive to those issues in the culture?” TRUMP: “It certainly does mean everyone, and it means everyone to me. As far as I'm concerned, the President is a very smart man. And I think a comment about racism is ridiculous as it applies to me. And people that know me laugh at it. They think it is so stupid. I mean it is a ridiculous statement and is certainly ridiculous as it applies to me.” [Newsroom, CNN, 5/1/11]

Trump Often Used The Phrase “Silent Majority” Which Historically Was Seen As A Racial Dog Whistle.  “In a press conference after a rally in South Carolina on Thursday, Donald Trump insisted that there is a ‘silent majority [who] wants this country to have victories again.’ It's not the first time Trump has used that phrase -- ‘silent majority.’… As far back as July, Trump was using the phrase. ‘The country is fed up with what's going on,’ he said at the time. ‘You know, in the old days they used the term 'silent majority.' We have the silent majority back, folks.’ Trump's use of that term is 1) 100 percent on purpose and 2) decidedly controversial. For many, the ‘silent majority’ is a not-so-subtle reference to white people who need/want to take ‘their’ culture and country back. And, the argument goes, they would be taking it back from those who aren't white.” [Washington Post, 8/27/15]

Donald Trump Was Criticized For Retweeting – In Response To A Twitter Thread About His Support From White Supremacists – A Graphic Containing Statistics Purporting To Show That The Vast Majority Of Murdered Black People Are Killed By Other Black People. “Donald Trump is taking heat on social media for a Sunday afternoon tweet of statistics purporting to show that the vast majority of murdered black people in the U.S. are killed by other black people. The tweet was apparently Trump’s response to a Twitter thread about support from white supremacists for the GOP front-runner. … The image Trump posted includes a list of ‘USA Crime Statistics ~ 2015.’ The two that are highlighted are ‘Blacks Killed by Police ~~ 1%’ and ‘Blacks Killed by Blacks ~~ 97%.’ A drawing of a black man wielding a sideways pistol and wearing army pants, military boots and a bandana and mask accompanies the statistics, which are sourced to the ‘Crime Statistics Bureau’ in San Francisco. … Indeed, an initial search to confirm the numbers couldn’t turn up a ‘Crime Statistic Bureau’ in San Francisco.” [The Hill, 11/22/15]

Donald Trump Said That The “Black Lives Matter” Protester Who Interrupted His Rally Was “So Obnoxious And So Loud” That “Maybe He Should Have Been Roughed Up.” “Donald Trump said Sunday that the protester who interrupted his rally at a convention center here on Saturday morning was ‘so obnoxious and so loud’ that ‘maybe he should have been roughed up.’ Mercutio Southall Jr. — a well-known local activist who has been repeatedly arrested while fighting what he says is unfair treatment of blacks — interrupted Trump’s rally and could be heard shouting, ‘Black lives matter!’ … ‘Get him the hell out of here, will you, please?’ Trump said on Saturday morning. ‘Get him out of here. Throw him out!’” [Washington Post, 11/22/15]

ON NATIVE AMERICANS

Donald Trump Did Not Find The Washington Redskins’ Team Name Offensive, And Said He Knew “Indians That Are Extremely Proud Of That Name.” “After months of name-calling, Jeb Bush and Donald J. Trump have finally found a name that they can agree on: the Washington Redskins. … But in this case, Mr. Trump says he thinks that Mr. Bush is right. ‘Honestly, I don’t think they should change the name, unless the owner wanted to,’ Mr. Trump said in an interview. Mr. Trump. who has made bluntness a hallmark of his presidential bid, said that the Redskins moniker was yet another issue of unnecessary political correctness. The name has been that way for years, he said, and not everyone considers it to be a slur. ‘I know Indians that are extremely proud of that name,’ he said. ‘They think it’s a positive.’” [New York Times, 10/5/15]

•	The Oneida Indian Nation Criticized Donald Trump For His Opposition To Changing The Name Of The Washington Redskins. “The Oneida Indian Nation on Monday blasted Donald Trump after the GOP presidential candidate said he knows Indians who are proud of the Washington Redskins football team name, and he sees no reason to change it….’It is hardly surprising that a candidate who labeled Mexican immigrants rapists and calls women 'pigs' now says he wants the NFL to continue slurring Native Americans,’ the statement said. ‘Donald Trump joins some of the NFL's ignoble fraternity of billionaires who sit in their office suites and owner's boxes happily spending their fortunes denigrating people of color.’” [Syracuse Post-Standard, 10/5/15]

Trump On Indian Casinos: “You Have To Check And See Whether Or Not They're The Real Indians.” KING: “Because they have gambling casinos in which they don't have to pay tax, right? Indian's property?” TRUMP: “They have gambling casinos where they're paying no tax and every politician knows it's not appropriate or not right, but they haven't done anything about it yet.” KING: “But don't you think we owe them something?” TRUMP: “I think we do.  I think to a certain extent, we do, if they're real Indians.  I mean, you have to check and see whether or not they're the real Indians.  You know, you have--” KING: “You're questioning that, Donald?” TRUMP: “No, no, you have to see who's running the casinos.  And you know, I made a statement, they don't look like Indians to me.  And everyone said, oh, what a terrible statement.  I said, what's wrong?  They don't.  If you take a look at these folks, they don't like Indians to me.  And then, actually, a number of shows did a story that my statement was 100 percent correct.  I never liked to apologize and there's no reason to apologize.  But I think the Indian casinos are -- you know, they're being looked at very seriously.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 7/23/97]

ON ASIAN AMERICANS

Trump Assumed A Young Asian Man At A Campaign Event Was From South Korea, When He Was Really An American-Born Citizen. “Finally, a young Asian man attempted to correct Trump on his incorrect claim that South Korea takes advantage of the United States in defense spending. ‘Are you from South Korea?’ Trump asked. ‘I’m not. I was born in Texas, raised in Colorado,’ the man responded as Trump literally shrugged. ‘I just want to say that no matter where I’m from, I like to get my facts straight and I want to tell you that that’s not true. South Korea paid $861 million—’ Then, Trump interrupts him permanently and says the phrase, ‘It’s peanuts’ around ten times.” [The Slot Blog, Jezebel, 10/12/15]

Bad Businessman

TRUMP BUSINESS CAREER IS FULL OF TROUBLING DECISIONS, LIKE FORCING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES…

Trump Forced A Widow To Sell Him Her House So He Could Expand The Limousine Parking Lot Outside One Of His Casinos. JOHN STOSSELL: “When Donald Trump wanted a bigger parking lot for limousines outside one of his casinos, he tried to get this widow to sell him her house for $1 million.  She said no.  So Trump then got his allies in government to condemn her house and force her to sell it for a quarter of his original offer.” WIDOW, FEMALE: “He doesn't have no heart, that man.” STOSSELL: “You're bullying these people out because…” TRUMP: “I'm not, excuse me, that's wrong.  For you to use the word ‘bully,’ John, is very unfair.” STOSSELL: “Well, that's not what's happening here?” TRUMP: “No, absolutely not.  Not at all.  And I think it's a pretty sick assumption.” STOSSELL: “In the old days, big developers came in with thugs with clubs. Now you use lawyers, you go to court, and you force people out.” TRUMP: “Excuse me.  Other people maybe use thugs today, okay?  I don't.” [20/20, ABC News, 3/29/04]

OR OUTSOURCING WORK TO OTHER COUNTRIES

Trump’s Clothing Brand Imports Clothes From China.  “Perry notes Trump has imported clothing from China and Mexico produced for his brand. ‘For Trump to operate, outsource and invest globally while criticizing companies like Ford for doing the same is the ultimate hypocrisy. To be fair to Ford, Trump should either agree to impose a 35% tax on Trump Collection clothing and agree to stop investing overseas, or he should stop his threats against Ford for operating as a global carmaker.’” [Forbes, 8/17/15]

Donald Trump Used Mexican Workers To Produce Is Donald J. Trump Signature Collection Menswear Line. “Not much gets past the Internet. Donald Trump is currently embroiled in a steaming pot of controversy after making derogatory comments about Latin American immigrants, claiming criminals and rapists are coming to the United States from Mexico and advocating for "a great wall" at the border to keep people out. However, he seemed to forget that he uses Mexican workers to produce his Donald J. Trump Signature Collection menswear line. Adrian Carrasquillo, a political reporter and editor of Latino coverage at BuzzFeed, decided to remind him.” [Huffington Post, 7/2/15]

Headline: “People Are Really Enjoying This Image Showing Donald Trump’s Clothing Made In Mexico.” [BuzzFeed, 7/2/15; IMAGES]

TRUMP HAS PROVEN TO BE A POOR PREDICTOR OF ECONOMIC TRENDS

3/19/07: Donald Trump Said The 2007 Real Estate Collapse Would Be “Very Minor” And That He Was Poised To Take Advantage Of Falling Real Estate Values. “Donald Trump almost lost his shirt 15 years ago when the North American real estate bubble burst. The 2007 version of that disaster will be much more benign, the real estate magnate predicts, although there is softness in some urban markets, such as Toronto and San Francisco. ‘We're talking very minor [problems] compared with the depression of the early 1990s,’ Mr. Trump said yesterday in a phone interview from Los Angeles. Mr. Trump said he is poised to invest in depressed property as the downturn moves through individual cities. ‘People have been talking about the end of the cycle for 12 years, and I'm excited if it is,’ he said. ‘I've always made more money in bad markets than in good markets.’” [Globe and Mail, 3/20/07] 

TRUMP’S POOR DECISION MAKING SKILLS HAVE SENT HIS COMPANIES INTO BANKRUPTCY FOUR TIMES, AND HE HAS BARELY AVOIDED IT HIMSELF

Since 1991, Trump-Related Companies Have Filed For Corporate Bankruptcy Four Separate Times. “But just once for good measure: Donald Trump, personally, never declared bankruptcy. … Still, since 1991, Trump-related companies have filed for corporate bankruptcy four separate times. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a corporation—which is legally distinct of its shareholders, owners, board, and C.E.O.—to stay in business while it re-structures and attempts to reduce its debt. So, while he’s been able to keep his personal finances in order, the businesses that so proudly trumpet his billion-dollar name are something of a different story.” [Vanity Fair, 6/29/15]

10/29/15: MSNBC: Donald Trump’s Claim That He Never Filed For Bankruptcy Was “A Little Misleading” – Four Of His Businesses Have Declared Bankruptcy. “As NBC News points out, Trump has never personally filed for bankruptcy. But it’s a little misleading, as four of his businesses have. That includes the Trump Taj Mahal in 1991, Trump Plaza Hotel in 1992, Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts in 2004 and Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009.” [MSNBC, 10/29/15]

TRUMP WOULD HAVE MADE MORE MONEY BY INVESTING HIS INHERITANCE IN A MUTUAL FUND, BUT INSTEAD DECIDED TO MAKE A LIFE OUT OF “MAKING DEALS”

Donald Trump Would Have Made More Money By Simply Investing His Money In A Mutual Fund Indexed To The Stock Market Than He Made Through His Real Estate And Other Business Ventures. “As ‘really rich’ as Donald Trump is today, he might have been even richer if, instead of dabbling in skyscrapers and casinos, he’d simply taken his eight-figure inheritance decades ago and sunk it into the stock market. Had the celebrity businessman and Republican presidential candidate invested his eventual share of father’s real estate company into a mutual fund of S&P 500 stocks in 1974, it would be worth nearly $3 billion today, thanks to the market’s performance over the past four decades. If he’d invested the $200 million that Forbes magazine determined he was worth in 1982 into that index fund, it would have grown to more than $8 billion today.” [National Journal, 9/2/15]

Trump’s Business Have Gone Into Bankruptcy Multiple Times

TRUMP’S POOR DECISION MAKING SKILLS HAVE SENT HIS COMPANIES INTO BANKRUPTCY FOUR TIMES, AND HE HAS BARELY AVOIDED IT HIMSELF

Since 1991, Trump-Related Companies Have Filed For Corporate Bankruptcy Four Separate Times. “But just once for good measure: Donald Trump, personally, never declared bankruptcy. … Still, since 1991, Trump-related companies have filed for corporate bankruptcy four separate times. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a corporation—which is legally distinct of its shareholders, owners, board, and C.E.O.—to stay in business while it re-structures and attempts to reduce its debt. So, while he’s been able to keep his personal finances in order, the businesses that so proudly trumpet his billion-dollar name are something of a different story.” [Vanity Fair, 6/29/15]

10/29/15: MSNBC: Donald Trump’s Claim That He Never Filed For Bankruptcy Was “A Little Misleading” – Four Of His Businesses Have Declared Bankruptcy. “As NBC News points out, Trump has never personally filed for bankruptcy. But it’s a little misleading, as four of his businesses have. That includes the Trump Taj Mahal in 1991, Trump Plaza Hotel in 1992, Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts in 2004 and Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009.” [MSNBC, 10/29/15]

TRUMP NARROWLY AVOIDED PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY

Donald Trump’s Creditors Could Have Forced Him Into Bankruptcy But Chose Not To Because They Were Reluctant To Face Him In Bankruptcy Court. “After a decade of profligate borrowing, Trump lacked the cash to make his loan payments. Although he owned hotels, skyscrapers, casinos and an airline, his debts exceeded the value of his properties by hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump's lenders could have forced him into personal bankruptcy and stripped him of almost every-thing. But that didn't happen. Instead, the bankers and investors to whom Trump owed money made a series of deals that left him wealthy. They let him keep some properties and took control of others, and they reduced Trump's personal debt by about $ 750 million, more than four-fifths of the total. They didn't do it out of charity. Rather, the lenders were reluctant to confront Trump in bankruptcy court, where they would face years of delay and massive legal expenses. In the end, lenders said, they feared they would recover less money in bankruptcy than they could get by striking compromises with Trump.” [Washington Post, 11/29/92]

Donald Trump Was On The Brink Of Bankruptcy Following The 1990 Real Estate Collapse But Was Able To Avoid Personal Bankruptcy By Selling Off Some Of His Cherished Possessions. ZAHN: “If the 1980s were the greed is good era, then Donald Trump was the decade's poster boy. But by 1990, the real estate mogul nearly lost it all due to a collapsing real estate market. He was on the brink of bankruptcy. To make matters worse, Trump was going through a personal crisis. His marriage was falling apart. … With a failed marriage behind him, Trump now focused on trying to rebuild his business. He was able to avoid bankruptcy by selling off some of his cherished possessions.” [CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

Donald Trump Appeared Upbeat During Negotiations With His Creditors But Was Personally Worried About Avoiding Bankruptcy. “Donald managed to weather the slings and arrows of doubters during these lean years and hunkered down with his bankers and with his debts. As the negotiations progressed, Donald's bankers looked for every alternative they could find to bankruptcy, because none of the banks wanted to contend with the mess that would ensue if the talks collapsed. And the Trumpster kept singing a happy tune. ‘He was always upbeat,’ recalled Harvey Miller, a lawyer representing Citibank. ‘One thing I'll say about Donald, he was never depressed.’ Unbeknownst to his creditors, Donald was just as worried about a bankruptcy as they were. He later told me that he wanted to avoid bankruptcy at all costs because he felt that it would permanently taint him as a failure or a quitter.” [New York Times, 10/23/05]

Donald Trump Took Two Of The Trump Casinos Public In 1995 And 1996, Enabling Him To Unload Personal Debt Onto The New Company. “In a tribute to the sucker-born-every-minute theorem, Donald managed to take two of the Trump casinos public in 1995 and 1996, at a time when he was unable to make his bank payments and was heading toward personal bankruptcy. The stock sales allowed Donald to buy the casinos back from the banks and to unload huge amounts of debt. The offering also yanked Donald out of the financial graveyard and left him with a 25 percent stake in a company he once owned entirely. Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts traded at $14 a share initially and, along with a fresh bond offering, the new company raised about $295 million.” [New York Times, 10/23/05]

TRUMP VIEWS BANKRUPTCY AS A “GREAT DEAL”

Trump Called Bankruptcy A “Great Deal.” TRUMP: “I'm going to be selling a piece of my stake for a tremendous infusion of cash that comes into the company.  You know, it's been a great company to me over the years, but it's a very small portion of my net worth, less than 2 percent.” MASON: “And you don't mind having the word 'bankruptcy' attached to your name?” TRUMP: “Well, I don't love it, but I feel that this is a great deal.” [CBS Evening News, CBS, 8/10/04]

Trump Bragged About Taking Personal Advantage Of The Bankruptcy Laws. Washington Post on the first 2015 GOP debate: “That appeared to be the case on Thursday. Trump committed no major mistakes. If he was overbearing at times, well, that has been part of his appeal. If he was impolitic at other times — bragging about buying access to politicians or taking personal advantage of the bankruptcy laws — he has done that before” [Washington Post, 8/6/15]

Donald Trump Bragged About Taking Companies With Bad Records, Chaptering Them, And Ending Up With “A Nice Little Asset.” “I’ve inherited a lot of bad contracts over the years, you know, where I buy a company cheap. Because the poor guy didn’t know what he was doing and he made a bad deal. So you buy it cheap, you throw it into a chapter, you beat up everybody, and you have a nice little asset. Right. You know. You do it. I do it professionally. There’s always a clause.” [Donald Trump Rally, Sparks, NV, 10/29/15] 

Trump’s Predictions On The 2007 Downturn Were Wildly Off

3/19/07: Donald Trump Said The 2007 Real Estate Collapse Would Be “Very Minor” And That He Was Poised To Take Advantage Of Falling Real Estate Values. “Donald Trump almost lost his shirt 15 years ago when the North American real estate bubble burst. The 2007 version of that disaster will be much more benign, the real estate magnate predicts, although there is softness in some urban markets, such as Toronto and San Francisco. ‘We're talking very minor [problems] compared with the depression of the early 1990s,’ Mr. Trump said yesterday in a phone interview from Los Angeles. Mr. Trump said he is poised to invest in depressed property as the downturn moves through individual cities. ‘People have been talking about the end of the cycle for 12 years, and I'm excited if it is,’ he said. ‘I've always made more money in bad markets than in good markets.’” [Globe and Mail, 3/20/07] 

3/19/07: Donald Trump Advised Investors To Purchase Subprime Mortgages And Repossessed Houses At Low Prices. “Mr. Trump shrugged off concerns that a crisis in U.S. subprime mortgage lending, which caters to poor credit risks, would spread to the wider property market, including Mr. Trump's luxury buildings.  "I don't see the subprime problems affecting the higher-end stuff," he said. In fact, he is advising investors that there are now great deals in buying subprime mortgages at a discount and repossessed houses at low prices.” [Globe and Mail, 3/20/07]

Trump Has Repeatedly Proven To Be Clueless On Key Foreign Policy Issues

DURING A DEBATE, TRUMP DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLE OF THE “NUCLEAR TRIAD”

12/16/15: Donald Trump Appeared No Not Understand The Concept Of America’s Nuclear Weapons ‘Triad’ But Said, “For Me, Nuclear – The Power, The Devastation Is Very Important To Me.”“When Donald Trump could not answer Hugh Hewitt’s question on the nuclear triad during the fifth GOP debate Tuesday night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) was kind enough to take the time to explain what the nuclear triad was to him and any other Americans who may not have known. Trump was asked to offer his opinion on which leg of the nuclear triad, decried by many as outdated, he believed was most crucial to update. The Republican frontrunner did not appear to understand the topic. In his original answer, Trump said it was important to have a strong leader with sound judgment during perilous times. He then trailed off to talking about opposing the Iraq War and how important limiting nuclear proliferation is. The response did not touch on Hewitt’s question, so he asked again. ‘I think for me nuclear – the power, the devastation is very important to me,’ Trump said in his second attempt.” [Free Beacon, 12/15/15]

Trump Did Not Answer What His Priority Was Among The Nuclear Triad. HEWITT: “Dr. Carson just referenced the single most important job of the president, the command, the control and the care of our nuclear forces. And he mentioned the triad. The B-52s are older than I am. The missiles are old. The submarines are aging out. It’s an executive order. It’s a commander-in-chief decision. What’s your priority among our nuclear triad?” TRUMP: “Well, first of all, I think we need somebody absolutely that we can trust, who is totally responsible; who really knows what he or she is doing. That is so powerful and so important. And one of the things that I’m frankly most proud of is that in 2003, 2004, I was totally against going into Iraq because you’re going to destabilize the Middle East. I called it. I called it very strongly. And it was very important.” [Republican Presidential Debate, Las Vegas NV, 12/15/15]

TRUMP HAS ADMITTED TO NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY

Trump Admitted He Didn’t Know The Answers To Several Questions During Foreign Policy Interview.  “Among other things, the Republican presidential front-runner suggested it was not yet important for him to know the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas, the Islamic militant groups based in Lebanon and Palestine.”  [Business Insider, 9/3/15]

TRUMP WASN’T AWARE OF THE NAME OF THE LEADER OF IRAN’S QUDS FORCE AND CONFUSED THE QUDS AND THE KURDS

Donald Trump Appeared To The Quds Force, An Iranian Military Group, For The Kurds, A Middle Eastern People In An Interview With Hugh Hewitt. “Donald J. Trump revealed gaps in his mastery of international affairs during a radio interview on Thursday, appearing to mistake the Quds Force, an Iranian military group, for the Kurds, a Middle Eastern people, and growing testy over questions about foreign leaders. … At one point, according to the interview’s transcript, Mr. [Hugh] Hewitt asked Mr. Trump if he was familiar with Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the shadowy commander of Iran’s paramilitary Quds Force. ‘Yes, but go ahead, give me a little, go ahead, tell me,’ Mr. Trump replied. ‘He runs the Quds Forces,’ Mr. Hewitt said. ‘Yes, O.K., right,’ Mr. Trump said. But Mr. Trump seemed to think Mr. Hewitt was referring to the Kurds, a group with its own language and culture. Mr. Trump asserted that ‘the Kurds, by the way, have been horribly mistreated.’ Mr. Hewitt interrupted. ‘No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces.’ Mr. Trump tried to recover from the live, on-air tutorial. ‘Yes, yes,’ he said. He added, ‘Oh, I thought you said Kurds, Kurds.’” [New York Times, 9/3/15] 

Donald Trump Appeared To Not Know The Difference Between The Iranian Quds Forces And The Kurds. HUGH HEWITT: “Are you familiar with General Soleimani?” DONALD TRUMP: “Yes, but go ahead, give me a little, go ahead, tell me.” HUGH HEWITT: “He runs the Quds Forces.” DONALD TRUMP: “Yes, okay, right.” HUGH HEWITT: “Do you expect his behavior…” DONALD TRUMP: “The Kurds, by the way, have been horribly mistreated by …” HUGH HEWITT: “No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces.” DONALD TRUMP: “Yes, yes.” HUGH HEWITT: “…is the bad guys.” DONALD TRUMP: “Right.” HUGH HEWITT: “Do you expect his behavior to change as a result…” DONALD TRUMP: “Oh, I thought you said Kurds, Kurds.” HUGH HEWITT: “No, Quds.” DONALD TRUMP: “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you said Kurds, because I think the Kurds have been poorly treated by us, Hugh. Go ahead.” HUGH HEWITT: “Agreed. So Soleimani runs the Quds Forces. Do you expect his behavior is going to change as a result of this deal with Iran?” DONALD TRUMP: “I think that Iran right now is in the driver’s seat to do whatever they want to do. I think what’s happening with Iran is, I think it’s one of the, and I covered it very well. I assume you saw the news conference. I think Iran is, it’s one of the great deals ever made for them. I think it’s one of the most incompetent contracts I’ve even seen. I’m not just talking about defense. I’m not talking about a contract with another country. I’ve never seen more of a one-sided deal, I think, in my life, absolutely.” HUGH HEWITT: “Well, Soleimani is to terrorism sort of what Trump is to real estate.” DONALD TRUMP: “Okay.” HUGH HEWITT: “Many people would say he’s the most dangerous man in the world, and he runs the Quds Forces, which is their Navy SEALs.” DONALD TRUMP: “Is he the gentleman that was going back and forth with Russia and meeting with Putin? I read something, and that seems to be also where he’s at.” HUGH HEWITT: “That’s the guy.” DONALD TRUMP: “He’s going back and forth meeting with other countries, etc., etc.” HUGH HEWITT: “That’s the guy.” DONALD TRUMP: “Not good.” HUGH HEWITT: “And so do you think…” DONALD TRUMP: “Not good for us. And what it shows is a total lack of respect, I mean, that the other countries would even be entertaining him, and they’re entertaining him big league, big league.” [Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, 9/3/15]

ASKED WHO ADVISES HIM ON THE MILITARY, TRUMP SAID HE GETS A LOT OF ADVICE FROM THE “WEEKEND SHOWS”

Donald Trump Said He Got Military Advice From “The Shows.” CHUCK TODD: “Who do you talk to for military advice right now?” DONALD TRUMP: “Well, I watch the shows. I mean, I really see a lot of great -- you know, when you watch your show and all of the other shows and you have the generals.” [Washington Post, 8/17/15; Meet The Press, NBC News, 8/16/15]

Trump’s Foreign Policy Could Make America An Enemy Of The World

TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY BOASTED OF HIS INTENT TO USE EXTREME FORCE

TRUMP CLAIMS TO BE THE “MOST MILITARISTIC PERSON” IN THE WORLD

Donald Trump: “I’m The Most Militaristic Person Here, But You Have To Know When To Use The Military.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Rally, Norfolk, VA, 10/31/15]

Donald Trump: “I Am The Most Militaristic Person Have You Ever Had On Your Show, Believe Me, OK?” [Fox Business News, 11/6/15]

Donald Trump: “I'm The Most Military-Based And The Most Militaristic Person On Your Show.” [Face The Nation, CBS News, 10/11/15]

Donald Trump: “Look. I Am The Most Militaristic Person. I Will Make Our Military So Strong And So Powerful, Nobody's Going To Mess With Us.” [20/20, ABC News, 11/20/15]

Donald Trump: “I Mean, There's Something Going On. I'm Most Militaristic Person On The Stage But You Have To Know Who To Attack And When.” [O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 11/25/15]

TRUMP FREQUENTLY ANTAGONIZES OTHER COUNTRIES

Donald Trump Said France Was "The Worst Partner That This Country Has Ever Had" And Would “Sell A Nuclear Weapon To Anybody Giving Them 10 Cents More Than The Next Guy.” “Mr.  Trump used his appearance on Fox to criticize a number of U.S. allies and trading partners.  … He denounced France as ‘the worst partner that this country has ever had.’ ‘They'll sell a nuclear weapon to anybody giving them 10 cents more than the next guy,’ he said.  ‘They are a very disloyal group in terms of their government, and I think they have to be taught respect,’ Mr.  Trump said.” [Washington Times, 11/1/99]

•	10/31/99: Donald Trump: “France Has To Be The Worst Partner That This Country Has Ever Had.” They Have “Been A Very Disloyal Partner To The United States And Virtually Anybody Else They Deal With.” “If you look throughout the world, France has to be the worst partner that this country has ever had. They'll sell a nuclear weapon to anybody giving them 10 cents more to the next guy. It's terrible. … I think France just doesn't respect this country. France is a terrible partner. They've been a terrible partner over the years. They are a very disloyal group in terms of their government, and I think they have to be taught respect. I'm not saying what I'm doing to them, I just think France and I think one thing I'm doing I'm exposing them, because I've never heard this before. But anybody that knows anything about government, knows that France has been a very disloyal partner to the United States and virtually anybody else they deal with.” [Fox News Sunday, Fox News, 10/31/99]

Donald Trump Accused Germany Of Wanting To “Take Over The World Economically.” “Mr. Trump used his appearance on Fox to criticize a number of U.S. allies and trading partners. …He accused Germany of wanting ‘to take over the world economically,’ even though ‘they failed militarily.’” [Washington Times, 11/1/99]

Trump Wanted Saudi Arabia To Pay The U.S. For Their Support. “Trump, who has repeatedly portrayed Mexico, Japan, and China as ‘ripping us off,’ shifted his focus to Saudi Arabia in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. ‘They should pay us,’ Trump said of the oil rich nation. ‘Like it or don’t like it, people have backed Saudi Arabia. What I really mind, though, is we back it at tremendous expense. We get nothing for it.’ Trump portrayed the U.S. financial relationship with Saudi Arabia as outdated. ‘The primary reason we're with Saudi Arabia is because we need the oil,’ Trump said. ‘Now we don't need the oil so much, and if we let our people really go, we wouldn't need the oil at all and we could let everybody else fight it out.’ The U.S. currently imports more than one million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil each day, according to the U.S. State Department's website….’Saudi Arabia, if it weren’t for us, they wouldn’t be here,’ Trump said. ‘They wouldn’t exist.’” [Bloomberg, 8/16/15]

Trump Said That The Chinese Were Enemies. MORGAN: “There are towns in China that sell 95 percent of the world's duvets. You know, they manufacture 85 percent of the world's buttons. Now I don't think that's the enemy. I think it's a potential business friend. Isn't it? Can't we work with them?” TRUMP: “I don't think they're friends. I think they're enemies. I deal with Chinese. I just sold an apartment to a Chinese person for $33 million a short while ago -- a couple of months ago. I mean I'm supposed to like the Chinese but I understand the Chinese and I deal with them all the time. Now this is before they thought I might run for president. They consider our leaders extremely stupid people. They cannot believe what they get away with. Whether it's the Olympics where they put people under age and they say, no, no, no, and then we find out it was true and they say, oh, we just didn't know. Or whether they have the beautiful girl singing the national anthem, their national anthem, but it wasn't her singing. So many different things. I mean the Chinese are looking to put us under and believe me they are not our friends. I'm surprised at you because you're not somebody that's easily misled or misguided… They are not our friend.” [Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

In Response To China Devaluing Their Currency, Trump Said He Would Put A Tariff On Chinese Products And Claimed We “Have To” Have A Trade War With China. “Challenged by host Bill O'Reilly, the celebrity real estate tycoon doubled down on what has become a main issue in his campaign, criticizing the U.S. government for allowing China to devalue its currency. Trump said he would put a tariff on Chinese products, saying ‘you have to’ have a trade war. ‘Their leaders are intelligent, ours aren't,’ Trump said Monday.” [The Hill, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

•	Trump Said He Would Start A Trade War With China, Stating “You Have To Do That ... You Have No Choice.” “Trump, who has made a similar call with Mexico, said Monday that he would initiate a trade war with China, saying ‘you have to do that ... you have no choice.’: [CNN, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

•	CNN Money: Trump Massive Tariffs “Would Start An Immediate Trade War That Would Likely Hurt American Jobs And Exports.” “Trump's big claim is that he will bring back American jobs -- ‘from China, from Mexico, from Japan, from so many places.’ If you listen closely, Trump has proposed doing this two ways: slapping tariffs on foreign goods and negotiating better trade deals. In his campaign announcement speech, he threatened a 35% tax on Ford (F) vehicles made in Mexico that are brought back to the U.S. to be sold, and in 2011, he has made headlines for suggesting a 25% tariff on goods coming from China to the U.S. At face value, what Trump has proposed would start an immediate trade war that would likely hurt American jobs and exports.” [CNN Money, 7/28/15]

Trump: “I Will Build The Best Wall, The Biggest, The Strongest, Not Penetrable. They Won’t Be Crawling Over It Like Give It A Little Jump And They Are Over The Wall Because They’re Australians And I’ll Have Mexico Pay For That Wall.” [Donald Trump at Tuscan Kitchen restaurant, 4/27/15]

TRUMP HAS ADVOCATED THE USE OF WATERBOARDING AND OTHER TORTURE METHODS

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump On Waterboarding: ‘If It Doesn’t Work, They Deserve It Anyway.’” [Washington Post, 11/23/15] 

Donald Trump Said He Would “Absolutely” Bring Back Waterboarding As An Accepted Form Of Interrogation. “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Sunday he would allow U.S. interrogators to waterboard suspected terrorists in the wake of the recent attacks in Paris. ‘I would bring it back, yes,’ Trump said on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ … ‘I would bring it back,’ Trump said. ‘I think waterboarding is peanuts compared to what they’d do to us, what they’re doing to us, what they did to James Foley when they chopped off his head. That’s a whole different level, and I would absolutely bring back interrogation and strong interrogation.’” [Politico, 11/22/15]

Donald Trump Said “You Bet Your Ass” He Would Approve Waterboarding In A Heartbeat, And “If It Doesn’t Work, They Deserve It Anyway For What They’re Doing.” “‘Would I approve waterboarding? You bet your ass I would — in a heartbeat,’ Trump said to loud cheers during a rally at a convention center here Monday night that attracted thousands. ‘And I would approve more than that. Don't kid yourself, folks. It works, okay? It works. Only a stupid person would say it doesn't work.’ … ‘It works,’ Trump said over and over again. ‘Believe me, it works. And you know what? If it doesn't work, they deserve it anyway, for what they're doing. It works.’” [Washington Post, 11/23/15] 

Donald Trump Said Osama Bin Laden Would Not Have Been Killed If U.S. Had Not Used Waterboarding, Despite A 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee Report’s Determinations To The Contrary. “Trump said bin Laden ultimately would not have been killed in 2011 if the United States did not use waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that the Obama administration considers torture and no longer uses. An exhaustive 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report deemed that harsh interrogation measures like waterboarding do not work and did not produce breakthrough intelligence in the hunt for bin Laden, assertions that the CIA and former officers vehemently dispute. Trump has said he would resume waterboarding and approve even more aggressive techniques.” [Washington Post, 11/24/15]

TRUMP’S PLAN FOR ISIS: “BOMB THE SH*T OUT OF THEM”

Donald Trump Said He Knew “More About ISIS Than The Generals Do,” And That He Would “Bomb The Shit Out Of Them.” “‘I know more about ISIS than the generals do,’ Trump said. ‘Believe me.’ Trump said he would go after the oil fields in Iraq and Syria that he says nets the terrorist group ‘millions of dollars a week.’ ‘I would bomb the s--- out of them,’ he said to raucous applause. ‘I would just bomb those suckers. And that's right: I'd blow up the pipes, I'd blow up the refineries. I would blow up every single inch. There would be nothing left.’” [Washington Post, 11/13/15; Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Fort Dodge Iowa, 11/12/15]

Trump Supported Putting 10,000 Ground Troops In Syria To Defeat ISIS. SCARBOROUGH: “Right. But you need ground troops to do that?” TRUMP: “Yes, you'll need some ground troops. Yeah. You'll need ground troops.” SCARBOROUGH: “What do you think? 10,000, 20,000? Do you have a number?... So -- I want to get specific with you like I will with Ted Cruz and everybody else because I think people need to start giving us specifics on how we get there.” TRUMP: “Well, I've been specific.” SCARBOROUGH: ”So 10,000 troops?... I'm talking specifically about ground troops… So would you support taking it, say, ten thousand ground troops as part of an international force?... Would you support 10,000 ground troops?” TRUMP: “I would. Yes, I would.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 12/8/15]

Trump’s Gun Policy: More Guns

TRUMP BELIEVES THAT MORE GUNS CAN LIMIT CASUALTIES DURING MASS SHOOTINGS

Trump Said If He Were At The Paris Or San Bernardino Shooting, “And If I Had A Gun, I'm -- We're Going Down Shooting. We're Going To Knock Them Out, OK, One Way Or The Other.” TRUMP: “What's too far? What's too far? They're killing people, whether it's what we just saw in California or in Paris. They're killing people, innocent people, people without guns. You look at Paris, no guns, nothing. You look at California, no guns. I can tell you one thing. If I'm in there and if I had a gun, I'm -- we're going down shooting. We're going to knock them out, OK, one way or the other. And if a couple of guns are in that room, you talk about Second Amendment, which I'm a big believer in the Second Amendment. In Paris, they had no guns. In California, they had no guns. Only the bad guys had the guns. So, they were like sitting ducks, every one of them.” [Face The Nation, CBS, 12/6/15]

1/7/15: Donald Trump Tweeted About French Gun Control Laws After The Shootings At The French Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo. “As such, it was no surprise that after shootings at the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris this week, some Americans began to wonder about gun control laws. ‘Isn't it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?’ American reality television star Donald Trump wrote on Twitter shortly after the news broke. The tweet prompted both praise (over a thousand retweets) and scorn (Trump was labelled a ‘moron’ and an ‘idiot’ by other tweeters).” [Washington Post, 1/9/15]

•	1/7/15: Donald Trump: “Isn’t It Interesting That The Tragedy In Paris Took Place In One Of The Toughest Gun Control Countries In The World?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 1/7/15]

11/18/15: Donald Trump Said, “If You Had A Guy Like You Or Me, Or Some Other Guys In That Room That Had Guns,” The Terrorist Attacks In Paris Would Have Been Mitigated. “Donald Trump said on Wednesday that, if he or somebody else with a gun had been present during last Friday’s attacks in Paris, things would have gone differently. ‘So they were just shooting people: ‘Next! Next!’’ the former reality TV star told Boston radio host Jeff Kuhner. ‘Just people were totally defenseless. If you had a guy like you or me, or some other guys in that room that had guns, it wouldn’t have been that way, Jeff. You know. It wouldn’t have been that way.’ Trump made the comments after saying that, because of French gun laws, ‘nobody had a gun’ to shoot the attackers, adding that ‘the only ones that had the guns are the bad guys.’” [Buzzfeed, 11/18/15]

TRUMP OCCASIONALLY CARRIES A GUN, BUT ADMITS HE’S “NOT SUCH A GREAT SHOT”

Donald Trump Said He Carries A Gun “On Occasion” Because “I Like Tobe Unpredictable.” “Donald Trump said he carries a firearm ‘on occasion’ — but not always, because he likes to keep people guessing. Trump said he’d feel ‘more comfortable’ if employees at his company were armed, but he noted that having a permit is ‘very unusual in New York.’
‘I do carry on occasion, sometimes a lot,’ he said. ‘But I like to be unpredictable.’ Trump said his carrying decisions are in contrast to the country's military policy, which he said is ‘totally predictable.’” [Politico, 10/28/15] 

12/11/15: Donald Trump: “I’m A Member Of The NRA, But I’m Not Such A Great Shot.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Rally, Des Moines, Iowa, 12/11/15]

TRUMP OPPOSES NEARLY ALL GUN CONTROL MEASURES

Donald Trump Played Up His Support For Nearly Unrestricted Gun Rights Despite Having Supported The Assault Weapons Ban And Longer Background Checks In The Past. “Donald Trump said Tuesday he supports allowing Americans to legally buy and own assault weapons…. Trump has played up his support for nearly unrestricted gun rights throughout the campaign as he has looked to bolster his conservative credentials, especially given his past support for some gun control measures. ‘I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun,’ Trump wrote in his 2000 book ‘The America We Deserve.’” [CNN, 10/6/15]

•	2015: Donald Trump Supported Allowing Americans To Buy And Own Assault Weapons And Called For An End To Gun-Free Zones. “Donald Trump said Tuesday he supports allowing Americans to legally buy and own assault weapons. ‘You have to be because the bad guys are going to have them anyway,’ Trump told CNN's Chris Cuomo on ‘New Day.’ ‘What happens when the bad guys have the assault weapons and you don't in a confrontation?’ Trump suggested overturning gun-free zones and said civilians with guns could have stopped the mass shooting at a community college last week in Oregon.” [CNN, 10/6/15]

•	2000: Donald Trump Supported The Assault Weapons Ban And Longer Waiting Periods. “‘I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun,’ Trump wrote in his 2000 book ‘The America We Deserve.’" [CNN, 10/6/15]

Trump Opposed Regulations On The Number Of Rounds Allowed In Gun Magazines. TRUMP: “Gun magazine limits do not make common sense. I have long opposed such limits. For instance, I fought the SAFE Act in New York, which I call the “Unsafe Act.”  I also spoke at a rally in Albany championing gun rights and protesting the Unsafe Act. The law limited capacity to seven rounds, as if criminals were going to take rounds out of their magazines before committing a crime.  It was later changed to a limit of ten rounds, but the entire episode was a complete disaster.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]

Donald Trump Criticized Gun-Free Zones And Said “It’s Going To Be A Lot Safer” If You Carry A Gun. DICKERSON: “Should people carry?” TRUMP: “If they want to, they should be able to, because it's going to be lot safer. Look at what's going on. We're going into these gun-free areas. How about the school few months ago? Gun-free school, gun-free area, and you look at what happened. It was a disgrace. If people had guns, how about the -- how about the soldiers that were killed, six soldiers killed, champion marksmen on a military base? They're not allowed to carry their guns.” [Face The Nation, CBS, 12/6/15]

Repeal Without A Plan On Health Care

TRUMP HAS CALLED FOR THE REPEAL OF THE “CATASTROPHE” KNOWN AS THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT….

Trump Called The Affordable Care Act A “Total Catastrophe.” “Trump presented himself as a conservative, ‘very conservative’ and as a Republican, but admitted that he is ‘very disappointed’  with Republican politicians. The crowd shared the sentiment and gave ‘The Donald’ a huge round of applause. Trump says the GOP has let the president ‘get away with absolute murder.’ He pointed to Obamacare as a ‘total catastrophe.’” [Breitbart, 1/24/15]

…YET HE HAS FAILED TO OFFER ANY SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT HE WOULD REPLACE IT WITH

In “Crippled America,” Donald Trump Laid Out His Plan To Replace The Affordable Care Act: I’ll Hire Smart People And They’ll Come Up With Something. “My approach is completely different. I approach complicated problems such as how to provide health care for most Americans at a price we can afford the same way I solve the toughest business problems. We should hire the most knowledgeable people in the world on this subject and lock them in a room—and not unlock the door until they’ve agreed on the steps we need to take. A lot of times when I speak, people say I don’t provide specific policies that some pollster has determined are what people want to hear. I know that’s not the way the professional politicians do it—they seem to poll and focus-group every word. But there’s nobody like me.” [Trump, Crippled America, 70, 11/3/15]

•	Donald Trump: “Obamacare’s Going To Be Repealed And Replaced,” And “I Am Going To Take Care Of Everybody” And “The Government’s Gonna Pay For It.” TRUMP: “‘Obamacare's going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare is a disaster if you look at what's going on with premiums where they're up 45, 50, 55 percent. … Everybody's got to be covered. … I am going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not. … [The uninsured are] going to be taken care of. … The government's gonna pay for it. But we're going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most it's going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.’” [60 Minutes, CBS, 9/27/15]

Donald Trump Said He Would Repeal The Affordable Care Act And Replace It With “Something Terrific.” “Trump once supported the liberal plan to create a national, single-payer health care system similar to the one in Canada, a position he explained in his 2000 book ‘The America We Deserve.’ But as a Republican presidential candidate, Trump's plan is now simpler: Repeal Obamacare. And then? ‘Replace with something terrific,’ Trump said, explaining that the ‘terrific’ would be handled by private companies competing in the private market. But Trump suggested an alternative system for lower-income individuals -- describing what, in the broad strokes, appears to sound similar to Medicaid.” [CNN, 7/30/15]

Climate Change Denier

TRUMP BELIEVES CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX, DESPITE ALL EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY

In 2015, Trump Called Climate Change A “Hoax.” “Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. In the past, he has called climate change ‘a hoax’ and said he has a ‘foolproof’ plan to defeat the Islamic State, which he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group. On Tuesday, he vowed to build a ‘great wall’ on the Mexican border to keep out rapists and other criminals, who he said were sneaking into the United States in droves.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]

Trump: “This Very Expensive GLOBAL WARMING Bullshit Has Got To Stop. Our Planet Is Freezing, Record Low Temps,And Our GW Scientists Are Stuck In Ice” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 1/1/14]

Trump Argued That The Environment Would Be Fine Without Protection. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday that he would cut government agencies if he were elected President. Among them? The Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump told ‘Fox News Sunday’ host Chris Wallace. ‘Would you cut serve -- would you cut departments?’ Wallace asked Trump. ‘No, I'm not cutting services, but I'm cutting spending. But I may cut Department of Education. I believe Common Core is a very bad thing,’ Trump said. ‘I believe that we should be — you know, educating our children from Iowa, from New Hampshire, from South Carolina, from California, from New York. I think that it should be local education.’ ‘So the Department of Education is one,’ he continued. ‘Environmental Protection, what they do is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new regulations. They're making it impossible —‘ Wallace interjected, ‘Who's going to protect the environment?’ ‘They — we'll be fine with the environment,’ Trump replied. ‘We can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses.’” [Talking Points Memo, 10/18/15]

Donald Trump Declared, “You Can’t Get Hurt By Extreme Weather,” Then Tweeted His Support For The More Than 12 People Killed By Flooding In South Carolina. “Donald Trump sent out prayers to those affected by the deadly flooding in South Carolina on Monday, just weeks after telling voters people aren't hurt from extreme weather. As of Monday night, there have been a total of 13 storm related deaths in South Carolina and North Carolina combined. ‘Thoughts and prayers for those in the floods affecting the great people of South Carolina,’ Trump tweeted Monday in the wake of the floods. But two weeks ago in Dallas, Trump told supporters ‘you can't get hurt with extreme weather,’ as he dismissed President Barack Obama's argument that extreme weather as a result of climate change poses a threat to America.” [CNN, 10/5/15]

Trump Has Supported The GOP’s Reckless Approach To Governing

TRUMP BACKED THE GOP’S ATTEMPTS TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY DON’T GET THEIR WAY

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Donald Trump Said He Would Support Republicans Sticking Together To Shut Down The Government Over Obamacare. “Real estate mogul Donald Trump said he supports shutting down the government over legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, adding that the Republican Party could have done the same thing with Obamacare. ‘I would [support a government shutdown], and I was also in support if the Republicans stuck together you could have done it with Obamacare also, but the Republicans decided not to stick together and they left a few people out there like Ted Cruz,’ Trump said on the ‘Hugh Hewitt Show’ on Monday.” [Politico, 8/4/15]

DEBT CEILING

Donald Trump Said It Was “Worth The Fight” To Use The Debt Ceiling As Leverage To Get Spending Cuts Because “If You Had The Right People There You Could Cut It And You Would Have No Problem Whatsoever.” “HALPERIN: So do you think it's worth playing a game of chicken with President Obama, and not raising the debt ceiling and dealing with the market (INAUDIBLE)? TRUMP: I would say that it's worth the fight, because honestly, there is so much fat in Washington that if you had the right people there you could cut it and you would have no problem whatsoever. And you wouldn't miss a thing.” [Interview CNBC/Dow Jones Business Video, 8/26/15]

Donald Trump Said Congress Should Use The Debt Limit As A “Strong Negotiating Tactic.” TRUMP: “Congress should negotiate the debt limit. They should negotiate and use it as a strong negotiating tactic, because they’re not doing that. I heard last night, speaker Boehner: ‘We will never violate the debt limit.’ Now it’s one thing if you believe that, but you don’t say that because the other side now knows that you’re not going to do anything with the debt limit and you have given up such leverage by saying that, and I just don’t understand why would he say that. You have given up such leverage to the Obama side, to the Democrats, because he said ‘We will not violate,’ and I’m saying to myself, ‘Boy, that’s why so many people are so angry.’ So many Republicans, on the other side, the smaller group, but a tough group, they’re not happy about it. So I would use the debt limit to negotiate a great deal. I just don’t know if they’re going to do that. How can you do that when you’ve already announced that you’re not going to violate the debt?” [Capital Download, USA Today, 10/22/15; VIDEO]

2013: Donald Trump Thought Republicans Had Cards To Play In Avoiding A Government Shutdown, But They Needed To Hurry Up, And Ultimately It Was Up To President Obama To Lead. “Real Estate mogul Donald Trump offered some of his expert deal-making advice to Congress on Monday as the clock was ticking on avoiding a government shutdown: Hurry up. ‘I think actually the Republicans have a lot of cards. But if they're going to play those cards, they better play them now,’ said ‘The Art of the Deal’ author. ‘You have the debt ceiling coming up. It's going to be another time. But you can't play it twice as easily.’ … Ultimately, Trump said it's up to President Barack Obama to lead.” [Politico, 9/30/13]

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Trump Supported Shutting Down The Government To Defund Planned Parenthood. “Real estate mogul Donald Trump said he supports shutting down the government over legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, adding that the Republican Party could have done the same thing with Obamacare. ‘I would [support a government shutdown], and I was also in support if the Republicans stuck together you could have done it with Obamacare also, but the Republicans decided not to stick together and they left a few people out there like Ted Cruz,’ Trump said on the ‘Hugh Hewitt Show’ on Monday.” [Politico, 8/4/15]

Trump Has Devalued And Demeaned Women Repeatedly Throughout His Career

TRUMP ATTACKED MEGYN KELLY FOR QUESTIONING HIS COMMENTS ABOUT WOMEN BEING “DOGS,” “FAT PIGS,” ETC.

Megyn Kelly Questioned Trump For Calling Women “'Fat Pigs,' 'Dogs,' Slobs, And Disgusting Animals.” “Real-estate magnate Donald Trump was confronted by Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly during the first Republican presidential debate on Thursday, accusing him of being insensitive toward women. ‘You've called women you don't like, 'fat pigs,' 'dogs,' slobs, and disgusting animals,’ Kelly opened a question to Trump. ‘Only Rosie O'Donnell,’ Trump quipped. ‘No it wasn't. For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O'Donnell. Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women's looks. You once told a contestant on 'Celebrity Apprentice' it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?’ Kelly asked Trump. Trump went on to say he thinks a major problem with America is its trend toward being ‘politically correct.’ And he told Kelly if she didn't like it, ‘I'm sorry.’ ‘I think the big problem this country has being politically correct. I've been challenged by so many people and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness,’ he said. [Business Insider, 8/6/15]

TRUMP SAID THAT A FEMALE JOURNALIST WHO ASKED ABOUT PAST MISOGYNISTIC COMMENTS HAD “BLOOD COMING OUT OF HER EYES, BLOOD COMING OUT OF HER WHATEVER”

Trump Hit Megyn Kelly For The Questions She Asked During The First Debate And Claimed “You Could See There Was Blood Coming Out Of Her Eyes, Blood Coming Out Of Her Wherever.” “During Thursday's presidential debate, Kelly pressed Trump about misogynistic, sexist comments he made in the past, such as calling some women ‘fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.’ Trump slammed Kelly, saying her questions were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘off-base.’ ‘You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes,’ Trump told CNN's Don Lemon on Friday night. ‘Blood coming out of her wherever.’” [CNN, 8/8/15; Don Lemon, CNN, 8/7/15]

TRUMP ALLEGEDLY CALLED A WOMAN WHO ASKED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM WORK TO PUMP BREAST MILK “DISGUSTING”

2011: Trump Called A Lawyer Who Requested A Break From A Deposition To Pump Breast Milk “Disgusting,” Before Ending His Testimony And Leaving The Room. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump once called a lawyer who requested a break from a 2011 deposition to pump breast milk ‘disgusting’ before ending his testimony and leaving the room. ‘He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at me and he screamed, 'You're disgusting, you're disgusting,' and he ran out of there,’ Beck told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on Wednesday morning, calling it ‘an absolute meltdown.’ The incident was described in a letter from Jared Beck, Elizabeth's co-counsel and husband, obtained by CNN and first reported Tuesday by the New York Times. Trump's attorney Allen Garten, who was present for the deposition, does not dispute that Trump called Beck ‘disgusting.’ Trump slammed Beck's interview in a tweet to CNN Politics on Wednesday morning: ‘Lawyer Elizabeth Beck did a terrible job against me, she lost (I even got legal fees). I loved beating her,she was easy,’ he tweeted.” [CNN, 7/29/15]

•	Alan Garten, Executive Vice President And General Counsel At The Trump Organization, Did Not Dispute Trump’s Remarks And Said That The Lawyer “Was Disgusting.”  “Alan Garten, executive vice president and general counsel at The Trump Organization, did not dispute the remark, but said Trump called Beck ‘disgusting’ because she was about to use her breast pump in the middle of the deposition room. ‘She was disgusting,’ Garten said in a phone interview with CNN. ‘She was attempting to breast feed -- to pump in the middle of a deposition, in a deposition room with five lawyers and was not excusing herself.’” [CNN, 7/29/15]

ON WOMEN’S WEIGHT AND APPEARANCE… INCLUDING HIS OWN DAUGHTER’S

Trump On What He Would Do If His Wife Gained 40 Or 50 Pounds: “I'd Say, 'Start Working Out.'” COOPER: “What happens if Marla gained this kind of weight? Would you drop her?” TRUMP: “Well, I'd probably do the same thing with her.  I'd say, 'Start working out.' No, I wouldn't.” COOPER: “OK.  You're sure?” TRUMP: “It's a very interesting question.” [This Morning, CBS, 1/29/97]

Trump On Miss Universe Pageant Winner: “She Weighed 118 Pounds, Or 117 Pounds, And She Went Up To 160 Or 170.  So This Is Somebody That Likes To Eat.” COOPER: “Enter the man Alisa calls her new boss.  You got it, The Donald. Trump and his wife, Marla, purchased the Miss Universe pageant earlier this month.  And Trump decided this investment needed a little extra attention.” TRUMP: “She weighed 118 pounds, or 117 pounds, and she went up to 160 or 170.  So this is somebody that likes to eat.” COOPER: “Now instead of steaks and French fries, it's medicine balls and jump ropes for Alisa; that is, when there's room enough to exercise.” [This Morning, CBS, 1/29/97]

Donald Trump Said Wearing Burkas Makes It “Easier” For Women To Look Beautiful Because They “Don’t Have To Put On Make-Up.” “Trump extended his blunt-force brand of diplomacy and non-interventionist stance to women's rights, saying that America should stop meddling in Middle Eastern affairs because women there ‘don't want freedom,’ as evidenced by their desire to wear burqas or niqabs, which cover their faces. ‘With the women over there, they don't have to wear the you-know-what,’ Trump said referring to the veils worn by some Muslim women. ‘And then I said, 'Oh well that makes sense. That's nice.' Then, I saw women interviewed. They said, 'We want to wear them. We've worn them for a thousand years. Why would anyone tell us?' They want to. What the hell are we getting involved for? The fact is it's easier. You don't have to put on make-up. Look how beautiful everyone looks. Wouldn't it be easier if ‘mwah’ (kissing sound)? Right? Wouldn't that be easy? I tell you if I was a woman - ‘mwah’ - I'm ready darling. Let's go.’” [CBS News, 10/26/15]

Trump: Doesn’t Matter What Media Say About You “As Long As You’ve Got A Young And Beautiful Piece Of Ass.”  In 1991, Trump told Esquire, "You know, it doesn't really matter what (the media) write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” [Des Moines Register, 9/13/15]

Trump On His Daughter: “She Does Have A Very Nice Figure . . . If [She] Weren’t My Daughter, Perhaps I’d Be Dating Her.” “She was replaced by Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, of whom Trump once said, ‘She does have a very nice figure . . . if [she] weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.’” [Anna Holmes, Washington Post, 4/30/11]

ON THE “HUNT” FOR WOMEN

Trump: “I Think The Hunt Is Always Fun, Whether It's Deals, Whether It's Women, Whether It's Anything.” WALTERS: “I want to clear something up. In your book, the new book, you say, ‘The fun is in the getting, not the having.’ Does that include women? No kidding.” TRUMP: “Interesting question. I think the hunt is always fun, whether it's deals, whether it's women, whether it's anything. I think, however, that with respect to women, there would be nothing that would make me happier than having a great marriage. An absolutely great marriage, and that would certainly supersede the hunt.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Trump On Not Having A First Lady: “We Could Have One In 24 Hours” If Necessary. KING: “We will not have a first lady.  Who will be?  I'm thinking ahead.  Who's in charge of social affairs?” TRUMP: “Well, we could have one in 24 hours.  We actually -- it would be very interesting.” KING: “There's a line out there?” TRUMP: “But we could have one quickly.” KING: “Are you telling us something?” TRUMP: “No, not all.  But I'm saying, if there was a, you know, prerequisite, 24 hours, it's done.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

ON A WIFE’S ROLE IN THE HOME

Trump: “I Don't Want To Sound Too Much Like A Chauvinist, But When I Come Home And Dinner's Not Ready, I'll Go Through The Roof.”NANCY COLLINS: “Well, you now are married to a woman, and you- who would like to continue her career. Marla says she does want to have a career….You have said you don't want Marla to work.”… TRUMP: “I think I'm probably mixed. I have days where I think it's great and then I have days where if I come home and- you know, I don't want to sound too much like a chauvinist, but when I come home and dinner's not ready, I'll go through the roof, okay?”[Primetime Live, ABC News, 3/10/94]

Trump:  Men Need “Support At Home…Not Someone Who Is Always Griping and Bitching.  "Often, I will tell friends whose wives are constantly nagging them about this or that that they're better off leaving and cutting their losses. I'm not a great believer in always trying to work things out, because it just doesn't happen that way. For a man to be successful he needs support at home, just like my father had from my mother, not someone who is always griping and bitching." [Des Moines Register, 9/13/15]

ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF WOMEN AND “GETTING AHEAD”

Trump: It Is Rare That Women Are Both “Very Beautiful” And Have High IQs. ZAHN: “Let's go back to the women for a moment.  Because ‘TIME’ magazine calls them, either the hottest women in your office hot to super model hot, and they say that there is more leg and naval flashed in most staff meetings outside of Hooters.” TRUMP: “And they know how to use their looks.  Many of the women are very beautiful, super model beautiful but they have 200 IQs, which is rather rare.” [Paula Zahn Now, 1/7/04]

Trump Said That Women Using Sexuality To Get Ahead Is “Part Of Life.” KING: “Do you think that some complaining about women use their gender to advantage in this, or is that also part of life?” TRUMP: “Women?  I mean, do women use sex?  Absolutely not. You've never known a woman to use sex, right?  On my show, I get criticized when they use sex.  The rest of the world, nobody gets criticized. You know, amazingly, these people were chosen. They're young people, and they were chosen for their brain, but they happen to be attractive.  I mean, the women, some of the women, happen to be very attractive.  And they have used their sexuality to win certain tasks, as we call them.  And hey, that's part of life, I guess.  In real life, that happens, too.  I've known it.  I've seen it happen.  It's actually happened to me a couple of times, Larry.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 2/27/04]

ON HIS “CREATION PROCESS” – ADMITTEDLY, “IT’S PRETTY SAD” – AND LEAVING FOR “A PIECE OF ASS”

Trump On His Marriages: “I've Really Given A Lot Of Women Great Opportunity. Unfortunately, After They're A Star, The Fun Is Over For Me. It's Like A Creation Process.” NANCY COLLINS: “You know what's interesting, Donald, is you take these women, these two particular women in your life, and you help them become very well-known. And then, when they want to act on that appeal, you seem to get upset about it.” TRUMP: “I create stars. I love creating stars. And, to a certain extent, I've done that with Ivana. To a certain extent, I've done that with Marla. And I like that. I mean, I've really given a lot of women great opportunity. Unfortunately, after they're a star, the fun is over for me. It's like a creation process. It's almost like creating a building. It's pretty sad.”[Primetime Live, ABC News, 3/10/94]

Trump On His Divorce From Ivana: “When A Man Leaves A Woman, Especially When It Was Perceived That He Has Left For A Piece Of Ass--A Good One-- There Are 50 Percent Of The Population Who Will Love The Woman Who Was Left.” WALTERS: “The author, Marie Brenner, quotes you as saying to her, ‘When a man leaves a woman, especially when it was perceived that he has left for a piece of ass- a good one- there are 50 percent of the population who will love the woman who was left.’” TRUMP: “I do remember saying that. I don't remember having used those words. That's possible. But I believe that if a man leaves a woman for almost any reason, that that particular person, the man, is going to be at a major disadvantage in terms of the public eye, there's no question about it.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Trump On Military Sexual Assaults…

DONALD TRUMP INSINUATED THAT SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY WAS THE RESULT OF POLITICIANS WANTING TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT

Trump: “26,000 Unreported Sexual [Assaults] In The Military—Only 238 Convictions. What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” “Two years ago, Trump weighed in on the alarming rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on the presence of women. ‘26,000 unreported sexual [assaults] in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?’ he tweeted in 2013. ‘The Generals and top military brass never wanted a mixer but were forced to do it by very dumb politicians who wanted to be politically [correct]!’ he continued.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump: “The Generals And Top Military Brass Never Wanted A Mixer But Were Forced To Do It By Very Dumb Politicians Who Wanted To Be Politically [Correct]!” “Two years ago, Trump weighed in on the alarming rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on the presence of women. ‘26,000 unreported sexual [assaults] in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?’ he tweeted in 2013. ‘The Generals and top military brass never wanted a mixer but were forced to do it by very dumb politicians who wanted to be politically [correct]!’ he continued.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Donald Trump: “26,000 Unreported Sexual Assults In The Military-Only 238 Convictions. What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/7/13]

Donald Trump: "The Generals And Top Military Brass Never Wanted A Mixer But Were Forced To Do It By Very Dumb Politicians Who Wanted To Be Politically C!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/7/13]

Out of Touch/Hand-Outs For The Wealthy At The Expense Of The Middle Class

TRUMP’S TAX PLAN WOULD DISPROPORTIONATELY BENEFIT THE WEALTHY

Vox: Donald Trump’s Tax Plan “Substantially” Helps Households Making Six Figures Per Year, But Forty Percent Of Households That Currently Pay No Income Taxes “Won’t Get Anything Out Of His Proposal.” “While everyone who pays income tax would benefit from the bigger initial exemption in Trump's plan, the elimination of the 28, 33, 35, and 39.6 percent tax brackets only helps households making six figures a year, and it helps them substantially. Those households also benefit from the higher kick-in of the 10 percent, 15 percent, and 25 percent brackets. Given that Trump doesn't call for expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit, the 40.4 percent of households already not paying any income tax won't get anything out of his proposal.” [Vox, 9/28/15]

Trump Proposed Lowering The Top Individual Tax Rate From 39.6% To 25%. “All other Americans will get a simpler tax code with four brackets – 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% – instead of the current seven. This new tax code eliminates the marriage penalty and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II.” [Trump Tax Plan, Donald J. Trump For President, Released 9/28/15]

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Eliminate The Estate Tax. “No family will have to pay the death tax. You earned and saved that money for your family, not the government. You paid taxes on it when you earned it.... The death tax punishes families for achieving the American dream. Therefore, the Trump plan eliminates the death tax.” [Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cut The Corporate Tax Rate To 15%. “No business of any size, from a Fortune 500 to a mom and pop shop to a freelancer living job to job, will pay more than 15% of their business income in taxes…. Under the Trump plan, America will compete with the world and win by cutting the corporate tax rate to 15%, taking our rate from one of the worst to one of the best.” [Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cut Taxes On Capital Gains. “The top capital gains rate would be cut to 20 percent from 23.8 percent, through the elimination of Obamacare's 3.8 percent surtax. The first 15 percent capital gains rate would kick in at $100,000 for couples, not the current $74,900. But the 20 percent rate would kick in a little earlier: $300,000, not $464,850.” [Vox, 9/28/15]

Citizens For Tax Justice: The Top 1% Wealthiest Americans Would Get 34 Percent Of Trump’s Tax Cuts.  “Now, there are three things to know about Trump's tax plan…. The second is, well, did I mention it would help the rich the most? The liberal Citizens for Tax Justice calculates that the top 1 percent would get 34 percent of Trump's total tax cut. That is actually what passes for egalitarian among Republicans—Jeb would give 53 percent of his tax cuts to our country's most exclusive centile—but it's still a bigger giveaway than anybody else's because Trump's tax cuts are bigger too.” [Wonkblog, Washington Post, 10/2/15]

Politico’s Danny Vinik: “Who Would Be The Winners Of The Trump Tax Plan? The Rich.” “Who would be the winners of the Trump tax plan? The rich. The top tax rate falling from 39.6 percent to 25 percent will give them a huge windfall, as will eliminating the AMT, the estate tax for their heirs, and the Obamacare surtax on capital gains and dividends. The huge cut in the corporate income tax will also benefit the well-off.” [Danny Vinik, Politico, 9/28/15]

TRUMP’S TAX PLAN WOULD BENEFIT PEOPLE JUST LIKE HIM

Headline: “Trump’s Tax Plan Could Cost $12 Trillion, And Save Him Millions In Taxes Each Year.” [Time, 9/29/15]

Citizens For Tax Justice: The Top 1% Wealthiest Americans Would Get 34 Percent Of Trump’s Tax Cuts.  “Now, there are three things to know about Trump's tax plan…. The second is, well, did I mention it would help the rich the most? The liberal Citizens for Tax Justice calculates that the top 1 percent would get 34 percent of Trump's total tax cut. That is actually what passes for egalitarian among Republicans—Jeb would give 53 percent of his tax cuts to our country's most exclusive centile—but it's still a bigger giveaway than anybody else's because Trump's tax cuts are bigger too.” [Wonkblog, Washington Post, 10/2/15]

Politico’s Danny Vinik: Under Trump’s Tax Plan, The Weather Get A “Huge Windfall.”  “Who would be the winners of the Trump tax plan? The rich. The top tax rate falling from 39.6 percent to 25 percent will give them a huge windfall, as will eliminating the AMT, the estate tax for their heirs, and the Obamacare surtax on capital gains and dividends. The huge cut in the corporate income tax will also benefit the well-off.” [Danny Vinik, Politico, 9/28/15]

TRUMP OPPOSED LAWS REFORMING WALL STREET  

Trump Opposed Wall Street Reform And Claimed The Reforms Created “A Very Bad Situation.” TRUMP: “Well, I have to speak two ways. Selfishly, as a developer, I love cheap money, and I have always loved cheap money, and who wouldn't. Now, I'm not speaking as somebody that is a great citizen of this country -- and I hope I am and I love this country very dearly -- but as a developer, I love cheap money. They're giving me cheap money. They -- I will say this, that the only people that get money are people like me that don't need it. If I don't -- if I want to make a deal on buying something, I get very, very inexpensive money. If somebody wants to put together a deal that does -- that is very qualified, and very good, but doesn't have a lot of money, it's impossible for that person to borrow, even at higher rates, because the regulators -- you mentioned Dodd-Frank just a minute ago. The regulators under Dodd-Frank have made it virtually impossible for the banks to lend money to those people, which is a very bad situation to be in.” [Your World with Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 9/19/13]

Trump Claimed Wall Street Reforms Were “Very Bad For The Country.” TRUMP: “The legislation that has been passed over the past years Dodd- Frank has been very bad for the country.” [On The Record with Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 11/24/11]

TRUMP OPPOSES RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

Trump Did Not Support An Increase In The Minimum Wage. “Trump is one of the few Republicans in the 2016 field who isn't skeptical of the usefulness of a federal minimum wage, but he doesn't think it should be increased from the current rate of $7.25 an hour. Wages are a hot issue for many Americans. While the country has been adding jobs in the recovery, wages have barely moved. Trump argues that raising the minimum wage would make U.S. employees less competitive with foreign workers and thus make it harder to keep jobs in America.” [CNN Money, 7/28/15]

Trump Said He Would Not Increase The Minimum Wage. “Trump said he would not increase the minimum wage, adding that the U.S. needs to bring back jobs from places like Mexico, China and India.” [Politico, 6/18/15]

Trump: “I Don’t Want To Raise The Minimum Wage.” “He wouldn’t go into specifics, but promised he would create jobs if elected president. ‘I don’t want to raise the minimum wage. I want to create jobs so people can get much more than that, so they can get five times what the minimum wage is,’ said Trump.” [The Hill, 7/23/15]

Trump’s Ex-Wife Accused Him Of Rape

DONALD TRUMP’S EX-WIFE IVANA HAS USED THE WORDS “VIOLATED” AND “RAPE” TO DESCRIBE A SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH TRUMP

HEADLINE: “Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	SUBHEADLINE: “Ivana Trump Once Accused The Real-Estate Tycoon Of ‘Rape,’ Although She Later Clarified: Not In The ‘Criminal Sense.’” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump’s Ex-Wife Wife Ivana Trump Accused Trump Of Raping Her In 1989. “It was an unfortunate turn of phrase for Trump—in more ways than one. Not only does the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination have a history of controversial remarks about sexual assault, but as it turns out, his ex-wife Ivana Trump once used ‘rape’ to describe an incident between them in 1989. She later said she felt ‘violated’ by the experience.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Ivana Trump’s “Rape” Assertion Originally Appeared In A Deposition As A Part Of The Early 1990s Divorce Case Between The Trumps And Was Described As A “Violent Assault” In The 1993 Book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump. “Ivana Trump’s assertion of ‘rape’ came in a deposition—part of the early ’90s divorce case between the Trumps, and revealed in the 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump. The book, by former Texas Monthly and Newsweek reporter Harry Hurt III, described a harrowing scene. After a painful scalp reduction surgery to remove a bald spot, Donald Trump confronted his then-wife, who had previously used the same plastic surgeon. ‘Your fucking doctor has ruined me!’ Trump cried. What followed was a ‘violent assault,’ according to Lost Tycoon.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

IN RESPONSE TO A STORY ABOUT IVANA’S RAPE ALLEGATIONS, DONALD TRUMP’S SPECIAL COUNSEL SAID “YOU CAN’T RAPE YOUR SPOUSE AND TOLD THE REPORTER HE WOULD “MESS YOUR LIFE UP”

Michael Cohen, Special Counsel At The Trump Organization: “Understand That By The Very Definition, You Can’t Rape Your Spouse.” “Michael Cohen, special counsel at The Trump Organization, defended his boss, saying, ‘You’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual who never raped anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse.’ ‘It is true,’ Cohen added. ‘You cannot rape your spouse. And there’s very clear case law.’ Ivana Trump’s assertion of ‘rape’ came in a deposition—part of the early ’90s divorce case between the Trumps, and revealed in the 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump….That is not true. In New York, there used to be a so-called marital rape exemption to the law. It was struck down in 1984.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump Special Counsel: “So I’m Warning You, Tread Very Fucking Lightly, Because What I’m Going To Do To You Is Going To Be Fucking Disgusting. … You Write A Story That Has Mr. Trump’s Name In It, With The Word ‘Rape,’ And I’m Going To Mess Your Life Up.” “Trump’s lawyer then changed tactics, lobbing insults and threatening a lawsuit if a story was published. ‘I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we’re in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don’t have. And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know,’ Cohen said. ‘So I’m warning you, tread very fucking lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting. You understand me?’ ‘You write a story that has Mr. Trump’s name in it, with the word ‘rape,’ and I’m going to mess your life up…for as long as you’re on this frickin’ planet…you’re going to have judgments against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it,’ he added.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

COHEN APOLOGIZED FOR SAYING “YOU CANNOT RAPE YOUR SPOUSE”

Michael Cohen, Special Counsel To Trump, Apologized For Saying “You Cannot Rape Your Spouse.” “Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump. Cohen has been a long-time aide to Trump, but he found himself facing the national media glare last month when he defended his boss to a Daily Beast reporter in a story about rebuffed allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump. Cohen has since publicly apologized for telling the Daily Beast that ‘you cannot rape your spouse’ and has repeatedly said that he does not believe that statement. ‘As an attorney, husband and father there are many injustices that offend me but nothing more than charges of rape or racism. They hit me at my core,’ Cohen said in an apology statement to CNN. Cohen has served as a media liaison to Trump, helping to coordinate interviews. And he has also appeared on television defending Trump's campaign, but his public appearances have dwindled following the controversy.” The Hill, 8/14/15]

Trump Timeline

Donald Trump was born to Fred and Mary Trump on June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York. 

•	Trump was the second of five siblings, including an older brother Fred Jr., two younger sisters Elizabeth and Maryanne, and a younger brother Robert. His father was a New York City real estate developer and his mother was originally from Scotland. 

•	Trump’s sister Maryanne Trump Barry is a senior United States Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was nominated and confirmed in September 1999.

Trump lived with his family from 1946 to 1959 in Jamaica Estates in Queens, New York where his family owned a mock Tudor-style home on Wareham Place. 

•	The neighborhood Trump grew up in was predominantly inhabited by Caucasian, upper-middle class individuals and families

•	Trump’s father was chauffeured to work every day in a blue Cadillac limousine.

Trump as a child was poorly-behaved—he was expelled from Kew Forest School in second grade for punching his music teacher—and in 1959 his parents sent him to New York Military Academy.

In 1964, Trump graduated from New York Military Academy and began attending Fordham University in the Bronx, New York during which he received the first of four educational deferments from the draft.

In 1968, Trump graduated from Wharton School of Finance at University of Pennsylvania and joined his father’s development projects in Brooklyn and Queens. 

•	Prior to enrolling at University of Pennsylvania Trump had aspirations to attend USC School of Cinema in order to pursue a career as a movie producer, but decided instead after graduation to follow his father into real estate as it was the more stable option.

In 1971, Trump moved to Manhattan to pursue real estate ventures there and was given control of his father’s real estate company. 

On October 15, 1973, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the Trump Management Corporation for frequently violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against potential African-American buyers in Brooklyn, Queens and on Staten Island.

•	Two years later, on June 11, 1975 Trump reached a settlement with the Department of Justice agreeing not to discriminate against minorities and send a list of apartment vacancies to a civil rights group for which applicants would be given priority.

On April 4, 1977, Trump married his first wife, Ivana Zelnickova Winklmayr, a model from Czechoslovakia.

•	On December 31, 1977, Donald and Ivana’s first son, Donald John Trump Jr. was born. 

•	On October 30, 1981, Donald and Ivana’s second child, but first daughter, Ivanka Marie Trump was born. 

•	On January 1, 1984, Donald and Ivana’s second son, Eric Frederic Trump was born.

In 1980, Trump finished renovating the Commodore Hotel near Grand Central Station, which he bought in 1975 after obtaining a 40-year tax abatement. He reopened it with a new name, the Grand Hyatt New York.

In 1981, Trump’s brother, Fred Trump, Jr., died as a result of alcoholism. Trump frequently refers to his brother’s death as his reason for abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. 

In 1985, Trump bought the Mar-A-Lago Estate, a luxury resort in Palm Beach, Florida

•	The Mar-A-Lago Club has sought to bring in the most foreign workers on temporary H-2B visas than any of Trump’s other businesses.

For its inaugural season in 1983, Trump bought the New Jersey Generals United States Football League team, only to sell them in the same year to J. Walter Duncan and then repurchase the team in 1984.

•	Trump attempted to recruit the NFL Dolphin’s coach Don Shula with a five-year, one-million dollar contract to coach the New Jersey Generals, but was unsuccessful. 

•	On July 29, 1986, the United States Football League won nominal damages equaling $3.76 (including interest) in an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL and subsequently folded. 

In 1986, Trump was asked to take over renovations of the Wollman Ice Rink in Central Park, which was $12 million over budget. He finished renovations within two-months and $750,000 under the $2.2 million budget given to him by the city of New York.

•	During renovations, Mayor Edward Koch’s office did not require Trump to adhere to Executive Order 50, which mandated city-funded construction projects to include a certain number of minorities and women in their workforce. Though a firm spokesman at the time stated the company was unaware of the exemption. 

On November 1, 1987, Trump published “The Art of the Deal,” which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 51 weeks.

On May 27, 1988, Ivana Trump became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

In 1988, through a transaction with Merv Griffin, Trump acquired the Taj Mahal Casino and the company Resorts International. Trump also purchased the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Trump first appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine in January 1989, the same year “Trump: The Game” was released. 

In 1989, Trump purchased the Northeast Shuttle form Eastern Airlines claiming he could increase its market share percentage from 55 to 75 percent and renaming it the Trump Shuttle.

•	The union that represented Eastern Airlines employees fought the sale of the Northeast Shuttle to Trump because they believed it would precipitate the downfall of Eastern Airlines.

•	In 1990, Trump missed a $1.1 million loan payment on the shuttle and asked bankers to defer $245 million of future loan payments. 

•	In 1992, Trump defaulted on his loans and the Trump Shuttle was turned over to creditors.

In 1990, Marvin Roffman, a securities analyst, published an unfavorable analysis of Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino for which Trump demanded he be fired. Roffman later filed a $2 million defamation lawsuit against Trump for allegedly prompting his job loss. 

Trump’s financial troubles prompted Forbes Magazine to remove him from its “Forbes 400” List in 1990. The same year Trump separated from Ivana amidst reports of an affair with former beauty queen Maria Maples. After two years of rancorous litigation and tabloid intrigue, Donald and Ivana finalized their divorce with Ivana reportedly receiving $20 million in the divorce settlement.

In 1991, the Taj Mahal Casino filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is the first of Trump’s corporate bankruptcies. Trump was $50 million behind in contract obligations and laid off 500 casino employees before filing for bankruptcy. It emerged on October 5, 1991 after Trump ceded 50 percent of ownership to bondholders.

On March 9, 1992, The Trump Castle and The Trump Plaza filed for bankruptcy, but were able to avoid a lengthy and costly endeavor in a bankruptcy court through a “pre-packaged” debt restructuring deal that was approved by the court and a majority of the casino’s bondholders. This was the second of Trump’s corporate bankruptcies. 

On October 13, 1993, Trump and Marla Maples had their first daughter Tiffany, Trump’s second daughter and fourth child. Three months later Trump married Marla on December 20, 1993. 

•	Only four years later, in 1997, Trump filed for divorce from Marla. They were officially divorced in 1999.

In 1995, Trump formed Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Inc. and took it public. Trump converted the residence at Mar-a-Lago into the Mar-a-Lago Club, a social club with $100,000 membership fees. Trump also purchased 40 Wall Street in 1995, which he renamed “The Trump Building.”

Between 1996 and 1997, Trump bought the Miss Universe Organization and opened the Trump International Hotel and Tower at One Central Park West. 

In 1999, Trump began construction the 90-story Trump World Tower next to the United Nations and won a lawsuit in 2000 that was filed by the tower’s neighbors over potential lost property values due to obscured views and sightlines.

•	The building was completed in 2001 and named the Trump World Tower.

In 1999, Trump also founded Trump Model Management, which in conjunction with Trump Management Group, LLC has sought temporary visas for approximately 250 foreign fashion models since 2000

In 1999, Trump’s father passed away. 

On October 7, 1999, Trump formed an Exploratory Committee to consider seeking the Reform Party’s presidential nomination.

•	In 1990, Trump was affiliated with the Republican Party despite voting for democratic Governor Mario Cuomo, but switched his affiliation to the Reform Party in 1999 saying he had conservative inclinations, but disliked being categorized. 

Beginning in 1999, Trump returned to Forbes Magazine’s List of 400 Wealthiest Americans ranking 145th, then 167th in 2000, 110th in 2001 and 74th in 2004. 

On January 8, 2004, the first season of Trump’s reality show “The Apprentice” aired.

On October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. His casino properties were nearly $2 billion in debt before filing for bankruptcy. This was Trump’s third corporate bankruptcy. 

•	As a result, Trump was forced to resign as CEO, but remained in his role as Chairman of the Board.

In 2005, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts and Holdings emerged from bankruptcy. 

In 2005, Trump opened Trump University and purchased the former headquarters of the Chicago Sun Times in order to demolish the building and build Trump International Tower Chicago. 

•	On January 1, 2008, Trump opened Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.

On January 22, 2005, Trump married his third wife, the 35-year-old Melania Knauss.

•	On March 20, 2006, Donald and Melania’s first son, Trump’s third son and fifth child, Barron Trump was born.

On October 3, 2006, Trump raised a 20 foot by 30 foot American flag on an 80 feet tall flagpole at Mar-a-Lago, which caused a six-month zoning dispute with the town. 

•	Since 2006, Trump attempted to bring in 787 foreign workers on temporary visas to work on the resort rather than hire local workers.

Between 2006 and 2012, Trump licensed his name to a number of endeavors including TrumpMortgage, an online travel website called GoTrump, Trump Vodka, Trump Magazine, and Trump Steaks and Steakhouse, which was shut down in 2012 for 51 health code violations.

On February 13, 2009, Trump resigned from the board of Trump Entertainment Resorts, and on February 17, 2009 Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This was Trump’s fourth corporate bankruptcy.

In 2010, Trump University changed its name to The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative.

•	On August 24, 2013, New York State filed a $40 million lawsuit against The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative

•	On October 15, 2014, Trump was held personally liable for The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative’s violations of New York state education laws.

On April 30, 2011, Trump attended the White House Correspondents Dinner where he was repeatedly skewered by both President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers on multiple topics including especially Trump’s calls for President Obama to release his long-form birth certificate.

On January 16, 2013, Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a television ad.

In 2014 Trump purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, and on February 11, he purchased the Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland.

•	Trump’s ambitions to build a luxury golf resort off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland were previously blocked by a local council in 2007 after a Scottish fisherman refused to sell him his land. 

On August 5, 2014, Trump sued Trump Entertainment Resorts in an attempt to remove his name from Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, and then Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy for a second time on September 9, the fourth time one of Trump’s companies filed for bankruptcy. 

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced his bid he was seeking the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States.

On June 29, 2015, NBC cut all business ties with Trump over his controversial statements on immigration issues.

Trump’s Career Overview

Early Life

Family and Upbringing

TRUMP CAME FROM A PRIVILEGED BACKGROUND 

Trump’s Father Was One Of The Richest Men In America With $200 In Assets. “His father was, with $200 million in assets, one of the richest men in America. I don't think that Donald had to struggle that much.” [“Who Is Donald Trump?”, A&E, 12/16/15]

TRUMP’S BOYHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD WAS “NEARLY ALL WHITE” 

Donald Trump’s “Boyhood Was An Exclusive And Nearly All White Place.” “While his detractors charge that his language on the campaign trail is infected with an Archie Bunker-era nativism, Mr. Trump points in his defense to his formative years in one of the most diverse counties in the country. But the Jamaica Estates of Mr. Trump’s boyhood was an exclusive and nearly all white place, resistant to outsiders and largely impenetrable to minorities.” [New York Times, 9/22/15]

•	Residents Of Donald Trump’s Old Boyhood Neighborhood Were Disgusted By Trump’s Capitalization Of “Fear Among White Voters.” “But some residents of his old neighborhood, and the more diverse areas that surround it, do not think he understands what the city, and the country, are all about. Hispanics, Trinidadians, Haitians and South Asians who walked in front of fried chicken joints, halal butchers and roti shops on Hillside Avenue, down the road from Mr. Trump’s old house this month, expressed disgust with his blunt vision of an America besieged by ‘rapist’ immigrants who are in the country illegally and black activists who he has said are ‘looking for trouble.’ They considered him a camera-hungry candidate who is capitalizing on the fear among white voters that the America they grew up in is fading.” [New York Times, 9/22/15]

Trump’s Boyhood Neighbor: Trump “Grew Up In White America.” “‘I think he’s spot on,’ said Fred Quint, Mr. Trump’s 52-year-old former next-door neighbor. He recalled watching Mr. Trump’s father, Fred, leave for work every day in his chauffeured blue Cadillac limousine and seeing Donald return home for visits in a red convertible with his first wife, Ivana. He explained that ‘racially speaking,’ both he and Mr. Trump ‘grew up in white America.’ Today, he added, ‘it’s a much more racially mixed neighborhood, much more diverse,’ with people who are Hindu, Muslim and Chinese. ‘It’s the way of the world; white America is a thing of the past,’ he said with a shrug. ‘The white man’s gone.’” [New York Times, 9/22/15]

Trump Threatened To Tell His Father And Call The Police When A Neighbor’s Ball Bounced Into The Trumps’ Yard. “Young Donald treated his home as a fortress. Laura Manuelidis, who lived behind Mr. Trump on Wareham Place, recalled that when a ball bounced into the Trumps’ grassy yard, he would not throw the ball back but instead would yell, ‘I’m going to tell my dad; I’m going to call the police.’” [New York Times, 9/22/15]

Childhood

TRUMP WAS SENT TO A MILITARY ACADEMY

Trump Admitted He “Wasn’t The Most Well-Behaved Person” Growing Up, And Was Sent To A Military Academy.TRUMP: “I really grew up pretty normal. I mean, I lived in an upper middle-income area. And it was -- it was nice.” ZAHN: “But Trump was an aggressive and rebellious child. He was almost expelled from Kew-Forest school in the second grade for punching his music teacher. Trump had said, ‘I didn't think he knew anything about music.’” TRUMP: “I wasn't the most well-behaved person in the world. And my parents had no idea what to do with me. And they heard about this school that was a tough place. They sent me up to New York Military Academy and it was really a great experience for me.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

TRUMP WANTED TO BE A FILMMAKER

Trump Said That He Wanted To Be A Filmmaker When He Was Younger. TRUMP: “When I was young, younger, or whatever, I wanted to go to USC, the school of cinema.  And I applied and was accepted, and I ventured into- I was going to make movies.  I mean, I really wanted to be filmmaker…. At 18 and 19, and even before that, I wanted to make movies.  Then, I started seeing that it wasn't that good of a business.  It's a very risky business and, in theory, compared to real estate, it wasn't a good business.  Now, my father was in real estate in the boroughs outside of Manhattan, and it was convenient for me.  It wasn't the kind of the real estate I wanted to do, but it was convenient for me to do it, and I knew it well, because I grew up with a teacher, a great teacher and a friend, who was my father, and I watched and I learned and I listened, maybe just through osmosis, and I really did learn a lot, and it was very second nature to me.  But I actually wanted to, at the age of 17, 18, I wanted to be a motion picture producer.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 7/27/90]

Trump Applied To The USC School Of Cinema To Be A Movie Producer. TRUMP: “I was going to be a movie producer. In fact, I applied at one point, I remember, to the USC School of Cinema. But then I decided that the movie business wasn't as good as the real estate business.” ZAHN: “So Trump enrolled in the prestigious Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. He graduated in 1968 and joined his father, working on developments in Brooklyn and in Queens. But Donald was daydreaming of a future on the other side of the East River.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

Education

CITING HIS BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, TRUMP’S PARENTS SENT HIM TO THE NY MILITARY ACADEMY

Trump Attended The New York Military Academy.TRUMP: “I really grew up pretty normal. I mean, I lived in an upper middle-income area. And it was -- it was nice.” ZAHN: “But Trump was an aggressive and rebellious child. He was almost expelled from Kew-Forest school in the second grade for punching his music teacher. Trump had said, ‘I didn't think he knew anything about music.’” TRUMP: “I wasn't the most well-behaved person in the world. And my parents had no idea what to do with me. And they heard about this school that was a tough place. They sent me up to New York Military Academy and it was really a great experience for me.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

FOR UNDERGRAD, TRUMP ATTENDED FORDHAM UNIVERSITY FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO UPENN

Donald Trump Attended Fordham University In The Bronx For Two Years Before Transferring To, And Graduating From, The University Of Pennsylvania. “[Donald Trump] did well [at the New York Military Academy], and then went to Fordham University, a Jesuit school in the Bronx, for two years, before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania and studied economics for two years, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree.” [Washington Post, 7/17/15] 

Donald Trump Attended The University Of Pennsylvania, An Ivy League School. “[Donald Trump] did well [at the New York Military Academy], and then went to Fordham University, a Jesuit school in the Bronx, for two years, before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania and studied economics for two years, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree. … The University of Pennsylvania is one of the eight private colleges and universities in the vaunted Ivy League, known for accepting unusually smart students, great test takers, legacies, and the sons and daughters of famous and/or very wealthy people.” [Washington Post, 7/17/15]

•	Donald Trump: “I Went To The Wharton School Of Business. I’m, Like, A Really Smart Person.” [The Economist, 9/5/15]

Donald Trump Took Undergraduate Classes At The Wharton School Of Business But Was Not Enrolled In Its MBA Program. “He took undergraduate classes at Penn’s famed Wharton School of Business.  Though he was not enrolled in Wharton’s prestigious MBA program, the Spring 2007 Wharton Alumni Magazine featured Trump, with this headline, ‘The Best Brand Name in Real Estate.’” [Washington Post, 7/17/15]

Draft Deferments

TRUMP RECEIVED FIVE DRAFT DEFERMENTS FOR MILITARY SERVICE

Trump Received Four Student Deferments From Military Service Between 1964 And 1968 And One Medical Deferment. “Trump received four student deferments from military service between 1964 and 1968. In Ames, he told reporters another medical deferment he received after graduating was for a bone spur in his foot. When asked which foot, Trump told reporters to look up the records.” [Politico, 7/18/15]

Trump On Not Being Drafted: “I Was Fortunate, In A Sense, Because I Was Not A Believer In The Vietnam War. That Was Another War That Was A Disaster For This Country.” “Trump said he had student deferments during the Vietnam War, as well as a ‘minor medical deferment’ for a bone spur of the foot. ‘I was then entered into the draft because if I would have gotten a different number, I could have been drafted,’ he said. ‘I was fortunate, in a sense, because I was not a believer in the Vietnam War. That was another war that was a disaster for this country. Lives and money and it’s disgraceful what happened with the Vietnam War. I was not a fan of the Vietnam War. But I was entered into the draft and I got a very, very high draft number.’” [The Hill, 7/19/15]

•	Donald Trump Said He “Always Felt A Little Guilty” For Not Serving In The Vietnam War. “Donald Trump got personal with New Hampshire voters Tuesday night, telling them of the guilt he sometimes feels for not serving in the Vietnam War and advising young people to stay away from drugs and alcohol. ‘I always felt a little guilty, frankly, like other people who didn't serve,’ Trump said. ‘I had friends that served, and they're very proud and some are no longer with us because of the fact that they served.’” [WMUR, 12/1/15]

Donald Trump Said He Received “Numerous Deferments” During The Vietnam War Because He Was In College And Also Had A “Foot Thing” That Prevented Him From Serving. “‘What makes you just love this country in the way that you do?’ the man asked. The Republican front-runner started to explain: ‘I love the country,’ he said. ‘I have seen what it can do.’ But Trump quickly acknowledged that he never served in the military. During the Vietnam War he received ‘numerous deferments’ because he was enrolled in college and had a disqualifying ‘foot thing.’ Meanwhile, Trump said some of his friends did serve and some died. ‘I always felt a little guilty,’ Trump said.” [Washington Post, 12/2/15] 

2015: TRUMP COULD NOT RECALL THE SPECIFICS OF THE BONE SPUR THAT PROMPTED HIS MEDICAL DEFERMENT 

While Trump Received A Medical Deferment From The Draft  Due To A Bone Spur In His Foot, He Could Not Recall Which Foot Had The Problem. “Asked about his own military draft status, Mr. Trump, 69, said that he received medical deferments from the Vietnam War because of a bone spur in his foot. Mr. Trump could not recall which foot was afflicted. Yet Mr. Trump’s awkward and ill-suited remarks about religion and marriage here may have done more damage to his candidacy, at least with Christian conservatives.” [New York Times, 7/19/15]

Business Ventures

NOTE: The business research is being handled by an outside consultant. The following is only representative of some of the business-related research that the DNC has come across naturally in monitoring Trump’s campaign. 

Employees and Contractors

Companies Owned By Trump Sought To Import At Least 1,100 Foreign Workers On Temporary Visas Since 2000. “A Reuters analysis of U.S. government data reveals that this is business as usual in the New York property magnate's empire. Trump owns companies that have sought to import at least 1,100 foreign workers on temporary visas since 2000, according to U.S. Department of Labor data reviewed by Reuters. Most of the applications were approved, the data show. Nine companies majority-owned by Trump have sought to bring in foreign waitresses, cooks, vineyard workers and other laborers on temporary work-visa programs administered by the Labor Department. The candidate's foreign talent hunt included applications for an assistant golf-course superintendent, an assistant hotel manager and a banquet manager. Two of his companies, Trump Model Management and Trump Management Group LLC, have sought visas for nearly 250 foreign fashion models, the records show. Trump’s presidential campaign and a lawyer for the businessman declined to comment. The Mar-a-Lago Club could not be reached for comment.” [Reuters, 7/31/15]

•	Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Resort Tried To Bring In 787 Workers Foreign Workers Since 2006.  “The Mar-a-Lago, a luxury resort in Palm Beach, Florida, has sought the most foreign workers of the nine Trump businesses: 787 workers since 2006, according to the data.” [Reuters, 7/31/15]

Due To Trump’s Casinos’ 2009 Bankruptcy, Unsecured Creditors — Low-Level Investors, Contractors, Small-Time Vendors — Got Less Than A Penny On The Dollar For Their Claims. “And it wasn’t just faceless bankers who got burned in the bankruptcies. In the 2009 case, unsecured creditors — low-level investors, contractors, small-time vendors — got less than a penny on the dollar for their claims against Trump Entertainment Resorts (Trump resigned as chairman four days before the bankruptcy filing).” [Press of Atlantic City, 8/10/15]

Building Contractors Claimed Trump Was “Notorious For Stringing People Out And Not Paying.” “Contractors, who often bear the brunt of corporate bankruptcy, regarded Trump ‘as a jerk and a bum,’ said Dave Farragut, president of United States Roofing Corp., a large roofing firm based in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Trump was a chronic haggler ‘notorious for stringing people out and not paying,’ according to Farragut, who said he experienced that firsthand on a $600,000 roofing job at Trump Taj Mahal. ‘It was a joke among all the subs that you’d tack on an extra 10 percent onto your bids’ to hedge against delayed payments, he said. ‘He was slow pay, everybody knew.’” [Press of Atlantic City, 8/10/15]

WOMEN WHO HAVE WORKED FOR TRUMP HAVE MIXED VIEWS ON THEIR EXPERIENCES

Women Who Worked For Donald Trump Said That While He Could Be Boorish, They Appreciated How Trump Provided Them With Opportunities For Career Advancement In A Male-Dominated Industry. “In the five months that the billionaire businessman has spent on the presidential campaign trail, his inflammatory missiles toward women have prompted charges of sexism, even misogyny. … But many women who have worked closely with Trump say he was a corporate executive ahead of his time in providing career advancement for women. While some say he could be boorish, his companies nurtured and promoted women in an otherwise male-dominated industry. Several women said they appreciated how Trump granted them entry to a new playing field.” [Washington Post, 11/24/15] 

Several Women, Including The Woman Trump Put In Charge Of Constructing Trump Tower, Who Are Longtime Trump Employees And Supporters Do Not Support His Presidential Campaign.” “But several women who are longtime Trump supporters say the provocative outbursts that served Trump well in business and entertainment don’t belong in politics. ‘I don’t like the fact the worlds are merging,’ said [former ‘Apprentice’ contestant] Ereka Vetrini, a TV host and lifestyle expert. … ‘Fiorina and Kelly?’ she said. ‘I can’t disregard those comments.’ Nor can [Barbara] Res [who Trump put in charge of the construction of Trump Tower], who also disagrees with her former boss’s political stance: From his anti-choice position to his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, ‘his policies, the things he says he believes in, are very anti-women.’ ‘I’m voting for Hillary,’ Res said.” [Washington Post, 11/24/15]

Two Former Contestants On The Apprentice Claimed Trump Often Made Inappropriate Remarks About The Women Contestants. “Two contestants recently axed from ‘The Apprentice’ television show are complaining that host Donald Trump frequently makes inappropriate remarks about the reality-show’s women contestants — saying his boorish behavior has no place in a corporate boardroom. Mahsa Saeidi-Azcuy, a former Brooklyn assistant district attorney who was ‘fired’ from NBC’s business game show last Thursday — after first being forced out of her day job for not disclosing her stint on the NBC program — charged that Trump lavishes attention on the women contestants he finds attractive, makes sexist remarks, and asks the male contestants to rate the women.” [New York Post, 11/2/10]

Rent-Controlled Housing

Donald Trump Attempted To Evict Tenants From Rent-Controlled Housing."’Donald Trump is an extremely charming man.  He has the ability to turn on the charm,’ says New York lawyer Richard S.  Fischbein, who fought off Mr.  Trump's attempt to evict tenants living in rent-controlled suites on Central Park South.  ‘But if you talk about ultimately liking him, well, I wouldn't like my children to be spoiled brats, and the only way we could really describe Donald, he falls into that category.  And when he loses, he throws a tantrum.  If my son had that kind of tantrum, I'd whack him on the rear end.’" [Washington Times, 7/24/89]

Licensing Agreements

TRUMP: I STAND BEHIND PRODUCTS WITH MY NAME ON THEM 

Donald Trump: “I Put My Own Name On My Buildings And On My Products, And I Stand Behind Them.” “I’ve successfully built one of the most respected brands in the world by representing it in everything that I do. I realized a long time ago that if I’m not proud of what I’m selling, then there is no reason for anybody else to feel that pride. I put my own name on my buildings and on my products, and I stand behind them. People have come to expect top quality from anything that carries my name.” [Trump, Crippled America, 11/3/15]

CORPORATE BACKLASH: A NUMBER OF SPONSORS OF TRUMP PRODUCTS DROPPED THEIR AFFILIATION FOLLOWING HIS OFFENSIVE REMARKS ABOUT MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS

Politico: “Amid Mounting Public Pressure, NBCUniversal Announced Monday That It Will Cut Business Ties With Donald Trump Due To ‘Recent Derogatory Statements’ The Republican Presidential Hopeful Made Regarding Mexican Immigrants.” “Amid mounting public pressure, NBCUniversal announced Monday that it will cut business ties with Donald Trump due to ‘recent derogatory statements’ the Republican presidential hopeful made regarding Mexican immigrants. ‘At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,’ the network's statement reads. ‘Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.’ ‘To that end, the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants, which are part of a joint venture between NBC and Trump, will no longer air on NBC,’ the statement continues. ‘In addition, as Mr. Trump has already indicated, he will not be participating in 'The Apprentice' on NBC.”[Politico, 6/29/15]

A Television Company Controlled By Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim Canceled A Project With Donald Trump After His Comments Insulting Mexicans. “A television company controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has canceled a project with real estate developer and TV personality Donald Trump after his comments insulting Mexicans, Slim's spokesman said on Monday. This is the third company to cut ties with Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the November 2016 presidential election. NBC said earlier on Monday that it would no longer air the ‘Miss USA’ and ‘Miss Universe’ pageants due to his comments. Spanish-language broadcaster Univision [UVN.UL] also said on Thursday it would not air the ‘Miss USA’ pageant.” [Reuters, 6/29/15]

Macy’s: “In Light Of Statements Made By Donald Trump, Which Are Inconsistent With Macy's Values, We Have Decided To Discontinue Our Business Relationship With Mr. Trump And Will Phase-Out The Trump Menswear Collection, Which Has Been Sold At Macy's Since 2004.” “Macy's is pulling Donald Trump-branded merchandise from its stores following the public outcry over his comments on immigrants. The department store said in a statement to the news outlet that it was ‘disappointed and distressed’ over the 2016 presidential contender's remarks, describing them as ‘disparaging characterizations.’ ‘In light of statements made by Donald Trump, which are inconsistent with Macy's values, we have decided to discontinue our business relationship with Mr. Trump and will phase-out the Trump menswear collection, which has been sold at Macy's since 2004,’ they said, according to CNN.” [The Hill, 7/1/15]

Chef Jose Andres Backed Out Of Trump’s Washington DC Hotel Due To His Immigration Comments. “Jose Andres, the D.C.-based super-chef with a growing national brand, is backing out of a deal to open the flagship restaurant in Donald Trump’s forthcoming Washington hotel – the latest on a growing list of high-profile partners to sever ties with the presidential candidate over his anti-immigrant comments.” [Washington Post, 7/8/15]

The PGA Moved A Grand Slam Event Away From The Trump National Golf Club In Los Angeles After Trump’s Comments About Immigrants.  “The Professional Golf Association and Donald Trump have reached an agreement to move a Grand Slam event away from the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. In separate statements, Trump and the PGA on Tuesday said the decision was mutual. ‘Due to the controversy surrounding statements made by Mr. Trump having to do with illegal immigrants pouring into the United States from Mexico and other parts of the world, Mr. Trump does not want his friends at the PGA of America to suffer any consequences or backlash with respect to the Grand Slam of Golf,’ a statement from Trump’s political team said. The PGA is the latest business to part ways with Trump following the remarks he made last month about undocumented immigrants being criminals and rapists.” [The Hill, 7/7/15]

Trump’s Deals With Developers In The Philippines, Turkey, Panama, Canada, India, And Uruguay That Pay Trump Millions In Licensing Fees To Put His Name On Buildings, Were Unaffected By His Immigration Comments. “Developers in the Philippines, Turkey, Panama, Canada, India, and Uruguay pay Trump millions in licensing fees to put his name on buildings he neither built nor owns, with an aim to sell condominiums and hotel rooms at higher prices. These deals provide nearly risk-less revenue streams for Trump, which, along with income from properties he owns, helps pay down existing debts and fund new projects. ‘Mr. Trump is successful and wealthy and one of the great things about the empire he’s built is that it’s diverse—both geographically and across numerous business lines,’ said Alan Garten, general counsel for Trump. ‘It can withstand situations like this.’ n the United States, Trump's presidential campaign has so far prompted a stampede of disassociation: ESPN, NBCUniversal, NASCAR, Univision Holdings Inc. and Serta Inc. have cut ties with Trump after he described Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists. A television company controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world’s second richest man, announced Monday it would cancel a project with Trump. Chef José Andrés said Wednesday that he’d be backing out of a deal to open the flagship restaurant at an upcoming Trump hotel in Washington. And even the Federal Aviation Administration got in on the act, announcing Thursday that its renaming three aerial navigation posts that had Trump-related monickers. That Trump’s remarks aren’t registering outside of North America doesn’t surprise Nick Andrews, a London-based senior partner and crisis management expert at public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard Inc.” [Bloomberg, 7/10/15]

Casinos

Press Of Atlantic City: Trump’s Atlantic City Record Was “Marked By Questionable Casino Management And Episodic Corporate Bankruptcy.”  “But as voters examine his Atlantic City tenure to decide whether he has the economic chops to be president, they’ll find a record marked by questionable casino management and episodic corporate bankruptcy — the legacy of a fractious know-it-all who brought publicity, tax dollars and thousands of decent jobs to South Jersey, but whose manic and myopic dealmaking ultimately yielded a moribund casino empire, mined into exhaustion and left to wither.” [Press of Atlantic City, 8/10/15]

Trump’s Casinos Went Into Bankruptcy So Regularly That Fitch Ratings Called Them “Serial Filers.” “Trump, the man, never did go bankrupt. But the Trump casinos did, cyclically, and with disturbing regularity. ‘Serial filers,’ Fitch Ratings called them.” [Press of Atlantic City, 8/10/15]

•	All Of Donald Trump’s Atlantic City Casinos Had Filed For Bankruptcy Before, In 1992, When They Were More Than $1 Billion In Debt. “This will be the second time the Trump casinos have filed for bankruptcy.  In 1992, the three casinos he then owned, the Taj Mahal, Castle, and Plaza, all in Atlantic City, ended up in Chapter 11, burdened by more than $1 billion in debt.At the time, Trump himself was at brink of bankruptcy, but later regained control of the casinos and wrote a book about his experience in 1997 called ‘Trump: The Art of the Comeback.’” [Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 8/10/04]

Press Of Atlantic City: Trump’s Bankruptcies “Were Less Displays Of Cool Resourcefulness Than Frantic Episodes Of Trump Scrambling To Bail On Bank Debt And Keep His Perennially Overleveraged Casinos From Going Belly Up.” “But the bankruptcies — starting with Trump Taj Mahal, which bankrupted about a year after Trump opened it using $675 million in patently unsustainable junk bonds — were less displays of cool resourcefulness than frantic episodes of Trump scrambling to bail on bank debt and keep his perennially overleveraged casinos from going belly up. ‘The project was dangerous in the beginning,’ said Bryant Simon, a historian and Temple University professor who authored ‘Boardwalk of Dreams: Atlantic City and the Fate of Urban America.’ ‘A lot of people got stuck holding the bag, and he didn’t. So people resented him for that and felt serious financial pain.’” [Press of Atlantic City, 8/10/15]

Due To Trump’s Casinos’ 2009 Bankruptcy, Unsecured Creditors — Low-Level Investors, Contractors, Small-Time Vendors — Got Less Than A Penny On The Dollar For Their Claims. “And it wasn’t just faceless bankers who got burned in the bankruptcies. In the 2009 case, unsecured creditors — low-level investors, contractors, small-time vendors — got less than a penny on the dollar for their claims against Trump Entertainment Resorts (Trump resigned as chairman four days before the bankruptcy filing).” [Press of Atlantic City, 8/10/15]

TRUMP DIDN’T BELIEVE HIS CASINO BUSINESSWOULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HIS 2000 CANDIDACY

Trump Did Not Think That Being In The Casino Business Would Be A Liability To His 2000 Presidential Run. KING: “Do you think being in gaming could hurt you?” TRUMP: “No, I own casinos.  I'm the largest, by far the largest person in Atlantic City, which is actually doing more business now than the entire Las Vegas strip, which surprises people when they here it.  We are actually doing more business.  And I have a big percentage of that market.”…KING: “But do you think the term ‘gaming,’ which is gambling, will hurt you?” TRUMP: “No, I don't think so at all.  And certainly, my business, again, in New York I'm very large, to put it mildly, and in Atlantic City I'm very large.  And I'd obviously have to do something with a trust where I put my businesses into a trust at least during this term.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Golf Courses

2009: TRUMP PAID $13 MILLION FOR A LOWES ISLAND GOLF COURSE, CHOPPED DOWN 400 TREES AND INSTALLED A HISTORICALLY-INACCURATE PLAQUE COMMEMORATING A NONEXISTENT CIVIL WAR BATTLE

In 2009, Donald Trump Bought A Golf Club On Lowes Island In Virginia Where He Chopped Down Over 400 Trees And Renamed The Club After Himself. “When Donald J. Trump bought a fixer-upper golf club on Lowes Island here for $13 million in 2009, he poured millions more into reconfiguring its two courses. He angered conservationists by chopping down more than 400 trees to open up views of the Potomac River. And he shocked no one by renaming the club after himself.” [New York Times, 11/24/15] 

Donald Trump Installed A Plaque On His Golf Course Denoting The Purported Location Of The “River Of Blood” Where“Many Great American Soldiers, Both Of The North And South, Died” During The Civil War, But Civil War Historians Said Trump’s Description Of The Location’s Historical Significance Was Wrong. “Between the 14th hole and the 15th tee of one of the club’s two courses, Mr. Trump installed a flagpole on a stone pedestal overlooking the Potomac, to which he affixed a plaque purportedly designating ‘The River of Blood.’‘Many great American soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot,’ the inscription reads. ‘The casualties were so great that the water would turn red and thus became known as ‘The River of Blood.’’ … ‘No. Uh-uh. No way. Nothing like that ever happened there,’ said Richard Gillespie, the executive director of the Mosby Heritage Area Association, a historical preservation and education group devoted to an 1,800-square-mile section of the Northern Virginia Piedmont, including the Lowes Island site. ‘The only thing that was remotely close to that,’ Mr. Gillespie said, was 11 miles up the river at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff in 1861, a rout of Union forces in which several hundred were killed. ‘The River of Blood?’ he added. ‘Nope, not there.’ Mr. Gillespie’s contradiction of the plaque’s account was seconded by Alana Blumenthal, the curator of the Loudoun Museum in nearby Leesburg. (A third local expert, who said he had written to Mr. Trump’s company about the inscription’s falsehoods and offered to provide historically valid replacement text, insisted on anonymity because he did not want to cross the Trump Organization by disclosing a private exchange.)” [New York Times, 11/24/15] 

•	Donald Trump Disputed Historians’ Contentions That A Plaque He Placed On His Golf Course Contained Factually Inaccurate Claims About Civil War Events At That Location — “How Would They Know That? … Were They There?” “In a phone interview, Mr. Trump called himself as‘a big history fan’ but deflected, played down and then simply disputed the local historians’ assertions of historical fact. ‘That was a prime site for river crossings,’ Mr. Trump said. ‘So, if people are crossing the river, and you happen to be in a civil war, I would say that people were shot — a lot of them.’… ‘How would they know that?’ Mr. Trump asked when told that local historians had called his plaque a fiction. ‘Were they there?’ Mr. Trump repeatedly said that ‘numerous historians’ had told him that the golf club site was known as the River of Blood. But he said he did not remember their names. … ‘Write your story the way you want to write it,’ Mr. Trump said finally, when pressed unsuccessfully for anything that could corroborate his claim. ‘You don’t have to talk to anybody. It doesn’t make any difference. But many people were shot. It makes sense.’”[New York Times, 11/24/15] 

IN A CASE OF NIMBY-ISM, TRUMP STAUNCHLY OPPOSED A PROPOSED OFFSHORE WIND FARM IN SCOTLAND NEAR A SITE HE WANTED TO BUILD A GOLF COURSE

Trump Opposed The Offshore Wind Farms Off The Coast Of Scotland. “Donald Trump swept defiantly into Scotland today vowing to continue his fight against an offshore windfarm development in Aberdeenshire and accusing Alex Salmond of ‘destroying’ the country. The billionaire, who widely expected to announce his intention to run for US president later this month, said the former first minister had done a ‘tremendous disservice’ to the nation’s landscape by approving windfarms, and reiterated his warning that he could pull out of his resort near Balmedie if the latest contentious scheme goes ahead. In a characteristic show of swagger, the businessman could not resist taking aim at his old sparring partner as he officially opened the revamped clubhouse of his newest golfing resort, Trump Turnberry. He told The Scotsman that he had done Scotland a ‘big, fat favour’ through his investments and contrasted the approach of authorities in Aberdeenshire to those in South Ayrshire, who he hailed as ‘fantastic.’” [The Scotsman, 6/8/15]

The Fix’s Philip Bump: Donald Trump Abandoned His Previous Opposition To Wind Energy Subsidies Because He Was In A Room With An Iowa Voter Worried About The Loss Of Those Subsidies Harming Her Husband’s Job — “Donald Trump, Straight Shooter.”  “A few years ago, Donald Trump wanted to build a golf course in Scotland. There was just one problem: The Scottish government had licensed an off-shore wind farm near the course, which Trump worried would ruin the views. … [Trump tweeted,] ‘Ugly industrial wind turbines are ruining the beauty of parts of the country--and have inefficient unreliable energy to boot.’ [and] ‘By continuing to give massive subsidies to Scotland’s ugly wind turbines, @David_Cameron is playing right into @AlexSalmond’s hands.’ … What changed? Donald Trump wasn't in the room with an Iowa voter who was apparently worried about the loss of subsidies harming her husband's job. Donald Trump, straight shooter.” [Philip Bump, The Fix, Washington Post, 11/19/15]

•	The Fix’s Philip Bump: Donald Trump’s Support Of The Wind Industry Was “A Stunning Bit Of Pandering,” Given How Trump “Went To War” Against Wind Farms In Scotland When He Wanted To Build A Golf Course Near A Proposed Offshore Wind Farm Location. “Fine. Trump supports subsidies for the wind industry. For anyone familiar with Trump's history, though, even that is a stunning bit of pandering. Trump, in fact, does know a lot about wind. A few years ago, Donald Trump wanted to build a golf course in Scotland. There was just one problem: The Scottish government had licensed an off-shore wind farm near the course, which Trump worried would ruin the views. He went to war, using all of the tools at his disposal: money, lawyers, and Twitter. He sued to block the wind farm, pushing legal challenges all the way to the Scottish Supreme Court. He attacked then-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, saying that Salmond was ‘a man whose obsession with obsolete wind technology will destroy the magnificence and beauty of Scotland.’” [Philip Bump, The Fix, Washington Post, 11/19/15]

Hotels

Trump’s Line Of Luxury Hotels May Have Been The Victim Of A Credit Card Data Breach. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s line of luxury hotels may be the latest victim of a credit card data breach, security news journalist Brian Krebs reported on Wednesday. Banks have spotted a trend of fraudulent charges tied to credit and debit cards that have all been used at Trump hotels, according to Krebs. Trump Hotel Collection has not yet confirmed the breach, but financial industry sources told Krebs ‘they have little doubt’ a breach has occurred. There is speculation that the compromise spans back to at least February of this year. ‘Like virtually every other company these days, we have been alerted to potential suspicious credit card activity and are in the midst of a thorough investigation to determine whether it involves any of our properties,’ Eric Trump, executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, said in a statement. ‘We are committed to safeguarding all guests’ personal information.’  The hack could put tens of thousands of people’s payment card data at risk. Trump has hotel properties in a number of U.S. cities, including Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington, D.C.” [The Hill, 7/1/15]

Trump University

Trump University Charged $35,000 For Seminars And Was Sued By Some Of Its Students. ISIKOFF: “Then there's Trump University--no actual campus or degrees--but students, some of whom are now suing, plunked down up to $35,000 for seminars.” TRUMP: “Ninety-seven percent approval rating from the people that went there.” ISIKOFF: “But last year New York state regulators demanded Trump stop calling it a university, and he did. And the Texas attorney general's office opened an investigation into possible deceptive trade practices, which was dropped after the school stopped doing business in the state. Why did you call it a university?” TRUMP: “Because we didn't know there was any rules or regulations about using the name university.”[Nightly News, NBC, 4/19/11]

Development and Land Deals

TRUMP BRAGGED HE HAD DEALT WITH QADDAFI AND “SCREWED” HIM IN A LAND DEAL

Trump Bragged That He “Screwed” Qaddafi On A Land Lease In New Jersey. TRUMP: “I've been interacting with leaders of countries and leaders of business all over the world, all of my life. And I think you guys know that probably better than anybody. I think I probably have more experience than anybody, whether I sell them real estate for tremendous amounts of money -- I mean, I've dealt with everybody….  I dealt with Qaddafi.” DOOCY: “You buried the lead. What did you do?” TRUMP: “Excuse me. I rented him a piece of land. He paid me more for one night than the land was worth but the whole year, for two years, and then I didn't let him use the land. That's what we should be doing.” DOOCY: “Was that over in New Jersey?” TRUMP: “I don't want to use the word screw but I screwed him. That's what we should be doing. I rented him a piece of land in Bedford, New York. I rented him a piece of land…. He paid me a fortune and then I didn't let him use the land.”[Fox & Friends, Fox News, 3/21/11]

Beauty Pageants

Trump Said He Got Into The Pageant Business Because He “Really Had Nothing Else To Do.” McEWEN: “Why did you get into the pageant business?  How did you get into the pageant business?” TRUMP: “Well, I really had nothing else to do.  I mean, you know, it's one of those things.  We--we just had this opportunity.  ITT was selling the pageant.  I guess I was somebody that was interested in it.  I watched Marla perform so nicely at the Miss Universe Pageant and I said, 'This is a great event.' And this could really be a great event, so I bought it and then I made a deal with CBS.  And they are terrific people. Peter Lund and--and Les Moonves who's--who's incredible and doing an incredible job.  And so we made the deal, and I have a fantastic partner and we're really happy about it.” [This Morning, CBS, 1/28/97]

Trump On Miss Universe Pageant Winner: “She Weighed 118 Pounds, Or 117 Pounds, And She Went Up To 160 Or 170.  So This Is Somebody That Likes To Eat.” COOPER: “Enter the man Alisa calls her new boss.  You got it, The Donald. Trumpand his wife, Marla, purchased the Miss Universe pageant earlier this month.  And Trump decided this investment needed a little extra attention.” TRUMP: “She weighed 118 pounds, or 117 pounds, and she went up to 160 or 170.  So this is somebody that likes to eat.” COOPER: “Now instead of steaks and French fries, it's medicine balls and jump ropes for Alisa; that is, when there's room enough to exercise.” [This Morning, CBS, 1/29/97]

Trump: “I Happen To Have Very Good Taste When It Comes To Beauty, And I Do Pick People.” ANDERSON: “In her book, Donald, she says, and I quote, ‘It became clear that the point of the whole exercise was for him to divide the room between the girls he personally found attractive and those he did not.’ Is that true?” TRUMP: “It’s all very simple. First of all, it is not factual, but it’s all very simple. I happen to have very good taste when it comes to beauty, and I do pick people. However, with all of that being said, I shake hands with the girls. I’m nice to them. I’m nice to everybody.” [Showbiz Tonight, CNN, 11/12/09]

Business Associates

Donald Trump Stated, Under Oath, That He Did Not Know Felix Sater, A Twice-Convicted Felon With Ties To The Mafia, But Trump Named Sater A Senior Business Adviser In 2010 And Appeared In Numerous Photos With Him. “A newly-revealed video deposition shows real-estate mogul Donald Trump confused when asked under oath about his relationship to a twice-convicted felon with ties to the Mafia. Trump has long faced allegations of connections to the mob, but his relationship with Felix Sater — who pleaded guilty in 1998 to racketeering in a fraud scheme involving the Genovese and Bonanno crime families — represents a more direct link between the presidential candidate and organized crime. ‘If he were sitting in the room right now, I really wouldn't know what he looked like,’ Trump testified in the video deposition, which was obtained by ABC News. But Trump reportedly named Sater as a senior business adviser in 2010. The Russian émigré carried a Trump Organization business card with the title ‘Senior Advisor to Donald Trump’ and appeared in numerous photos with Trump.” [New York Daily News, 12/10/15]

Bankruptcies and Debts

Bankruptcy: “A Great Deal” and a “Business Tool”

Trump Called Bankruptcy A “Great Deal.” TRUMP: “I'm going to be selling a piece of my stake for a tremendous infusion of cash that comes into the company.  You know, it's been a great company to me over the years, but it's a very small portion of my net worth, less than 2 percent.” MASON: “And you don't mind having the word 'bankruptcy' attached to your name?” TRUMP: “Well, I don't love it, but I feel that this is a great deal.” [CBS Evening News, CBS, 8/10/04]

Trump On His Four Bankruptcies: “Every Once In A While—Again, You Take Advantage Of The System. ROBERTS: “Some of them have gone bankrupt.  Four of them.” TRUMP: “Well, I have 70 some-odd companies.  Every once in a while--again, you take advantage of the system.  It's called the system. And in order to take advantage of the system that we're in, sometimes, on occasion--seldom, in my case--but you take a company, and you do--in my case, I did a couple of (unintelligible).  It worked out great for me, because that's what I'm supposed to do, I'm supposed to make money.  But I could be making money for the American people as opposed to letting us get ripped off like we have by other nations.  And they're ripping us. And they're ripping us big league, Cokie, and you know it.”[This Week, ABC, 12/5/99]

Trump Bragged About Taking Personal Advantage Of The Bankruptcy Laws. Washington Post on the first 2015 GOP debate: “That appeared to be the case on Thursday. Trump committed no major mistakes. If he was overbearing at times, well, that has been part of his appeal. If he was impolitic at other times — bragging about buying access to politicians or taking personal advantage of the bankruptcy laws — he has done that before” [Washington Post, 8/6/15]

When Asked About His Bankruptcies, Trump Claimed He Has “Taken Advantage Of The Laws Of This Country.” “Trump on his business bankruptcies ‘Out of hundreds of deals that I’ve done, on four occasions I’ve taken advantage of the laws of this country…Virtually every person that you read about on the front page of the business section [takes advantage of them]. The difference is that when other people use the laws you don’t read about it.’” [Politico, 8/6/15; Republican Primary Debate, Cleveland OH, 8/6/15]

Trump On Bankruptcy Laws: “I Used It Four Or Five Times Over The Years To Make Great Deals. Because I Took Advantage Of What’s There. And That’s A Great Thing.” [Donald Trump speech at New England College, 4/27/15]

Trump: “Stop Saying I Went Bankrupt. I Never Went Bankrupt But Like Many Great Business People Have Used The Laws To Corporate Advantage—Smart!” [@realDOnaldTrump, twitter, 6/19/15]

Trump: “People Buy Deals & Immediately Put Them Into Bankruptcy In Order To Make Better Deals. It’s A Very Effective & Commonly Used Business Tool.” [@realDOnaldTrump, twitter, 6/19/15]

Trump: “Almost Every Major Dealmaker Has Used The Bankruptcy Laws As A Business Tool. Icahn, Black, Zell—But Nobody Says They Went Bankrupt!” [@realDOnaldTrump, twitter, 6/19/15]

Trump: “Out Of Hundreds Of Deals & Transactions, I Have Used The Bankruptcy Laws A Few Times To Make Deals Better. Nothing Personal, Just Business.” [@realDOnaldTrump, twitter, 6/19/15]

Donald Trump Bragged About Taking Companies With Bad Companies, Chaptering Them, And Ending Up With “A Nice Little Asset.” “I’ve inherited a lot of bad contracts over the years, you know, where I buy a company cheap. Because the poor guy didn’t know what he was doing and he made a bad deal. So you buy it cheap, you throw it into a chapter, you beat up everybody, and you have a nice little asset. Right. You know. You do it. I do it professionally. There’s always a clause.” [Donald Trump Rally, Sparks, NV, 10/29/15] 

Donald Trump Bragged About An Instance In Which He Bought A Company And “Immediately Threw It Into A Chapter And Beat The Hell Out Of The Banks” — “That’s Called Good Business.” TRUMP: “I've used the laws of the country to make good deals for myself and also, I've had hundreds and hundreds of companies. Three or four sometimes I've restructured so people could keep their jobs among other things. ... I did one deal where I bought the accompany, it was a terrible accompany, the guy made a terrible deal, … and I bought it, immediately threw it into a chapter and beat the hell out of the banks, the poor banks and made a good deal out of it. That's called good business, now I’m a different world, but that’s called good business. And you do those things. You use the laws of the country, the laws of the land and I did. So have ,and I could go one, two, three, name the top ten business people you know, I can tell you most of them have done the same thing.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 11/11/15]

Bankruptcy Filings

All Of Donald Trump’s Atlantic City Casinos Had Filed For Bankruptcy Before, In 1992, When They Were More Than $1 Billion In Debt. “This will be the second time the Trump casinos have filed for bankruptcy.  In 1992, the three casinos he then owned, the Taj Mahal, Castle, and Plaza, all in Atlantic City, ended up in Chapter 11, burdened by more than $1 billion in debt.At the time, Trump himself was at brink of bankruptcy, but later regained control of the casinos and wrote a book about his experience in 1997 called ‘Trump: The Art of the Comeback.’” [Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 8/10/04]

Debts

Trump On His Debt: “I Wish It Were Only $900 Million.  I Actually Had Many Billions Of Dollars Of Debt, And Actually $975 Million Was Personally Guaranteed.”QUESTION: “Donald Trump, most Americans are having trouble getting rid of couple thousand dollars of credit card debt, you got rid of $900 million of debt.  How in the world did you do that?” TRUMP: “Well I wish it were only $900 million.  I actually had many billions of dollars of debt, and actually $975 million was personally guaranteed.  So it was more catastrophic than even your beautiful introduction, which I appreciate very much.I really went back to work and focused.  I have great assets. And as you know the banking industry was a disaster, the credit crunch wasunbelievable.  The beginning of the '90s were absolutely total disaster in every way.  And I guess I had a choice.  I could take a nice and easy way out, which I sort of did toward the end of the 80s. I though everything came -- everything really came sort of easy for me.  Everything just seemed to be a homerun or a grand slam homerun.What happened, I went back to work, I focused.  Probably never worked as hard as I did.  And now the company is doing better than it ever did before by far.  Nothing -- I mean, it's not even a comparison with how well I did in the '80's.” [Evans & Novak, CNN, 12/27/97]

Lawsuits

Labor and Employment Issues

1983: A NYC UNION SUED TRUMP FOR CHEATING THEM BY HIRING UNDOCUMENTED POLISH IMMIGRANTS

Trump Was Sued By Local 95 Of The House Wreckers Union Because They Claimed Trump Conspired To Cheat The House Wreckers Out Of Pension And Welfare Contributions By Hiring Non-Union Laborers. “The lawsuit involving literal demolition—Case 83CIV6346 in Manhattan Federal Court—was brought by Harry Diduck, a now deceased dissident member of Local 95 of the House Wreckers Union. His lawyer, Wendy Sloan, says he was one of a group of like-minded workers who simply wanted “a real union.” They had stood to gain nothing at all for themselves as they sought to prove that Trump and his partner, along with the general contractor, conspired to cheat the House Wreckers out of pension and welfare contributions by hiring these non-union laborers. Judge Stewart initially tossed out the complaint against Trump and his partner on the grounds that the contractor was the responsible party regarding the workers. The plaintiffs appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinstated the complaint, returning the case to Judge Stewart.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

A Federal Judge Found That 200 Workers Who Cleared The Land For Trump Tower “Were Undocumented And Worked Off The Books” And That “No Records Were Kept, No Social Security Or Other Taxes Were Withheld.” “The 200 demolition workers—nicknamed the Polish Brigade because of their home country—worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week with no overtime to knock down the old Bonwit Teller building and make room for Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. According to testimony in a protracted civil suit in federal court, the laborers were paid $5 an hour or less when they were paid at all. Some went unpaid after the contractor had financial troubles. A few never received even the paltry sum that was owed them for their dirty and hazardous efforts preceding the construction of Trump’s monument to his own wealth. ‘They were undocumented and worked ‘off the books,’’ Manhattan federal Judge Charles Stewart said of the workers after they became the subject of a 1983 lawsuit. ‘No records were kept, no Social Security or other taxes were withheld.’… The lawsuit involving literal demolition—Case 83CIV6346 in Manhattan Federal Court—was brought by Harry Diduck, a now deceased dissident member of Local 95 of the House Wreckers Union.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

•	Polish Workers Testified Against Trump Claiming They Approached Him About The Issues And Were Threatened With Deportation By His Underlings. “During the 16-day non-jury trial, a number of the Polish workers testified that Trump underlings had threatened them with deportation if they caused trouble. They walked in to the job from Brooklyn when a transit strike hit the city. Some of them slept at the site. Two workers further testified that they had approached Trump in person to demand overdue wages.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

•	The Lawyer Representing The Undocumented Immigrants Was Threatened By Somebody Claiming To Be Named John Baron, A Pseudonym Trump Admitted To Using. “The lawyer representing the Polish Brigade had reported receiving a call from someone who identified himself as ‘John Baron’ and said Trump was ready to hit the lawyer with a $100 million lawsuit if he kept causing trouble. Trump now acknowledged on the stand that he had used the pseudonym ‘John Baron,’ as had one of his assistants. But Trump insisted that his use of it was only long after the completion of the Fifth Avenue tower, which became the first of many properties on which he so rapturously bestowed his real surname.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

Trump as Plaintiff

2005: TRUMP SOUGHT $5 BILLION IN DAMAGES FROM AUTHOR TIMOTHY O’BRIEN, CLAIMING HE UNDERESTIMATED HIS NET WORTH

A New Jersey Judge Dismissed Donald Trump’s $5 Billion Libel Lawsuit Against Author Timothy O’Brien For His Estimation That Trump’s Net Worth Was Only Between $150 Million And $250 Million. “A New Jersey judge said Donald Trump failed to convince her an author's estimate of his net worth at under $250 million was done out of malice. Author Timothy O'Brien's book, ‘Trump Nation: The Art of Being Donald,’ estimated Trump was worth between $150 million and $250 million, The New York Times reported Thursday. Trump sued, asking for $5 billion in damages. Publicly, Trump has claimed his is worth a far greater than a quarter of a billion dollars. Superior Court Judge Michele Fox in Camden, N.J., dismissed the case, saying Trump did not present ‘clear and convincing evidence to establish malice.’ Trump complained that ‘the libel laws in this country have never been fair. We proved our case 100 percent.’ He said he would appeal.” [UPI, 7/16/09]

•	New York Times’ Timothy O’Brien In 2005: Three People With Direct Knowledge Of Trump’s Finances Estimate His Net Worth At Somewhere Between $150 Million And $250 Million. “Three people with direct knowledge of Donald's finances, people who had worked closely with him for years, told me that they thought his net worth was somewhere between $150 million and $250 million. (Donald's casino holdings have recently rebounded in value, perhaps adding as much as $135 million to these estimates.) By anyone's standards, this still qualified Donald as comfortably wealthy, but none of these people thought that he was remotely close to being a billionaire.” [Timothy O’Brien, Business Day, New York Times, 10/23/05]

•	New York Times’ Timothy O’Brien: Donald Trump “Hyper-Inflated” The Values Of His Golf Course Deals. “Donald's recent golf course ventures have produced some sterling new properties, but the values he assigns those deals appear to be hyper-inflated. Donald's Palm Beach course, for example, has about 285 members who paid $250,000 for memberships, for a total of $71.25 million. Donald borrowed about $47 million to build the course and a new clubhouse. So he banked about $24 million on the deal, before other costs. He leases the land beneath the course from Palm Beach County; he doesn't own it. But Donald carries the course on his books as an asset worth $200 million.” [Timothy O’Brien, Business Day, New York Times, 10/23/05]

•	New York Times’ Timothy O’Brien: Donald Trump Dismissed Claims He Was Worth Less Than $250 Million As Naysaying By “Guys Who Have 400-Pound Wives At Home Who Are Jealous Of Me.” “Three people with direct knowledge of Donald's finances, people who had worked closely with him for years, told me that they thought his net worth was somewhere between $150 million and $250 million. … Donald dismissed this as naysaying. ‘You can go ahead and speak to guys who have 400-pound wives at home who are jealous of me, but the guys who really know me know I'm a great builder,’ he told me.” [Timothy O’Brien, Business Day, New York Times, 10/23/05]

2005: TRUMP THREATENED TO SUE ABC IF A BIOPIC ON HIS LIFE CONTAINED INACCURACIES

Trump Threatened To Sue ABC If Its Biopicture Of Him Contained Inaccuracies. KING: “ABC has a Trump biopicture coming, called ‘Trump Unauthorized,’ scheduled May 24th. You said you'll sue if there are inaccuracies.” TRUMP: “Correct, yeah, I'll sue. I mean, if it's inaccurate... I'm not worried. Hey, look, it's going to go on, it's going to go off, nobody is going to remember it. Who cares. But I'm going to -- you know, I let them know, I'm very honored that they're doing it. It's a great honor. You know, they're doing a two-hour movie on me on national network television. And so I'm honored in one way. In another way, I want it to be accurate. So if it's not accurate, I will sue.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 5/17/05]

2007: TRUMP SAID HE FILED A $25 MILLION SUIT AGAINST PALM BEACH AFTER THE TOWN FINED HIM FOR RAISING AN AMERICAN FLAG WITHOUT THE PROPER PERMIT

Trump Filed A $25 Million Suit Against Palm Beach For Fining Him For Putting Up A Large American Flag Without A Permit. TRUMP: “Well, to me, that's a very interesting one because the town of Palm Beach, which is the richest town in the United States, they want me to rip down the American flag. They want me to take it down. They want me to disrespect the country and the flag by taking it down. I put the flag. They say I put it up without permits. They want me to put up a little tiny flag that wouldn't look -- this is a huge property, the largest estate in Palm Beach by far. It's bigger than the White House, as an example, and we have a flag that's perfectly proportioned for the size of the estate, done by total professionals at flag-making and flagpoles. And they want me to rip down the American flag, and I say I'm not going to do it. They fined me $1,200 a day, $1,250 a day, to be exact. And what I did, Greta, is I filed a $25 million suit against the town of Palm Beach with all -- any and all winnings from the suit to go to the returning Iraqi American soldiers that are injured. And I hope there's going to be a lot of money that they can divvy up. I get nothing. But any money that is gotten by me goes to the returning injured soldiers.”[On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 2/5/07]

CITING THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AS AN “ACT OF GOD,” TRUMP FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST DEUTSCHE BANK TO AVOID PAYMENT ON A $40 MILLION CONSTRUCTION LOAN

After Economic Downturn, Trump Filed A Lawsuit To Avoid Paying On A $40 Million Construction Loan, But Said The Same Principle Did Not Apply To His Condo Buyers. CHETRY: “Let me ask about some headlines of your own that you made. A lawsuit you filed to avoid paying on a $40 million construction loan to Deutsche Bank, claiming that the severe downturn in the economy is akin to an act of God… And he asked you if remorseful condominium buyers in a similar position could sort of walk away and you said no. Why didn't it apply to them?” TRUMP: “First of all it's a great building and we're closing units literally as we speak. We're closing units by the dozens and it's doing very nicely. It's a great, great building. The condo market is not very good and certainly the condo market in Chicago isn't. But it will change. But the difference is that they don't have a clause and the other difference is that most of them want to close. I mean they are not even approaching us about it. We're closing tens of millions dollars worth of units every month.”[American Morning, CNN, 12/18/08]

Philosophy on Leadership, Business and Management

Loving Bad Markets and “Amazing” Housing Market Collapses

Trump: “I Always Made A Lot Of Money In Bad Markets.  I Love Bad Markets.” TRUMP: “The real estate markets in 1990 crashed.  I had billions and billions of dollars in debt.  I had many friends that went bankrupt.” BLITZER: “You were going down?” TRUMP: “Well, I was, but I worked hard. And my company today is a much bigger, stronger company than it ever was in the 1980s or 1990s even.  But I was in trouble if I didn't get really back on the stick and start working.  The real estate markets crashed.  Now, I don't want to blame the real estate markets, because I always made a lot of money in bad markets.  I love bad markets.  You can do very well in a bad market.”[Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 3/19/04]

Trump On The Recession: “This Is A Time For Smart People. This Is A Time For Entrepreneurial People. And This Is A Time For People Like Me.” TRUMP: “They're great times, as an entrepreneur. I don't think I've ever seen better times as an entrepreneur. But the world is a mess and the country is a mess… Well, I don't think I've ever seen a time where there's been this kind of play, where you have assets that you can buy for dollars. I've never seen a time like it, Larry.” KING: “So you -- this is the time for smart people to make money, is what you're saying?” TRUMP: “Well, this is a time for smart people. This is a time for entrepreneurial people. And this is a time for people like me.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 4/15/09]

Trump On Housing Market Collapse: “It’s An Amazing Situation.” KING: “Real estate market, what's going on?” TRUMP: “It's an amazing situation. There are tremendous opportunities. You know what's interesting, I was begging people not to buy real estate two years ago. And everybody was interested in buying. And now they are less interested, and this is the time they should be going out -- not buying, negotiating to buy. This is the time.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/15/07]

Use of Eminent Domain

Trump Wanted The Government To Bulldoze A Woman’s Ugly House So The Property Could Be Developed. JOHN STOSSEL: “Trump now says he wants Coking's house demolished because it's ugly.” TRUMP: “Everybody coming into Atlantic City sees that property, and it's not fair to Atlantic City and the people.  They're staring at this terrible house instead of staring at beautiful fountains and beautiful other things that would be good.” GLENN ZEITZ, VERA COKING'S ATTORNEY: “You're looking at somebody who is supposedly the epitome of the free enterprise system.  And the free enterprise system was based on the premise that you don't go out and sick the government on somebody's property.”[20/20, ABC News, 6/1/98]

Daily Beast: Donald Trump Tried To Force An Elderly Atlantic City Widow Out Of Her Home So He Could Build A Parking Lot For Limousines. “Around the same time [early 1990s], Trump attempted to force elderly widow Vera Coking out of her Atlantic City rooming house to make way for a Trump Plaza Hotel parking lot and limo waiting area. She refused to sell, even when the magnate offered her $1 million, and Trump spent several years working with local government to pry away the property. In 1998, he lost when a court threw out the case. Sixteen years later, the hotel permanently closed its doors.” [The Daily Beast, 10/8/15]

The Daily Beast: Donald Trump Sought Help From The State Of Connecticut To Condemn Five Private Bridgeport Businesses So That He Could Build An Amusement Park. “In the early ’90s, Trump sought the help of the state of Connecticut to condemn five private Bridgeport-area businesses so that he could build a $350 million complex that included an amusement park (with the ‘world’s biggest roller coaster,’ of course), a shipping terminal, a seaport village, and an office complex. ‘It’s going to be a great thing,’ Trump promised during a press event that, according to The Hartford Courant, included repeated references to the ‘world class’ nature of the proposal. It eventually fell through.” [The Daily Beast, 10/8/15]

Club For Growth: Trump’s Support Of Eminent Domain Is Proof That Trump Is Not A Conservative. “‘At least there’s a crucial issue that Trump hasn’t flip-flopped on,’ said Doug Sachtleben, spokesman for the Club for Growth, the conservative group Trump has been warring with for months. ‘Trump hasn’t wavered in his support of the terrible Kelo decision, and he still applauds the idea of developers getting rich while private property owners are forced out of their homes and businesses. It’s just continued proof that Trump is not a conservative.’” [The Atlantic, 10/7/15]

Negotiations

Trump: “I Don't Bill Myself As A Top Negotiator.” TRUMP: “Well, first of all, I don't bill myself as a top negotiator. You're calling me, I don't call you, you know what I mean? I don't know if I'm a good negotiator or not, but I never billed myself as a great negotiator. I don't like to talk that way.” [Newsroom, CNN, 8/1/11]

Reliance on Chinese Goods

TRUMP SOLD GOODS THAT WERE NOT MADE IN AMERICA 

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Sells Chinese Goods Despite Accusing China of Stealing US Jobs.” [ABC News, 6/17/15]

•	ABC News: “In His Campaign Kickoff On Tuesday, Donald Trump Blasted Cheap Chinese Goods — But He Has No Problem Putting His Name On Them And Selling Them.” “In his campaign kickoff on Tuesday, Donald Trump blasted cheap Chinese goods — but he has no problem putting his name on them and selling them. The day after his tirade, the Trump Store inside the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York boasted an array of imported goods, including teddy bears and T-shirts from China alongside products from Haiti, Nicaragua and Lesotho. Trump mentioned China two-dozen times in the opener to his 2016 presidential bid, accusing that country and Mexico of putting Americans out of work. ‘They can’t get jobs, because there are no jobs, because China has our jobs and Mexico has our jobs,’ Trump said.” [ABC News, 6/17/15]

TRUMP SAID HE PROCURED HIS BUILDING MATERIALS FROM CHINA 

Trump Said That He Buys Chinese Products Because They Are Cheaper.KING: “Do you know your wife sells a jewelry line on QVC?” TRUMP: “That's true. And you know what else -- can I give you--” KING: “Do you know every piece of jewelry -- every piece of jewelry is made in China?” TRUMP: “Can I tell you what else? I build my buildings, unfortunately, because companies can't compete because they manipulate their currency. So China makes jewelry and they make curtain walls and they make lots of other things and it shouldn't be that way, John. We should be making it.”KING: “People will ask, is this guy a hypocrite? He's out there beating up on the Chinese and his wife is making money selling products made in China.” TRUMP: “Because of the fact that China manipulates their currency. And they really manipulate it big league. And our people aren't smart enough to know what's going on. When I order curtain walls for a big beautiful building, when I order other things, you know what happened with the sheetrock, because the good news is we make better products than they make in China. But when I order -- can I talk? When I order various elements for building a big building, many of them come from China. Many other industries, the same thing. These -- it comes from China. You know why? Because they manipulate the hell out of their currency.”  [John King USA, CNN, 4/27/11]

•	Trump Said He Often Can’t Buy American Products Because No One Makes Them In The U.S. TRUMP: “When I order curtain walls, when I order other things -- I order thousands of television sets for a building, thousands. I said, ‘Let's buy it from the United States. I want America. I want United States.’ There's no place that makes them. We don't have television companies in this country. I mean, of any consequence. So, I end up getting LGs made in South Korea, thousands of them. Now, why -- excuse me, why aren't we -- why aren't we making them in this country? Why?” [John King USA, CNN, 4/27/11]

Trump On The Issues

Agriculture

TRUMP SUPPORTED ETHANOL SUBSIDIES AND THE RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD

Donald Trump Affirmed His Support For The Renewable Fuel Standard After Touring The POET Biorefining Plant In Gowrie, Iowa Which Produced Ethanol. “Before attending the rally in Fort Dodge, Trump stopped at the POET Biorefining plant in Gowrie to tour the plant and discuss the renewable fuel standard with plant leadership and the co-chairs of America’s Renewable Energy. Iowa is the nation’s leading ethanol producer, and the Gowrie plant is designed to produce 69 million gallons of ethanol annually, according to its website. That meeting was closed to the public, but afterward, Trump took two questions from a group of about 35 people who had been invited to a closed event. There, Trump affirmed his support of the renewable fuel standard. ‘I just want to tell you, you have my support,’ he said. ‘I’m with you.’” [Des Moines Register, 12/13/15]

Donald Trump Said Ted Cruz’s Opposition To Ethanol Subsidies Was “Anti-Iowa” Sand Said, “I Understand It, Oil Pays Him A Lot Of Money. He's Got To Be For Oil, Right?" “[Donald Trump] spent more time on Friday poking Cruz for opposing ethanol subsidies, which are widely popular there. Independent groups there are beginning to spend money against Cruz for his position, which Trump told a questioner was ‘anti-Iowa.’ Cruz says the subsidies are an example of government interference in the free market. ‘With the ethanol, really, he's got to come a long way, 'cause right now he's for the oil,’ Trump said at the beginning of his remarks, unprompted. But then he gave him an out: ‘But I understand it, oil pays him a lot of money. He's got to be for oil, right?’ ‘But I'm with you,’ he added. ‘I'm self-funding. I have no oil company. I have no special interest.’” [CNN, 12/11/15; Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Des Moines, Iowa, 12/11/15]

Campaign Finance and Ethics

Trump: “Nobody Knows More About Campaign Finance That I Do, Because I'm The Biggest Contributor.” KING: “How about campaign-finance reform?” TRUMP: “I think nobody knows more about campaign finance that I do, because I'm the biggest contributor.” KING: “OK, but what about reform?  Does it need reform?  You're the Reform Party?” TRUMP: “Well, it's a very complex -- you know what?  It's a very complex thing.  As an example, I'm allowed to give $1,000 to every senator, right?” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Trump Opposed Campaign Contribution Limits But Supported Disclosure Requirements. TRUMP: “Well, it's a very complex -- you know what?  It's a very complex thing.  As an example, I'm allowed to give $1,000 to every senator, right?... Do you know how little that is, and this was 20 years ago, $1000.  Now, I love it, because, you know, I'm capped out at a $1,000 per senator and they all love me for it.  You know, I give them $1,000, it's great.” KING: “But you can reform where you have soft money, hard money, PAC money.” TRUMP: “Well, no, you have other ways.  But the one thing I feel strongly about -- you know, I have heard Bradley and others talking about the government should pay for the elections, and I totally disagree.  If you like a candidate, you should be able to contribute to that candidate.  Now, they should let it be known that you're contributing, but you should be able to contribute and help that candidate.  Otherwise, you're taking away the whole American system.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Criminal Justice System

Body Cameras

TRUMP SAID THAT POLICE BODY CAMERAS “CAN SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS” AND DESERVE FEDERAL FUNDING

Donald Trump Said Police Body Cameras “Can Solve A Lot Of Problems,” And That The Federal Government Should Help Cities That Want Police Body Cameras But Lack Funding. “In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, the Republican presidential frontrunner [Donald Trump] said ‘there could be’ federal funding directed to those local law enforcement agencies that wanted to buy the cameras and could not afford the technology without financial aid. ‘Some of these departments have plenty of money, and some of them don’t. And if they like the idea of the cameras, they need federal funding,’ Trump told the Guardian on Monday. ‘It can solve a lot of problems for police. It can also solve a lot of problems – period.’ However, Trump did not support making the officer-worn video cameras mandatory across the country, as the Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has done, noting ‘different police departments feel different ways.’” [The Guardian, 10/13/15]

Death Penalty

1989: Donald Trump Took Out Full Page Ads In Four New York Newspapers Titled: ''Bring Back The Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police!'' “The full-page advertisements placed in four New York newspapers today by Donald J. Trump calling for reinstatement of the death penalty grew out of the real-estate developer's ‘deep-seated feeling that what's happening in society today has to be stopped,’ Mr. Trump said in a telephone interview Saturday. The $85,000 worth of ads, in The New York Times, The Daily News, The New York Post and New York Newsday, refer to the attack by a gang of youths on a woman jogger and others in Central Park on April 19. The 600-word appeal, signed Donald J. Trump, is titled ‘Bring Back the Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police!’ The advertisement appears today on page A13 of The Times…. ‘I want to hate these muggers and murderers,’ Mr. Trump wrote. ‘They should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.’” [New York Times, 5/1/89]

Marijuana Legalization

April 1990: Donald Trump Said “You Have To Legalize Drugs To Win” The War On Drugs. “Trump – who says he doesn't drink or smoke tobacco, let alone experiment with drugs – has taken a variety of stances on drug control. In April 1990, Trump said at a luncheon in Florida that the United States should legalize drugs and use the money collected to educate the public on the dangers of drug use. ‘We're losing badly the war on drugs,’ Trump said at the time, according to an article in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. ‘You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.’” [Washington Post, 10/29/15]

10/29/15: Donald Trump Said States Should Be Allowed To Legalize Marijuana If They Choose To Do So, But Said That Colorado’s Experience Has Not Been “Exactly Trouble-Free. So I Really Think That We Should Study Colorado, See What's Happening." “Donald Trump softened his tone on marijuana legalization on Thursday, saying at a political rally that states should be allowed to legalize marijuana if they chose to do so. Trump reaffirmed that he supports making medical marijuana available to patients who are very sick. ‘In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,’ Trump said while taking a handful of questions during a political rally at a casino outside Reno on Thursday afternoon…. ‘And of course you have Colorado,’ Trump said. ‘And I love Colorado and the people are great, but there's a question as to how it's all working out there, you know? That's not going exactly trouble-free. So I really think that we should study Colorado, see what's happening.’” [Washington Post, 10/29/15]

•	June 2015: At CPAC, Donald Trump Said Colorado’s Legalization Of Marijuana Was “Bad, And I Feel Strongly About It.” “More recently, Trump has supported allowing medical marijuana but firmly opposed legalization. During the CPAC conference in June, Trump was asked about Colorado's legalization and responded: ‘I say it's bad. Medical marijuana is another thing, but I think it's bad, and I feel strongly about it.’ Sean Hannity, who was moderating the forum, then asked Trump if legalization is a states' rights issue or not. ‘If they vote for it, they vote for it,’ Trump said. ‘But, you know, they have got a lot of problems going on right now in Colorado. Some big problems.’” [Washington Post, 10/29/15]

Crimes Committed By Undocumented Immigrants

Trump Claimed That A “Killer” Was “Protected” Since He Was An Undocumented Immigrant And “If He Were A Citizen, They’d Put Him In Jail For Life.” TRUMP: “I respect the people in the Republican Party, but this is a very important issue and it can’t be toned down. It’s an issue that wants to be silenced. Remember I told you the story about the guy they were going after, that killer, and when they heard he was he was an illegal immigrant it was like he was protected? If he were a citizen, they’d put him in jail for life.”  [Washington Post, 7/12/15]

•	Trump On The Immigrant Who Killed The Woman In San Francisco: “Look At That Guy, Look At What He Did, Killing That Beautiful Girl. [Expletive] Animal.” “When a picture of the Mexican laborer accused of killing a San Francisco woman is put on screen, Trump said: ‘Look at that guy, look at what he did, killing that beautiful girl. [Expletive] animal.’ He returned several minutes later to continue the interview.]” [Washington Post, 7/12/15]

Defense and Foreign Policy

“Advisers”

Col. Jack Jacobs, Who Trump Claimed Was A “Go-To” Advisers Had Never Actually Discussed National Security Policy With Trump. “The retired Army colonel who Donald Trump listed as one of his ‘go-to’ advisers has never actually discussed national security policy with him, according to a report in Mother Jones on Wednesday. Over the weekend, the billionaire and GOP presidential candidate told NBC News that Col. Jack Jacobs, a military analyst who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Vietnam war, was one of the two men he listed as someone he ‘talk[s] to for military advice right now.’ ‘Col. Jack Jacobs is a good guy,’ he said on ‘Meet the Press.’ ‘And I see him on occasion.’ 
Trump also mentioned that he turned to former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton for advice, as well as ‘the shows.’” [The Hill, 8/19/15]

Trump Said He Learned Military Strategy By Watching Current And Retired Generals Talk On TV. “Getting military strategy by watching current and retired generals talk on TV isn't just OK with Trump -- he says it's better than any team he could assemble to personally advise him. The mogul made the comment on NBC's ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday -- earning derision from one of those frequent TV pundits, retired Gen. Michael Hayden. But Trump defended his comments in an interview Wednesday with CNN's Chris Cuomo, saying it allows him to get a lot of advice quickly. ‘I watch your show. And I watch other shows. And you have the best generals, the best everything ... frankly probably better than I could get,’ Trump said. ‘What do I know? I'm a man that made a great fortune. I'm gonna make our country rich and I'm gonna make our country great.’ Trump said he watches shows as well as reading The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other newspapers and magazines, which allows him to ‘get a lot of information in a very short time.’” [CNN, 8/19/15]

Trump Would Tap American Businessmen Carl Icahn And Henry Kravis As Top International Negotiators. “Trump says his administration would tap American businessmen Carl Icahn and Henry Kravis as top international negotiators -- pledging they could do a better job than the diplomats currently in office. He also predicted he would be ‘the greatest jobs president that God ever created,’ and get tough on countries like China, Mexico and Japan.” [CNN, 8/19/15]

Hawkish Tendencies

Trump: “I'm The Worst Hawk In The World.” TRUMP: “Now, I'm the worst hawk in the world, OK? I am a total hawk… And yet, we shouldn't have gone into Iraq. And the minute we leave, you know, they say we're out. We have 50,000, 60,000 soldiers there right now. We're out? I don't think 60,000 soldiers -- the other thing is, if you look at what countries like China are doing to this country, they are eating our lunch. We're building China. We are really building China because everything we make is made in China or other countries.” [The Situation Room, CNN, 9/22/10]

Donald Trump Criticized President Obama For Tipping Off “The Enemy” Before Attacking, Instead “You Shoot First, You Talk About It Later. “Trump got his biggest cheers -- and the crowd began chanting ‘Trump! Trump! Trump!’ -- when he said of ISIS: ‘I'm going to bomb the s--- out of them.’ At another point during his hour-long stemwinder, Trump pointed his fingers like a gun and began mock shooting. ‘You know the movies. Shoot first, talk later. Right? Right? Right? You shoot first, you talk about it later.’ Trump said Obama does too much talking and continually tips off ‘the enemy’ before he shoots. The Tennessee crowd went wild.” [The Hill, 11/16/15; Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Knoxville, Tennessee, 11/16/15]

•	Donald Trump: “If We Are Going To Continue To Be Stupid And Go Into Syria (Watch Russia), As They Say In The Movies, SHOOT FIRST AND TALK LATER!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 8/29/15]

Defense Spending

2011: Trump Said He Wanted To Increase Defense Spending. TRUMP: “I've never been a fan because, look, I am the most militant person there is. I'm a big war guy in terms of I want total defense. I want perhaps an increase in defense spending, OK? But you don't attack the wrong country. Iraq did not knock down the World Trade Center. As it turned out he did attack the wrong country and frankly they used to kill terrorists in Iraq. You could not be a terrorist and last a day in Iraq. Now it's the Harvard -- it's the breeding ground for terrorists. I mean everybody that wants to be a terrorist they go to Iraq, they go to Afghanistan, they go to the places where we are.”[Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

Foreign Aid

Trump Said He Would Cut Off Aid To Egypt And Pakistan. CAVUTO: “But would you stop all aid to the region?  We have given hundreds of billions over these many decades dating back to Mubarak…  Would you stop that as president?” TRUMP: “I would certainly stop a lot of it and I would certainly stop it if they are not our friends. I mean, look at Pakistan.  We give them $150 billion.  We give them so much money, nobody even has any idea what is happening to it, and they don't give us Osama bin Laden?  And he is, according to all sources, in Pakistan, and you don't think the leaders of that country know where he is?  Of course they do.”[Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 3/7/11]

Military

DONALD TRUMP ON MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT: “WHAT DID THESE GENIUSES EXPECT WHEN THEY PUT MEN & WOMEN TOGETHER?”

Trump: “26,000 Unreported Sexual [Assaults] In The Military—Only 238 Convictions. What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” “Two years ago, Trump weighed in on the alarming rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on the presence of women. ‘26,000 unreported sexual [assaults] in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?’ he tweeted in 2013. ‘The Generals and top military brass never wanted a mixer but were forced to do it by very dumb politicians who wanted to be politically [correct]!’ he continued.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	Donald Trump: “26,000 Unreported Sexual Assults In The Military-Only 238 Convictions. What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/7/13]

Trump: “The Generals And Top Military Brass Never Wanted A Mixer But Were Forced To Do It By Very Dumb Politicians Who Wanted To Be Politically [Correct]!” “Two years ago, Trump weighed in on the alarming rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on the presence of women. ‘26,000 unreported sexual [assaults] in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?’ he tweeted in 2013. ‘The Generals and top military brass never wanted a mixer but were forced to do it by very dumb politicians who wanted to be politically [correct]!’ he continued.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	Donald Trump: "The Generals And Top Military Brass Never Wanted A Mixer But Were Forced To Do It By Very Dumb Politicians Who Wanted To Be Politically C!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/7/13]

TRUMP BELIEVED SGT. BERGDAHL SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED FOR GOING AWOL IN AFGHANISTAN

Donald Trump: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl “Should Have Been Executed.” “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Thursday that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl should have been executed for leaving his post in Afghanistan. ‘We're tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who's a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed,’ Trump said to cheers at a rowdy rally inside a packed Las Vegas theater at the casino-hotel Treasure Island. ‘Thirty years ago,’ Trump added, ‘he would have been shot.’” [ABC News, 10/9/15]

TRUMP CONFUSED THE F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER AND THE B-3 LONG RANGE STRIKE BOMBER

11/5/15: Donald Trump, Who Claims To Be The “The Best In Terms Of The Military,” Confused The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter With The B-3 Long Range Strike Bomber. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claims to be the ‘the best in terms of the military,’ confused the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program with the B-3 Long Range Strike Bomber program. Radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if America needs a strategic bomber or ‘should we just stick with submarines and missiles?’ Trump then criticized the beleaguered F-35 program. [Daily Caller, 11/5/15]

•	11/5/15: Donald Trump Continued To Confuse The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter With The B-3 Long Range Strike Bomber, Even After Hugh Hewitt Attempted To Correct Him. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claims to be the ‘the best in terms of the military,’ confused the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program with the B-3 Long Range Strike Bomber program. Radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if America needs a strategic bomber or ‘should we just stick with submarines and missiles?’ Trump then criticized the beleaguered F-35 program. Hewitt asked, ‘Last week the Pentagon announced, they gave the B-3, the strategic bomber contract to Northrop Grumman. …  Do we need a strategic bomber, Donald Trump, or should we just stick with submarines and missiles?’ … [Trump responded,] ‘When you talked about the bomber, here’s what I don’t like. I have been reading, and I read one article in particular, where the pilots, and these are great test pilots and pilots generally. But pilots in testing it, said our old planes are better,’ explained Trump. ‘They perform better, they handle better. Every aspect, they were saying, they’re better. So I’m saying wait a minute, if they’re better, why are we ordering these unbelievably expensive planes? So I would have some real problems because of cost, and I know I could get the cost down. But what bothers me tremendously is the fact that I heard test pilots saying that the old planes maneuver better, work better, and they like them better. That bothers me,’ insisted Trump. Hewitt responded, ‘A lot of people like the F-18 Super Hornet more than the F-35. But this B-3, the strategic bomber, I think we have to have a bomber.’ … Trump responded, ‘We do, and it’s got to be reasonable. … But you check this out. The pilots that were testing it did not like it as much as the old equipment. That’s not good. And I think you would agree with that, Hugh.’” [Daily Caller, 11/5/15]

•	10/22/15: Donald Trump Said He Heard From A Test Pilot That The F-35 “Doesn’t Perform As Well As Our Existing Equipment.” TRUMP: “Well, I do want briefings, but I do hear that it’s not very good. I’m hearing that our existing planes are better [than the F-35]. And one of the pilots came out of the plane, one of the test pilots, and said this isn’t as good as what we already have. And to spend billions and billions of dollars on something that maybe isn’t as good, but, and I don’t know if you’ve heard that…. Yeah, well, I mean, big problems. They’re saying it doesn’t perform as well as our existing equipment, which is much less expensive. So when I hear that, immediately I say we have to do something, because you know, they’re spending billions. This is a plane. There’s never been anything like it in terms of cost. And how about, you know, we’re retooling with planes that aren’t as good as the ones we have, and the test pilots are amazing people. They know better than anybody, okay, and I think you would accept that.” [Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, 10/22/15]

Nuclear Triad

12/16/15: Donald Trump Appeared No Not Understand The Concept Of America’s Nuclear Weapons ‘Triad’ But Said, “For Me, Nuclear – The Power, The Devastation Is Very Important To Me.” “When Donald Trump could not answer Hugh Hewitt’s question on the nuclear triad during the fifth GOP debate Tuesday night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) was kind enough to take the time to explain what the nuclear triad was to him and any other Americans who may not have known. Trump was asked to offer his opinion on which leg of the nuclear triad, decried by many as outdated, he believed was most crucial to update. The Republican frontrunner did not appear to understand the topic. In his original answer, Trump said it was important to have a strong leader with sound judgment during perilous times. He then trailed off to talking about opposing the Iraq War and how important limiting nuclear proliferation is. The response did not touch on Hewitt’s question, so he asked again. ‘I think for me nuclear – the power, the devastation is very important to me,’ Trump said in his second attempt.” [Free Beacon, 12/15/15]

Trump Did Not Answer What His Priority Was Among The Nuclear Triad. HEWITT: “Dr. Carson just referenced the single most important job of the president, the command, the control and the care of our nuclear forces. And he mentioned the triad. The B-52s are older than I am. The missiles are old. The submarines are aging out. It’s an executive order. It’s a commander-in-chief decision. What’s your priority among our nuclear triad?” TRUMP: “Well, first of all, I think we need somebody absolutely that we can trust, who is totally responsible; who really knows what he or she is doing. That is so powerful and so important. And one of the things that I’m frankly most proud of is that in 2003, 2004, I was totally against going into Iraq because you’re going to destabilize the Middle East. I called it. I called it very strongly. And it was very important.” [Republican Presidential Debate, Las Vegas NV, 12/15/15]

Afghanistan

2011: Trump Said Withdrawing From Afghanistan Was Not A Problem Because The Taliban Was All In Pakistan. O'REILLY: “Afghanistan. Do you pull out of Afghanistan and let the Taliban take over?” TRUMP: “I don't know that Afghanistan is much -- as much of a problem as Pakistan. Because everyone is telling me they're all in Pakistan. They're not in Afghanistan.”O'REILLY: “But they're going to come back.” TRUMP: “Well, they may. I mean, they may. That's Pakistan. If Usama bin Laden is in Pakistan, why are we paying them hundreds of billions of dollars a year?” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 4/1/11]

2011: Trump Called Karzai A Crook. DOOCY: “Do you think Karzai -- is Karzai a crook?” TRUMP: “Well, he's a crook and he's mocking us. He's laughing at us and he's -- and the diplomat that just left was saying how horrible and how embarrassing it is. The horrible things he says and how our soldiers react to his statements that we're an occupier.”[Fox & Friends, Fox News, 6/13/11]

TRUMP SUGGESTED THAT GOING INTO AFGHANISTAN WAS A MISTAKE, THEN WALKED BACK HIS COMMENTS

10/6/15: Donald Trump Believed Entering Afghanistan Was A Mistake And Worried About U.S. Forces Getting Stuck There. “Trump told CNN's "New Day" on October 6 that he believed entering Afghanistan was a mistake and worried about U.S. forces getting stuck there. ‘At some point, are they going to be there for the next 200 years? At some point what's going on? It's going to be a long time,’ Trump said, when asked about Afghanistan. ‘We made a terrible mistake getting involved there in the first place. We had real brilliant thinkers that didn't know what the hell they were doing. And it's a mess. It's a mess. And at this point, you probably have to (stay) because that thing will collapse about two seconds after they leave. Just as I said that Iraq was going to collapse after we leave.’" [CNN, 10/20/15]

Headline: “Donald Trump Backtracks On Afghanistan War: Not A Mistake.” [CNN, 10/20/15]

•	10/20/15: Donald Trump: “I've Never Said We Made A Mistake Going Into Afghanistan." “Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. was right to invade Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- a reversal of his position earlier this month when he called the war a ‘mistake.’ ‘We made a mistake going into Iraq. I've never said we made a mistake going into Afghanistan,’ Trump told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on ‘New Day,’ when pressed about his comments earlier this month. Trump told CNN's ‘New Day’ on October 6 that he believed entering Afghanistan was a mistake and worried about U.S. forces getting stuck there.” [CNN, 10/20/15]

•	10/20/15: Donald Trump Said It Was Important To Keep Troops In Afghanistan. “But when pressed on that answer Tuesday, Trump denied that he had characterized U.S. entry into Afghanistan as a mistake and said he had only talked about Iraq. ‘I never said that. OK, wouldn't matter, I never said it. Afghanistan is a different kettle. Afghanistan is next to Pakistan, it's an entry in. You have to be careful with the nuclear weapons. It's all about the nuclear weapons. By the way, without the nukes, it's a whole different ballgame,’ Trump said. Trump has long bashed the Iraq War, saying again Tuesday that the decision to go there destabilized the Middle East and created an opening for Iran. But he said Tuesday that the Afghanistan War was necessary and said he supported keeping a limited number of troops there. ‘Do I love anything about it? No. I think it's important, number one, that we keep a presence there and ideally a presence of pretty much what they're talking about -- 5,000 soldiers,’ Trump said Tuesday.” [CNN, 10/20/15]

China

TRUMP ON CHINA IN 2011” “I THINK THEY’RE ENEMIES”

Trump Said That The Chinese Were Enemies. MORGAN: “There are towns in China that sell 95 percent of the world's duvets. You know, they manufacture 85 percent of the world's buttons. Now I don't think that's the enemy. I think it's a potential business friend. Isn't it? Can't we work with them?” TRUMP: “I don't think they're friends. I think they're enemies. I deal with Chinese. I just sold an apartment to a Chinese person for $33 million a short while ago -- a couple of months ago. I mean I'm supposed to like the Chinese but I understand the Chinese and I deal with them all the time. Now this is before they thought I might run for president. They consider our leaders extremely stupid people. They cannot believe what they get away with. Whether it's the Olympics where they put people under age and they say, no, no, no, and then we find out it was true and they say, oh, we just didn't know. Or whether they have the beautiful girl singing the national anthem, their national anthem, but it wasn't her singing. So many different things. I mean the Chinese are looking to put us under and believe me they are not our friends. I'm surprised at you because you're not somebody that's easily misled or misguided… They are not our friend.” [Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

TRUMP VOWED NOT TO THROW CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING A STATE DINNER, AND WOULD INSTEAD HAVING A WORKING DINNER OVER “A DOUBLE SIZE BIG MAC”

Trump Said He Would Give The Chinese President A “A Double Size Big Mac” Instead Of A State Dinner. “Trump vowed Monday not to throw Chinese President Xi Jinping a lavish state dinner as the Chinese leader will enjoy in September when he visits the U.S. for meetings with President Barack Obama, a little over a year after Jinping hosted Obama in China. ‘I'd get him a McDonald's hamburger and I'd say we gotta get down to work, because you can't continue to devalue (the Chinese currency),’ Trump said Monday night on Fox News. ‘I would give him a very, yeah, but I would give him a double, probably a double size Big Mac.’” [CNN, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

TRUMP: THERE’S NO CHOICE BUT TO START A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA

In Response To China Devaluing Their Currency, Trump Said He Would Put A Tariff On Chinese Products And Claimed We “Have To” Have A Trade War With China. “Challenged by host Bill O'Reilly, the celebrity real estate tycoon doubled down on what has become a main issue in his campaign, criticizing the U.S. government for allowing China to devalue its currency. Trump said he would put a tariff on Chinese products, saying ‘you have to’ have a trade war. ‘Their leaders are intelligent, ours aren't,’ Trump said Monday.” [The Hill, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

Trump Said He Would Start A Trade War With China, Stating “You Have To Do That ... You Have No Choice.” “Trump, who has made a similar call with Mexico, said Monday that he would initiate a trade war with China, saying ‘you have to do that ... you have no choice.’: [CNN, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

Trump Said He Would Impose Import Tariffs Of Up To 12 Percent On China. “As for China, Trump said he would play hardball with Beijing on trade. He accused China of devaluing its currency and said he would hit the Chinese with import tariffs of up to 12 percent.” [Public Radio International, 9/7/15]

•	The Economist’s David Rennie: “If [Donald Trump] Did One-Tenth Of What He’s Planning, He Would Trigger A Global Trade War, Which Would Cause A Kind Of Global Recession And Cost Lots Of Jobs.” “The editors at The Economist looked at the overall implications of Trump’s policy ideas and were less than impressed. ‘Americans are waking up to the possibility that a man whose hobby is naming things after himself might — conceivably — be the nominee of the party of Lincoln and Reagan. It is worth spelling out why that would be a terrible thing,’ they write in the latest issue of the magazine. ‘From an economics point-of-view, we think that if he did one-tenth of what he’s planning, he would trigger a global trade war, which would cause a kind of global recession and cost lots of jobs,’ [David] Rennie [Washington bureau chief for The Economist] says.” [Public Radio International, 9/7/15]

2011: TRUMP SAID HE WOULD IMPOSE A 25% TAX ON CHINESE PRODUCTS

Trump Said He Would Immediately Announce A 25% Tax On Chinese Products. TRUMP: “And if you read the real economists and real people that know what's going on it's an unfair playing field. So here's what happens. You said what would I do? I would immediately announce a tax of 25 percent. The first thing that's going to happen is the Chinese are going to call.”[Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

TRUMP’S SOLUTION FOR REDUCING THE DEBT: BILL CHINA FOR STEALING TRADE SECRETS

Trump On The Reducing The Debt: Send China A Bill For Stolen Trade Secrets. VAN SUSTEREN: But if we -- if we -- but if we do just say, OK, we're taking off our debt the cost of what you just took from us in Pakistan, I mean, since the debt isn't -- I mean, since we're not paying them off soon, I mean, do they -- do they even really care if we do that because there's so much money.” TRUMP: “Well, I wouldn't start that way. I'd just send them a bill for the value of the secrets that they've stolen. Now, of course, they're stealing them from Boeing and from General Electric and from everybody else also. If you look at what they forced General Electric to do or if you look at what they're trying to do with Boeing, it's very, very sad that the companies are succumbing to it.” [On The Record, Fox News, 8/17/11]

Cuba

TRUMP IN 1999: CASTRO “IS A MURDERER, HE’S A KILLER” AND THE EMBARGO “MUST STAND”

Trump On Cuba Embargo: Fidel Castro “Is A Murderer, He's A Killer, He's A Bad Guy In Every Respect, And, Frankly, The Embargo Against Cuba Must Stand.” TRUMP: “It goes into the pockets of Fidel Castro. He's a murderer, he's a killer, he's a bad guy in every respect, and, frankly, the embargo against Cuba must stand if for no other reason than, if it does stand, he will come down.  He will tumble down, and it will finally happen.  What a waste of energy and time and effort if this government opens up Cuba before Castro is gone.  It's going to line his pockets, the country will become wealthy again, and it will have the same regime it's had for so many years, and that's a regime headed by Fidel Castro.  And it's inconceivable to me when I see the weak stance taken by our current administration, inconceivable that this can happen, especially with the spirit in this room because the spirit of the Cuban people is beyond any spirit that I've seen by any people, and I've been watching it for a long time.  Things can change.”[Donald Trump Speech, Cuban-American National Foundation, Miami FL, 11/22/99]

•	Trump Said That He Had Rejected Business Deals In Cuba Because The Money Would Flow To Fidel Castro. TRUMP: “I've had a lot of offers -- and sadly it's all been very recently -- to go into Cuba on deals, business deals, real estate and other deals, and I've rejected them on the basis that I will go when Cuba is free.  As you know -- and the people in this room know better than anyone -- putting money and investing money in Cuba right now doesn't go to the people of Cuba.  It goes into the pockets of Fidel Castro.” [Donald Trump Speech, Cuban-American National Foundation, Miami FL, 11/22/99]

Egypt

Trump Praised Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak And Criticized The U.S. For Allowing Him To Be Deposed. TRUMP: “I mean, if you look at what happened in Egypt -- look what we did to our wonderful leader of Egypt, who really was at least outwardly -- and you know, whether he loved Israel or not behind the scenes -- let's assume he didn't. But at least he was somewhat of an ally to Israel. He helped Israel. Look what's going to happen with respect to Egypt and Israel. You can already see it, the level of hatred, the level of animosity that Egypt now has for Israel. Unbelievable. So instead of helping them to keep their power, we make it possible for him to be overthrown. And now he's sitting in a cage in a courthouse. He'll probably be sentenced to death. And our other allies watch that and they say, What kind of an ally is the United States? Why should we go with the United States, when they look at what happened in Egypt?”[On The Record, Fox News, 8/31/11]

France

Donald Trump Said France Was "The Worst Partner That This Country Has Ever Had" And Would “Sell A Nuclear Weapon To Anybody Giving Them 10 Cents More Than The Next Guy.” “Mr.  Trump used his appearance on Fox to criticize a number of U.S. allies and trading partners.  … He denounced France as ‘the worst partner that this country has ever had.’ ‘They'll sell a nuclear weapon to anybody giving them 10 cents more than the next guy,’ he said.  ‘They are a very disloyal group in terms of their government, and I think they have to be taught respect,’ Mr.  Trump said.” [Washington Times, 11/1/99]

•	10/31/99: Donald Trump: “France Has To Be The Worst Partner That This Country Has Ever Had.” They Have “Been A Very Disloyal Partner To The United States And Virtually Anybody Else They Deal With.” “If you look throughout the world, France has to be the worst partner that this country has ever had. They'll sell a nuclear weapon to anybody giving them 10 cents more to the next guy. It's terrible. … I think France just doesn't respect this country. France is a terrible partner. They've been a terrible partner over the years. They are a very disloyal group in terms of their government, and I think they have to be taught respect. I'm not saying what I'm doing to them, I just think France and I think one thing I'm doing I'm exposing them, because I've never heard this before. But anybody that knows anything about government, knows that France has been a very disloyal partner to the United States and virtually anybody else they deal with.” [Fox News Sunday, Fox News, 10/31/99]

Germany

Donald Trump Accused Germany Of Wanting To “Take Over The World Economically.” “Mr. Trump used his appearance on Fox to criticize a number of U.S. allies and trading partners. …He accused Germany of wanting ‘to take over the world economically,’ even though ‘they failed militarily.’” [Washington Times, 11/1/99]

Iran

TRUMP OPPOSED THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL, SAYING IT WAS BAD FOR ISRAEL

Trump On The Iran Deal: “I Think The Deal Is Absolutely Horrible For Us, But It's Really, Really Bad For Israel.” “GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted the White House for failing to include American prisoners in its deal on Iran’s nuclear program. ‘We have four people over there, prisoners that they're keeping — hostages, whatever you want to call them — that's not part of the deal. Why isn't that part of the deal?’ Trump asked during an interview on Fox Business Network, questioning the terms of the agreement lifting sanctions on Tehran. Families of a Washington Post journalist, a former Marine, a pastor and a former FBI agent have voiced a desire for U.S. negotiators to continue pushing for their release. ‘I think the deal is absolutely horrible for us, but it's really, really bad for Israel,’ Trump said.” [The Hill, 7/14/15; Fox Business, 7/14/15, VIDEO]

TRUMP DECLARED HE WOULDN’T ADDRESS AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI BY HIS TITLE, BUT WOULD INSTEAD SAY “HEY BABY, HOW YA DOING?”

Donald Trump Said He Would Never Address Ayatollah Khamenei Of Iran As “Supreme Leader,” And Would Instead Greet Him By Saying “Hey Baby, How Ya Doing?” “Donald Trump held forth on his approach to foreign policy on Monday morning in New Hampshire, starting with what he'd call the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It wouldn't be, he told a boisterous audience of about 1,200, the customary ‘Supreme Leader.’ ‘I'll say, 'Hey baby, how ya doing?' I will never call him the Supreme Leader,’ Trump said. ‘And I'll get along with him probably. And maybe not. And if he doesn't get along with me, they got problems. We don't.’” [CBS News, 10/26/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR ENACTING “HARSH MEASURES” TO PROTECT ANTI-AHMADINEJAD PROTESTORS IN IRAN

In 2011, Trump Supported Protecting Anti-Ahmadinejad Protesters In Iran. VAN SUSTEREN: “What about Iran? Protesters in opposition to Ahmadinejad want to protest, and the U.S. is watching what is going on there.” TRUMP: “They handle it tougher. People go in the streets and they start shooting right away. I think with Iran we have a major problem. I think maybe this is a great time. If they protest, we should maybe and try and protect the protesters. And by doing that, that means harsh measures. We let him know, you are going to hurt those protesters, we are going to come after you. That way maybe they can actually protest.” [On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 2/14/11]

TRUMP WASN’T AWARE OF THE NAME OF THE LEADER OF IRAN’S QUDS FORCE AND CONFUSED THE QUDS AND THE KURDS

Donald Trump Appeared To The Quds Force, An Iranian Military Group, For The Kurds, A Middle Eastern People In An Interview With Hugh Hewitt. “Donald J. Trump revealed gaps in his mastery of international affairs during a radio interview on Thursday, appearing to mistake the Quds Force, an Iranian military group, for the Kurds, a Middle Eastern people, and growing testy over questions about foreign leaders. … At one point, according to the interview’s transcript, Mr. [Hugh] Hewitt asked Mr. Trump if he was familiar with Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the shadowy commander of Iran’s paramilitary Quds Force. ‘Yes, but go ahead, give me a little, go ahead, tell me,’ Mr. Trump replied. ‘He runs the Quds Forces,’ Mr. Hewitt said. ‘Yes, O.K., right,’ Mr. Trump said. But Mr. Trump seemed to think Mr. Hewitt was referring to the Kurds, a group with its own language and culture. Mr. Trump asserted that ‘the Kurds, by the way, have been horribly mistreated.’ Mr. Hewitt interrupted. ‘No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces.’ Mr. Trump tried to recover from the live, on-air tutorial. ‘Yes, yes,’ he said. He added, ‘Oh, I thought you said Kurds, Kurds.’” [New York Times, 9/3/15] 

Donald Trump Appeared To Not Know The Difference Between The Iranian Quds Forces And The Kurds. HUGH HEWITT: “Are you familiar with General Soleimani?” DONALD TRUMP: “Yes, but go ahead, give me a little, go ahead, tell me.” HUGH HEWITT: “He runs the Quds Forces.” DONALD TRUMP: “Yes, okay, right.” HUGH HEWITT: “Do you expect his behavior…” DONALD TRUMP: “The Kurds, by the way, have been horribly mistreated by …” HUGH HEWITT: “No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces.” DONALD TRUMP: “Yes, yes.” HUGH HEWITT: “…is the bad guys.” DONALD TRUMP: “Right.” HUGH HEWITT: “Do you expect his behavior to change as a result…” DONALD TRUMP: “Oh, I thought you said Kurds, Kurds.” HUGH HEWITT: “No, Quds.” DONALD TRUMP: “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you said Kurds, because I think the Kurds have been poorly treated by us, Hugh. Go ahead.” HUGH HEWITT: “Agreed. So Soleimani runs the Quds Forces. Do you expect his behavior is going to change as a result of this deal with Iran?” DONALD TRUMP: “I think that Iran right now is in the driver’s seat to do whatever they want to do. I think what’s happening with Iran is, I think it’s one of the, and I covered it very well. I assume you saw the news conference. I think Iran is, it’s one of the great deals ever made for them. I think it’s one of the most incompetent contracts I’ve even seen. I’m not just talking about defense. I’m not talking about a contract with another country. I’ve never seen more of a one-sided deal, I think, in my life, absolutely.” HUGH HEWITT: “Well, Soleimani is to terrorism sort of what Trump is to real estate.” DONALD TRUMP: “Okay.” HUGH HEWITT: “Many people would say he’s the most dangerous man in the world, and he runs the Quds Forces, which is their Navy SEALs.” DONALD TRUMP: “Is he the gentleman that was going back and forth with Russia and meeting with Putin? I read something, and that seems to be also where he’s at.” HUGH HEWITT: “That’s the guy.” DONALD TRUMP: “He’s going back and forth meeting with other countries, etc., etc.” HUGH HEWITT: “That’s the guy.” DONALD TRUMP: “Not good.” HUGH HEWITT: “And so do you think…” DONALD TRUMP: “Not good for us. And what it shows is a total lack of respect, I mean, that the other countries would even be entertaining him, and they’re entertaining him big league, big league.” [Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, 9/3/15]

Iraq

TRUMP SAID HE OPPOSED THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION TO INVADE IRAQ

2004: Trump Stated That He Wanted To Fire The Bush Administration For Its Decision To Invade Iraq And That “All Of The Reasons For The War Were Blatantly Wrong.” “Billionaire Donald Trump, America's toughest employer, would like to fire the Bush Administration for its decision to invade Iraq, according to an interview in the August edition ‘Esquire,’ due to be released on Friday. ‘Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country?,’ said the host of NBC's ‘The Apprentice,’ whose hallmark line is ‘You're fired.’ ‘C'mon. Two minutes after we leave, there's going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over. And he'll have weapons of mass destruction, which Saddam didn't have,’ Trump said in excerpts of the interview released in advance to Reuters. ‘The Apprentice’ was one of NBC's biggest hits last season, making the real estate mogul a well-known entity to TV viewing audiences. ‘What was the purpose of the whole thing? Hundreds and hundreds of young people killed. And what about the people coming back with no arms and no legs? Not to mention the other side. All those Iraqi kids who've been blown to pieces. And it turns out that all of the reasons for the war were blatantly wrong. All this for nothing!,’ Trump said.” [Reuters, 7/14/04]

Trump’s Plan For Ending The Iraq War: “Declare Victory And Leave.” BLITZER: “How does the United States get out of this situation? Is there a way?” TRUMP: You know how they get out? They get out. That's how they get out. Declare victory and leave, because I'll tell you, this country is just going to get further bogged down. They're in a civil war over there, Wolf. There's nothing that we're going to be able to do with a civil war. They are in a major civil war.” [The Situation Room, CNN, 3/16/07]

Donald Trump Said George W. Bush Was A “Disaster” And That The Invasion Of Iraq Was “One Of The Worst Decisions Ever Made.” “BAIER: ‘Two, you stand by the statement back in '08 and '07 that you would impeach George W. Bush for getting into the Iraq war?’ TRUMP: ‘I think he was a disaster. And I think it was one of the worst decisions ever made. He has totally destabilized the Middle East. Had Saddam Hussein still been in charge, you wouldn't have the problems that you have right now. I mean if you had Gadhafi, if you had Saddam Hussein -- look at the migration.’” [Special Report with Bret Baier, 10/6/15]

TRUMP BELIEVES WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF HUSSEIN WAS STILL IN POWER 

Donald Trump: World Would Be '100%' Better With Saddam Hussein, Moammar Gadhafi Still In Power. “Donald Trump believes the world would be much better off if ruthless dictators like Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi were still in power. ‘100%,’ Trump replied when asked that question in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper that aired Sunday on ‘State of the Union.’ … ‘I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Hussein) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it's the Harvard of terrorism,’ Trump said. ‘If you look at Iraq from years ago, I'm not saying he was a nice guy, he was a horrible guy, but it was a lot better than it is right now. Right now, Iraq is a training ground for terrorists. Right now Libya, nobody even knows Libya, frankly there is no Iraq and there is no Libya. It's all broken up. They have no control. Nobody knows what's going on.’” [CNN, 10/25/15]

Donald Trump Said Human Rights Abuses In Iraq And Libya Are Worse Today Than Under Saddam Hussein And Moammar Gadhafi. “Both Gadhafi and Hussein committed atrocities against their own people and were among the world's worst human rights abusers. NATO decided to intervene in Libya as Gadhafi appeared poised to commit a genocidal-like massacre. But Trump said human rights abuses continue to plague Libya and Iraq and claimed, ‘They're worse than they ever were.’ ‘People are getting their heads chopped off, they're being drowned. Right now, they are far worse than they were, ever, under Saddam Hussein or Gadhafi,’ he said.” [CNN, 10/25/15]

TRUMP ADVOCATED CONFISCATING IRAQI OIL TO PAY FOR THE WAR

Trump Said The United States Should “Take” $1.5 Trillion Worth Of Oil From Iraq To Pay For The Cost Of The War. “Mr. Trump also said that the United States should ‘take’ $1.5 trillion worth of oil from Iraq to pay for the cost of the war and give $1 million to each of the families that lost someone in the effort — sparking applause from the thousands gathered Friday for the American Conservative Union’s 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).” [Washington Times, 3/15/13]

Trump Wanted To Keep American Troops In Iraq To Take Their Oil And Prevent Iran From Taking Over. TRUMP: “And no, I very simply said that Iran is going to take over Iraq and if that's going to happen, we should just stay there and take the oil.” KILMEADE:  “Stay.” TRUMP:  “They want the oil and why should we?  We denuded Iraq, Iran is going to walk in, take it over, take over the second largest oil fields in the world.  That's going to happen.  That would mean that all of those soldiers that have died and been wounded and everything else would have died in vain and I don't want that to happen. I want them to be -- I want their parents and their families to be proud.  The last thing I want to see happen is for Iran to go in and take over Iraq and the oil fields of Iraq because we weakened that country to a point where they can just walk in.  So I say, we take the oil. You know in the old days, when you won a war, to the victor belongs the spoils.  You kept it.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 4/4/11]

ISIS

TRUMP INITIALLY REFUSED TO COMMIT TO SENDING GROUND FORCES TO SYRIA, BUT LATER SUPPORTED 10,000 GROUND TROOPS

Donald Trump Refused To Commit To Sending Ground Forces To Syria And Called The Middle East “One Big, Fat Quagmire.” “[Donald Trump] said the Russian plane crash that ISIS has claimed responsibility for poses a new threat to American interests. … Trump would not commit to sending group forces into Syria, calling the Middle East ‘one big, fat quagmire’ for which the U.S. should not be exclusively responsible. He said the lessons of history, such as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, caution against becoming entangled in the Middle East.” [The Hill, 11/8/15]

Trump Supported Putting 10,000 Ground Troops In Syria To Defeat ISIS. SCARBOROUGH: “Right. But you need ground troops to do that?” TRUMP: “Yes, you'll need some ground troops. Yeah. You'll need ground troops.” SCARBOROUGH: “What do you think? 10,000, 20,000? Do you have a number?... So -- I want to get specific with you like I will with Ted Cruz and everybody else because I think people need to start giving us specifics on how we get there.” TRUMP: “Well, I've been specific.” SCARBOROUGH: ”So 10,000 troops?... I'm talking specifically about ground troops… So would you support taking it, say, ten thousand ground troops as part of an international force?... Would you support 10,000 ground troops?” TRUMP: “I would. Yes, I would.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 12/8/15]

TRUMP ADVOCATED TARGETING THE FAMILIES OF TERRORISTS TO DEFEAT ISIS

Donald Trump Said He Would Kill Terrorists’ Families As Part Of The Fight Against ISIS. “Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would kill the families of terrorists in order to win the fight against ISIS. … "The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families," Trump said. Trump said he would "knock the hell out of" ISIS, and criticized the U.S. for "fighting a very politically correct war." [CNN, 12/2/15]

Donald Trump Said The U.S. Was “Fighting A Very Politically Correct War,” And Called For Taking Out ISIS Families. TRUMP: “I would knock the hell out of ISIS, I would hit them so hard like they’ve never been before. KILMEADE: “What about civilian causalities? What about the fact that we’re targeting them and people are concerned about collateral damage?” TRUMP: “I would do my best, absolute best. I mean one of the problems that we have and one of the reasons that we’re so ineffective, is they’re trying to, they’re using them as human shields. A horrible thing. They’re using them as shields. But we’re fighting a very politically correct war. And the other thing is with the terrorists, you have to take out their families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their [families’] lives, don’t kid yourself. But they say they don’t care about their lives. You have to take out their families.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 12/2/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR CUTTING OFF ISIS’S REVENUES FROM OIL

Donald Trump Said The U.S. Needed To, “Take Away The Energy, The Fuel, The Money From ISIS” — “I Want To Take The Oil.” “Donald Trump says any plan to defeat the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) will hinge on cutting off the revenue stream that the terrorist group takes in from oil. ‘I’m looking to take the oil. I want to take the oil. I want the oil,’ Trump said on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday. ‘We have to stop the source of money, and the source of money is oil,’ the businessman added. …‘You know, if you stop transportation, I mean, you’re talking about the blood – the blood of the world and we’re going to have to be very, very strong,’ Trump said. ‘We’re going to have to take away the energy, the fuel, the money from ISIS.’” [The Hill, 11/8/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD CONSIDER CLOSING MOSQUES TO FIGHT ISIS

Headline: “Donald Trump Says He Would Be Open To Closing U.S. Mosques To Fight ISIS.” [New York Times, 10/22/15]

Donald Trump Would “Absolutely” Close Certain Mosques In Order To Fight ISIS, But Was Unsure If Doing So Would Be Legal. “This week, he [Donald Trump] has put American Muslims on edge by suggesting that he would be open to shutting down mosques as president. Asked on Fox Business Network if the United States should take action to close certain mosques as part of the fight against the Islamic State, as has happened in Britain, Mr. Trump said, ‘I would do that, absolutely.’ Mr. Trump then said that he was not sure about the legality of closing mosques, but that it was certainly something that should be looked at. ‘It depends if the mosque is, you know, loaded for bear,’ he said.” [New York Times, 10/22/15]

TRUMP: ISIS HAS DESIGNS ON THE VATICAN

Trump: “You Know That ISIS Wants To Go In And Take Over The Vatican? You Have Heard That. You Know, That’s A Dream Of Theirs, To Go Into Italy.” “The comment came when CNN’s Chris Cuomo presented Trump with a hypothetical situation during an interview Wednesday. What if, Cuomo said, Trump met the pope, and — through a translator — the pope expressed a belief that capitalism can be ‘a real avenue to greed, it can be really toxic and corrupt.’ How would Trump respond, Cuomo asked. ‘I’d say ISIS wants to get you,’ Trump said. ‘You know that ISIS wants to go in and take over the Vatican? You have heard that. You know, that’s a dream of theirs, to go into Italy.’ ‘He talks to you about capitalism, you scare the pope?’ Cuomo asked. ‘I’m gonna have to scare the Pope because it’s the only thing,’ Trump said. ‘The Pope, I hope, can only be scared by God. But the truth is — you know, if you look at what’s going on — they better hope that capitalism works, because it’s the only thing we have right now. And it’s a great thing when it works properly.’” [Washington Post, 8/20/15]

Israel

Trump Said He Thinks President Obama Hates Israel And Vowed To Keep Israel Safe. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Thursday he thinks President Obama hates Israel. ‘I heard the beautiful name of Israel — Israel is safe with this one,’ Mr. Trump told supporters in Nevada. ‘Safe. Safe. So many friends in Israel. They don’t know what happened.’ ‘They have a president who — they actually think Obama hates Israel,’ he said. ‘I think he does.’ Mr. Trump slammed the recently brokered Iran nuclear deal as ‘so bad’ for Israel and ‘so dangerous.’ ‘Honestly, I think Israel’s in such a massive amount of trouble because of the agreement,’ he said. ‘We will save Israel. Nothing — nothing bad is [going to] happen to Israel.’” [Washington Times, 10/30/15]

Kuwait

Trump Said That The U.S. Should Have Made Kuwait Reimburse The U.S. For Liberating It In 1991. BLITZER: “On Kuwait, so what you're saying is after the U.S. liberated Kuwait back in 1991, we should have done what?” TRUMP: “We should have told them that we want them to at least reimburse us for the cost of this liberation. What did we do? We liberated it for some a few very wealthy people. And those wealthy people aren't investing in the United States right now. You know, they don't even like the United States. We handed them, if you go to the Kuwaiti fund, they're not investing big money in the United States.” [The Situation Room, CNN, 9/22/10]

Libya

TRUMP: NO INTEREST IN LIBYA UNLESS IT GIVES US OIL

Trump: “Unless We Take The Oil From Libya, I Have No Interest In Libya.” TRUMP: “I want to rebuild the United States. And in rebuilding the United States, you know, Libya is -- whether it's Gadhafi, or the rebels -- they make the rebels sound like they're from ‘Gone With the Wind,’ very glamorous. I hear they're controlled by Iran. I hear they're controlled by al Qaeda. And I would say this -- unless we take the oil from Libya, I have no interest in Libya… And Libya is only good as far I'm concerned for one thing -- this country takes the oil. If we're not taking the oil, no interest.”[Newsroom, CNN, 4/7/11]

2011: TRUMP SAID THE ARAB LEAGUE SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE INTERVENTION IN LIBYA

Trump Argued That The Arab League Should Pay For The Intervention In Libya. TRUMP: “Well, I think he's been very late. I mean I thought of it as really a humanitarian thing, let's save some of these people, and you know two, three weeks later, thousands and thousands of people have been killed and if he would have done this two weeks ago, 2 1/2 weeks ago, you might have stopped the whole thing and frankly, I also think they've been pretty dissipated. I don't think they have the power to take over anymore. So something bad is going to happen. So if you're going to do it, you really should have done it earlier. Now the other thing -- I can't say kick out of, but I just -- I'm amazed, the Arab League wants us to do it. Why aren't they paying for it? This is Saudi Arabia, this is -- Why aren't they paying for it? You know they say go in and do it, go in and do it, we don't like that guy very much. You know he's not nice to us. Go in and do it. Why aren't they paying us?” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 3/21/11]

TRUMP BRAGGED HE HAD DEALT WITH QADDAFI AND “SCREWED” HIM IN A LAND DEAL…

Trump Bragged That He “Screwed” Qaddafi On A Land Lease In New Jersey. TRUMP: “I've been interacting with leaders of countries and leaders of business all over the world, all of my life. And I think you guys know that probably better than anybody. I think I probably have more experience than anybody, whether I sell them real estate for tremendous amounts of money -- I mean, I've dealt with everybody….  I dealt with Qaddafi.” DOOCY: “You buried the lead. What did you do?” TRUMP: “Excuse me. I rented him a piece of land. He paid me more for one night than the land was worth but the whole year, for two years, and then I didn't let him use the land. That's what we should be doing.” DOOCY: “Was that over in New Jersey?” TRUMP: “I don't want to use the word screw but I screwed him. That's what we should be doing. I rented him a piece of land in Bedford, New York. I rented him a piece of land…. He paid me a fortune and then I didn't let him use the land.”[Fox & Friends, Fox News, 3/21/11]

BUT NOW SAYS WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF HE WAS STILL IN POWER 

Donald Trump: World Would Be '100%' Better With Saddam Hussein, Moammar Gadhafi Still In Power. “Donald Trump believes the world would be much better off if ruthless dictators like Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi were still in power. ‘100%,’ Trump replied when asked that question in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper that aired Sunday on ‘State of the Union.’ … ‘I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Hussein) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it's the Harvard of terrorism,’ Trump said. ‘If you look at Iraq from years ago, I'm not saying he was a nice guy, he was a horrible guy, but it was a lot better than it is right now. Right now, Iraq is a training ground for terrorists. Right now Libya, nobody even knows Libya, frankly there is no Iraq and there is no Libya. It's all broken up. They have no control. Nobody knows what's going on.’” [CNN, 10/25/15]

Donald Trump Said Human Rights Abuses In Iraq And Libya Are Worse Today Than Under Saddam Hussein And Moammar Gadhafi. “Both Gadhafi and Hussein committed atrocities against their own people and were among the world's worst human rights abusers. NATO decided to intervene in Libya as Gadhafi appeared poised to commit a genocidal-like massacre. But Trump said human rights abuses continue to plague Libya and Iraq and claimed, ‘They're worse than they ever were.’ ‘People are getting their heads chopped off, they're being drowned. Right now, they are far worse than they were, ever, under Saddam Hussein or Gadhafi,’ he said.” [CNN, 10/25/15]

TRUMP RELEASED A VIDEO SUGGESTING HILLARY CLINTON LAUGHED AT THE BENGHAZI ATTACKS…

Donald Trump Released A Video That Portrayed Hillary Clinton Laughing Over Flaming Images Of The Benghazi Attack. “GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's latest video, posted online Monday, portrays Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton laughing over flaming images of the Benghazi attack. ‘Hillary has been having a laugh at our expense for years,’ reads text at the beginning of the video, followed immediately with a series of video clips of the former secretary of State chuckling. Clinton's laughter can be heard while several news clips fly across the screen highlighting several controversies, from Whitewater to the recent federal investigation into her private email arrangement while at State.” [The Hill, 11/23/15]

Donald Trump: “Hillary, There Is Nothing To Laugh About” [realDonaldTrump, Instagram, 11/23/15]

BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PARTISAN NATURE OF THE HOUSE BENGHAZI COMMITTEE

Donald Trump Said Benghazi Committee’s Hearing Featuring Hillary Clinton “Was Very Partisan, And It Looked Quite Partisan.” “Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the Benghazi committee's hearing featuring former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was ‘very partisan,’ adding that the ‘hatred’ displayed was ‘unbelievable. ‘It was very partisan, and it looked quite partisan,’ Trump said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘The level of hatred between Republicans and Democrats was unbelievable.’ ‘You’ve never seen anything like this.’ Trump said the partisanship ‘hurts both parties’ and ‘hurts the country’ because it prevents the government from accomplishing anything.” [The Hill, 10/25/15]

Mexico

COMPARING IT TO CASTRO’S CUBA, TRUMP SAID MEXICO MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO SEND ITS CRIMINALS TO THE U.S.

Trump Claimed Mexico Was Sending Criminals Over The Border In A More “Sophisticated” Version Of When Castro “Opened Up His Prisons And Sent His Prisoners To The United States.” “Trump also tried to make a historical comparison, noting, ‘[Former Cuban leader Fidel] Castro, many years ago, opened up his prisons and sent his prisoners to the United States,’ which the candidate called a disaster for the America, before adding, ‘In a much more sophisticated manner, Mexico is [now] doing the same thing.’ According to Trump, Mexico calls the shots at Univision as well, which explains why the network canceled their business arrangements with him.” [New York Magazine, 6/12/15]

Trump On Those Protesting Him Over His Immigration Comments: “They Were So Sophisticated. I Guarantee You That The Country Of Mexico Had Those People [Sent There].” “Trump proposed that protesters and critics were being sent by the government of Mexico to oppose him.  ‘They were so sophisticated. I guarantee you that the country of Mexico had those people [sent there],’ Trump said.” [Business Insider, 7/11/15]

MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: TRUMP’S PROPOSALS “WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF BOTH SOCIETIES”

Mexico On Trump’s Immigration Plan: “Anyone Who Understands The Depth Of The U.S.-Mexico Relationship Realizes That Those Proposals Are Not Only Prejudiced And Absurd, But Would Be Detrimental To The Well-Being Of Both Societies.” “The Mexican Foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed Donald Trump for his plan to deport the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. ‘Anyone who understands the depth of the U.S.-Mexico relationship realizes that those proposals are not only prejudiced and absurd, but would be detrimental to the well-being of both societies,’ the Mexican Foreign Ministry said Wednesday in a statement to Reuters. The foreign ministry also slammed the Republican presidential front-runner for his comments about undocumented immigrants who come into the U.S. from Mexico, whom Trump called ‘rapists’ and ‘killers’ when he launched his presidential bid in June. The Mexican foreign minister had previously called out Trump for those remarks. ‘We continue to stand by our position that these comments reflect prejudice, racism or plain ignorance,’ Mexico's foreign ministry said in the statement Wednesday.” [CNN, 8/20/15]

Russia

TRUMP CLAIMED HE WOULD GET ALONG “VERY WELL” WITH PUTIN AND SAID HE WAS A GOOD LEADER

Donald Trump Said Russian President Vladimir Putin Is Getting An “A” For His Leadership. “During their interview Tuesday night, O’Reilly pressed Trump on his recently released tax plan and about Russian President Vladimir Putin supporting Syrian President Bashar al Assad. ‘I think in terms of leadership, he’s getting an A and our president is not doing so well—they did not look good together,’ Trump said before adding that there’s ‘very little downside’ to Putin fighting ISIS in Syria.” [Politico, 9/29/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 9/19/15]

Trump Said He And Putin Would Get Along “Very Well.” “‘Putin – who I would get along with very well… he can’t stand Obama,’ Trump said, commenting on his ability to get along very well with people.” [Breitbart, 8/11/15; Genesee and Saginaw Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner, 8/11/15]

Trump: Putin “Is Doing A Great Job.” TRUMP: “If you look at what's happened with this country in terms of the prestige and all of the other great things that we -- we're losing it rapidly. Now, they're talking about China. They're talking about Russia. They're talking about India. Look at Putin -- what he's doing with Russia -- I mean, you know, what's going on over there. I mean this guy has done -- whether you like him or don't like him -- he's doing a great job.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/15/07]

TRUMP ON PUTIN’S MILITARY DECISIONS: “HE DOES WHAT HE HAS TO DO”

Donald Trump: When Vladimir Putin Rolls In Soldiers To Cause Destruction And Shoots Down Airplanes, “Well, He Does What He Has To Do.” TRUMP: “[Putin] is not representing us. He is representing Russia. So, I mean, you know, if he can make a deal because we have stupid leadership, I would say it's the right thing to do for Russia.” BILL O’REILLY: “But he doesn’t make deals he just rolls soldiers in to cause destruction and shoots down airplanes. What did you think when Rubio said —“ TRUMP: “Well, he does what he has to do.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 11/11/15]

Saudi Arabia

Trump Wanted Saudi Arabia To Pay The U.S. For Their Support. “Trump, who has repeatedly portrayed Mexico, Japan, and China as ‘ripping us off,’ shifted his focus to Saudi Arabia in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. ‘They should pay us,’ Trump said of the oil rich nation. ‘Like it or don’t like it, people have backed Saudi Arabia. What I really mind, though, is we back it at tremendous expense. We get nothing for it.’ Trump portrayed the U.S. financial relationship with Saudi Arabia as outdated. ‘The primary reason we're with Saudi Arabia is because we need the oil,’ Trump said. ‘Now we don't need the oil so much, and if we let our people really go, we wouldn't need the oil at all and we could let everybody else fight it out.’ The U.S. currently imports more than one million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil each day, according to the U.S. State Department's website….’Saudi Arabia, if it weren’t for us, they wouldn’t be here,’ Trump said. ‘They wouldn’t exist.’” [Bloomberg, 8/16/15]

South Korea

Trump Complained That South Korea Should Be Paying The U.S. For Security. TRUMP: “First of all, South Korea isn't even signing a trade pact with us. They make hundreds of billions of dollars of let's call it profit on the United States. The president goes over there recently and they embarrass him by saying we want more. You wouldn't believe me. This deal that we're making is so bad and they won't even sign it. Then they get bombed and we send over -- I say two things. Why aren't they paying us? They make a fortune. Why aren't they paying us for security? Why are we doing this for nothing? We are the dumbest people.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 12/2/10]

Syria

In March 2011, Trump Questioned Getting Involved In Syria Saying “It’s A Slippery Slope.” CARLSON: “So what do you think about -- Donald, what do you think about people are saying, well, now the same situation is happening in Syria, so maybe the United States should get involved there. Do you think it's a slippery slope and what would you do?” TRUMP: “Well, it is a slippery slope and more and more, you realize that we're over there fighting wars to open up these governments and they would have opened up themselves because it's a mess. It's a total mess. You know it's that whole part of the world. You just wonder -- should we be there at all because it is a total mess.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 3/28/11]

Donald Trump Said The “Fools” Advocating More Direct Military Action In Syria “Basically Want To Start World War 3.” “The strife in Syria has become a staple of Trump’s stump speech and it is an area where he has begun to differentiate himself from others in his party with a stance that sounds decidedly more cautious. In the interview, he questioned those who are advocating more direct military intervention by the United States. ‘They basically want to start World War 3 over Syria,’ he said. ‘If we’re going to have World War 3, it’s not going to be over Syria. . . . I won’t even call them hawks. I call them the fools.’” [Washington Post, 10/7/15]

Trump: “We Have To Do One Thing At A Time. We Can’t Be Fighting ISIS And Fighting Assad.” BLITZER: “And it’s, you are OK with Mr. Assad staying in power, but you are also in favor of winning. If he stays in power, Iran is winning, Hezbollah is winning. Iran is winning in Yemen. They are winning everywhere. If they are winning how can we be winning?” TRUMP: “I think Assad is a bad guy, a very bad guy, all right? Lots of people killed. I think we are backing people we have no idea who they are. The rebels, we call them the rebels, the patriotic rebels. We have no idea. A lot of people think, Hugh, that they are ISIS. We have to do one thing at a time. We can’t be fighting ISIS and fighting Assad. Assad is fighting ISIS. He is fighting ISIS. Russia is fighting now ISIS. And Iran is fighting ISIS.” [Republican Presidential Debate, Las Vegas NV, 12/15/15]

Donald Trump Said He “Might” Have Used Military Force In Syria When Bashal Al-Assad Used Chemical Weapons Against His Own People. “‘I am the most military-based and the most militaristic person on your show. I want to have a much stronger military. I want it to be so strong that nobody's going to mess with us,’ Trump said when asked whether he would only use military force if attacked. Dickerson followed up by asking whether he would have used military force when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people. ‘The time to have done it would have been when he drew the line in the sand,’ he said. ‘I might have gone in.’” [CBS News, 10/11/15]

Donald Trump Said He Would Send Syrian Refugees Back To Syria If He Were Elected. “Mr. Trump also said he was skeptical of the refugees who are fleeing war-torn Syria in droves. ‘Now I hear we want to take in 200,000 Syrians,’ Mr. Trump said, to some boos in the crowd. ‘They could be ISIS.’ Mr. Trump said he would not want those refugees to remain in the United States if they are admitted here. ‘If I win,’ he said, ‘they’re going back.’” [New York Times, 9/30/15]

Vietnam

TRUMP WAS “NOT A BELIEVER” IN THE VIETNAM WAR

Trump On Not Being Drafted: “I Was Fortunate, In A Sense, Because I Was Not A Believer In The Vietnam War. That Was Another War That Was A Disaster For This Country.” “Trump said he had student deferments during the Vietnam War, as well as a ‘minor medical deferment’ for a bone spur of the foot. ‘I was then entered into the draft because if I would have gotten a different number, I could have been drafted,’ he said. ‘I was fortunate, in a sense, because I was not a believer in the Vietnam War. That was another war that was a disaster for this country. Lives and money and it’s disgraceful what happened with the Vietnam War. I was not a fan of the Vietnam War. But I was entered into the draft and I got a very, very high draft number.’” [The Hill, 7/19/15]

Economic Issues

Great Recession

MARCH 2007: DONALD TRUMP SAID THE 2007 REAL ESTATE COLLAPSE WOULD BE “VERY MINOR” AND ENCOURAGED INVESTOR TO PURCHASE SUBPRIME MORTGAGES

3/19/07: Donald Trump Said The 2007 Real Estate Collapse Would Be “Very Minor” And That He Was Poised To Take Advantage Of Falling Real Estate Values. “Donald Trump almost lost his shirt 15 years ago when the North American real estate bubble burst. The 2007 version of that disaster will be much more benign, the real estate magnate predicts, although there is softness in some urban markets, such as Toronto and San Francisco. ‘We're talking very minor [problems] compared with the depression of the early 1990s,’ Mr. Trump said yesterday in a phone interview from Los Angeles. Mr. Trump said he is poised to invest in depressed property as the downturn moves through individual cities. ‘People have been talking about the end of the cycle for 12 years, and I'm excited if it is,’ he said. ‘I've always made more money in bad markets than in good markets.’” [Globe and Mail, 3/20/07] 

3/19/07: Donald Trump Advised Investors To Purchase Subprime Mortgages And Repossessed Houses At Low Prices. “Mr. Trump shrugged off concerns that a crisis in U.S. subprime mortgage lending, which caters to poor credit risks, would spread to the wider property market, including Mr. Trump's luxury buildings.  "I don't see the subprime problems affecting the higher-end stuff," he said. In fact, he is advising investors that there are now great deals in buying subprime mortgages at a discount and repossessed houses at low prices.” [Globe and Mail, 3/20/07]

•	7/24/07: New York Times: The Stock Market’s Biggest Worry Was The Slumping Housing Market Because Of Its Potential To Impact The Broader Economy And Financial System.  “Countrywide Financial, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, said yesterday that more borrowers with good credit were falling behind on their loans and that the housing market might not begin recovering until 2009 because of a decline in house prices that goes beyond anything experienced in decades….The slumping housing market has become the biggest worry for the stock market, which just four days ago set records, because of its potential impact on the broader economy and financial system.” [New York Times, 7/25/07] 

TRUMP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA “INHERITED A MESS” AND PREDICTED “HE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL”

3/17/09: Donald Trump Said President Obama “Inherited A Mess” And That He Was “Doing As Well As Could Be Expected” And That “Ultimately, He Will Be Successful.” LARRY KING: “What's your read on how the president is doing?” DONALD TRUMP: “I think he's really trying. He inherited a mess. Mr. Bush gave him a total mess. But he's really trying hard. And I think he's doing as well as can be expected thus far. And I think, ultimately, he will be successful.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 3/17/09]

3/6/09: Donald Trump Said The U.S. Was In A “Terrible, Terrible Period Of Time” Worse Than Anything Since The Great Depression, And That Unemployment Would Reach Above 10 Percent. DONALD TRUMP: “We are in a terrible, terrible period of time, not since the Great Depression has there been anything like this. … So I-- I think, probably, it gets worse. Eventually, it’ll get better. The question is when.” HARRY SMITH: “How high do you think unemployment might get?” DONALD TRUMP: “I think it’ll go over ten percent, eventually. That’s very high. If you lose a half a million jobs in like a month, it’s unheard of.” [This Morning, CBS News, 3/6/09]

SEPTEMBER, 2009: TRUMP SAID THE FINANCIAL CRISIS MAY BE WORST SINCE 1929 AND SUPPORTED THE AIG BAILOUT 

Donald Trump Said The 2008 Financial Crisis Had The Chance To Be The Worse Period Of Time Since 1929, And That The Government “Actually Made A Great Deal” And Was Right To Bailout AIG.DONALD TRUMP, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: “Well, I think it has the chance to be the worst period of time since 1929. This is a really devastating period. When you look at AIG, when you look at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley and so many others that are potentially great companies, are great companies and they're just down the tubes. It's an incredible period. As far as ‘was the government right with respect to AIG?’ I believe so. And in a sense, they bought 80 percent of the company for a guarantee. They may have actually made a great deal. So I really believe they were right.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 9/21/08]

3/17/09: Donald Trump: “I Was One Of The First Ones That Said Depression And Used The Word Depression A Couple Years Ago.” “Well, you know, I was one of the first ones that said depression and used the word depression a couple years ago, because I have a lot of experience with banks and I see how incompetent some of the banks were. And I was very, very strong on -- you know, on your show and other shows, to be honest with you. Now what's happened is the government really has stuffed the banks with money. … The banks have taken all of this money -- billions and billions. They don't loan 10 cents. But the fact is because of that and some other moves, I don't believe you'll have a depression, but it could get a little bit worse before it gets better. [Larry King Live, CNN, 3/17/09]

TRUMP BLAMED REGULAR CONSUMERS FOR THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

Trump: Regular Consumers Who Bought Houses With Unaffordable Mortgages Share The Blame For The 2008 Financial Crisis. LARRY KING: “Donald Trump is with us, the chairman and president of the Trump Organization. Who do we blame for this, Donald?” DONALD TRUMP: Well, there's a lot of greed on Wall Street. And a lot of people are making crazy deals and you can blame everybody, even the regular consumer that went out and bought a house and got a mortgage that was ridiculous. You know, we call them exploding mortgages. But you can really blame a lot of people. And I guess you can maybe just blame the times.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 9/17/08]

IN 2011, TRUMP THOUGHT THE U.S. ECONOMY MIGHT SINK INTO A SECOND RECESSION

In September 2011, Trump Predicted There Was A 50% Chance Of A Second Recession. TRUMP: “Well, I think that we could have -- I don’t think a meltdown, but I think we could have really another recession and it could be a fairly deep recession. Nobody really knows. It looks like it is 50/50. I think it is just sort of going along a straight line right now.”[Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox Business, 9/26/11]

IN 1990, TRUMP THOUGHT THE U.S. WAS IN A DEPRESSION

Trump In August 1990: “We’re Not In A Recession. We’re In A Depression.” TRUMP: “The deal I worked out is in the process. The deal I worked out is something that I think is good for everybody. The economy is down the tubes. Nobody knows how bad the economy is. I listen to the people on Wall Street, talking about the possibility of a recession. We're not in a recession. We're in a depression. Now, when you're in a depression, you have to sort of go with the punches. You have to go see your banks, you have to deal with people, you have to work things out. And there are a lot of people- unfortunately, I'm the only one people write about. I mean, they don't write about other people.” [20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Wall Street Reform

TRUMP OPPOSED LAWS REFORMING WALL STREET  

Trump Opposed Wall Street Reform And Claimed The Reforms Created “A Very Bad Situation.” TRUMP: “Well, I have to speak two ways. Selfishly, as a developer, I love cheap money, and I have always loved cheap money, and who wouldn't. Now, I'm not speaking as somebody that is a great citizen of this country -- and I hope I am and I love this country very dearly -- but as a developer, I love cheap money. They're giving me cheap money. They -- I will say this, that the only people that get money are people like me that don't need it. If I don't -- if I want to make a deal on buying something, I get very, very inexpensive money. If somebody wants to put together a deal that does -- that is very qualified, and very good, but doesn't have a lot of money, it's impossible for that person to borrow, even at higher rates, because the regulators -- you mentioned Dodd-Frank just a minute ago. The regulators under Dodd-Frank have made it virtually impossible for the banks to lend money to those people, which is a very bad situation to be in.” [Your World with Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 9/19/13]

Trump Claimed Wall Street Reforms Were “Very Bad For The Country.” TRUMP: “The legislation that has been passed over the past years Dodd- Frank has been very bad for the country.” [On The Record with Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 11/24/11]

TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY RAILED AGAINST DODD-FRANK AND CALLED FOR ITS REPEAL

Trump Claimed Dodd-Frank “Stifles” Business And “Is Probably Not A Very Good Thing.” TRUMP: “Well Dodd Frank is probably not a very good thing. There are aspects of it you could leave. But generally speaking Dodd Frank stifles business. It just totally stifles business.” [TIME, 8/20/15]

Donald Trump: “Regulators Are Making It Absolutely Impossible For The Banks To Loan Money,” And “Generally Speaking, Dodd-Frank Stifles Business.” We’re in a bubble again, okay. It’s not – and I’ll tell you the problem with the banks, if you’re really rich, like with me, if I want to borrow money I can buy all the money I want. But if there’s a young Donald Trump that needs some money to do a couple of really good deals can’t get it because the regulators are making it absolutely impossible for the banks to loan money. … Well Dodd Frank is probably not a very good thing. There are aspects of it you could leave. But generally speaking Dodd Frank stifles business. It just totally stifles business. [Time, 8/18/15]

Donald Trump: “We Have To Get Rid Of Dodd-Frank.” TRUMP: “I disagree but I also think we have to get rid of Dodd-Frank. The banks aren't loaning money to people who need it. The banks will give me all the money I need because I don't need the money. Anybody that doesn't need money is a great candidate today to get money. If you need money to create jobs, to build something, whether it's buildings or a company, the banks aren't there. The regulators are running the banks. And that's why our country -- I mean people can't borrow money today.” [Varney & Co., Fox Business News,10/20/15]

2008: TRUMP HOPED THE 2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS WOULDN’T RESULT IN MORE REGULATIONS LIKE SARBANES-OXLEY

Donald Trump Hoped There Would Not Be More Regulation Of The Financial Industry After The 2008 Crisis — “There’s So Much Regulations.” LARRY KING: “Do we need more regulation?” DONALD TRUMP: “I would hope not, Larry. There's so much regulations. If you look at Sarbanes-Oxley, I know companies that don't move because of Sarbanes-Oxley. They can't get out of their own way. And you go to other companies and they don't have the regulation. And we're in a tremendous disadvantage in this country. You go to other countries and there isn't that same regulation. So, it really puts this country at a competitive disadvantage. So hopefully, there'll be some type of minor regulation. But it's the times and it's greed and I'm not sure you can ever do anything about pure greed.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 9/17/08]

Employment and Job Creation

Trump Claimed The Real Unemployment Rate Was 42%. TRUMP:“Don’t forget in the meantime we have a real unemployment rate that’s probably 21%. It’s not 6. I’s not 5.2 and 5.5. Our real unemployment rate–in fact, I saw a chart the other day, our real unemployment–because you have ninety million people that aren’t working. Ninety-three million to be exact. If you start adding it up, our real unemployment rate is 42%. We have a lot of room. We have a lot of people who want to work.” [TIME, 8/20/15]

Trump: “We Need Jobs & We Need Them Fast. I Am A Job Creator. None Of The Pols Can Or Will. Let's Make America Great Again! https://www.donaldjtrump.com/” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 7/3/15]

Trump: “We Need Leaders Who Understand Business.” “New jobs report: 432,000 left workforce, manufacturing & durable goods go - http://hotair.com/archives/2015/07/02/june-jobs-report-223k-added-but-432k-left-workforce-april-may-revised-down-60k/ … We need leaders who understand business.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 7/2/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD RELY ON TARIFFS TO KEEP JOBS FROM MOVING OVERSEAS

Trump Would Use Tariffs To Keep Companies From Moving Overseas. “Pressed by Cuomo on how exactly he'd get American companies to stop building factories overseas, where labor is cheaper, Trump said he'd slap the companies with tariffs and communicate with them.” [CNN, 8/19/15]

TRUMP ATTACKED FORD FOR BUILDING A FACTORY IN MEXICO, SAID THEY SHOULD “JUST LET THE ILLEGALS DRIVE” THE VEHICLES INTO THE U.S.

Trump Joked That Ford Should “Just Let The Illegals Drive The Cars And Trucks Right Into Our Country?” “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came to the home state of the auto industry and attacked Ford Motor Co. for building factories in Mexico. And the Michigan faithful in attendance sided with the bombastic mogul. ‘Ford is building a $2.5 billion plant in Mexico,’ he roared to a packed auditorium in Birch Run, Michigan, and 2,000 voices responded with lusty boos. ‘I’ll actually give them a good idea. Why don’t we just let the illegals drive the cars and trucks right into our country?’” [Bloomberg, 8/12/15; Genesee and Saginaw Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner, 8/11/15]

Government Assistance

Trump: “Government Should Help Business In This Country.” KING: “Senator Kerry says that we should adopt some of the Japanese concepts of government helping business.” TRUMP: “I think that's a great idea - great idea.  Not even a question.” KING: “Weren't you opposed to it once?” TRUMP: “No.  I think government should always help business.  Government should help business in this country.  This country isn't able to compete fairly with Japan and Korea and so many other countries.  You look at West Germany.  I mean, West Germany is making mincemeat out of this country and wait till you see what happens in the years to come.  And I'm not saying that in a derogatory sense.  I say it with great respect for these countries, because they're doing the right thing.  For themselves, they're doing the right thing.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

TRUMP SUPPORTED THE AUTO BAILOUT IN 2008, THEN LATER SAID IT DIDN’T MATTER EITHER WAY

Trump In 2008: The “Government Should Stand Behind [The Auto Industry] 100 Percent.” “That answer, not ideal in Michigan, actually contrasted one of Trump's prior stances. ‘I think the government should stand behind them 100 percent,’ Trump told to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto in 2008. ‘You cannot lose the auto companies. They’re great. They make wonderful products.’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15]

Trump In 2015: “You Would Have Wound Up In The Same Place”Whether Or Not The U.S. Stepped In To Bail Out The Auto Industry. “Trump's glancing interest in local politics made it into in a pre-speech press conference. Asked if President Obama showed leadership in the 2008/2009 bailout of the major auto companies, Trump meandered through an answer that left him without a position. ‘You could have let it go, and rebuilt itself, through the free enterprise system,’ said Trump. ‘You could have let it go bankrupt, frankly, and rebuilt itself, and a lot of people felt it should happen. Or you could have done it the way it went. I could have done it either way. Either way would have been acceptable. I think you would have wound up in the same place.’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; Donald Trump press conference, Birch Run MI, 8/11/15]

Debt Ceiling

TRUMP OPPOSED RAISING THE DEBT CEILING AND BELIEVED THE DEADLINE FOR HITTING IT WAS “ARTIFICIAL”

Trump: “What Do Economists Know? Most Of Them Are Not Very Smart… I Would Not Raise The Debt Ceiling.” GUTHRIE: “The debt ceiling vote. Republicans are saying they don’t think the debt ceiling should be raised. Businesses have warned there could be dire consequences.” TRUMP: “I don’t care. I wouldn’t raise it.” GUTHRIE: “And you know most economists say that would send the U.S. economy back into recession.” TRUMP: “What do economists know? Most of them are not very smart, and if you look at their predictions over the last 20 years, most of them are wrong most of the time. I would not raise the debt ceiling. I’ll tell you why.”[MSNBC, 4/19/11]

•	Trump Said He Would Not Raise The Debt Ceiling: “I’d Force Them To The Fire.” VAN SUSTEREN: “What's your position on the debt ceiling?” TRUMP: “Well, unless they come up with some really good ideas and come up with them fast, I wouldn't do it. I'd force them to the fire. I'd make sure that they come out and straighten out this mess that we have because our country is a financial mess. And unless you're going to straighten it out, and you have to do it quickly -- because we're going to end up being like some of the worst countries in Europe.”[On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 4/11/11]

Trump Believed The Date For Hitting The Debt Ceiling “Was An Artificial Deadline” Set By Tim Geithner. VAN SUSTEREN: “At the risk, though, of putting us into passing that ceiling because the Republicans and Democrats were at each other's throats, essentially, and if there were no agreement, we would have gone past the deadline for the debt ceiling.” TRUMP: “Well, that was an artificial date. That was a date -- That was a date set by Geithner, and I think it was totally artificial. But I don't think the president would have allowed that to happen. If they asked for a tougher deal -- you know, I heard on your show, and many other shows, frankly, $4 trillion, $5 trillion. Well, it's nowhere those numbers. And those are the kind of numbers you needed.” [On The Record, Fox News, 8/3/11]

Donald Trump Said That Instead Of Raising The Debt Ceiling, He Would Like To Cut Government Waste, Make Better Trade Deals, And Not Rebuild China. “TRUMP: I would like to see them [Republicans] not have to do it [raise the debt ceiling]. I think there is so much waste, and there is so much actually scandalous waste in Washington that you should haven't to do it…. If they had people that knew how to cut and knew how to make deals with others -- if you look at what's going on our trade deficits with all of these countries that we're actually rebuilding, we're rebuilding the world. We're rebuilding China. You look at what's happening there. But short-term, maybe it's going to happen [raising the debt ceiling]. I would not be a very easy one to do it, however.” [Interview CNBC/Dow Jones Business Video, 8/26/15]

TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY ADVOCATED USING THE DEBT CEILING AS A WEAPON IN NEGOTIATION

Trump Said He Would Have Included Obamacare As Part Of A Debt Ceiling Deal. TRUMP: “I would have done a much different deal. First of all, I would have had ‘Obama care’ as a part of it. I would have gotten rid of ‘Obama care.’ And if they didn't want to do that -- because that is going to be very destructive for our country. ‘Obama care’ is a disaster. I have people that are going to close up their businesses, friends of mine. So I would have gotten rid of that. And I would have gotten much bigger cutting.” [On The Record, Fox News, 8/3/11]

Trump Said He Would Support Fighting The President Over The Debt Ceiling Increase. “While Trump's position on taxing hedge fund managers at a higher rate is similar to the views expressed by Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, his stance on whether Congressional Republicans should battle President Obama over raising the nation's debt ceiling is anything but. ‘I would say that it's worth the fight, because honestly there's so much fat in Washington, that if you had the right people in there you could cut it and there would be no problem,’ Trump said. Still, Trump acknowledged that while he believed that Republicans should attempt to stand their ground, the reality is that the ceiling would once again be lifted. ‘Short term, maybe it's going to happen,’ Trump said.” [Bloomberg, 8/26/15; WADR, Bloomberg TV, 8/26/15]

Donald Trump Said The Vote To Raise The Debts Ceiling Was A “Tremendously Powerful Weapon,” But That Republicans Were “Terrible Negotiators.” “TRUMP: Well, John, if you go back and check, I have been saying this for three years. All right? That`s a tremendously powerful weapon, if they knew how to use it. The problem is, you will have 70 percent of the Republicans saying, we`re not closing government. Now, when you say that -- you know, I wrote ‘The Art of the Deal.’ When you say that, and the other side says, well, we got 70 percent of the people say it`s not going to happen, the other 30 percent are -- essentially, they`re rendered useless. It`s really very unfair to them, because they`re left out there hanging. So you need somebody that can unify, can be tough and can win against the Democrats and against others, I mean, in all fairness, against the world, essentially. But they really do have a tremendously powerful weapon, but they don`t use it and they don`t use it properly. They`re terrible negotiators.” [Face The Nation, CBS News, 10/11/15]

Trump: Republicans Shouldn’t Agree To Raise Debt Ceiling Unless They “Get 100% Of What They Want.” TRUMP: “And he can't get elected.  If this happens -- for instance, if this stuff is going on prior to an election, he can't get elected.  He possibly can't get elected anyway if they choose the right candidate which is a big if. The fact is, unless the Republicans get 100 percent of what they want and that may include getting rid of Obamacare which is a total disaster, then they should not make a deal other than a minor extension which would take you before the election which would assure that Obama doesn't get elected which would be a great thing.”[Fox & Friends, Fox News, 7/25/11]

Donald Trump Said Congress Should Use The Debt Limit As A “Strong Negotiating Tactic.” TRUMP: “Congress should negotiate the debt limit. They should negotiate and use it as a strong negotiating tactic, because they’re not doing that. I heard last night, speaker Boehner: ‘We will never violate the debt limit.’ Now it’s one thing if you believe that, but you don’t say that because the other side now knows that you’re not going to do anything with the debt limit and you have given up such leverage by saying that, and I just don’t understand why would he say that. You have given up such leverage to the Obama side, to the Democrats, because he said ‘We will not violate,’ and I’m saying to myself, ‘Boy, that’s why so many people are so angry.’ So many Republicans, on the other side, the smaller group, but a tough group, they’re not happy about it. So I would use the debt limit to negotiate a great deal. I just don’t know if they’re going to do that. How can you do that when you’ve already announced that you’re not going to violate the debt?” [Capital Download, USA Today, 10/22/15; VIDEO]

Trump: It’s “Worth The Fight” To Use The Debt Ceiling As Leverage To Get Spending Cuts Because “If You Had The Right People There You Could Cut It And You Would Have No Problem Whatsoever.” “HALPERIN: So do you think it's worth playing a game of chicken with President Obama, and not raising the debt ceiling and dealing with the market (INAUDIBLE)? TRUMP: I would say that it's worth the fight, because honestly, there is so much fat in Washington that if you had the right people there you could cut it and you would have no problem whatsoever. And you wouldn't miss a thing.” [Interview CNBC/Dow Jones Business Video, 8/26/15]

Donald Trump Said Republicans Should Force President Obama To Compromise On The Budget By Refusing To Raise The Debt Ceiling. “HALPERIN: So, again, just to clarify. So you agree with those Republicans who say, ‘Don't necessarily raise the debt ceiling. Take the risk. Make President Obama make a compromise on the budget.’ TRUMP: I do. I do.” [Interview CNBC/Dow Jones Business Video, 8/26/15]

TRUMP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE FAILURE TO RAISE THE DEBT CEILING WOULD BE “FAIRLY CATASTROPHIC,” AND SAID THAT’S WHY IT’S SUCH A POWERFUL NEGOTIATION TOOL

Donald Trump Argued That Congressional Republicans Should Threaten To Refuse To Raise The Debt Ceiling, Even Through “It’s Fairly Catastrophic If It Happens. But Some People Are Willing To Go Through That In Order To Win.”JOHN DICKERSON: “But let me ask you about that question of the debt ceiling. Do you think that, if it's breached, that that is an economic problem, leaving aside the question of negotiation? Do you -- because there's a debate about that.” DONALD TRUMP: “Well, I don't want to say. And I'll tell you why. We should use it as negotiation. And the problem we have in this country, we're so predictable, whether it's with ISIS or with Iraq or with the negotiation of a debt limit. Boehner should not be saying we will not close, because you can't negotiate once you say that. You have given up 95 percent of your strength when you do that. So, I'm not going to say, but I will tell you, it's an amazing tool to negotiate, because it is a very, very -- it's fairly catastrophic if it happens. But some people are willing to go through that in order to win. And, by the way -- and I'm not saying they shouldn't be -- in order to win and in order to cut the kind of costs.” [Face The Nation, CBS News, 10/25/15]

Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy

1994: TRUMP SAID IT WAS CRAZY THAT THE FED SOUGHT TO RAISE INTEREST RATES AS THE ECONOMY IMPROVED…

Trump In 1994: “What The Federal Reserve Is Doing With Interest Rates Is Madness.” TRUMP: “I think what the government and what the Federal Reserve is doing with interest rates is madness.  Every time the economy starts doing well, this brilliant Federal Reserve Board wants to raise interest rates. The economy one year ago, a little bit more than a year ago, was ready to rocket.  Everybody would have been employed.  This country would have really done a job.  And they say, 'Oh.  The economy is getting strong.  Let's do something.  Let's raise interest rates to kill it.' It didn't kill it.  'Let's raise them again.  Let's raise them again.  Let's raise-' Well, guess what?  It's finally starting to have an effect.  They're killing the golden goose.  They're going to kill this economy, and they're getting very close.” [Pinnacle, CNN, 12/25/94]

2015: TRUMP CLAIMED JANET YELLEN KEPT INTEREST RATES LOW FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES AT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S REQUEST

Donald Trump Said Fed Chair Janet Yellen Was Keeping Interest Rates Low At The Request Of President Obama And Called Her “Highly Political.” “Republican White House contender Donald Trump accused the U.S. Federal Reserve on Tuesday of keeping interest rates low at the bidding of Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump, speaking at a news conference at his company's New York City headquarters, also called Fed Chair Janet Yellen ‘highly political.’… ‘They are not raising them because Obama has asked them not to raise them,’ Trump said, echoing similar comments he made in interviews last month. ‘He wants to get out of office, because we're in a bubble, and when those rates are raised, a lot of bad things are going to happen.’ He added, ‘Janet Yellen is highly political and she's not raising rates for a very specific reason: because Obama told her not to because he wants to be out playing golf in a year from now and he wants to be doing other things and he doesn't want to see a big bubble burst during his administration.’” [Reuters, 11/3/15]

TRUMP REPORTEDLY SUPPORTED THE VOLCKER RULE

Ben Jacobs: “Donald Trump Says Of The Volcker Rule, ‘If He's Happy, I'm Happy’” [@BenCJacobs, Twitter, 8/4/15]

1999: TRUMP SAID HE WOULD REAPPOINT FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN ALAN GREENSPAN

Trump Said He Would Reappoint Alan Greenspan To Chair The Federal Reserve. TRUMP: “You know, I know the smart people.  I really know the smart people.  I deal with the smart people.  I know the smartest people on Wall Street.  And I will say that Alan Greenspan has done an amazing job.  He's been a great -- he's been great at what he's done.” KING: “You would reappoint him?” TRUMP: “I would reappointment him, I think he's a terrific guy. A lot of that is confidence.  You and me have confidence in Greenspan. People had confidence in Volcker, in all fairness.  I mean, a lot of that position is confidence.  When he speaks, you have confidence.  He knows what he's doing.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Federal Budget

TRUMP PROPOSED TO ELIMINATE THE DEBT BY IMPOSING A TARIFF ON CHINA

Trump: “You Don’t Have To Raise Taxes” To Reduce The Deficit. KILMEADE: “Donald, as you know, Donald Trump, they recommended to the deficit commission a rise in taxes as well as all these cuts. Will you be open -- would you be open if you were a Republican, you're in the House, in the Senate or in the White House, to raising taxes?” TRUMP:  Well, the only thing they're not talking about is what other countries are doing.  And you know my big thing is what other countries, many other countries -- I use China as the primary example because they're a major abuser.  But what they're doing to us in terms of jobs. They're taking our money, but they're also taking our jobs.  And I think if you straighten that situation out, you don't have to raise taxes.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 4/4/11]

Trump: If You Impose A 50% Tariff, You Could Pay Off The Debt “In A Short Period Of Time.” TRUMP: “Neil, we have all the power, because if we ever say we’re going to tax you 50 percent for all of the things that you sell to this country, you could pay off your treasury bills in a short period of time. And, by the way, guess what would happen? People would start making things in North Carolina and Alabama and Illinois and lots of other places where they’re all unemployed. So, we have the power. And the day that happens, the Chinese stop working and we put our people to work. It’s crazy. I mean, between OPEC and China, this country can never be great again, because OPEC just keeps lifting the price of oil as we get better. And then, ultimately -- because I have a theory that OPEC really caused a lot of the problem that we had a year-and-a-half ago, because the oil price went to $150. And when that was up at $150, that’s when you had -- and not enough people giving credit for the oil price causing the problem. You know, they talk about mortgage. They say -- and I’m not not blaming those other things, but a big factor was our blood. And the blood was oil.”[Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 4/8/10]

TRUMP’S SOLUTION FOR REDUCING THE DEBT: BILL CHINA FOR STEALING TRADE SECRETS

Trump On The Reducing The Debt: Send China A Bill For Stolen Trade Secrets. VAN SUSTEREN: But if we -- if we -- but if we do just say, OK, we're taking off our debt the cost of what you just took from us in Pakistan, I mean, since the debt isn't -- I mean, since we're not paying them off soon, I mean, do they -- do they even really care if we do that because there's so much money.” TRUMP: “Well, I wouldn't start that way. I'd just send them a bill for the value of the secrets that they've stolen. Now, of course, they're stealing them from Boeing and from General Electric and from everybody else also. If you look at what they forced General Electric to do or if you look at what they're trying to do with Boeing, it's very, very sad that the companies are succumbing to it.” [On The Record, Fox News, 8/17/11]

TRUMP HAS NO REAL POLICY SOLUTIONS ON DEBT OR ENTITLEMENT SPENDING

Trump On Entitlements: “If We Did Something With Respect To OPEC… Medicare Would Take Care Of Itself.” TRUMP: “So, if we took our jobs back and we made this country strong again, and we made our own product, and we got together, not -- you don't get together -- if we did something with respect to OPEC, who is ripping us off like nobody's ever ripped us off before, Medicare would take care of itself.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 6/10/11]

Trumps Approach To Reducing The Deficit Would Be Getting Money From Foreign Countries Rather Than Cutting Spending. TRUMP: “Honestly, if we ran this country right, we could get so much money from Saudi Arabia.Think of this, Kuwait, they get taken over by Saddam Hussein. We go in, lose lives and spend billions of dollars, drive him back, and we hand the country back to the Arab sheiks. They paid us nothing. And, you know if you go to Kuwait today, they don't want to invest in the United States because they say Asia is growing much faster, we don't like the return on investment. We gave them back the country.” CAVUTO: “Your approach is interesting. You would not go the conventional route of cut, cut, cut. You'd first be looking to get something?” TRUMP: “I would get so many… I don't have to cut Medicaid, I don't have to cut Medicare. I don't have to cut Social Security. We're a bunch of foolish people led by either foolish or stupid people. This country needs the right kind of leader and I'll tell you what, if we don't get the right kind of leader, this country is in big trouble.” [Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 5/30/11]

Business Regulations

TRUMP SAYS HE BELIEVES IN ENDING GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS….

Trump: “You Have To End Regulation.” TRUMP: “Somebody like me would know it because I'm a builder, I build things. I understand how tough it is to get anything built, even if you know what you are doing. And a lot of people do know what they are doing, but you can't get permits. And it gets back to the other factor we have, regulations. But if you want to build a city in China, you can build it quickly, literally, a city. They decide one day and two weeks later they are building. If you want to build a city here, people would laugh at you. When was the last time you saw a great bridge being built in this country?... You have to end regulation. You also have to stop building Iraq, Afghanistan, we are pending of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan and everyplace else. In the meantime you can drive on our roads because there are potholes and our bridges are falling and basic infrastructure.”[On The Record, Fox News, 9/7/11]

EXCEPT HE OPPOSED THE DEREGULATION OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY…

Trump Opposed Deregulating The Airlines. TRUMP:  “I'm really a believer that they should not have deregulated the airlines.  I think the airlines are- You're going to end up, again, with three airlines and I think you're going to have some real problems in the future.  And then they're going to be very powerful, by the way.  When you have three then the prices are going to go way up, and I think you're going to end up seeing regulation again.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

AND HAS CALLED FOR ALCOHOL TO BE REGULATED LIKE A DRUG

Trump Said That Alcohol “Should Be Listed As A Drug, Obviously.” KING: “How about allowing the Food and Drug Administration to control it, which the Supreme Court is going to listen to?  Would you list it as a drug?” TRUMP: “It wouldn't -- well, it should be listed as a drug, obviously.  I mean, when I have friends that are the toughest, smartest people you'll ever meet and they can't stop smoking, they start shaking if you tell them they can't have a cigarette.  And I've had them in the house, I said, do me a favor, don't smoke in my house, and you see these tough guys start to shake like babies.  I've never seen anything like it. So, it's a terrible drug, and it ultimately destroys your lungs and destroys your insides, and there's no question about it.  I don't -- it's inconceivable why people start smoking, but they do?”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

•	Trump Said That He Would Like Alcohol Companies To Get Sued. TRUMP: “Well, I'd come down, but I'd also come down tough on alcohol.  I don't know why everyone's suing tobacco, which is terrible, and I love that they're suing and I love that they're paying a big price, but why aren't they suing the alcohol companies, because alcohol -- I mean, I lost a brother to alcohol.  I've never had a drink in my life because of the fact that I had a brother that had a problem with alcohol….I don't drink for that reason….They're taxed.  I'd like to see them sued. You know what I don't -- I hope a lot of lawyers are watching tonight. Why is it that everybody is suing the tobacco companies and nobody sues the alcohol companies.  I mean, you have the car crashes and the kids that get killed by some drunk that's, you know, riding on the road.  It's just terrible.  So, I would like to see something happen with alcohol.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Treasury

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD APPOINT CARL ICAHN AS HIS TREASURY SECRETARY

Donald Trump Said He Would Nominate Carl Icahn, Known As A ‘Corporate Raider’ In The 1980s, For Treasury Secretary.“ Now [Carl] Icahn is once again in the spotlight, as his longtime business contact, friend and rival Donald Trump, the front-running Republican candidate, says he will nominate Icahn for treasury secretary…. Icahn, who has not responded to requests for comment, made his name as a corporate ‘raider’ in the 1980s. He was among a group of activist investors who engaged in a practice called ‘greenmailing’ -- a portmanteau of ‘greenback’ and ‘blackmailing,’ in which investors would buy up a company's stock and threaten a hostile takeover. The company would be forced to buy its stock back at a premium to stop the takeover, enriching the investors.” [Washington Post, 9/29/15]

•	Carl Icahn “Greenmailed” Companies By Threatening A Hostile Takeover And Forcing The Company To Buy Back His Stock At A Premium. “He [Carl Icahn] was among a group of activist investors who engaged in a practice called ‘greenmailing’ -- a portmanteau of ‘greenback’ and ‘blackmailing,’ in which investors would buy up a company's stock and threaten a hostile takeover. The company would be forced to buy its stock back at a premium to stop the takeover, enriching the investors.” [Washington Post, 9/29/15]

•	1985: Carl Icahn Lead The Hostile Takeover Of TWA, Sold Off Its Top Assets, Regained His Investment, And Saddled The Company With Debt Before It Went Bankrupt Seven Years Later. “Supporters have long seen Icahn as a force for market efficiency, willing to shake up complacent CEOs and demand that companies invest their cash in more profitable ways. But others paint him as a predator who strips companies of their most profitable assets and employees of their jobs. The reputation is due in part to his notoriety as the leader of now-defunct airline TWA. In 1985, he carried out a hostile takeover of TWA and pledged to make the troubled airline profitable. But over the next few years, he sold off some of the airline's prize assets and took it private, a decision that allowed Icahn to regain his investment but left the company saddled with debt. By 1992, TWA filed for bankruptcy.” [Washington Post, 9/29/15]

•	After Carl Icahn Tried To Leave The Government On The Hook For $900 Million In TWA Pensions, He Said: "My Money Is My Army. I Need My Army Around Me."  "In 1991, Congress passed legislation to try to keep Icahn from leaving the government on the hook for up to $900 million in TWA employee pensions. The bill allowed the government to seek unfunded pension liabilities from Icahn's other holdings, potentially bankrupting him. Stevens said he urged Icahn to set some money aside in a separate bank account to protect himself, but Icahn refused to do so. ‘My money is my army. I need my army around me,’ Icahn said, according to [Icahn’s biographer Mark] Stevens.” [Washington Post, 9/29/15]

Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records

Trump: “The Economy Does Better Under The Democrats Than The Republicans.”TRUMP: “Well, you'd be shocked if I said that in many cases I probably identify more as a Democrat.  And I think you would probably be shocked at that.” BLITZER: “On social issues?” TRUMP: “You know, it's interesting.  I've been now around long -- I think of myself as a young guy, but I'm not so young anymore. And I've been around for a long time.  And it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.  Now, it shouldn't be that way.  But if you go back, it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.”[Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 3/19/04]

•	Trump: “We've Had Some Pretty Bad Disasters Under The Republicans. Including A Thing Called The Depression.”TRUMP: “Oh, I know, I know.  Jimmy Carter was not the same thing. But, certainly, we had some very good economies under Democrats as well as Republicans.  But we've had some pretty bad disasters under the Republicans. Including a thing called the Depression.” [Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 3/19/04]

Education

TRUMP ADVOCATED CUTTING OR ELIMINATING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Trump Said He Would Cut The Department Of Education And Environment, And Argued That The Environment Would Be Fine Without Protection. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday that he would cut government agencies if he were elected President. Among them? The Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump told ‘Fox News Sunday’ host Chris Wallace. ‘Would you cut serve -- would you cut departments?’ Wallace asked Trump. ‘No, I'm not cutting services, but I'm cutting spending. But I may cut Department of Education. I believe Common Core is a very bad thing,’ Trump said. ‘I believe that we should be — you know, educating our children from Iowa, from New Hampshire, from South Carolina, from California, from New York. I think that it should be local education.’ ‘So the Department of Education is one,’ he continued. ‘Environmental Protection, what they do is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new regulations. They're making it impossible —‘ Wallace interjected, ‘Who's going to protect the environment?’ ‘They — we'll be fine with the environment,’ Trump replied. ‘We can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses.’” [Talking Points Memo, 10/18/15]

Trump Called For Cutting The Department Of Education Down. “Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump announced his plan today to run for the Republican presidential nomination at a speech in New York City…. Here are some of his views on education: Department of Education: You could cut that way, way, way down.” [Forbes, 6/16/15]

K-12

TRUMP BLASTED SUPPORTERS OF COMMON CORE, WHO “HAVE NO SENSE”

Donald Trump Attacked Jeb Bush, And Argued “Anybody In Favor Of Common Core Should Be Defeated At The Polls Because They Have No Sense." “The mention of Bush, at one time an enormously popular Republican governor in Florida, drew loud boos from the crowd. ‘Anybody in favor of Common Core should be defeated at the polls because they have no sense,’ Trump said.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/28/15]

TRUMP ADVOCATED INCREASED DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS

Trump: Taking Away Teachers’ Ability To Apply Discipline Is “Turning The Teachers Into Babysitters.” “To be upfront, I’m not a fan of the teacher unions, but I have great admiration and respect for teachers. Most of us can name a teacher or two who had a profound influence on our lives. But we’ve made teaching a tough profession. Good teachers love to teach. They respect and honor their profession. In too many classrooms, though, we’ve taken away their right to discipline disruptive kids, turning the teachers into babysitters as much as educators.” [Donald Trump, Crippled America, 2015]

Trump: “We Need To Get A Lot Tougher On Troublemakers” In Schools. “One way of making the profession more attractive is to put some discipline back in the school. A lot of our schools aren’t safe. Putting metal detectors at the door may prevent kids from bringing in weapons, but it still doesn’t prevent them from causing problems. We need to get a lot tougher on troublemakers. We need to stop feeling sorry for them. They are robbing other kids of time to learn. I’m not saying we should go back to the days when teachers would get physical with students, but we need to restore rules about behavior in the classroom and hire trained security officers who can help enforce those rules. The parents or guardians must be brought into the process as well. Most disciplinary problems among students begin in the home. All parents should ask themselves: What kind of example am I setting?” [Donald Trump, Crippled America, 2015]

TRUMP HAS CALLED FOR MERIT-BASED PAY FOR TEACHERS

Trump Supported Merit Based Pay For Teachers. “And a lot of good teachers aren’t paid enough. It’s an interesting choice we’ve made as a society. We entrust our kids to teachers for most of the daytime, where they’ll have a really big impact on how their students will grow up. But we don’t pay enough to attract the best people to the profession. Unfortunately, teachers are not paid on merit. The standard for advancement is mostly the number of years of service—seniority. The really good and inspirational teachers burn out under the painful conditions found in too many schools. The bad teachers tend to hang around since they have nowhere else to go. Thus, the paychecks tend to be bigger for the less capable. That’s exactly the opposite of what we should be doing.” [Donald Trump, Crippled America, 2015] 

TRUMP SUGGESTED TEACHERS SHOULD BE ARMED IN SCHOOLS

Donald Trump Said Teachers Would Be Better Off During School Shootings If They Were Armed. “The 2016 GOP front-runner also weighed in on whether teachers should carry guns - his fellow presidential candidate Ben Carson said kindergarten teachers who are properly trained should - saying: ‘Assuming they knew how to use the weapon, which hopefully they would, you would've been a lot better when this maniac walked into class, starting to shoot people.’” [CBS News, 10/11/15]

Higher Ed

Trump Blamed Increasing High Education Costs On College Loans And College Presidents’ Salaries. “Donald Trump criticized the increasing cost of college and blamed the interest rates charged for federal student loans and the salaries paid to college presidents. “[Donald Trump] said, ‘These colleges, they’re going through the roof. Why are they going up so much? … ‘I think one of the reasons they’re going through the roof, very simply, is these college loans given out by the United States.’ He said they need to bring interest rates down because ‘the kids can’t afford it.’ He’ll make sure that graduates get jobs, he said. And he said, ‘You look at the salaries paid to the heads of colleges, it’s like they’re running a business — a real business, a big business. ‘And we have to stop, we have to stop that from happening.’” [Washington Post, 12/2/15]

Trump Said The Government Should Not Be Making Money Off Of Student Loans.  “Donald Trump says he’s the best presidential candidate to help millennials, promising jobs for students drowning in student debt. ‘One of the biggest questions I get is from people in college [about student loans],’ he told The Hill in a wide-ranging interview. ‘They’re in college — they’re doing well but they’ve got student loans up to the neck. They’re swimming in these loans.’ The 2016 contender said that college students swarm him at campuses where he speaks asking him for jobs. He criticized the federal government for earning a profit from federal student loans, a point Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) frequently raises. ‘That’s probably one of the only things the government shouldn’t make money off — I think it’s terrible that one of the only profit centers we have is student loans,’ Trump said.” [The Hill, 7/23/15]

Entitlements

TRUMP OPPOSED CUTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

Trump Did Not Support Cuts To Medicare Or Social Security. “The real estate tycoon told CPAC in 2013 that Republicans should not cut Social Security or Medicare because most Americans want to keep the benefits as they stand now. His solution is unclear, but he has indicated that general economic growth would play a role. Trump tweeted in May that he knows ‘where to get the money from’ and ‘nobody else does.’” [PBS, 6/16/15]

Social Security

TRUMP: WEALTHY AMERICANS SHOULD WILLINGLY GIVE UP THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

Donald Trump Said Rich Americans Should Voluntarily Forgo Their Social Security Benefits. “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he and his rich pals should ‘voluntarily’ forgo their Social Security benefits to bolster the health of the retiree entitlement system, declaring ‘I don’t need mine, by the way.’ At a multi-candidate presidential forum in New Hampshire on Monday, Mr. Trump said that for the good of the country, rich taxpayers should sacrifice the benefits from the entitlement system into which they had paid throughout their professional lives. ‘I have friends that are worth hundreds of millions and billions of dollars and get Social Security. They don’t even know the check comes in,’ said Mr. Trump at the nonpartisan No Labels forum.” [Washington Wire Blog, Wall Street Journal, 10/12/15]

TRUMP OPPOSED CUTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY AND BELIEVED IT COULD BE SAVED THROUGH A “REALLY DYNAMIC ECONOMY”

Politifact Gave A “False” Rating To Donald Trump’s Claim That His Tax Plan – Which Included His Promise Not To Cut Social Security And Medicare – Would Not Increase The Deficit. “Trump said his tax plan would not increase the deficit. Free market-oriented and liberal groups alike say Trump’s tax plan would lead to a $10 trillion revenue loss, even if it did create economic growth. Since Trump has said he will not slash retirement programs like Social Security and Medicare, experts doubt that any spending cuts he made would result in a revenue-neutral tax plan. We rate Trump’s claim False.” [PolitiFact, 11/5/15]

Trump Did Not Support Cuts To Medicare Or Social Security And Claimed He Knew Where To Get The Money From While Nobody Else Did. “Do not cut Social Security or Medicare benefits. Grow the economy to save those programs. The real estate tycoon told CPAC in 2013 that Republicans should not cut Social Security or Medicare because most Americans want to keep the benefits as they stand now. His solution is unclear, but he has indicated that general economic growth would play a role. Trump tweeted in May that he knows ‘where to get the money from’ and ‘nobody else does.’” [PBS, 6/16/15]

Trump: We’re Going To Bring Jobs Back To The United States And Make The Country Rich Again So That We Will Be Able To Afford Social Security. TRUMP: “We're going have to bring jobs back to the country. We're going to make the country rich again and we'll going to be able to afford the entitlements, because if you -- I don't want to do that. I'm not cutting Social Security. You know, people have been cut Social Security, cut Medicare.” [Hannity, Fox News, 11/3/15]

Trump Said It Would Be “Very Simple” To Save Social Security By Making A “Really Dynamic Economy” That Would Bring Back Jobs From Japan, China, And Mexico. HARWOOD:  “Governor Bush, Mr. Trump says that he is capable of growing the economy so much that Social Security and Medicare don't have to be touched.  Do you want to explain how that is going to happen, Mr. Trump?” TRUMP:  “Yes, it's very simple.  We're going to make a really dynamic economy from what we have right now, which is not at all dynamic.  We're going to bring jobs back from Japan, we're going to bring jobs back from China, we're going to bring, frankly, jobs back from Mexico where, as you probably saw, Nabisco is leaving Chicago with one of their biggest plants, and they're moving it to Mexico. We're going to bring jobs and manufacturing back.  We're going to cut costs.  We're going to save Social Security, and we're going to save Medicare.” [Republican Presidential Debate, CNBC, 10/28/15]    

Medicare

TRUMP HAS DEMONSTRATED A LACK OF THOUGHT ON MEDICARE

In 2011, Trump Said That If He Decided To Run For President, He Would Have A Plan For Medicare. MALVEAUX: “And Mr. Trump, if you would, you said you thought that Paul Ryan was really in a dangerous area looking at Medicare, actually reforming Medicare. Is there another option? What would you do in a Trump presidency when it comes to Medicare? Because it's going to be bankrupt in 10 years. How would you solve that?” TRUMP: “Well, I'm studying that situation very, very closely. And if and when I decide to run -- and I really look forward to making that decision, to be totally honest with you. But if and when I decide to run, I'll have a plan.” [Newsroom, CNN, 4/7/11]

Trump On Entitlements: “If We Did Something With Respect To OPEC… Medicare Would Take Care Of Itself.” TRUMP: “So, if we took our jobs back and we made this country strong again, and we made our own product, and we got together, not -- you don't get together -- if we did something with respect to OPEC, who is ripping us off like nobody's ever ripped us off before, Medicare would take care of itself.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 6/10/11]

TRUMP SAID HE STILL NEEDED TO REVIEW THE ACTUAL PLAN, BUT HE OPPOSED PAUL RYAN’S EFFORTS TO CONVERT MEDICARE INTO A VOUCHER SYSTEM BECAUSE IT WOULD HURT REPUBLICANS IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION

Trump: “Republicans Are Going Way, Way, Way Far Out On The Ledge” By Proposing Medicare Vouchers. MALVEAUX: “You know, you mentioned the Republicans and the long- term plan. We're talking about $6 trillion worth of cuts in the next 10 years. That's the blueprint that they have laid out for the next budget battle. Do you agree that Medicare should be changed fundamentally, as the Republicans have suggested, to more of a system where the elderly would be offered vouchers for private insurance?” TRUMP: “I'd have to study the plan. I will tell you, I think it's very dangerous for the Republicans to go on this ledge, because I, for one, would have to be very, very careful. I will cherish our seniors. Our seniors are great. And I will cherish our seniors, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt the seniors. Now, what is happening -- and I have a lot of respect for Paul Ryan, but what is happening is the Republicans are going way, way, way far out on the ledge. And the Democrats are saying, oh, gee, look what they're doing. This -- whatever plans and whatever changes are going to be made, it has to be done in a bipartisan way. I don't think the Republicans should be out on this ledge. It should be led -- something has to be done, and it should be led by the president…. So I think what Paul has done is very dangerous for the Republican Party and very, very dangerous for the upcoming election. I think he's too far out.”[Newsroom, CNN, 4/7/11]

Environment and Energy

Energy Extraction

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD PERMIT DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (ANWR) AND THE LOWER 48 STATES

Trump Said He Would “Absolutely” Drill On ANWR. HANNITY: “You would drill on ANWR, you drill in the 48 states.” TRUMP: “Absolutely.” [Hannity, Fox News, 4/14/11]

TRUMP BLASTED ENVIRONMENTAL RESTRICTIONS ON MINING AND DRILLING

Trump Criticized Environmental Restrictions That Prevented The U.S. From Tapping Its Coal And Natural Gas Resources. TRUMP: “First of all, they're also going very heavy into coal. If you look at what China is doing, they're going heavy into coal whereas the environmental restrictions make it almost impossible for us to do the coal thing anymore. We are a tremendous source of coal. We are called the Saudi Arabia of coal, but it's Saudi Arabia times 100. So, you know, we don't use our natural resources. Whether it is clean or not, the fact is clean coal is coming along and it is a great source of energy. So many other things we're not using, natural-gas, to the extent that we should be. You know, if you look at certain countries in the Mideast, they are getting rid of their gas. They're selling us oil because they don't want to use it because we're paying a lot and they're using natural gas. And we have a tremendous natural gas reserves. So there are so many things, Eric, that we are not doing, and it is inconceivable that they are not started.” [Follow The Money, Fox Business, 6/28/11]

Trump Opposed Restrictions On Drilling For Oil. KILMEADE: “Donald, do you have an opinion on the fracking and the natural gas, who you be going at? Do you have an opinion on drilling here at home?” TRUMP: “Well, I think we should just drill. I mean this is crazy. They can't drill in the Gulf. They can't drill in Alaska. They can't drill anywhere and in the meantime, we're being held hostage by all of these foreign nations that are ripping us. So I think we should just open it up. I understand the environmental, I understand it probably better than any. I've received many, many environmental awards. But they are holding this country to a level that is impossible for us to do anything and if we're going to get back on track, we have to get oil down to $45, $50 or $60 a barrel. And right now, it looks like it's going up to $150. So we can never come back if oil is at these levels.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 4/25/11]

Keystone XL

TRUMP BACKED THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE, BUT SAID “WE DON’T EVEN NEED IT”

Trump Called For Building The Keystone Pipeline Even Though “We Don’t Even Need It.” “Trump also discussed energy policy, where he said, ‘The Keystone Pipeline should be approved immediately. Not that I want it, because we’re bringing in oil from Canada, but you know what, it’s a lot easier than Saudi Arabia and some of these other places, and Canada’s been a great neighbor, et cetera, et cetera. But they should approve it. Number one, it’s jobs. Immediately, you’re building it, it’s jobs, it’s good. It’s not going to hurt anything in terms of environmentally. It’s hard to believe that that has not been approved. But get it approved. More oil coming in, the more we can have where we don’t have to go to foreign places, really foreign places to get the oil. So, there’s a simple one. it’s going to create jobs. It’s overall good. But we don’t even need it, in one sense, because we have so much under our own land we can do it, but we have to get rid of some of the restrictions.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED KEYSTONE XL WOULD HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Trump: “If I Am Elected President I Will Immediately Approve The Keystone XL Pipeline.  No Impact On Environment & Lots Of Jobs For U.S.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 8/18/15]

TRUMP SUPPORTED LIFTING THE BAN ON CRUDE OIL EXPORTS

Donald Trump Supported The Keystone Pipeline And Lifting The Ban On Crude-Oil Exports. “All of the GOP candidates for president support the Keystone pipeline and many, including retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, businessman Donald Trump and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, support lifting the ban on crude-oil exports to foreign markets.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/29/15]

Energy Prices

TRUMP BLAMED THE WHITE HOUSE FOR LETTING OPEC GO UNCHECKED AND CAUSING HIGH GAS PRICES

Trump Said The White House Let OPEC Go Unchecked And Predicted That Gas Prices Would Rise To $8 Per Gallon. TRUMP: “Well, I think it might be -- a lot of people would be very upset if I didn't run. I mean I've had such support, we're getting just inundated with phone calls and, literally, thousands of letters a week, because my stance on China, my stance on OPEC -- look at what's happening to everybody's fuel, the gasoline at the pump is just out of control. It's at $4, it's going to $5. It will probably go to $6, $7, $8. We have nobody in the White House that fights for the people. Nobody in the White House who's calling up OPEC which is really the culprit. I mean they are abusing our country. And I don't know if you saw, but three days ago, Saudi Arabia decided they're going to essentially raise the price of oil even further by reducing supplies.” [Fox, 4/21/11]

TRUMP SUPPORTED LIFTING THE BAN ON CRUDE OIL EXPORTS

Donald Trump Supported The Keystone Pipeline And Lifting The Ban On Crude-Oil Exports. “All of the GOP candidates for president support the Keystone pipeline and many, including retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, businessman Donald Trump and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, support lifting the ban on crude-oil exports to foreign markets.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/29/15]

Climate Change Denier

TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED THE EXISTENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

In 2015, Trump Called Climate Change A “Hoax.” “Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. In the past, he has called climate change ‘a hoax’ and said he has a ‘foolproof’ plan to defeat the Islamic State, which he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group. On Tuesday, he vowed to build a ‘great wall’ on the Mexican border to keep out rapists and other criminals, who he said were sneaking into the United States in droves.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]

Trump: “This Very Expensive GLOBAL WARMING Bullshit Has Got To Stop. Our Planet Is Freezing, Record Low Temps,And Our GW Scientists Are Stuck In Ice” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 1/1/14]

Trump Argued That The Environment Would Be Fine Without Protection. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday that he would cut government agencies if he were elected President. Among them? The Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump told ‘Fox News Sunday’ host Chris Wallace. ‘Would you cut serve -- would you cut departments?’ Wallace asked Trump. ‘No, I'm not cutting services, but I'm cutting spending. But I may cut Department of Education. I believe Common Core is a very bad thing,’ Trump said. ‘I believe that we should be — you know, educating our children from Iowa, from New Hampshire, from South Carolina, from California, from New York. I think that it should be local education.’ ‘So the Department of Education is one,’ he continued. ‘Environmental Protection, what they do is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new regulations. They're making it impossible —‘ Wallace interjected, ‘Who's going to protect the environment?’ ‘They — we'll be fine with the environment,’ Trump replied. ‘We can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses.’” [Talking Points Memo, 10/18/15]

Donald Trump Declared, “You Can’t Get Hurt By Extreme Weather,” Then Tweeted His Support For The More Than 12 People Killed By Flooding In South Carolina. “Donald Trump sent out prayers to those affected by the deadly flooding in South Carolina on Monday, just weeks after telling voters people aren't hurt from extreme weather. As of Monday night, there have been a total of 13 storm related deaths in South Carolina and North Carolina combined. ‘Thoughts and prayers for those in the floods affecting the great people of South Carolina,’ Trump tweeted Monday in the wake of the floods. But two weeks ago in Dallas, Trump told supporters ‘you can't get hurt with extreme weather,’ as he dismissed President Barack Obama's argument that extreme weather as a result of climate change poses a threat to America.” [CNN, 10/5/15]

Nuclear Energy

Trump Said He Would “Absolutely” Build Nuclear Energy Facilities. HANNITY: “You would build nuclear facilities.” TRUMP: “Absolutely.”[Hannity, Fox News, 4/14/11]

After The Fukushima Nuclear Accident, Trump Remained Committed To Nuclear Energy. CAVUTO: “Are we overreacting, Germany sidelining nuclear reactors? EU re-considering it. Joe Lieberman in this country saying maybe take a look at new licenses?” TRUMP: “But when you see what is going on in Japan certainly you can't say overreacting. But, you know, look, nuclear is a way that we get what we have to get which is energy. I think that probably there is not an overreaction but we have to be very, very careful. I worry about terrorists. I worry about other things beyond just that. We have the earthquakes. Now New York has been fairly earthquake-free and certain other areas. But you also have them in California and certainly that is a ground zero type site. We have to be very concerned. I'm in favor of nuclear energy. Very strongly in favor of nuclear energy. It is sort of interesting, somebody was explaining if a plane goes down, people keep flying. If you get into an auto crash, people keep driving. There are problems in life, not everything is so perfect. You have to look very carefully though at really taking care, have the best, the best people in terms of safeguards or nuclear energy. But we do need nuclear energy.” [Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 3/15/11]

Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

Donald Trump Affirmed His Support For The Renewable Fuel Standard After Touring The POET Biorefining Plant In Gowrie, Iowa. “Before attending the rally in Fort Dodge, Trump stopped at the POET Biorefining plant in Gowrie to tour the plant and discuss the renewable fuel standard with plant leadership and the co-chairs of America’s Renewable Energy. … That meeting was closed to the public, but afterward, Trump took two questions from a group of about 35 people who had been invited to a closed event. There, Trump affirmed his support of the renewable fuel standard. ‘I just want to tell you, you have my support,’ he said. ‘I’m with you.’” [Des Moines Register, 12/13/15]

Wind Power

2015: CAMPAIGNING IN IOWA, TRUMP CLAIMED HE SUPPORTED GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES FOR THE WIND TURBINE INDUSTRY…

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Hated Wind Farms — Until An Iowa Voter Asked.” [Washington Post, 11/19/15]

11/19/15: In Response To A Question From An Iowa Woman Whose Husband Worked For A Local Wind Turbine Manufacturer, Donald Trump Said He Supported Government Subsidies For The Wind Energy Industry. “Patricia Scalabrini, whose husband works for a local wind turbine manufacturer, wanted to know if Trump supports subsidies for the industry. The company that employs her husband, TPI, moved into a factory that was abandoned when Maytag moved its operations to Mexico. TPI employs about 800 people in Newton. It is helped by subsidies, in the form of the ‘production tax credit,’ which gives energy producers tax breaks based on how many kilowatt-hours of electricity they generate using renewable methods. … It is important to continued rapid expansion of the wind industry, and therefore to the woman's husband's job. Trump began by saying, ‘Well, I'm okay with it.’ …He noted that it can be hard for wind to be competitive in energy production particularly when prices for fossil fuels are so low, so ‘you need subsidies.’” [The Fix, Washington Post, 11/19/15]

•	11/19/15: Donald Trump Said He Was “OK” With Wind Energy Subsidies Because “Otherwise [Wind Turbines] Are Not Going To Get Built … They're Very Expensive To Build And Without It I Don't Think They Work Without Subsidy.” “During a voter forum in Newton, Iowa, Trump said he's ‘OK’ with wind energy subsidies, mostly because the price of oil has plummeted during the past year. With oil costing so little, there's not much incentive to build windmills to generate wind energy without subsidies, Trump said. ‘It needs subsidy, otherwise they're not going to get built,’ he said. ‘They're very expensive to build and they're very expensive to maintain.’ …Trump said there are some problems with wind. …’But, it's a problem. They're very expensive to build and without it I don't think they work without subsidy, which is a problem because when you need subsidy it's a problem.’” [Washington Examiner, 11/19/15]

YET IN A CASE OF NIMBY-ISM, TRUMP STAUNCHLY OPPOSED A PROPOSED OFFSHORE WIND FARM IN SCOTLAND NEAR A SITE HE WANTED TO BUILD A GOLF COURSE

Trump Opposed The Offshore Wind Farms Off The Coast Of Scotland. “Donald Trump swept defiantly into Scotland today vowing to continue his fight against an offshore windfarm development in Aberdeenshire and accusing Alex Salmond of ‘destroying’ the country. The billionaire, who widely expected to announce his intention to run for US president later this month, said the former first minister had done a ‘tremendous disservice’ to the nation’s landscape by approving windfarms, and reiterated his warning that he could pull out of his resort near Balmedie if the latest contentious scheme goes ahead. In a characteristic show of swagger, the businessman could not resist taking aim at his old sparring partner as he officially opened the revamped clubhouse of his newest golfing resort, Trump Turnberry. He told The Scotsman that he had done Scotland a ‘big, fat favour’ through his investments and contrasted the approach of authorities in Aberdeenshire to those in South Ayrshire, who he hailed as ‘fantastic.’” [The Scotsman, 6/8/15]

The Fix’s Philip Bump: Donald Trump Abandoned His Previous Opposition To Wind Energy Subsidies Because He Was In A Room With An Iowa Voter Worried About The Loss Of Those Subsidies Harming Her Husband’s Job — “Donald Trump, Straight Shooter.”  “A few years ago, Donald Trump wanted to build a golf course in Scotland. There was just one problem: The Scottish government had licensed an off-shore wind farm near the course, which Trump worried would ruin the views. … [Trump tweeted,] ‘Ugly industrial wind turbines are ruining the beauty of parts of the country--and have inefficient unreliable energy to boot.’ [and] ‘By continuing to give massive subsidies to Scotland’s ugly wind turbines, @David_Cameron is playing right into @AlexSalmond’s hands.’ … What changed? Donald Trump wasn't in the room with an Iowa voter who was apparently worried about the loss of subsidies harming her husband's job. Donald Trump, straight shooter.” [Philip Bump, The Fix, Washington Post, 11/19/15]

•	The Fix’s Philip Bump: Donald Trump’s Support Of The Wind Industry Was “A Stunning Bit Of Pandering,” Given How Trump “Went To War” Against Wind Farms In Scotland When He Wanted To Build A Golf Course Near A Proposed Offshore Wind Farm Location. “Fine. Trump supports subsidies for the wind industry. For anyone familiar with Trump's history, though, even that is a stunning bit of pandering. Trump, in fact, does know a lot about wind. A few years ago, Donald Trump wanted to build a golf course in Scotland. There was just one problem: The Scottish government had licensed an off-shore wind farm near the course, which Trump worried would ruin the views. He went to war, using all of the tools at his disposal: money, lawyers, and Twitter. He sued to block the wind farm, pushing legal challenges all the way to the Scottish Supreme Court. He attacked then-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, saying that Salmond was ‘a man whose obsession with obsolete wind technology will destroy the magnificence and beauty of Scotland.’” [Philip Bump, The Fix, Washington Post, 11/19/15]

Gaming

TRUMP ADMITTED THAT GAMBLING HAD NEGATIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS

Trump Said That Gambling Worsens Crime And Traffic. TRUMP: “Well, gambling's a mixed bag.  I mean, the casinos themselves are a mixed bag.  Certain problems are solved, but many problems are created.  Crime generally tends to get worse, other things tend to get worse, traffic and problems.  But job markets, all of a sudden you can't find teachers and you can't find firemen, because the people are working in the casinos as croupiers.  The great teacher that used to teach history is now all of a sudden a croupier because they can make much more money doing that.  And it's somewhat sad, in many respects, but it does solve certain ills.  It's a quick fix.  It's not the ideal fix, but it's a quick.  I mean, I think, for instance, in New Orleans, when that casino opens it's going to totally change the character of New Orleans.  New Orleans, to me, is one of my favorite cities.  I think changing the character of New Orleans is going to be a catastrophe for the people of Louisiana.  And that's- that's, I think, one of the real bad instances of a casino.  But it's going to totally change that character.” [Business World, ABC News, 3/14/93]

Trump: Gambling “Is Almost A Form Of Voluntary Taxation.” KING: “Why is gambling so popular?” TRUMP: “Well, it has become very strong.  In certain markets.  It is almost a form of voluntary taxation, but it in certain markets, like in the Indiana area right outside of Chicago, it has been very strong.  In some areas, it hasn't been strong.  Atlantic City has been good.  Las Vegas, obviously, has been good over the years.  But this Indiana location has been phenomenal.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 7/23/97]

TRUMP HAS LONG COMPLAINED ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN CASINOS

Trump Said That The Tax Exemptions For Indian Casinos Were Unfair. TRUMP: “Well, I think it's going to have an effect, but we can be a beneficiary of that.  The individual owners.  Not necessarily Atlantic City, but the people with the expertise.  It's a very complex business, and I've become the biggest in the business.  I mean, literally we're the biggest.  Caesar's is second and so on.  And a lot of people are coming to us looking for advice, looking for management skills, looking for other things.  And so as a company it can be a positive thing.  For Atlantic City it's probably not a positive thing.  The thing I most worry about, however, is the lack of regulation and the sucking of all the money out of a community with the roads and everything else and not putting back.  I think it's very unfair that the taxes and the other things that other places have to pay - Vegas, Atlantic City - aren't being paid by the Indians.” [Business World, ABC News, 3/14/93]

Trump On Indian Casinos: “You Have To Check And See Whether Or Not They're The Real Indians.” KING: “Because they have gambling casinos in which they don't have to pay tax, right? Indian's property?” TRUMP: “They have gambling casinos where they're paying no tax and every politician knows it's not appropriate or not right, but they haven't done anything about it yet.” KING: “But don't you think we owe them something?” TRUMP: “I think we do.  I think to a certain extent, we do, if they're real Indians.  I mean, you have to check and see whether or not they're the real Indians.  You know, you have--” KING: “You're questioning that, Donald?” TRUMP: “No, no, you have to see who's running the casinos.  And you know, I made a statement, they don't look like Indians to me.  And everyone said, oh, what a terrible statement.  I said, what's wrong?  They don't.  If you take a look at these folks, they don't like Indians to me.  And then, actually, a number of shows did a story that my statement was 100 percent correct.  I never liked to apologize and there's no reason to apologize.  But I think the Indian casinos are -- you know, they're being looked at very seriously.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 7/23/97]

Guns

TRUMP IN 1999: “I HATE THE CONCEPT OF GUNS”

Trump In 1999: “I Hate The Concept Of Guns, I'm Not In Favor Of It, Except For One Thing: The Bad Guys Are Going To Have Them.” QUESTION: “Mr. Trump, I'm an avid outdoorsman from upstate New York where your new golf courses are going.  I'm very proud of my Second Amendment right to bear arms.  If you're elected, would you uphold this right, or do you see it as a societal ill?” TRUMP: “Well, I think you have to have the right to have a gun. Now, I hate the concept of guns, I'm not in favor of it, except for one thing: the bad guys are going to have them.”[Hardball with Chris Matthews, MSNBC, 11/18/99]

ON THE 2015 CAMPAIGN TRAIL, TRUMP REPEATEDLY CLAIMED THAT GUN CONTROL DOESN’T WORK

Trump Pointed To Chicago As An Example Of Why Gun Control Legislation Does Not Work. “The Republican presidential candidate singled out Chicago, saying the city’s gun laws aren’t doing anything to stem violence. In a 24-hour span since Wednesday morning, two men were killed and eight others, including a 14-year-old girl, were wounded in Chicago. Trump says all gun laws do is keep the ‘sane people’ from getting guns. ‘I guarantee you there are a couple of people that knew this man that did the killing yesterday that probably said, ‘Wow he’s really got problems. I mean, he really should be institutionalized,’’ Trump said.” [Sun Times, 8/27/15]

Trump Claimed That All Gun Laws Do Is Keep The “Sane People” From Getting Guns. “Trump says all gun laws do is keep the ‘sane people’ from getting guns. ‘I guarantee you there are a couple of people that knew this man that did the killing yesterday that probably said, ‘Wow he’s really got problems. I mean, he really should be institutionalized,’’ Trump said.” [Sun Times, 8/27/15]

Trump: “Gun Control Does Not Reduce Crime. It Has Consistently Failed To Stop Violence.”  TRUMP: “Gun control does not reduce crime. It has consistently failed to stop violence. Americans are entitled to protect their families, their property and themselves. In fact, in right-to-carry states the violent crime rate is 24% lower than the rest of the United States and the murder rate is 28% lower. This should not be up for debate.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]

Trump Said He Stood By His “Opposition To Gun Control When It Comes To Taking Guns From Law-Abiding Citizens.” TRUMP: “I certainly stand by my opposition to Gun Control when it comes to taking guns from law-abiding citizens.  You mention that the media describes the AR-15 as an ‘assault rifle,’ which is one example of the many distortions they use to sell their agenda.  However, the AR-15 does not fall under this category.  Gun-banners are unfortunately preoccupied with the AR-15, magazine capacity, grips, and other aesthetics, precisely because of its popularity.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]

Donald Trump Played Up His Support For Nearly Unrestricted Gun Rights Despite Having Supported The Assault Weapons Ban And Longer Background Checks In The Past. “Donald Trump said Tuesday he supports allowing Americans to legally buy and own assault weapons…. Trump has played up his support for nearly unrestricted gun rights throughout the campaign as he has looked to bolster his conservative credentials, especially given his past support for some gun control measures. ‘I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun,’ Trump wrote in his 2000 book ‘The America We Deserve.’” [CNN, 10/6/15]

Background Checks

TRUMP IN 1999: “I FAVOR YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS”

1999: Trump Favored Background Checks For Gun Purchases. KING: “Do you favor long checks and how people get the guns?  You don't favor easy access?” TRUMP: “Yes, yes, no, I favor -- I favor you have to go through a process, but the fact is that the bad ones already have one, and they're not going to go through a process either; they're not going to go through any process. Look, there's nothing I like better than nobody has them, but that's not going to happen, Larry.  So, as long as that's not going to happen, I say you have to be allowed to have a gun.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

2000: TRUMP SUPPORTED LONGER BACKGROUND CHECKS

2000: Donald Trump Said He Wished Nobody Had Guns And Supported Longer Background Checks And The Assault Weapons Ban. “The Donald’s sudden and loud embrace of the Second Amendment might come as a surprise to people who followed his first flirtation with running for the presidency in 2000 as a member of the Reform Party. Then The Donald, ever the populist, said while he generally opposed gun control, he slammed Republicans for not wanting registrations on guns and said he wished nobody had guns. Similarly, Trump said he supported longer background checks and the ban on assault weapons.” [Buzzfeed, 10/5/15]

TRUMP IN 2015: “THE CURRENT BACKGROUND CHECKS DO NOT WORK”

Trump: “I Do Not Support Expanding Background Checks. The Current Background Checks Do Not Work.” TRUMP: “I do not support expanding background checks. The current background checks do not work…They make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to acquire firearms while consistently failing to stop criminals from getting guns. We should re-examine our policy to make sure that these prohibitions do not impede law abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.”  [Ammoland, 7/7/15]

TRUMP SUPPORTED RESTRICTIONS ON GUN PURCHASES FOR PEOPLE ON THE TERROR WATCH LIST

Donald Trump Said “If Somebody Is On A Watch List And An Enemy Of State” They Should Be Prohibited From Buying A Gun.” “Trump also said those on terror watch lists should be restricted from purchasing guns if they are a known ‘enemy of state.’ Currently, someone one a terror watch list can legally purchase a gun in the U.S. ‘If somebody is on a watch list and an enemy of state and we know it's an enemy of state, I would keep them away, absolutely,’ Trump said, while emphasizing that he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms. ‘If we have an enemy of state, I don't want to give him anything,’ Trump said. ‘I want to have him in jail -- that's what I want. I want to have him in jail.’”  [ABC News, 11/22/15]

Magazine Limits

TRUMP SAID HE FOUGHT THE SAFE ACT IN NEW YORK AND OPPOSED MAGAZINE LIMITS

Trump Opposed Regulations On The Number Of Rounds Allowed In Gun Magazines. TRUMP: “Gun magazine limits do not make common sense. I have long opposed such limits. For instance, I fought the SAFE Act in New York, which I call the ‘Unsafe Act.’  I also spoke at a rally in Albany championing gun rights and protesting the Unsafe Act. The law limited capacity to seven rounds, as if criminals were going to take rounds out of their magazines before committing a crime.  It was later changed to a limit of ten rounds, but the entire episode was a complete disaster.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]

Permits and Concealed Carry

TRUMP SAID HE CARRIES “ON OCCASION” TO BE “UNPREDICTABLE”

Donald Trump Said He Carries A Gun “On Occasion” Because “I Like To Be Unpredictable.” “Donald Trump said he carries a firearm ‘on occasion’ — but not always, because he likes to keep people guessing. Trump said he’d feel ‘more comfortable’ if employees at his company were armed, but he noted that having a permit is ‘very unusual in New York.’‘I do carry on occasion, sometimes a lot,’ he said. ‘But I like to be unpredictable.’ Trump said his carrying decisions are in contrast to the country's military policy, which he said is ‘totally predictable.’” [Politico, 10/28/15] 

TRUMP: PEOPLE WHO HAVE GUN PERMITS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CARRY

Donald Trump Said People With A Permit To Carry A Firearm Have An Obligation To Carry A Gun, When Feasible And Appropriate, So As To “Raise Serious Doubts In The Minds Of Those Who Might Be Considering Violence In America.” “The concept of concealed carry is as much intended to deter criminal activity as it is to provide direct defense of those who have those permits. Not all concealed carry permit holders ‘carry’ all the time. Thus, the deterrent value is that those who might contemplate criminal behavior will think twice when that doubt exists. Carrying a weapon is not always feasible or appropriate. However, given the increased tensions that are the result of continued, escalating terrorism around the world, more legitimately armed individuals on the streets is a positive outcome. Each permit holder must make the decision to carry or not carry. I will carry more often than I have in the past, and I am sure other concealed permit holders will do the same. Do we have an obligation to carry? The answer is ‘yes,’ but we must do it in such a way as to raise serious doubts in the minds of those who might be considering violence in America. Deterring violence is far better than dealing with the aftermath of an act of terror. Less blood, more security. That is what will make America great again.” [Breitbart, 11/18/15]

Assault Weapons Ban

2015: Donald Trump Supported Allowing Americans To Buy And Own Assault Weapons And Called For An End To Gun-Free Zones. “Donald Trump said Tuesday he supports allowing Americans to legally buy and own assault weapons. ‘You have to be because the bad guys are going to have them anyway,’ Trump told CNN's Chris Cuomo on ‘New Day.’ ‘What happens when the bad guys have the assault weapons and you don't in a confrontation?’ Trump suggested overturning gun-free zones and said civilians with guns could have stopped the mass shooting at a community college last week in Oregon.” [CNN, 10/6/15]

•	2000: Donald Trump Supported The Assault Weapons Ban And Longer Waiting Periods. “‘I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun,’ Trump wrote in his 2000 book ‘The America We Deserve.’" [CNN, 10/6/15]

Gun Free Zones

TRUMP CALLED FOR THE ELIMINATION OF GUN FREE ZONES, WHICH HE CALLED “TARGET PRACTICE” FOR THE “SICKOS” AND THE MENTALLY ILL

Trump: “Get Rid Of Gun Free Zones. The Four Great Marines Who Were Just Shot Never Had A Chance. They Were Highly Trained But Helpless Without Guns.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 7/17/15]

Wonkblog: “Little Data Supports” Donald Trump’s Claim That Gun-Free Zones Are “Target Practice For The Sickos And For The Mentally Ill.” “‘I feel that the gun-free zones and, you know, when you say that, that's target practice for the sickos and for the mentally ill,’ he told moderator Carl Quintanilla. ‘That's target [practice]. They look around for gun-free zones.’ But little data supports this claim. For starters, if you probe the reasons why shooters target particular places, you typically find that gunmen have a grievance attached to a particular location. A Mother Jones analysis of mass shootings between 1982 and 2015 found not one single instance where the gunman appeared to be motivated by the knowledge that a place was gun-free.” [Wonkblog, Washington Post, 10/30/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD REQUIRE THAT SOLDIERS BE ARMED ON MILITARY BASES

Trump: “As Commander-In-Chief, I Would Mandate That Soldiers Remain Armed And On Alert At Our Military Bases.” TRUMP: “[gun free zones] No, not optional.  As Commander-in-Chief, I would mandate that soldiers remain armed and on alert at our military bases. President Clinton never should have passed a ban on soldiers being able to protect themselves on bases. America’s Armed Forces will be armed. They will be able to defend themselves against terrorists. Our brave soldiers should not be at risk because of policy created by civilian leadership. Political correctness has no place in this debate.” [Ammoland, 7/7/15]

NRA

1999: TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T “AGREE ENTIRELY” WITH THE NRA

Trump In 1999: “I Don’t Agree Entirely” With The NRA. KING: “You agree with the NRA?” TRUMP: “I don't agree entirely, but I do agree that you should have the power to have a weapon, because other people do and other people are not necessarily the nicest people in the world.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

2000: Donald Trump Criticized Republicans Who “Walk The NRA Line And Refuse Even Limited Restrictions.” “The Donald’s sudden and loud embrace of the Second Amendment might come as a surprise to people who followed his first flirtation with running for the presidency in 2000 as a member of the Reform Party. Then The Donald, ever the populist, said while he generally opposed gun control, he slammed Republicans for not wanting registrations on guns and said he wished nobody had guns. … ‘The Republicans walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions. I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun. With today’s internet technology we should be able to tell within 72 hours if a potential gun owner has a record.’” [Buzzfeed, 10/5/15]

Mass Shootings

TRUMP REPEATEDLY CLAIMED THAT IF VICTIMS HAD GUNS, ATTACKS WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS SEVERE

2015: Donald Trump Said That If More People Had Guns During The Mass Shooting At An Oregon Community College, “You Would Have Been A Hell Of A Lot Better Off.” “Donald Trump is a big supporter of gun rights. The Donald has made that clear in the days since the mass shooting at a community college in Oregon. ‘I can make the case that if there were guns in that room other than the shooter’s, fewer people would have died. Fewer people would have been so horribly injured,’ Trump said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. ‘It was a gun-free zone,’ Trump said earlier at a campaign event in Franklin, Tennessee. ‘Let me tell you, if you had a couple teachers with guns in that room, you would have been a hell of a lot better off.’” [Buzzfeed, 10/5/15]

•	2000: Donald Trump Said He Wished Nobody Had Guns And Supported Longer Background Checks And The Assault Weapons Ban. “The Donald’s sudden and loud embrace of the Second Amendment might come as a surprise to people who followed his first flirtation with running for the presidency in 2000 as a member of the Reform Party. Then The Donald, ever the populist, said while he generally opposed gun control, he slammed Republicans for not wanting registrations on guns and said he wished nobody had guns. Similarly, Trump said he supported longer background checks and the ban on assault weapons.” [Buzzfeed, 10/5/15]

•	2000: Donald Trump Criticized Republicans Who “Walk The NRA Line And Refuse Even Limited Restrictions.” “The Donald’s sudden and loud embrace of the Second Amendment might come as a surprise to people who followed his first flirtation with running for the presidency in 2000 as a member of the Reform Party. Then The Donald, ever the populist, said while he generally opposed gun control, he slammed Republicans for not wanting registrations on guns and said he wished nobody had guns. … ‘The Republicans walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions. I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun. With today’s internet technology we should be able to tell within 72 hours if a potential gun owner has a record.’” [Buzzfeed, 10/5/15]

11/14/15: Donald Trump Said That If The Victims Of The Paris Terrorist Attack Would Have Had Guns, “It Would Have Been A Much, Much Different Situation.” “‘When you look at Paris, toughest gun laws in the world, nobody had guns but the bad guys,’ the Republican presidential candidate said during an appearance in Texas, in remarks broadcast by CNN. ‘Nobody had guns. And they were just shooting them one by one, and then they broke in and had a big shootout and ultimately killed the terrorists.’ At least 129 people died in the attacks, for which ISIS has taken credit. ‘And I will tell you what—you can say what you want, if they had guns, if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry, it would have been a much, much different situation,’ Trump added.” [Time, 11/14/15; Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Beaumont, Texas, 11/14/15]

•	1/7/15: Donald Trump Tweeted About French Gun Control Laws After The Shootings At The French Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo. “As such, it was no surprise that after shootings at the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris this week, some Americans began to wonder about gun control laws. ‘Isn't it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?’ American reality television star Donald Trump wrote on Twitter shortly after the news broke. The tweet prompted both praise (over a thousand retweets) and scorn (Trump was labelled a ‘moron’ and an ‘idiot’ by other tweeters).” [Washington Post, 1/9/15]

•	1/7/15: Donald Trump: “Isn’t It Interesting That The Tragedy In Paris Took Place In One Of The Toughest Gun Control Countries In The World?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 1/7/15]

11/16/15: Donald Trump Repeated His Claim That The Terrorist Attacks In Paris Were Exacerbated By Tough Gun Control Laws, And That “Some Guys With A Gun” Could Have “Whacked” The Terrorists. “After being relatively quiet over the weekend, Trump hit the talk shows on Monday morning [11/16/15] to speak about the attacks, saying the U.S. needs stronger intelligence and also linking the high death toll to what he views as excessive gun controls. ‘Had there been some guys with a gun, there would have been a shootout and probably the primary people that would have got whacked would have been the killers,’ Trump said on CNBC's ‘Squawk Box.’ ‘You can’t any tougher than Paris, and you can’t get any tougher than France’ on gun control, he continued. ‘They just said, come here, boom, come here, boom…shot these people at will.’” [Politico, 11/16/15]

11/18/15: Donald Trump Said, “If You Had A Guy Like You Or Me, Or Some Other Guys In That Room That Had Guns,” The Terrorist Attacks In Paris Would Have Been Mitigated. “Donald Trump said on Wednesday that, if he or somebody else with a gun had been present during last Friday’s attacks in Paris, things would have gone differently. ‘So they were just shooting people: ‘Next! Next!’’ the former reality TV star told Boston radio host Jeff Kuhner. ‘Just people were totally defenseless. If you had a guy like you or me, or some other guys in that room that had guns, it wouldn’t have been that way, Jeff. You know. It wouldn’t have been that way.’ Trump made the comments after saying that, because of French gun laws, ‘nobody had a gun’ to shoot the attackers, adding that ‘the only ones that had the guns are the bad guys.’” [Buzzfeed, 11/18/15]

DONALD TRUMP SAID SCHOOL SHOOTINGS WERE “UNIQUE TO THIS COUNTRY” BUT WOULD HAPPEN “NO MATTER WHAT”

Donald Trump Said That School Shootings Were Essentially Inevitable Because “We Have Millions And Millions Of Sick People All Over The World … But This Is Sort Of Unique To This Country, The School Shootings. And You’re Going To Have Difficulty No Matter What.” “Regardless of what the United States does to enforce its gun laws or improve mental health care, people are always going to slip through the cracks, Donald Trump said Friday, a day after a gunman killed nine and injured seven at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. ‘First of all, you have very strong laws on the books, but you're always going to have problems. We have millions and millions of people, we have millions and millions of sick people all over the world. It can happen all over the world and it does happen all over the world, by the way. But this is sort of unique to this country, the school shootings. And you're going to have difficulty no matter what,’ Trump said in a telephone interview on MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe.’” [Politico, 10/2/15]

TRUMP SUGGESTED TEACHERS SHOULD BE ARMED IN SCHOOLS

Donald Trump Said Teachers Would Be Better Off During School Shootings If They Were Armed. “The 2016 GOP front-runner also weighed in on whether teachers should carry guns - his fellow presidential candidate Ben Carson said kindergarten teachers who are properly trained should - saying: ‘Assuming they knew how to use the weapon, which hopefully they would, you would've been a lot better when this maniac walked into class, starting to shoot people.’” [CBS News, 10/11/15]

FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING IN SAN BERNARDINO TRUMP BOASTED HIS POLL NUMBERS ROSE AFTER TRAGEDIES OCCURRED

12/3/15: Donald Trump Retweeted A Claim That His “Poll Numbers Jump Every Time Instances Like This Occur” The Morning After A Mass Shooting Killed 14 And Injured 17 In San Bernardino, California. “Donald Trump's retweeting habits leave something to be desired. … Early Thursday morning, Trump did it again. This time, he retweeted a supporter who pretty clearly appeared to suggest that the shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., on Wednesday — shootings that killed 14 and injured 17 — would help Trump's ‘poll numbers.’ ‘‘@DLake66675: @ChateauEmissary @trumpettes16 @realDonaldTrump his poll numbers jump every time instances like this occur.’ The tweet is a pretty clear reference to the San Bernardino shootings, [and] The man Trump retweeted made his feelings on the connection between the shootings and Trump's poll numbers even clearer in a previous tweet.” [The Fix, Washington Post, 12/3/15; @realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 12/3/15]

Health Care

Health Care Plan

TRUMP SAID HIS HEALTH CARE PLAN WOULD ALLOW INSURANCE PURCHASES ACROSS STATE LINES

Donald Trump Said His Health Care Plan Would Allow Consumers To Purchase Health Insurance Across State Lines. “Specifically, he said his plan would break down inter-state barriers that prevent people from going across state lines to purchase healthcare plans, a plan championed by many other conservatives. But his opponents have seized on his seemingly evolving position about the exact role he thinks government should play in the healthcare system, as well as how he intends to pay for expanded coverage beyond ObamaCare. Trump says much of his plan will come out of the pockets of insurance companies, which he says are thriving under ObamaCare.” [The Hill, 10/14/15]

•	Trump: ‘I Like The Concept Of Private Enterprise Coming In-- You Have To Get Rid Of The Artificial Lines Drawn Around Every State.” “Trump, who has been a vocal opponent of Obamacare, also discussed his plan for a new health care system if Obamacare is repealed. Trump said he’s against single payer health care, though it does work in Scotland. ‘I like the concept of private enterprise coming in … you have to get rid of the artificial lines drawn around every state,’ Trump said.” [Politico, 8/4/15]

•	Trump Said His Health Care Program Would Allow People To Buy Health Insurance Across State Lines. O'REILLY: “So there will be Trump care then.” TRUMP: “Well, it would be a form of much better. As an example, I have a big company. When I buy health insurance I can't go across state lines to buy it. You know why?... And I can make a better deal in New Jersey than I can in New York with a better company. Yet, I can't go. Number one, anywhere in the United States has to be a strong company. But we should be able to go out and price it privately. I believe in the private. But I don't want to be stuck with one or two companies in New York. I should be able to go to Wisconsin. I should be able to go to Iowa. If I want to buy health care for my people, as long as it's a strong company, I should be able to bid it out.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

Trump Supported The Use Of Health Savings Accounts And Allowing Insurers To Sell Health Insurance Across State Lines. “Trump's proposal: People will have health savings accounts. It costs the country and people very little. It's an amazing system. Prompted by Hannity, Trump adds that he'll cover catastrophic coverage and pre-existing conditions…. We also need to get rid of state-line coverage boundaries established by insurance companies, and every American could choose from all the competitors. So that companies don't go out of business, the government will give a point to the insurers.” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/11/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED HIS HEALTH CARE PLAN WILL MAKE THE INSURANCE COMPANIES PAY

Trump Said His Health Care Plan Would Make Insurance Companies Foot Most Of The Bill. “Trump says much of his plan will come out of the pockets of insurance companies, which he says are thriving under ObamaCare.” [The Hill, 10/14/15]

Trump Advocated For Providing Health Care For “People That Don’t Have Money.” TRUMP: “No. It’s just one of the things. It’s not only immigration. It’s about trade. They go hand in hand. Immigration is one of the things you have to do. I’m also a moralist. You heard what I said today about health care. I said, I’m sorry, folks, but we have to take care people that don’t have money. I know it’s not the conservative thing to say, but I got a standing ovation — and these were very conservative people. We can’t let people down when they can’t get any medical care, when they’re sick and don’t have money to go to a doctor. You help them.” [Washington Post, 7/12/15]

Affordable Care Act

THEN: TRUMP PRAISED PRESIDENT OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL… 

Trump On Obama’s 2009 Health Care Plan: “I Love The Idea.” VAN SUSTEREN: “What is your thought about the health care reform that is being at least proposed, at this point?” TRUMP: “Well, I think it's noble, except I just don't know how a country that's in such debt -- we are really a debtor nation right now, and I just don't know how a country in this kind of trouble can afford it. It's very -- I love the idea, but can this country afford it? Will it destroy the country? Will it destroy other people that have been paying into health care for years? I mean, will that destroy other people? It's a very, very tough situation. I love it from many standpoints, but can this country afford it? And maybe this isn't the right time.” [On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 6/29/09]

NOW: TRUMP REPEATEDLY CALLED FOR THE REPEAL OF THE ACA

During His Presidential Campaign Announcement Trump Stated That “We Have To Repeal The ACA. “Trump took the stage and promised to be a different type of candidate. While other presidential candidates have provided rhetoric, he promised to implement policies. ‘If I’m elected president,’ he announced, ‘we will make America great again.’ To begin with, ‘we have to repeal Obamacare,’ he said, adding that Obamacare’s biggest effects won’t begin until President Obama is safely out of office and, Trump says, on the golf course. That said, he also noted he owns several golf courses, and he invited President Obama to feel free to retire early and play them instead of finishing out his term.” [Breitbart, 1/16/15]

Trump Called The Affordable Care Act A “Total Catastrophe.” “Trump presented himself as a conservative, ‘very conservative’ and as a Republican, but admitted that he is ‘very disappointed’  with Republican politicians. The crowd shared the sentiment and gave ‘The Donald’ a huge round of applause. Trump says the GOP has let the president ‘get away with absolute murder.’ He pointed to Obamacare as a ‘total catastrophe.’” [Breitbart, 1/24/15]

Trump: “Obamacare Will Continue To Stop Entrepreneurship, Slow Growth And Halt Research & Development. Defund, Repeal & Replace!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 11/18/14] 

Donald Trump: “Obamacare’s Going To Be Repealed And Replaced,” And “I Am Going To Take Care Of Everybody” And “The Government’s Gonna Pay For It.” TRUMP: “‘Obamacare's going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare is a disaster if you look at what's going on with premiums where they're up 45, 50, 55 percent. … Everybody's got to be covered. … I am going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not. … [The uninsured are] going to be taken care of. … The government's gonna pay for it. But we're going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most it's going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.’” [60 Minutes, CBS, 9/27/15]

TRUMP CREDITED TED CRUZ’S EFFORTS TO TRY TO DEFUND THE ACA

Huffington Post: “Trump Credited Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) For Leading Efforts To Defund The Affordable Care Act In 2013, Arguing That If Republicans ‘Had Stuck Together They Would Have Won That Battle.’” [Huffington Post, 8/4/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED THE ACA WOULD JACK UP DEDUCTIBLES, REQUIRING SOMEONE TO BE “HIT BY A TRACTOR” TO GET COVERAGE

Trump Said That ACA Would Cause Insurance Deductibles To Become So High That You Would Have To Be “Hit By A Tractor, Literally, A Tractor, To Use It.”  “Nothing in Donald Trump's funhouse-mirror presidential campaign announcement Tuesday made sense…. On Obamacare: ‘Yesterday, it came out that costs are going for people up 29, 39, 49, and even 55 percent, and deductibles are through the roof. You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high, it's virtually useless. It's virtually useless. It is a disaster.’” [Washington Post, 6/19/15]

Trump: “Obamacare Is A Disaster. Americans Will See Record Increases In Their Premiums And Inferior Care Services.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/1/13]

DESPITE HIS OPPOSITION TO THE ACA, TRUMP CLAIMED HE WASN’T LIKE CONSERVATIVES WHO WANT TO LET “40 PERCENT ROT IN HELL”

Donald Trump On Health Care: “I’m Not A Conservative That Wants To Take Care Of 60 Percent Of The People And Let The Other 40 Percent Rot In Hell.” “Trump pushed back against Republicans who have attacked him for supporting a single-payer healthcare system in the past. He said he’ll release formal details on his healthcare plan in the coming weeks. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of Trump’s 2016 rivals, released his plan on Tuesday. ‘People think this is not traditionally Republican, but I think it is because I don’t want to see people dying on the streets and neither do other Republicans want to see that,’ Trump said. He added that policymakers cannot let people die ‘because they don’t have money.’ ‘I’m not a conservative that wants to take care of 60 percent of the people and let the other 40 percent rot in hell,’ Trump said. ‘That’s not going to be me. You can’t do that and I don’t think most Republicans want to do that either.’” [The Hill, 10/14/15]

Universal Health Care

1999: “LIBERAL” TRUMP SAID HE BELIEVED IN UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

Trump In 1999: “I'm Very Liberal When It Comes To Health Care.  I Believe In Universal Health Care.” KING: “Patients' Bill of Rights: You mentioned health care as one of the social issues; you for it?” TRUMP: “I think you have to have it, and, again, I said I'm conservative, generally speaking, I'm conservative, and even very conservative.  But I'm quite liberal and getting much more liberal on health care and other things.  I really say: What's the purpose of a country if you're not going to have defensive and health care? If you can't take care of your sick in the country, forget it, it's all over.  I mean, it's no good.  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.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

In 1999, Trump Agreed That Health Care Was An Entitlement Of Birth. TRUMP: “What's the purpose of a country if you're not going to have defensive and health care? If you can't take care of your sick in the country, forget it, it's all over.  I mean, it's no good.  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.” KING: “So you believe, then, it's an entitlement of birth?” TRUMP: “I think it is.  It's an entitlement to this country, and too bad the world can't be, you know, in this country.  But the fact is, it's an entitlement to this country if we're going to have a great country.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Trump: “We Must Have Universal Healthcare.” “Trump on Health Care ‘We must have universal healthcare,’ Trump wrote in his [2000] book, ‘I’m a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one.’ In an interview earlier this year he continued to applaud single payer health care systems used in other countries.” [Press Release, The Club For Growth, 6/16/15]

Homeland Security/Terrorism

Torture

TRUMP ADVOCATED THE USE OF WATERBOARDING FOR INTERROGATION

Donald Trump Said He Would “Absolutely” Bring Back Waterboarding As An Accepted Form Of Interrogation. “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Sunday he would allow U.S. interrogators to waterboard suspected terrorists in the wake of the recent attacks in Paris. ‘I would bring it back, yes,’ Trump said on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ … ‘I would bring it back,’ Trump said. ‘I think waterboarding is peanuts compared to what they’d do to us, what they’re doing to us, what they did to James Foley when they chopped off his head. That’s a whole different level, and I would absolutely bring back interrogation and strong interrogation.’” [Politico, 11/22/15]

Trump Said Waterboarding May Cause Detainees To “Give False Information Sometimes” But Is Still Justified. HANNITY: “According to him, would we have gotten Bin Laden without the waterboarding, he said absolutely we would not have. Explain why you think that is a necessary tool that we need to be using?” TRUMP: “Well, first of all, I think it works. I have no doubt that it works. Maybe not in all cases and maybe they'll give false information sometimes, but I have no doubt that it works. But the fact is that they're chopping off heads, they're drowning people in cages, they're keeping the cage under water for a half hour and then pulling it up with many people in there. They're doing acts that nobody has ever seen before or even heard of before and we're worried about waterboarding. How stupid can we be? And it does work, the waterboarding.” [Hannity, Fox News, 11/25/15]

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump On Waterboarding: ‘If It Doesn’t Work, They Deserve It Anyway.’” [Washington Post, 11/23/15] 

Donald Trump Said “You Bet Your Ass” He Would Approve Waterboarding In A Heartbeat, And “If It Doesn’t Work, They Deserve It Anyway For What They’re Doing.” “‘Would I approve waterboarding? You bet your ass I would — in a heartbeat,’ Trump said to loud cheers during a rally at a convention center here Monday night that attracted thousands. ‘And I would approve more than that. Don't kid yourself, folks. It works, okay? It works. Only a stupid person would say it doesn't work.’ … ‘It works,’ Trump said over and over again. ‘Believe me, it works. And you know what? If it doesn't work, they deserve it anyway, for what they're doing. It works.’” [Washington Post, 11/23/15] 

Donald Trump Said Osama Bin Laden Would Not Have Been Killed If U.S. Had Not Used Waterboarding, Despite A 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee Report’s Determinations To The Contrary. “Trump said bin Laden ultimately would not have been killed in 2011 if the United States did not use waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that the Obama administration considers torture and no longer uses. An exhaustive 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report deemed that harsh interrogation measures like waterboarding do not work and did not produce breakthrough intelligence in the hunt for bin Laden, assertions that the CIA and former officers vehemently dispute. Trump has said he would resume waterboarding and approve even more aggressive techniques.” [Washington Post, 11/24/15]

Surveillance

Donald Trump Said Americans Should Monitor Their Neighbors’ Behavior And Report Anything Suspicious. “GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump said late Tuesday that everyday Americans should monitor their neighbors for questionable behavior. ‘The real greatest resource is all of you, because you have all those eyes and you see what’s happening,’ he told listeners in Myrtle Beach, S.C. ‘People move into a house a block down the road, you know who’s going in,’ Trump continued. ‘You can see and you report them to the local police. ‘You’re pretty smart, right?’ he asked his audience. ‘We know if there’s something going on, report them. Most likely you’ll be wrong, but that’s OK. ‘That’s the best way. Everybody’s their own cop in a way. You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to do it.’” [The Hill, 11/25/15]

Donald Trump Said He Would “Err On The Side Of Security” When Weighing Civil Liberties Verses Security, And That “Every Time I Pick Up A Phone, I Assume People Are Listening To My Conversations.” “The billionaire said he would ‘err on the side of security’ during an interview on MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe’ Monday, a day after new National Security Agency (NSA) reforms went into place. ‘Every time I pick up a phone, I assume people are listening to my conversations,’ added Trump, the GOP front-runner. ‘I don’t like it, but I have to make that assumption. I would really much err on the side of security. As a lot of people would agree with me on that.’” [The Hill, 11/30/15]

IN TWO SEPARATE INTERVIEWS, TRUMP WOULD NOT RULE OUT REQUIRING AMERICAN MUSLIMS TO REGISTER FOR A DATABASE AND SAID HE “WOULD CERTAINLY IMPLEMENT A DATABASE

NOV 17: When Asked Whether Surveillance Of American Muslims Should Include Requiring Them To Register In A Database, Trump Said “We’re Going To Have To Look At A Lot Of Things Very Closely.” During a Nov. 17th interview, “Yahoo News asked Trump whether this level of tracking might require registering Muslims in a database or giving them a form of special identification that noted their religion. He wouldn’t rule it out. ‘We’re going to have to — we’re going to have to look at a lot of things very closely,’ Trump said when presented with the idea. ‘We’re going to have to look at the mosques. We’re going to have to look very, very carefully.’” [Yahoo, 11/19/15]

•	Yahoo’s Transcript Made It Clear That Trump Did Not Explicitly Rule Out The Idea Of Requiring American Muslims To Register For A Database.During a Nov. 17th interview, Trump was asked “And in terms of doing this, to pull off the kind of tracking we need, do you think we might need to register Muslims in some type of database, or note their religion on their ID?”  Trump responded, “Well, we're going to have to look at a lot of things very closely. We're going to have to look at the mosques. We're going to have to look very, very carefully. We have a president that refuses to say radical Islamic terrorism. He refuses to say it, which is the biggest shock in the world, because how can you not say it, if you don't say it, you're not going to get to the problem.” [Yahoo, 11/20/15]

Trump Said That Surveillance Of American Muslims Would Include Measures “That Were Frankly Unthinkable A Year Ago.” During a Nov. 17th interview, Yahoo News asked Trump whether his push for increased surveillance of American Muslims could include warrantless searches. He suggested he would consider a series of drastic measures. ‘We’re going to have to do things that we never did before. And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule,’ Trump said. ‘And certain things will be done that we never thought would happen in this country in terms of information and learning about the enemy. And so we’re going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago.’” [Yahoo, 11/19/15]

NOV 19:  When Asked About A Database To Track American Muslims, Trump Said He “Would Certainly Implement That. Absolutely.” HILLYARD: “Should there be a database system that tracks Muslims here in this country?” TRUMP: “There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases. I mean we should have a lot of systems. And today you can do it. But right now we have to have a border. We have to have strength. We have to have a wall. And we cannot let what’s happening to this country happen anymore.” HILLYARD: “But that’s something your White House would like to implement?” TRUMP: “I would certainly implement that. Absolutely.” [NBC News, 11/20/15]

•	When Asked If American Muslims Would Be Required To Register In A Database, Donald Trump Said, “They Have To Be. They Have To Be.” “Donald J. Trump, who earlier in the week said he was open to requiring Muslims in the United States to register in a database, said on Thursday night that he ‘would certainly implement that — absolutely.’ Mr. Trump was asked about the issue by an NBC News reporter and pressed on whether all Muslims in the country would be forced to register. ‘They have to be,’ he said. ‘They have to be.’ When asked how a system of registering Muslims would be carried out — whether, for instance, mosques would be where people could register — Mr. Trump said: ‘Different places. You sign up at different places. But it’s all about management. Our country has no management.’” [New York Times, 11/20/15] 

•	When Asked To Explain How Using Databases To Track Muslims In The U.S. Would Differ From Nazi Germany, Trump Responded Four Times, “You Tell Me.” “‘What else can you compare this to except to prewar Nazi Germany?’ [Ibrahim] Hooper [national spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations] asked. ‘There's no other comparison, and [Trump] seems to think that's perfectly OK.’ … Trump was repeatedly asked to explain how his idea was different. Four times, he responded: ‘You tell me.’” [NBC News, 11/20/15]

AFTER RECEIVING CRITICISM FOR HIS MUSLIM DATABASE COMMENTS, TRUMP AND HIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER INSISTED THAT TRUMP HAD NOT SUGGESTED A MUSLIM DATABASE

NOV 20: Trump’s Campaign Manager Said That Trump Was Commenting On The Terrorist Watch List And Not A Registry Of Muslims. “By Friday, though, he appeared to pull back slightly from the idea. In a post on Twitter, Mr. Trump complained that it was a reporter, not he, who hadfirst raised the idea of a database. And his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, insisted that Mr. Trump had been asked leading questions by the NBC reporter under ‘blaring music’ and that he had in mind a terrorist watch list, not a registry of Muslims.” [New York Times, 11/21/15]

NOV 20: Trump Tweeted That He Did Not Suggest A Muslim Database. “I didn't suggest a database-a reporter did. We must defeat Islamic terrorism & have surveillance, including a watch list, to protect America.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 11/20/15]

ASKED IF HE UNEQUIVOCALLY RULED OUT A DATABASE OF MUSLIMS, TRUMP SAID “NO, NOT AT ALL” BUT ONLY EXPLICITLY INDICATED SUPPORT FOR A DATABASE OF SYRIAN REFUGEES

NOV 22: When Asked If He Unequivocally Ruled Out A Muslim Database, Trump Said “No, Not At All. I Want A Database For The Refugees That — If They Come Into The Country.” STEPHANOPOULOS: “You did stir up a controversy with those comments over the database. Let’s try to clear that up. Are you unequivocally now ruling out a database on all Muslims?” TRUMP: “No, not at all. I want a database for the refugees that — if they come into the country. We have no idea who these people are. When the Syrian refugees are going to start pouring into this country, we don’t know if they’re ISIS, we don’t know if it’s a Trojan horse. And I definitely want a database and other checks and balances. We want to go with watch lists. We want to go with databases.” [ABC, 11/22/15]

Trump: “There Is A Muslim Problem. Absolutely.”O'REILLY: “Is there a Muslim problem in the world?” TRUMP: “Absolutely. Absolutely. I don't know notice Swedish people knocking down the world trade center. I came out very strongly against the mosque being built virtually--” O'REILLY: “But you do believe overall there is a Muslim problem in the world.” TRUMP: “Well, there is a Muslim problem. Absolutely. You just have to turn on your television set.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY AND STRONGLY CONSIDER CLOSING CERTAIN U.S. MOSQUES

Headline: “Donald Trump Says He Would Be Open To Closing U.S. Mosques To Fight ISIS.” [New York Times, 10/22/15]

Donald Trump Would “Absolutely” Close Certain Mosques In Order To Fight ISIS, But Was Unsure If Doing So Would Be Legal. “This week, he [Donald Trump] has put American Muslims on edge by suggesting that he would be open to shutting down mosques as president. Asked on Fox Business Network if the United States should take action to close certain mosques as part of the fight against the Islamic State, as has happened in Britain, Mr. Trump said, ‘I would do that, absolutely.’ Mr. Trump then said that he was not sure about the legality of closing mosques, but that it was certainly something that should be looked at. ‘It depends if the mosque is, you know, loaded for bear,’ he said.” [New York Times, 10/22/15]

Trump Said That He Would “Strongly Consider” Shutting Down Mosques As Part Of The Effort To Fight Against ISIS. “Trump first said last month that he would be open to shutting down mosques as part of the fight against the Islamic State, and on Monday he reiterated his view that the idea should be studied. ‘I would hate to do it, but it’s something that you’re going to have to strongly consider because some of the ideas and some of the hatred, the absolute hatred, is coming from these areas,’ Trump said on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ program.” [Boston Globe, 11/17/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR “VIGILANCE” AND SURVEILLANCE OF AMERICAN MOSQUES

Donald Trump Called For The Surveillance Of Mosques. “Trump said later Monday on MSNBC that it's time to start surveillance of mosques, and said the U.S. should shut some down if they have radical leaders. ‘Well you're going to have to watch and study the mosques, because a lot of talk is going on at the mosques,’ Trump said.” [CNN, 11/16/15]

Donald Trump Continued Using Loaded Rhetoric To Criticize Muslims — "We Have To Really Be Vigilant With Respect To The Muslim Population." “Trump has said his popularity has soared since the terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month because voters want a president who will be tough on national security issues. Trump has been highly critical and skeptical of Muslims in recent days, and his loaded rhetoric continued at the rally on Monday night, drawing loud cheers. ‘We have to really be vigilant with respect to the Muslim population,’ Trump said at one point, calling for heavy surveillance of mosques, among other efforts.” [Washington Post, 11/23/15]

Immigration

Immigration Plan Overview

UNDER TRUMP’S PLAN, ALL UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WOULD BE DEPORTED BUT THE “GOOD ONES” WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR EXPEDITED ENTRY WITH LEGAL STATUS

Trump Said That He Would Secure The Border First, “Take The Bad Ones And Get Them The Hell Out” And After That Implement A “Merit System” To Decide Which Undocumented Immigrants Would Be Allowed To Stay. “His position on immigration -- which has been a huge part of his appeal among conservative voters nationally -- grew even more muddled Friday when he highlighted his support for a ‘merit-based system’ for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Though he did not explain the mechanics of the system in any detail, it sounded similar to the calls by some moderate Republicans for a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, which has been an anathema to hardline conservatives. On MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe’ on Friday, Trump insisted that he would secure the border first and ‘take the bad ones’ -- referring to undocumented immigrants -- ‘and get them the hell out.’ ‘We give them back to Mexico or we make sure they stay where they came from,’ Trump told the show's hosts, noting that he would ‘secure the border’ first. But, he added in regard to the millions of undocumented immigrants in this country, ‘I'm a very big believer in (the) merit system.’ ‘I have to tell you, some of these people have been here; they've done a good job; in some cases sadly they've been living under the shadows,’ Trump said in his telephone interview. ‘We have to do something, so whether it's merit, or whether it's whatever, but -- I'm a believer in the merit system. Somebody's been outstanding, we (ought to) try to work something out.’” [CNN, 7/24/15]

•	Trump’s Immigration Plan Is Estimated To Cost $166 Billion Including $141 Billion For The Mass Deportation The Plan Called For But Not The Massive Economic Hit His Plan Would Cause. “Donald Trump’s immigration plan is huge in every aspect — including its price tag. Think $166 billion. And that’s on the low end…. In January 2011, Kumar Kibble — then the deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — told lawmakers that it costs about $12,500 to deport one immigrant from the United States. Multiply that by 11.3 million — the size of the undocumented population in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center — and you get $141.3 billion…. The $166 billion price tag from POLITICO’s analysis tallied up the actual price tag for Trump’s plan. But those costs don’t even begin to calculate the hit to the economy Trump’s proposal would cause, pro-immigration experts say.” [Politico, 8/19/15]

TRUMP’S PLAN CALLED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WALL ON THE U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER TO KEEP “RAPISTS” AND CRIMINALS” OUT

Trump’s Immigration Plan Repeated His Claim To Build A Wall On The Southern U.S. Border. “Trump again repeated his commitment to build a wall on the United States' southern border. Outlining his plan, Trump's policy seeks to ‘impound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages; increase fees on all temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats (and if necessary cancel them); increase fees on all border crossing cards -- of which we issue about 1 million to Mexican nationals each year (a major source of visa overstays); increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico (another major source of overstays); and increase fees at ports of entry to the United States from Mexico [Tariffs and foreign aid cuts are also options].’ ‘We will not be taken advantage of anymore,’ Trump added in his most specific policy statement to date on immigration.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

New York Times: “[Trump] Vowed To Build A ‘Great Wall’ On The Mexican Border To Keep Out Rapists And Other Criminals, Who He Said Were Sneaking Into The United States In Droves.” “Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. In the past, he has called climate change ‘a hoax’ and said he has a ‘foolproof’ plan to defeat the Islamic State, which he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group. On Tuesday, he vowed to build a ‘great wall’ on the Mexican border to keep out rapists and other criminals, who he said were sneaking into the United States in droves.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]

UNDER TRUMP’S PLAN, PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON IMMIGRATION WOULD BE RESCINDED AND BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP WOULD BE ELIMINATED

Trump Would Rescind President Obama’s Executive Actions On Immigration, Toughen Deportation, And End Birthright Citizenship. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants more than a wall to keep out immigrants living in the country illegally. He also wants to end ‘birthright citizenship’ for their children, he said Sunday. And he would rescind Obama administration executive orders on immigration and toughen deportation, allowing in only ‘the good ones.’” [Associated Press, 8/16/15]

TRUMP’S PLAN CALLED FOR IMPOUNDING ALL REMITTANCE PAYMENTS 

Trump’s Immigration Plan Sought To “‘Impound All Remittance Payments Derived From Illegal Wages.” “Trump again repeated his commitment to build a wall on the United States' southern border. Outlining his plan, Trump's policy seeks to ‘impound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages; increase fees on all temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats (and if necessary cancel them); increase fees on all border crossing cards -- of which we issue about 1 million to Mexican nationals each year (a major source of visa overstays); increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico (another major source of overstays); and increase fees at ports of entry to the United States from Mexico [Tariffs and foreign aid cuts are also options].’ ‘We will not be taken advantage of anymore,’ Trump added in his most specific policy statement to date on immigration.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

TRUMP WOULD REQUIRE APPLICANTS FOR ENTRY TO CERTIFY THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES BEFORE COMING INTO THE COUNTRY

Trump: “Applicants For Entry To The United States Should Be Required To Certify That They Can Pay For Their Own Housing, Healthcare And Other Needs Before Coming To The U.S.” “Trump also is pledging in today’s report to end welfare support for immigrants. ‘Applicants for entry to the United States should be required to certify that they can pay for their own housing, healthcare and other needs before coming to the U.S.,’ the report reads.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

Mass Deportation

TRUMP: DEPORT ALL OF AMERICA’S UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Trump Said America Should Deport All 11 Million Undocumented Immigrants. “In an interview with CNN last week, he said America should deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants then let the ‘good ones’ back in, but without an opportunity for citizenship. ‘We got to move ’em out, we’re going to move ’em back in if they’re really good people,’ he told Dana Brush. Trump would not say how he would locate, round up and deport those 11 million, and wasn’t sure whether he would deport children, but said he would use efficient business methods.” [Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, 8/3/15]

•	Trump: “Regardless, When People Are Illegally In The Country, They Have To Go. Now, The Good Ones — There Are Plenty Of Good Ones — Will Work, So It’s Expedited, We Can Expedite It Where They Come Back In, But They Come Back Legally.” “Under the 14th Amendment, O’Reilly told Trump on ‘The O’Reilly Factor,’ mass deportations of so-called birthright citizens cannot happen. Trump disagreed, and said that ‘many lawyers are saying that’s not the way it is in terms of this.’ ‘What happens is, they’re in Mexico, they’re going to have a baby, they move over here for a couple of days, they have the baby,’ Trump said, telling O’Reilly that the lawyers said, ‘It’s not going to hold up in court, it’s going to have to be tested. ‘Regardless, when people are illegally in the country, they have to go. Now, the good ones — there are plenty of good ones — will work, so it’s expedited, we can expedite it where they come back in, but they come back legally,’ Trump clarified….Trump also said that he would not pursue an amendment to the Constitution to remedy the situation. ’It’s a long process, and I think it would take too long. I’d much rather find out whether or not anchor babies are citizens because a lot of people don’t think they are,’ he said. ‘We’re going to test it out. That’s going to happen, Bill.’” [Politico, 8/19/15]

TRUMP MODELED HIS PLAN FOR THE MASS DEPORTATION OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ON PRESIDENT EISENHOWER’S INHUMANE “OPERATION WETBACK” 

Donald Trump Modeled His Plan For “Humane” Mass Deportations On Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback.” “These deportation procedures, detailed by historian Mae M. Ngai, were not anomalies. They were the essential framework of Operation Wetback — a concerted immigration law enforcement effort implemented by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 — and the deportation model that Donald Trump says he intends to follow. Trump made his affinity for Operation Wetback clear during an interview with CBS’s Scott Pelley over the weekend. Speaking on 60 Minutes Overtime, Pelley asked Trump to explain his plans for curbing illegal immigration. ‘We’re rounding them up in a very humane way, a very nice way,’ Trump said, as he has expressed before. ‘What does that roundup look like to you?’ Pelley pressed. ‘How does it work? Are you going to have cops going door-to-door?’ Trump interjected: ‘Did you like Eisenhower? Did you like Dwight Eisenhower as a president at all?’ ‘He did this,’ the presidential candidate said. ‘He did this in the 1950s with over a million people, and a lot of people don’t know that…and it worked.’ ” [Washington Post, 9/30/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR A “DEPORTATION FORCE” TO EXECUTE MASS DEPORTATIONS 

Washington Post: Donald Trump’s Immigration Plan Calls For A “Deportation Force,” To Execute An “Unprecedented, Expensive Roundup Of Undocumented Residents At Home.” “The Washington Post took a close look at the immigration proposals of the five top-polling GOP candidates: Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Rubio, Cruz and former Florida governor Jeb Bush. … Trump’s plan calls for a wall on the border, and a ‘deportation force’ to carry out an unprecedented, expensive roundup of undocumented residents at home.” [Washington Post, 11/15/15]

•	Washington Post: Donald Trump Modeled His Plan For Mass-Deportations On Eisenhower’s, And “Would Require An Enormous Amount Of Money” And “Could Be Bogged Down” In Immigration Courts.” “Trump, of course, says yes — they [undocumented residents] should be deported by force, if necessary. … He wants to model his deportation on an Eisenhower-era program, which was much smaller and ended brutally for some immigrants: they died of heatstroke, by the dozens, when U.S. authorities left them in desert towns in Mexico. Trump’s plan would require an enormous amount of money and law-enforcement manpower — and could be bogged down in the country’s already-overloaded immigration courts. ‘You’re going to have a deportation force,’ Trump said this week.” [Washington Post, 11/15/15]

Path to Citizenship

Trump Claimed He Wanted A Path To Citizenship For Students Who Attend U.S. Universities.  TRUMP: “But the good people I want them to come back. And I also want people of great talent to come to this country, to Silicon Valley for engineers. If you go to Harvard and you graduate number one in your class, and you’re from China, they send you home, you can’t get back into the country. So you end up working for companies in China and fighting us. And they’re competitors of us. They’re trained in our schools. I want people like that to come into this country. And if they want, I want that path to citizenship for these people. So they go to our best schools, they’re fabulous students, they do well, they’re going to be great and we throw them out of the country. It’s ridiculous.” [TIME, 8/20/15]

•	Trump: “When Foreigners Attend Our Great Colleges & Want To Stay In The U.S., They Should Not Be Thrown Out Of Our Country.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 8/18/15]

Border Security

TRUMP ADVOCATED BUILDING A “GREAT WALL” ON THE MEXICAN BORDER

Trump: “I Will Build The Best Wall, The Biggest, The Strongest, Not Penetrable. They Won’t Be Crawling Over It Like Give It A Little Jump And They Are Over The Wall Because They’re Australians And I’ll Have Mexico Pay For That Wall.” [Donald Trump at Tuscan Kitchen restaurant, 4/27/15]

•	New York Times: “[Trump] Vowed To Build A ‘Great Wall’ On The Mexican Border To Keep Out Rapists And Other Criminals, Who He Said Were Sneaking Into The United States In Droves.” “Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. In the past, he has called climate change ‘a hoax’ and said he has a ‘foolproof’ plan to defeat the Islamic State, which he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group. On Tuesday, he vowed to build a ‘great wall’ on the Mexican border to keep out rapists and other criminals, who he said were sneaking into the United States in droves.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]

TRUMP INSISTED HE WOULD MAKE MEXICO PAY FOR THE BORDER WALL, ESTIMATED TO COST $3.5 BILLION

Mexico Said It Would Not Pay For A Wall And Said Trump’s Comments Suggesting They Would Showed “An Enormous Ignorance For What Mexico Represents, And Also The Irresponsibility Of The Candidate Who's Saying It.” “The Mexican government says it won't help pay for a wall along its border with the U.S., a proposal pushed by Republican front-runner Donald Trump. ‘Of course it's false,’ Eduardo Sanchez, a spokesman for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, told Bloomberg for a story published late Wednesday. ‘It reflects an enormous ignorance for what Mexico represents, and also the irresponsibility of the candidate who's saying it,’ Sanchez added, referring to Trump. He added that the Mexican government is not taking Trump's statements seriously.” [The Hill, 8/13/15]

Based On Past G.A.O. Estimates For Fencing, Trump’s 1,000 Mile Border Wall Would Cost $3.5 Billion. “Meanwhile, the cost of completing a wall along the 2,000-mile border would be in the billions. The U.S. spent $2.4 billion for 670 miles of fencing between 2006 and 2009, according to a Government Accountability Office report. On Fox, Trump estimated that completing a wall along the southern border would require enclosing about 1,000 miles along the border. Using the previous costs as a benchmark, and without adjusting for inflation, that would put the total price tag for completion at $3.58 billion.” [Bloomberg, 8/13/15]

TRUMP SLIGHTLY BACKED OFF OF HIS WALL PROPOSAL, SAYING IT COULD ONLY APPLY TO “CERTAIN SECTIONS”

Trump Changed His Position On A Full Southern Border Wall, Stating “In Certain Sections, You Have To Have A Wall.” “On the campaign trail in recent weeks, Trump has shed little light on his actual plans for dealing with illegal immigration beyond generalizations that have often seemed far-fetched. Initially, he said he would build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. On Thursday, during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, he seemed to reverse course under questioning by CNN's Dana Bash. ‘In certain sections, you have to have a wall,’ he said.” [CNN, 7/24/15]

TRUMP PROPOSED TRIPLING THE NUMBER OF ICE AGENTS AT THE BORDER 

Trump Called For Tripling The Number Of ICE Agents Who Secure The Border To 15,000. “Trump’s plan also calls for tripling the number of ICE officers who secure the border from the current 5,000. The Republican frontrunner wants ICE officers to work with local police departments across the country targeting gangs in order to find undocumented immigrants.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

Trump On The U.S. Border: “We Have No Protection And We Have No Competence.” “They’re sending us not the right people. It's coming all over south and Latin America and it's coming probably, probably from the Middle East, but we don't know because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what is happening and it has got to stop and it has to stop fast.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15]

Undocumented Immigrants

TRUMP CLAIMED THAT HALF OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WERE CRIMINALS

Trump On Undocumented Immigrants: “Half Of Them Are Criminals.” “And television personality Donald Trump criticized Bush for saying last year that some illegal immigrants come to the United States as an ‘act of love’ to provide for their families. ‘Remember,’ Trump said, in a gross mischaracterization of undocumented immigrants, ‘half of them are criminals.’” [Yahoo News, 1/24/15]

•	Trump Hit Bush For Claiming Undocumented Immigrants Came To The U.S. As An Act Of Love. “Republican front-runner Donald Trump gave some backhanded praise to his primary opponent, Jeb Bush, for traveling to the border, criticizing his past remarks on immigration and for being ‘low energy.’ ‘I think it's great he's going to the border, I think he'll ... find out it's not an act of love,’ Trump told ‘Fox and Friends’ on Monday morning. ‘I was down on the border. It's rough, tough, stuff. This is not love, it's other things going on.’” [CNN, 8/24/15]

Trump: “We Must Stop The Crime And Killing Machine That Is Illegal Immigration. Rampant Problems Will Only Get Worse. Take Back Our Country!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 8/10/15]

Trump Claimed That “Public Reports Routinely State Great Amounts Of Crime Are Being Committed By Illegal Immigrants.” “As of today, Donald J. Trump is no longer affiliated with NBC. Mr. Trump stands by his statements on illegal immigration, which are accurate. NBC is weak, and like everybody else is trying to be politically correct--- that is why our country is in serious trouble. Mr. Trump says, ‘We must have strong borders and not let illegal immigrants enter the United States. As has been stated continuously in the press, people are pouring across our borders unabated. Public reports routinely state great amounts of crime are being committed by illegal immigrants. This must be stopped and it must be stopped now. Long ago I told NBC that I would not being doing The Apprentice because I am running for President in order to Make our Country Great Again.’ Mr. Trump continued, ‘If NBC is so weak and so foolish to not understand the serious illegal immigration problem in the United States, coupled with the horrendous and unfair trade deals we are making with Mexico, then their contract violating closure of Miss Universe/Miss USA will be determined in court. Furthermore, they will stand behind lying Brian Williams, but won’t stand behind people that tell it like it is, as unpleasant as that may be.’” [Politico, 6/29/15]

TRUMP REFUSED TO USE THE TERM “UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT”

Trump: “They Like To Use The Word Undocumented Because It's More Political -- I Don't Use That Word. They're Illegal Immigrants. They Came Over Illegally.” “‘You know, this country is so politically correct. Nobody wants to take a stance on anything,’ Trump told Cuomo. ‘Now they like to use the word undocumented because it's more political -- I don't use that word. They're illegal immigrants. They came over illegally. Some are wonderful people, and they've been here for a while. They've got to go out. They've got to leave.’” [CNN, 8/19/15]

Birthright Citizenship

TRUMP BELIEVED THE 14TH AMENDMENT SHOULD NOT APPLY TO THE CHILDREN OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS 

Trump Claimed That The 14th Amendment Did Not Apply To The Children Of Illegal Immigrants. “Donald Trump said Tuesday that he doesn't think people born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants are American citizens. ‘I don't think they have American citizenship and if you speak to some very, very good lawyers -- and I know some will disagree -- but many of them agree with me and you're going to find they do not have American citizenship. We have to start a process where we take back our country. Our country is going to hell,’ the Republican presidential front-runner said Tuesday night in an interview on Fox News. Trump added he would ‘test it out’ in the courts…. But Trump and some other conservatives have suggested birthright citizenship could be ended by simply passing a law through Congress that defines the clause ‘and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’” [CNN, 8/19/15; O’Reilly, Fox, 8/18/15]

Trump Called For An End Of Birth Right Citizenship Claiming It Was “The Biggest Magnet For Illegal Immigration.” “Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has released his specific plan for immigration reform. In the 6-page report titled ‘Immigration Reform That Will Make America Great Again,’ Trump is calling for an end to birthright citizenship, saying it ‘remains the biggest magnet for illegal immigration.’” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

•	While Trump Claimed That Birthright Citizenship Was The “Biggest Magnet For Illegal Immigration,” Research Indicates The Biggest Draw Was Economic Opportunity.  “Republican Donald Trump’s immigration plan includes several statements that stray from the facts. He said ‘birthright citizenship’ is the ‘biggest magnet for illegal immigration.’ Actually, research indicates the biggest draw is economic opportunity.” [FactCheck.org, 8/20/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD DEPORT THE CHILDREN OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

HEADLINE: “Trump: Deport Children Of Immigrants Living Illegally In US.” [Associated Press, 8/16/15]

•	Trump’s Immigration Plan Called For The Deportation Of All Undocumented Immigrants. “Among its details: Making Mexico pay for a permanent border wall. Mandatory deportation of all ‘criminal aliens.’ Tripling the force of immigration officers by eliminating tax credit payments to immigrant families residing illegally in the U.S.” [Associated Press, 8/16/15]

Trump Called For An End Of Birth Right Citizenship Claiming It Was “The Biggest Magnet For Illegal Immigration.” “Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has released his specific plan for immigration reform. In the 6-page report titled ‘Immigration Reform That Will Make America Great Again,’ Trump is calling for an end to birthright citizenship, saying it ‘remains the biggest magnet for illegal immigration.’” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD DEPORT ENTIRE FAMILIES OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER

Trump On Deporting Undocumented Immigrants: “We're Going To Keep The Families Together, But They Have To Go.” “Trump told NBC News' ‘Meet the Press’ today, ‘We're going to keep the families together, but they have to go,’ referring to the illegal immigrants he would deport.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

Visas

TRUMP PROPOSED INCREASED FEES ON TEMPORARY VISAS, BORDER CROSSING CARDS, NAFTA WORKER VISAS AND PORTS OF ENTRY

Trump’s Immigration Plan Called For Increasing Fees On All Border Crossing Cards, Increasing Border Entry Fees At Ports Of Entry To The United States From Mexico And A Range Of New Fees On Visa’s Issued To Mexicans. “Trump again repeated his commitment to build a wall on the United States' southern border. Outlining his plan, Trump's policy seeks to ‘impound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages; increase fees on all temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats (and if necessary cancel them); increase fees on all border crossing cards -- of which we issue about 1 million to Mexican nationals each year (a major source of visa overstays); increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico (another major source of overstays); and increase fees at ports of entry to the United States from Mexico [Tariffs and foreign aid cuts are also options].’ ‘We will not be taken advantage of anymore,’ Trump added in his most specific policy statement to date on immigration.” [ABC News, 8/16/15]

TRUMP PROPOSED A H1-B REFORM THAT RESTRICTED THE NUMBER OF THESE VISAS… 

Trump: “My H-1B Reform Plan Will Transform Program So It Delivers For Country, Not Lobbyists, & Will Have Bipartisan Support: http://bit.ly/1gRSmEg” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 8/18/15]

Donald Trump’s Campaign Website: “Mark Zuckerberg’s Personal Senator, Marco Rubio, Has A Bill To Triple H-1Bs That Would Decimate Women And Minorities.” “We graduate two times more Americans with STEM degrees each year than find STEM jobs, yet as much as two-thirds of entry-level hiring for IT jobs is accomplished through the H-1B program. More than half of H-1B visas are issued for the program's lowest allowable wage level, and more than eighty percent for its bottom two. Raising the prevailing wage paid to H-1Bs will force companies to give these coveted entry-level jobs to the existing domestic pool of unemployed native and immigrant workers in the U.S., instead of flying in cheaper workers from overseas. This will improve the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favor of the H-1B program. Mark Zuckerberg’s personal Senator, Marco Rubio, has a bill to triple H-1Bs that would decimate women and minorities.” [DonaldJTrump.com, Accessed10/29/15]

•	Donald Trump Said He Wanted Graduates Of Top Schools To Go To Silicon Valley, Not “Throw Them Out Of Our Country,” But, “We Have To Make Sure Our People Are Working First.” “What I do what -- very important, because we have to have, with great talent –  when we have these students, number one at Harvard, number one at Yale, number one at Princeton, number one at Stanford – the best schools. They get thrown out of our country. I don’t want them out, you understand that, I want them to go to Silicon Valley, etc. etc. With the workers you’re talking about before anybody can come in — because the question was asked — I was talking about Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford last night and the question was asked about the visas as, we have to make sure our people are working first. We have to make sure. I don’t mind taking people at all, but we have to make sure we need them and make sure our people are taken care of.” [Donald Trump Rally, Sparks, NV, 10/29/15]

…YET DURING A GOP DEBATE HE SAID HE WAS IN FAVOR OF THE H-1B PROGRAM

10/28/15: During The GOP Presidential Debate, Donald Trump Appeared To Contradict His Own Campaign Website When He Said He Was In Favor Of H-1B Visas. “Donald Trump and the other presidential candidates in Wednesday night's primary debate have spent a fair amount of time blaming the media for misrepresenting their positions. Trump, though, appeared to contradict his campaign's own published white paper on immigration with his statements on visas for skilled immigrants -- the controversial H-1B program, as it’s known. The document from Trump's campaign, published in August, offers several proposals to restrict H-1B visas. For example, if elected president, Trump would seek to require American firms to hire American workers before applying for an H-1B visa for a foreign worker, according to the document. … On stage, though, Trump praised the H-1B program. ‘I am all in favor of keeping these talented people here, so they can go to work in Silicon Valley,’ Trump said.” [Wonkblog, Washington Post, 10/29/15]

Executive Actions on Immigration

TRUMP STATED HE WOULD RESCIND PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON IMMIGRATION 

Trump Would Rescind Pres. Obama’s Executive Actions That Allowed 3.7 Million Immigrants Living In The U.S. To Remain In The Country Because Of Their U.S.-Born Relatives. “The a New York businessman said he would waste little time rescinding President Barack Obama’s executive actions aimed at allowing as many as 3.7 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S. to remain in the country because of their U.S.-born relatives. Obama’s November 2014 actions were halted by temporary injunctions ordered by several federal courts in rulings challenging his executive powers to alter immigration policies without Congressional approval. The cases could lead to the U.S. Supreme Court.” [Associated Press, 8/16/15]

Trump Would Rescind Pres. Obama’s Executive Actions On Immigration. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants more than a wall to keep out immigrants living in the country illegally. He also wants to end ‘birthright citizenship’ for their children, he said Sunday. And he would rescind Obama administration executive orders on immigration and toughen deportation, allowing in only ‘the good ones.’” [Associated Press, 8/16/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD DEPORT DREAMERS ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY

When Asked Whether He Would Deport “Dreamers” Who Came To The U.S. As Children, Donald Trump Said That Dreamers Are “A Tough Situation,” But That He Would Deport All Dreamers And All Other Undocumented Immigrants. TRUMP: “We're going to do something. I've been giving it so much thought. You know, you have, on a humanitarian basis, you have a lot of deep thought going into this, believe me. I actually have a big heart. Something that nobody knows. A lot of people don't understand that. But the DREAMers, it's a tough situation. We're going to do something. And one of the things we're going to do is expedite. When somebody is terrific, we want them back here. They have to be legally.” BASH: “So they have to leave, too?” TRUMP: “They're with their parents. It depends. But look, it sounds cold, and it sounds hard. We have a country. Our country is going to hell. We have to have a system where people are legally in our country.” [New Day, CNN, 7/30/15]

Offensive Rhetoric Towards Hispanics And Latinos

TRUMP INSISTED MEXICO SENT “THE BAD ONES” – LIKE THE RAPISTS AND CRIMINALS --- OVER TO THE DUMPING GROUND KNOWS AS THE U.S.

Trump: “Druggies, Drug Dealers, Rapists And Killers Are Coming Across The Southern Border. When Will The U.S. Get Smart And Stop This Travesty?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 6/19/15]

Trump On Immigrants Crossing The Border From Mexico: “They Are Bringing Drugs And They Are Bringing Crime, They’re Rapists.” “When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are not sending you. They are not sending you. They are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us, they are bringing drugs and they are bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some are good people, and I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting. It only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It's coming all over south and Latin America and it's coming probably, probably from the Middle East, but we don't know because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what is happening and it has got to stop and it has to stop fast.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15] 

•	Washington Post: During His Presidential Announcement, “[Trump] Called Immigrants From Mexico Rapists.” Washington Post on Trump’s announcement: “And that's editing out the part where he called immigrants from Mexico rapists.” [Washington Post, 6/16/15]

•	New York Times: “[Trump] Vowed To Build A ‘Great Wall’ On The Mexican Border To Keep Out Rapists And Other Criminals, Who He Said Were Sneaking Into The United States In Droves.” “Mr. Trump’s policy views can be just as provocative as his demeanor. In the past, he has called climate change ‘a hoax’ and said he has a ‘foolproof’ plan to defeat the Islamic State, which he will not reveal so as not to tip off the group. On Tuesday, he vowed to build a ‘great wall’ on the Mexican border to keep out rapists and other criminals, who he said were sneaking into the United States in droves.” [New York Times, 6/17/15]

New York Times: “Mr. Trump Has Stood By His Remarks That Those Mexicans Sneaking Across The Border Are Rapists And Criminals, Arguing That His Critics Are Trying To Avoid The Issue Of Immigration.” [New York Times, 7/1/15]

Trump: “El Chapo And The Mexican Drug Cartels Use The Border Unimpeded Like It Was A  Vacuum Cleaner, Sucking Drugs And Death Right Into The U.S.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 7/13/15]

PolitiFact Rated Trump’s Claim That “The Mexican Government ... They Send The Bad Ones Over” Pants On Fire. “Trump said, ‘The Mexican government ... they send the bad ones over.’ Setting aside the question of whether Mexicans who have come to the United States are ‘bad’ or not, we found no evidence of any Mexican policy that pushes people out of Mexico and into the United States. As has been the case for decades, a combination of economic and family factors accounts for most of the migration from Mexico to the United States. For the second time, we rate this claim Pants on Fire.” [PolitiFact, 8/6/15]

TRUMP SAID THE U.S. HAD BECOME A DUMPING GROUND FOR “PROBLEM” IMMIGRANTS FROM MEXICO

Trump On Immigrants Crossing The Border From Mexico: “The U.S. Has Become A Dumping Ground.” “When do we beat Mexico at the border? They are laughing at us, at our stupidity. Now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they are killing us economically. The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else's problems. Thank you. It's true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are not sending you. They are not sending you. They are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us, they are bringing drugs and they are bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some are good people, and I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting. It only makes common sense. It only makes common sense.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15]

•	Trump: “Thank You @AnnCoulter For Your Nice Words. The U.S. Is Becoming A Dumping Ground For The World. Pols Don't Get It. Make America Great Again!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 6/20/15]

Trump Cited An Article About Migrant Rape Victims And When CNN Host Don Lemon Said That The Article Mostly Dealt With Victims, Trump Said, “Well, Somebody's Doing The Raping, Don! I Mean, Somebody's Doing It! Who's Doing The Raping? Who's Doing The Raping?” “Trump defended his remarks in an interview Wednesday night on CNN. ‘If you look at the statistics of people coming, you look at the statistics on rape, on crime, on everything coming in illegally into this country, it's mind-boggling,’ Trump said. He also cited an article about migrant rape victims. When CNN host Don Lemon said that the article mostly dealt with victims, Trump said, ‘Well, somebody's doing the raping, Don! I mean, somebody's doing it! Who's doing the raping? Who's doing the raping?’” [The Hill, 7/2/15]

TRUMP SAID THAT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FROM MEXICO BROUGHT DRUGS AND “INFECTIOUS DISEASE”

Trump Issued A Statement Defending His Comments About Mexican Immigrants And Claiming That Not Only Are Drugs Coming Across The Border With Immigrants But “Tremendous Infectious Disease Is Pouring Across The Border.” “I don’t see how there is any room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the statement I made on June 16th during my Presidential announcement speech. Here is what I said, and yet this statement is deliberately distorted by the media…The largest suppliers of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs are Mexican cartels that arrange to have Mexican immigrants trying to cross the borders and smuggle in the drugs. The Border Patrol knows this. Likewise, tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border.” [Trump Immigration Statement, 7/6/15] 

CORPORATE BACKLASH: A NUMBER OF SPONSORS OF TRUMP PRODUCTS DROPPED THEIR AFFILIATION FOLLOWING HIS OFFENSIVE REMARKS ABOUT MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS

Politico: “Amid Mounting Public Pressure, NBCUniversal Announced Monday That It Will Cut Business Ties With Donald Trump Due To ‘Recent Derogatory Statements’ The Republican Presidential Hopeful Made Regarding Mexican Immigrants.” “Amid mounting public pressure, NBCUniversal announced Monday that it will cut business ties with Donald Trump due to ‘recent derogatory statements’ the Republican presidential hopeful made regarding Mexican immigrants. ‘At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,’ the network's statement reads. ‘Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.’ ‘To that end, the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants, which are part of a joint venture between NBC and Trump, will no longer air on NBC,’ the statement continues. ‘In addition, as Mr. Trump has already indicated, he will not be participating in 'The Apprentice' on NBC.”[Politico, 6/29/15]

A Television Company Controlled By Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim Canceled A Project With Donald Trump After His Comments Insulting Mexicans. “A television company controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has canceled a project with real estate developer and TV personality Donald Trump after his comments insulting Mexicans, Slim's spokesman said on Monday. This is the third company to cut ties with Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the November 2016 presidential election. NBC said earlier on Monday that it would no longer air the ‘Miss USA’ and ‘Miss Universe’ pageants due to his comments. Spanish-language broadcaster Univision [UVN.UL] also said on Thursday it would not air the ‘Miss USA’ pageant.” [Reuters, 6/29/15]

Macy’s: “In Light Of Statements Made By Donald Trump, Which Are Inconsistent With Macy's Values, We Have Decided To Discontinue Our Business Relationship With Mr. Trump And Will Phase-Out The Trump Menswear Collection, Which Has Been Sold At Macy's Since 2004.” “Macy's is pulling Donald Trump-branded merchandise from its stores following the public outcry over his comments on immigrants. The department store said in a statement to the news outlet that it was ‘disappointed and distressed’ over the 2016 presidential contender's remarks, describing them as ‘disparaging characterizations.’ ‘In light of statements made by Donald Trump, which are inconsistent with Macy's values, we have decided to discontinue our business relationship with Mr. Trump and will phase-out the Trump menswear collection, which has been sold at Macy's since 2004,’ they said, according to CNN.” [The Hill, 7/1/15]

Chef Jose Andres Backed Out Of Trump’s Washington DC Hotel Due To His Immigration Comments. “Jose Andres, the D.C.-based super-chef with a growing national brand, is backing out of a deal to open the flagship restaurant in Donald Trump’s forthcoming Washington hotel – the latest on a growing list of high-profile partners to sever ties with the presidential candidate over his anti-immigrant comments.” [Washington Post, 7/8/15]

The PGA Moved A Grand Slam Event Away From The Trump National Golf Club In Los Angeles After Trump’s Comments About Immigrants.  “The Professional Golf Association and Donald Trump have reached an agreement to move a Grand Slam event away from the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. In separate statements, Trump and the PGA on Tuesday said the decision was mutual. ‘Due to the controversy surrounding statements made by Mr. Trump having to do with illegal immigrants pouring into the United States from Mexico and other parts of the world, Mr. Trump does not want his friends at the PGA of America to suffer any consequences or backlash with respect to the Grand Slam of Golf,’ a statement from Trump’s political team said. The PGA is the latest business to part ways with Trump following the remarks he made last month about undocumented immigrants being criminals and rapists.” [The Hill, 7/7/15]

TRUMP USED A DEROGATORY TERM TO REFER TO THE U.S.-BORN CHILDREN OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Trump When Told The Term “Anchor Baby” Was Offensive: “You Mean It’s Not Politically Correct, And Yet Everybody Uses It?…I’ll Use The Word ‘Anchor Baby.” “Trump said he'd still use the term after a reporter asked him on Wednesday night in New Hampshire if he was aware the term was considered offensive. ‘You mean it’s not politically correct, and yet everybody uses it?’ Trump asked the reporter, and then asked for an alternative term to use. ‘The American-born child of undocumented immigrants,’ the reporter suggested to which Trump said, ‘I’ll use the word ‘anchor baby.'” [Talking Points Memo, 8/20/15; Trump Press Conference, 8/19/15] 

Trump Said That He Wanted To “Find Out Whether Or Not ‘Anchor Babies’ Are Citizens Because A Lot Of People Don’t Think They Are.” “Donald J. Trump continues to overheat the Republican Party’s speech on immigration. What is his latest protest against political correctness? ‘Anchor babies.’ Explaining his logic as to why birthright citizens should be deported from the United States, Mr. Trump told Fox News on Tuesday night that they might not have a legal right to live in the country. ‘I’d much rather find out whether or not ‘anchor babies’ are citizens because a lot of people don’t think they are,’ Mr. Trump said. The phrase is as offensive as the word ‘illegals’ for many immigrants who come to America.” [New York Times, 8/20/15]

TRUMP ATTACKED FORD FOR BUILDING A FACTORY IN MEXICO, SAID THEY SHOULD “JUST LET THE ILLEGALS DRIVE” THE VEHICLES INTO THE U.S.

Trump Joked That Ford Should “Just Let The Illegals Drive The Cars And Trucks Right Into Our Country?” “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came to the home state of the auto industry and attacked Ford Motor Co. for building factories in Mexico. And the Michigan faithful in attendance sided with the bombastic mogul. ‘Ford is building a $2.5 billion plant in Mexico,’ he roared to a packed auditorium in Birch Run, Michigan, and 2,000 voices responded with lusty boos. ‘I’ll actually give them a good idea. Why don’t we just let the illegals drive the cars and trucks right into our country?’” [Bloomberg, 8/12/15; Genesee and Saginaw Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner, 8/11/15]

TRUMP HAD UNIVISION REPORTER JORGE RAMOS REMOVED FROM ONE OF HIS CAMPAIGN RALLIES

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Kicks Univision Out of Florida Rally, Campaign Confirms.” [Hollywood Reporter, 10/26/15]

•	Donald Trump Barred Univision From Covering His Event At The Trump National Doral In Miami. “He made no mention about Univision — the Spanish-language broadcaster whose studios are next door to Trump National Doral — which wasn’t allowed into the rally on account of Trump’s lawsuit against the company for canceling his Miss Universe pageant. He dismissed the pro-immigration protesters, first with a friendly ‘Don’t hurt ’em’ to security guards physically escorting them out of the room, and then with a more impatient, ‘The fourth group, I’ll say, ‘Get the hell out of here!’’” [Miami Herald, 10/23/15]

Citing His Ongoing Lawsuit Against Univision, Donald Trump Had A Univision TV Crew Removed From His Event. “Donald Trump had a Univision crew attempting to cover his Florida rally removed from the event on Friday, his campaign confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. ‘Mr. Trump is suing Univision for $500 million and until that is resolved it is a conflict of interest,’ Hope Hicks, spokeswoman for the Trump campaign said in an email. No additional information was offered.” [Hollywood Reporter, 10/26/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR HIS SUPPORTERS TO FOLLOW HIS LEAD AND BOYCOTT UNIVISION AND NBC UNIVERSAL

ABC: “Real Estate Mogul Donald Trump Says He Plans To Sue “For A Tremendous Amount Of Money” After Univision Announced It Will Not Air The Miss USA Pageant – Which Is Partly Owned By Trump – Because Of The Disparaging Comments He Made About Mexican Immigrants.” [ABC, 6/26/15]

Trump: “Anyone Who Wants Strong Borders And Good Trade Deals For The US Should Boycott @Univision.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 6/26/15]

Trump Banned All Univision Officers And Representatives From One Of His Golf Courses. “Donald Trump sent a letter to Univision CEO and president Randy Falco on Friday informing him that ‘no Univision officer or representative’ is allowed to use his Trump National Doral, the resort and golf club immediately adjacent to Univision offices in Miami, the On Media blog has learned. The move is the latest in a public dispute that started Thursday when Univision announced it would end its business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which is co-owned by Trump and NBCUniversal, based on what it described as Trump's ‘insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants’ during the launch of his presidential campaign. Trump later announced that he would sue Univision for breach of contract and defamation, and accused Univision of defaulting on an ‘iron-clad’ $13.5 million contract, which he said it had no right to terminate. In the letter, Trump writes to Falco, ‘Please be advised that under no circumstances is any officer or representative of Univision allowed to use Trump National Doral, Miami—its golf courses or any of its facilities. Also, please immediately stop work and close the gate which is being constructed between our respective properties. If this is not done within one week, we will close it.’” [Politico, 6/26/15]

Conspiracy Theories

TRUMP INSISTED THAT THERE WERE ORDERS “FROM THE TOP” TO ALLOW MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS INTO THE COUNTRY, BUT NOT CHRISTIAN IMMIGRANTS

Trump Claimed That Orders Are “Coming Down From The Top” To Allow  Muslims To Immigrate To The U.S. But Not Christians. “‘Christians can’t come into this country but Muslims can,’ said Trump. ‘What’s that all about? Something has got to be coming down from the top. People are flowing through [the southern border] like water. At what point is it going to be too late?’” [The Guardian, 5//16/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS REPRESENTED A “CONCERTED EFFORT” TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DEMOCRATIC VOTERS

Trump: The Flow Of Undocumented Immigrants “Is A Concerted Effort” To Get More Democratic Voters. TRUMP: “And they come into the system and over a period of many years, they become Democrats and they vote for the Democrats. But this is a concerted effort because nobody is as incompetent as it's showing. People are flowing through Mexico. They are flowing through like crazy. I'm hearing stories where actually the parents come through in a different line all meet up in the United States and get plenty from the United States. It's a very serious problem. It's a horrible problem for children. But a very, very serious problem for this country, there's no question about it.” [On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 7/28/14]

TRUMP COMPLAINED HE WAS BEING HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHO CALLED SOME UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS “GANG-BANGERS”

Trump Called Out The “Liberal Mainstream Media” For What He Deemed A Double Standard Between Comments He And President Obama Made About Immigrants.  “Donald Trump called out the ‘liberal mainstream media’ Wednesday for what he deems a double standard between comments he and President Obama made. Obama said we shouldn’t be encouraging illegal immigration, calling many who come over illegally ‘gang-bangers’ America is trying to deport as quickly as possible. Trump took to Instagram to ask where the media outrage at Obama was. ‘Today at a town hall event in Nashville, Tennessee, President Barrack [sic] Obama referred to some illegal immigrants as ‘gang-bangers,’ he began.” [The Wrap, 7/2/15]

•	President Obama Called For The Quick Deportation Of Undocumented Immigrants Who Are Dangerous, Like “Gang-Bangers Or Criminals.” OBAMA: “We should not be encouraging illegal immigration. What we should be doing is setting up a smart, legal immigration system that doesn’t separate families, but does focus on making sure that people who are dangerous, people who are gang-bangers or criminals — that we’re deporting them as quickly as possible.” [Mediaite, 7/1/15]

Undocumented Laborers at Trump Projects

1983: 200 UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WORKED ON THE SITE OF TRUMP TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY

HEADLINE: “Trump Tower Was Built On Undocumented Immigrants’ Backs.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

200 UndocumentedPolish Immigrants Worked 12-Hour Shifts, Seven Days A Week With No Overtime To Knock Down The Old Bonwit Teller Building And Make Room For Trump Tower On Fifth Avenue In Manhattan. “The Donald may denounce illegal immigrants as ‘rapists,’ but his empire’s crown jewel was erected on land cleared by a small army of undocumented Polish workers, a lawsuit alleged. The use of undocumented workers on a Trump construction site such as the hotel described by The Washington Post this week is certainly nothing new. Thirty-five years ago, a small army of illegal immigrants was used to clear the site for what became the crown jewel of Donald Trump’s empire. The 200 demolition workers—nicknamed the Polish Brigade because of their home country—worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week with no overtime to knock down the old Bonwit Teller building and make room for Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

•	Daily Beast: “The Tower That Is [Trump’s] Crown Jewel And Symbol Of His Wealth Continues To Stand On Ground Cleared By 200 Undocumented Workers Who Labored Off The Books, 12 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week, For No More Than $5 An Hour With No Overtime.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

A Federal Judge Found That The Workers Who Cleared The Land For Trump Tower “Were Undocumented And Worked Off The Books” And That “No Records Were Kept, No Social Security Or Other Taxes Were Withheld.” “The 200 demolition workers—nicknamed the Polish Brigade because of their home country—worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week with no overtime to knock down the old Bonwit Teller building and make room for Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. According to testimony in a protracted civil suit in federal court, the laborers were paid $5 an hour or less when they were paid at all. Some went unpaid after the contractor had financial troubles. A few never received even the paltry sum that was owed them for their dirty and hazardous efforts preceding the construction of Trump’s monument to his own wealth. ‘They were undocumented and worked ‘off the books,’’ Manhattan federal Judge Charles Stewart said of the workers after they became the subject of a 1983 lawsuit. ‘No records were kept, no Social Security or other taxes were withheld.’… The lawsuit involving literal demolition—Case 83CIV6346 in Manhattan Federal Court—was brought by Harry Diduck, a now deceased dissident member of Local 95 of the House Wreckers Union.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

The Judge Found That Trump’s Man At The Scene Knew The Polish Workers Were Working ‘Off The Books,’ That They Were Doing Demolition Work, That They Were Non-Union, That They Were Paid Substandard Wages With No Overtime Pay, And That They Were Paid Irregularly If At All. “The judge found against Trump, his partner, and the contractor, saying they had joined in a ‘conspiracy.’ Stewart found that Trump’s man on the scene, Thomas Macari, ‘was involved in every aspect of the demolition job.’ ‘He knew the Polish workers were working ‘off the books,’ that they were doing demolition work, that they were non-union, that they were paid substandard wages with no overtime pay, and that they were paid irregularly if at all,’ the judge found. Stewart suggested that it would have been difficult for anyone not to notice the Polish Brigade. ‘The Polish workers were obvious not only in numbers but also in appearance,’ the judge found. ‘In contrast to the union workers, the nonunion Polish workers were distinguished by the fact that most of them did not wear hard hats.’” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

Trump Was Sued By Local 95 Of The House Wreckers Union Because They Claimed Trump Conspired To Cheat The House Wreckers Out Of Pension And Welfare Contributions By Hiring Non-Union Laborers. “The lawsuit involving literal demolition—Case 83CIV6346 in Manhattan Federal Court—was brought by Harry Diduck, a now deceased dissident member of Local 95 of the House Wreckers Union. His lawyer, Wendy Sloan, says he was one of a group of like-minded workers who simply wanted “a real union.” They had stood to gain nothing at all for themselves as they sought to prove that Trump and his partner, along with the general contractor, conspired to cheat the House Wreckers out of pension and welfare contributions by hiring these non-union laborers. Judge Stewart initially tossed out the complaint against Trump and his partner on the grounds that the contractor was the responsible party regarding the workers. The plaintiffs appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinstated the complaint, returning the case to Judge Stewart.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

Polish Workers Testified Against Trump Claiming They Approached Him About The Issues And Were Threatened With Deportation By His Underlings. “During the 16-day non-jury trial, a number of the Polish workers testified that Trump underlings had threatened them with deportation if they caused trouble. They walked in to the job from Brooklyn when a transit strike hit the city. Some of them slept at the site. Two workers further testified that they had approached Trump in person to demand overdue wages.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

The Lawyer Representing The Undocumented Immigrants Was Threatened By Somebody Claiming To Be Named John Baron, A Pseudonym Trump Admitted To Using. “The lawyer representing the Polish Brigade had reported receiving a call from someone who identified himself as ‘John Baron’ and said Trump was ready to hit the lawyer with a $100 million lawsuit if he kept causing trouble. Trump now acknowledged on the stand that he had used the pseudonym ‘John Baron,’ as had one of his assistants. But Trump insisted that his use of it was only long after the completion of the Fifth Avenue tower, which became the first of many properties on which he so rapturously bestowed his real surname.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

2015: UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ARE REPORTEDLY WORKING ON TRUMP’S $200 MILLION HOTEL PROJECT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
	
Washington Post Found There Were Undocumented Workers Working On The Trump Hotel In Washington DC. “But a Trump company may be relying on some undocumented workers to finish the $200 million hotel, which will sit five blocks from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, according to several who work there. A Trump spokeswoman said the company and its contractors follow all applicable laws. But in light of Trump’s comments, some of the workers at the site said they are now worried about their jobs — while others simply expressed disgust over the opinions of the man ultimately responsible for the creation of those jobs…. Interviews with about 15 laborers helping renovate the Old Post Office Pavilion revealed that many of them had crossed the U.S-Mexico border illegally before they eventually settled in the Washington region to build new lives. Several of the men, who hail mostly from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, have earned U.S. citizenship or legal status through immigration programs targeting Central Americans fleeing civil wars or natural disasters. Others quietly acknowledged that they remain in the country illegally.” [Washington Post, 7/6/15]

Miscellaneous Comments

TRUMP IN 2011: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HURTS TAXPAYERS

Trump: “Illegal Immigration Is A Wrecking Ball Aimed At U.S. Taxpayers.” “Trump was speaking with more firsthand knowledge than his readers likely imagined when he wrote in his 2011 book Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again that ‘illegal immigration is a wrecking ball aimed at U.S. Taxpayers.’ How interesting that he would choose a wrecking ball as a metaphor.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15]

TRUMP CALLED IMMIGRATION REFORM A “SUICIDE MISSION” FOR REPUBLICANS

HEADLINE: “CPAC 2013: Donald Trump: Immigration Reform Is A ‘Suicide Mission’ For GOP” [Washington Times, 3/15/13]

THE FAMILY OF KATE STEINLE, WHO WAS MURDERED BY AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT, CRITICIZED TRUMP FOR EXPLOITING HER MURDER FOR POLITICAL GAIN

Trump On The Immigrant Who Killed The Woman In San Francisco: “Look At That Guy, Look At What He Did, Killing That Beautiful Girl. [Expletive] Animal.” “When a picture of the Mexican laborer accused of killing a San Francisco woman is put on screen, Trump said: ‘Look at that guy, look at what he did, killing that beautiful girl. [Expletive] animal.’ He returned several minutes later to continue the interview.]” [Washington Post, 7/12/15]

Kate Steinle’s Brother Said That Donald Trump Was Inappropriately Using Her Death Without As Much As Calling The Family To Express Condolences. “The brother of a San Francisco woman killed by an undocumented immigrant said Tuesday that Donald Trump was inappropriately using her without as much as calling the family to express condolences. ‘Donald Trump talks about Kate Steinle like he knows her,’ Brad Steinle told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday. ‘I've never heard a word from his campaign manager, I've never heard a word from him. It's disconcerting. I don't want to be affiliated with someone who doesn't have the common courtesy to reach out and ask about Kate, and our political views and what we want.’ Brad Steinle, the brother of now the now deceased Kate Steinle, the 32-year-old medical device sales representative who was shot and killed as she walked one of the city's piers. Trump has been using her death as an example reinforcing his comments that undocumented immigrants crossing into the U.S. are ‘rapists’ and ‘killers.’” [CNN, 7/14/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR EASIER AND FASTER LEGAL IMMIGRATION

Trump Advocated For Making Legal Immigration “Easier, And Faster.” “‘I love legal immigration. I love it,’ he said, before noting his wife is a legal immigrant. Trump added, ‘We should make it easier, and faster.’” [New York Magazine, 6/12/15]

Labor

Salaries and Wages

TRUMP OPPOSED RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

Trump: “I Don’t Want To Raise The Minimum Wage.” “He wouldn’t go into specifics, but promised he would create jobs if elected president. ‘I don’t want to raise the minimum wage. I want to create jobs so people can get much more than that, so they can get five times what the minimum wage is,’ said Trump.” [The Hill, 7/23/15]

•	Raising The Minimum Wage To $12  By 2020 Would Directly Lift Wages For 35.1 Million Workers. “Raising the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 would directly or indirectly lift wages for 35.1 million workers—more than one in four U.S. workers.” [Economic Policy Institute, 7/14/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED SALARIES WERE TOO HIGH AND DROVE COMPANIES OUT OF THE COUNTRY

Donald Trump Said Companies Are Leaving The United States Because “Salaries Are Too High.” “Trump: You have to keep our country competitive. One of the reasons companies are leaving is because salaries are too high. You look at what's going on in Vietnam and in China and so many different places, so we have to be very, very careful with that.” [Varney & Co., Fox Business News, 10/20/15]

Unions/Right-To-Work

TRUMP: LOW WAGES ARE AN “ADVANTAGE” OF RIGHT-TO-WORK STATES

Trump On South Carolina As A Right-To-Work State: “One Of The Advantages You Have Is You Have The Lower Wage.” QUESTION: “What are your general views on NLRB and the unions?” TRUMP: “Well I watched Boeing and I thought was a disgrace what happened….I thought that was disgraceful. One of the advantages you have is you have the lower wage. Which means you might actually make more money because you don’t have to pay all the dues that come with union representation.” [Trump Rally, Aiken SC, 12/12/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED HE HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH UNIONS, BUT UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION IN WISCONSIN 

Trump On Scott Walker’s Fight With Unions: “I Think What He’s Doing Is Right For His State.” LAUER: “You're a good businessman, all right, but how--do--are you willing to take a stand on some key issues? Like in Wisconsin, the governor there talking about limited collective bargaining rights for state employees… Do you--are you in favor of that? Is it something you're for?” TRUMP: “I think each state is different. I think he's a tough guy. He wants to get a balanced budget and he wants to get it quickly. And I can understand exactly what he's doing. I think New York would be an entirely different situation, which is very, very heavily unionized. But I think what he's doing is right for his state.”[Today, NBC, 3/2/11]

•	Trump Said That Scott Walker’s Policy On Collective Bargaining Was Right For Wisconsin. O'REILLY: “Is Walker right in Wisconsin?” TRUMP: “I think that he is maybe right for his state. I think it doesn't necessarily apply to all states. You know, I have had great relationship over the years with unions. We've had collective bargaining. I have become very wealthy. I have dealt with unions because as you know New York is largely unions. You are dealing with them. I have great friends that are in unions and heads of unions. So I haven't had the same difficulty and problem. But I think you have to do what's right here -- I respect him. He is tough… Yes. He is unyielding and maybe sometimes too unyielding and maybe not too unyielding. He wants Wisconsin to come back. He wants to have a great balanced budget. So I understand what he is doing.”[The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

Trump Said He Used Union Labor And Had “A Great Relationship With Unions.” O'REILLY: “Now, you have a situation where the unions, all right, are being attacked by some governors because the public service unions -- tremendous perks. Ok. You use union labor.” TRUMP: “I do.” O'REILLY: “What do you think about the unions?” TRUMP: “I have a great relationship with unions. I understand what's happening, let's say in Wisconsin. I understand.”[The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

TRUMP BELIEVED UNIONS WERE A THREAT TO THE AUTO INDUSTRY

Trump: “Unions Are Really, Really Hurting” The Auto Industry. TRUMP: “The auto industry is such a great question. And it’s such an interesting -- this will be studied for years. Do you do it? Do you not do it? I have watched Gettelfinger, the union head, on television. He is one of the greatest representatives for a group of people that I have ever seen. You sit there, and it looks like your grandfather is just talking to you, a fireside chat, like the people are starving in the union. And then I talk to go people and friends of mine that are in the auto business. And he talks about two- and three-year severance. He talks about you’re taken care of for the rest of your life, no matter what happens, a disaster, a legacy that is a total disaster…. I think that the unions are really, really hurting very badly what is going on with the autos. And I also think they make a good product. I hear so much -- the problem is that the leadership does not talk about how good the product is. I buy American. We buy a lot of trucks and a lot of things American. They are really good products. And nobody talks about the quality. I keep thinking hearing about how Japan makes this great product, how other countries make -- we make a great product. And, by the way, the union workers are fantastic, but probably they have to take a cut. But if you listen to Gettelfinger, it is almost like the world has collapsed.”[Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 12/17/08]

LGBT

2015: Trump Said He Was Against Gay Marriage Because Of Religious Teachings.TRUMP: “I’ve gone to gay weddings. I’ve been at gay weddings. I have been against [gay marriage] from the standpoint of [the] Bible, from the standpoint of my teachings as growing up and going to Sunday school and going to church and I’ve been opposed to it and we’ll just see how it all comes out.” [“With All Due Respect,” BloombergPolitics, 8/26/15]

2005: Trump Suggested He Was In Favor Of Marriage Equality. TRUMP: “Well, there's nothing like family. And there's nothing like a great marriage. I mean, having a great marriage is a very important thing and a very good thing, if you find the right person. Male, female, I don't care. I mean, having a great marriage and a great family to me is ultimately the most important thing.” [Canada AM, CTV Television, 9/7/05]

Religious and Racial Minorities

Affirmative Action And Quotas

In 1989 Trump Claimed That “A Well-Educated Black Has A Tremendous Advantage Over A Well-Educated White In Terms Of The Job Market.” TRUMP: “A well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market. I think sometimes a black may think they don’t have an advantage or this and that... I’ve said on one occasion, even about myself, if I were starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated black, because I believe they do have an actual advantage.’’ [Gawker, 7/24/15]

Black Lives Matter (BLM)

TRUMP CONDONED THE BEATING OF A “BLACK LIVES MATTER” ACTIVIST AT A CAMPAIGN RALLY

HEADLINE: “Trump Condones Attack On Black Lives Matter Activist.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/23/15]

Donald Trump Said That The “Black Lives Matter” Protester Who Interrupted His Rally Was “So Obnoxious And So Loud” That “Maybe He Should Have Been Roughed Up.” “Donald Trump said Sunday that the protester who interrupted his rally at a convention center here on Saturday morning was ‘so obnoxious and so loud’ that ‘maybe he should have been roughed up.’ Mercutio Southall Jr. — a well-known local activist who has been repeatedly arrested while fighting what he says is unfair treatment of blacks — interrupted Trump’s rally and could be heard shouting, ‘Black lives matter!’ … ‘Get him the hell out of here, will you, please?’ Trump said on Saturday morning. ‘Get him out of here. Throw him out!’” [Washington Post, 11/22/15]

•	Several People Attending A Donald Trump Rally In Birmingham, Alabama Used Racial Slurs And Punched, Pushed To The Ground, And Kicked An African American Protester Yelling “Black Lives Matter.” “Several people taking part in a rally for Donald Trump in Birmingham, Alabama pushed down, kicked, and punched a black protester. At least six Trump supporters shoved and tackled the protester, while one man punched the demonstrator and a woman kicked him while he was on the ground, according to CNN. One even attempted to choke the protester as another onlooker yelled ‘Don’t choke him!’ according to the Washington Post’s account. It all began when a well-known local activist began yelling, ‘Black lives matter!’ As a fight began to break out around the protester, Trump stopped his speech and made a plea: ‘Get him the hell out of here, will you please?’ ‘They said ‘Go home, n****r,’ and somebody punched me,’ Mercutio Southall Jr. told AL.com after security removed him from the rally. [Slate, 11/22/15]

Muslim Surveillance and Database Proposal

TRUMP VIEWED THE ISLAM AS A MAGNET FOR THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS

Trump On Muslims: “There's Problems In The World. And The Problems Seem To Be Centered Around This One Group.” DOOCY: “On Thursday, Peter King, a congressman from Long Island, New York, is going to start these homeland security hearings looking into why some young people and other crazy people are being radicalized into acting out against this country. And in the fallout, I'm sure you saw over the weekend there was some protests in Times Square where people were going, come on, you cannot do this. You are picking on the Muslims. What do you think?” TRUMP: “Well, I think as long as these hearings are fair, it's fair game. I mean, frankly, there's problems out there. There's problems in the world. And the problems seem to be centered around this one group. But as long as the hearings are fair, I think Peter is a very fair guy, and as long as the hearings are fair, I think it's fine.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 3/8/11]

Trump: There’s Obviously Something Going On With The Koran “Because Every Time You Turn On A Television, 100 People Are Killed In A Grocery Store In Iraq.”HANNITY: “So, the question is, do you think he understands the real dangers that led up to 9/11, 3,000 people killed right here in this city? And you recently spoke about the Koran, you said it gives you a negative vibe. And you got some criticism for it.” TRUMP: “Well, I didn't see the criticism. But obviously, there is something going on. Because every time you turn on a television, 100 people are killed in a grocery store in Iraq.”[Hannity, Fox News, 4/14/11]

IN TWO SEPARATE INTERVIEWS, TRUMP WOULD NOT RULE OUT REQUIRING AMERICAN MUSLIMS TO REGISTER FOR A DATABASE AND SAID HE “WOULD CERTAINLY IMPLEMENT A DATABASE

NOV 17: When Asked Whether Surveillance Of American Muslims Should Include Requiring Them To Register In A Database, Trump Said “We’re Going To Have To Look At A Lot Of Things Very Closely.” During a Nov. 17th interview, “Yahoo News asked Trump whether this level of tracking might require registering Muslims in a database or giving them a form of special identification that noted their religion. He wouldn’t rule it out. ‘We’re going to have to — we’re going to have to look at a lot of things very closely,’ Trump said when presented with the idea. ‘We’re going to have to look at the mosques. We’re going to have to look very, very carefully.’” [Yahoo, 11/19/15]

•	Yahoo’s Transcript Made It Clear That Trump Did Not Explicitly Rule Out The Idea Of Requiring American Muslims To Register For A Database.During a Nov. 17th interview, Trump was asked “And in terms of doing this, to pull off the kind of tracking we need, do you think we might need to register Muslims in some type of database, or note their religion on their ID?”  Trump responded, “Well, we're going to have to look at a lot of things very closely. We're going to have to look at the mosques. We're going to have to look very, very carefully. We have a president that refuses to say radical Islamic terrorism. He refuses to say it, which is the biggest shock in the world, because how can you not say it, if you don't say it, you're not going to get to the problem.” [Yahoo, 11/20/15]

Trump Said That Surveillance Of American Muslims Would Include Measures “That Were Frankly Unthinkable A Year Ago.” During a Nov. 17th interview, Yahoo News asked Trump whether his push for increased surveillance of American Muslims could include warrantless searches. He suggested he would consider a series of drastic measures. ‘We’re going to have to do things that we never did before. And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule,’ Trump said. ‘And certain things will be done that we never thought would happen in this country in terms of information and learning about the enemy. And so we’re going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago.’” [Yahoo, 11/19/15]

NOV 19:  When Asked About A Database To Track American Muslims, Trump Said He “Would Certainly Implement That. Absolutely.” HILLYARD: “Should there be a database system that tracks Muslims here in this country?” TRUMP: “There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases. I mean we should have a lot of systems. And today you can do it. But right now we have to have a border. We have to have strength. We have to have a wall. And we cannot let what’s happening to this country happen anymore.” HILLYARD: “But that’s something your White House would like to implement?” TRUMP: “I would certainly implement that. Absolutely.” [NBC News, 11/20/15]

•	When Asked If American Muslims Would Be Required To Register In A Database, Donald Trump Said, “They Have To Be. They Have To Be.” “Donald J. Trump, who earlier in the week said he was open to requiring Muslims in the United States to register in a database, said on Thursday night that he ‘would certainly implement that — absolutely.’ Mr. Trump was asked about the issue by an NBC News reporter and pressed on whether all Muslims in the country would be forced to register. ‘They have to be,’ he said. ‘They have to be.’ When asked how a system of registering Muslims would be carried out — whether, for instance, mosques would be where people could register — Mr. Trump said: ‘Different places. You sign up at different places. But it’s all about management. Our country has no management.’” [New York Times, 11/20/15] 

•	When Asked To Explain How Using Databases To Track Muslims In The U.S. Would Differ From Nazi Germany, Trump Responded Four Times, “You Tell Me.” “‘What else can you compare this to except to prewar Nazi Germany?’ [Ibrahim] Hooper [national spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations] asked. ‘There's no other comparison, and [Trump] seems to think that's perfectly OK.’ … Trump was repeatedly asked to explain how his idea was different. Four times, he responded: ‘You tell me.’” [NBC News, 11/20/15]

AFTER RECEIVING CRITICISM FOR HIS MUSLIM DATABASE COMMENTS, TRUMP AND HIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER INSISTED THAT TRUMP HAD NOT SUGGESTED A MUSLIM DATABASE

NOV 20: Trump’s Campaign Manager Said That Trump Was Commenting On The Terrorist Watch List And Not A Registry Of Muslims. “By Friday, though, he appeared to pull back slightly from the idea. In a post on Twitter, Mr. Trump complained that it was a reporter, not he, who hadfirst raised the idea of a database. And his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, insisted that Mr. Trump had been asked leading questions by the NBC reporter under ‘blaring music’ and that he had in mind a terrorist watch list, not a registry of Muslims.” [New York Times, 11/21/15]

NOV 20: Trump Tweeted That He Did Not Suggest A Muslim Database. “I didn't suggest a database-a reporter did. We must defeat Islamic terrorism & have surveillance, including a watch list, to protect America.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 11/20/15]

ASKED IF HE UNEQUIVOCALLY RULED OUT A DATABASE OF MUSLIMS, TRUMP SAID “NO, NOT AT ALL” BUT ONLY EXPLICITLY INDICATED SUPPORT FOR A DATABASE OF SYRIAN REFUGEES

NOV 22: When Asked If He Unequivocally Ruled Out A Muslim Database, Trump Said “No, Not At All. I Want A Database For The Refugees That — If They Come Into The Country.” STEPHANOPOULOS: “You did stir up a controversy with those comments over the database. Let’s try to clear that up. Are you unequivocally now ruling out a database on all Muslims?” TRUMP: “No, not at all. I want a database for the refugees that — if they come into the country. We have no idea who these people are. When the Syrian refugees are going to start pouring into this country, we don’t know if they’re ISIS, we don’t know if it’s a Trojan horse. And I definitely want a database and other checks and balances. We want to go with watch lists. We want to go with databases.” [ABC, 11/22/15]

Trump: “There Is A Muslim Problem. Absolutely.”O'REILLY: “Is there a Muslim problem in the world?” TRUMP: “Absolutely. Absolutely. I don't know notice Swedish people knocking down the world trade center. I came out very strongly against the mosque being built virtually--” O'REILLY: “But you do believe overall there is a Muslim problem in the world.” TRUMP: “Well, there is a Muslim problem. Absolutely. You just have to turn on your television set.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY AND STRONGLY CONSIDER CLOSING CERTAIN U.S. MOSQUES

Headline: “Donald Trump Says He Would Be Open To Closing U.S. Mosques To Fight ISIS.” [New York Times, 10/22/15]

Donald Trump Would “Absolutely” Close Certain Mosques In Order To Fight ISIS, But Was Unsure If Doing So Would Be Legal. “This week, he [Donald Trump] has put American Muslims on edge by suggesting that he would be open to shutting down mosques as president. Asked on Fox Business Network if the United States should take action to close certain mosques as part of the fight against the Islamic State, as has happened in Britain, Mr. Trump said, ‘I would do that, absolutely.’ Mr. Trump then said that he was not sure about the legality of closing mosques, but that it was certainly something that should be looked at. ‘It depends if the mosque is, you know, loaded for bear,’ he said.” [New York Times, 10/22/15]

Trump Said That He Would “Strongly Consider” Shutting Down Mosques As Part Of The Effort To Fight Against ISIS. “Trump first said last month that he would be open to shutting down mosques as part of the fight against the Islamic State, and on Monday he reiterated his view that the idea should be studied. ‘I would hate to do it, but it’s something that you’re going to have to strongly consider because some of the ideas and some of the hatred, the absolute hatred, is coming from these areas,’ Trump said on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ program.” [Boston Globe, 11/17/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR “VIGILANCE” AND SURVEILLANCE OF AMERICAN MOSQUES

Donald Trump Called For The Surveillance Of Mosques. “Trump said later Monday on MSNBC that it's time to start surveillance of mosques, and said the U.S. should shut some down if they have radical leaders. ‘Well you're going to have to watch and study the mosques, because a lot of talk is going on at the mosques,’ Trump said.” [CNN, 11/16/15]

Donald Trump Continued Using Loaded Rhetoric To Criticize Muslims — "We Have To Really Be Vigilant With Respect To The Muslim Population." “Trump has said his popularity has soared since the terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month because voters want a president who will be tough on national security issues. Trump has been highly critical and skeptical of Muslims in recent days, and his loaded rhetoric continued at the rally on Monday night, drawing loud cheers. ‘We have to really be vigilant with respect to the Muslim population,’ Trump said at one point, calling for heavy surveillance of mosques, among other efforts.” [Washington Post, 11/23/15]

WITH NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER, TRUMP INSISTED “PEOPLE” CHEERED IN THE STREETS OF JERSEY CITY AFTER SEEING THE TWIN TOWERS FALL ON 9/11

Trump Said That On 9/11, He Watched Thousands Of People Cheering In Jersey City As The World Trade Center Came Down. TRUMP: “Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.” [Campaign Rally, Trump For President, Birmingham AL, 11/21/15]

•	Politifact Gave Donald Trump A “Pants On Fire” Rating For His Claim That Thousands In New Jersey Cheered When The World Trade Center Fell On September 11, 2001. “Trump said he ‘watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering’ as the World Trade Center collapsed. This defies basic logic. If thousands and thousands of people were celebrating the 9/11 attacks on American soil, many people beyond Trump would remember it. And in the 21st century, there would be video or visual evidence. Instead, all we found were a couple of news articles that described rumors of celebrations that were either debunked or unproven. Trump’s recollection of events in New Jersey in the hours after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks flies in the face of all the evidence we could find. We rate this statement Pants on Fire.” [Politifact, 11/22/15]

Offensive and Insensitive Comments on Minority Groups

ON HISPANICS AND LATINOS

Trump On Immigrants Crossing The Border From Mexico: “They Are Bringing Drugs And They Are Bringing Crime, They’re Rapists.” “When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are not sending you. They are not sending you. They are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us, they are bringing drugs and they are bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some are good people, and I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting. It only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It's coming all over south and Latin America and it's coming probably, probably from the Middle East, but we don't know because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don't know what is happening and it has got to stop and it has to stop fast.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15] 

ON AFRICAN AMERICANS

1991: Trump: “Laziness Is A Trait In Blacks.” [Gawker, 7/24/15]

1991: Trump: “Black Guys Counting My Money! I Hate It. The Only Kind Of People I Want Counting My Money Are Short Guys That Wear Yarmulkes Every Day.’’  TRUMP: “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.’’ [Gawker, 7/24/15]

Trump: “And When Obama Gets 95 Percent Of The Black Vote, Is That Racist?” HANNITY: “But isn't it a danger on his part, class warfare, and more importantly, the Democratic Party has been attacking the Tea Party conservatives as racist, you know, Maxine Waters, the consecutive Tea Party movement can go straight to hell. One congressman says that conservatives want black people hanging from trees. They double down on insane rhetoric. The president has wrapped his arms twice now around the Occupy Wall Street crowd? And is there a danger.” TRUMP: “I think the race card is such a horrible thing. And I've been watching it more and more lately. And I think it's disgraceful. And when Obama gets 95 percent of the black vote, is that racist? I mean, you know, does anybody have ever mention that? He gets 95 percent of the vote. And I see your compatriots, your announcers saying yes, he got 95 percent of the black vote but this wasn't a racial thing. They like his policy. That's a lot of crap. But he's creating a racial divide and I think he's doing it on purpose and I think it's a very unfair thing and it's a very bad thing.” [Hannity, Fox News, 10/18/11]

Trump Said That He “Had A Good Relationship With The Blacks.” LEMON: “What about the comment you said when you referred to the blacks that you had a good relationship with the blacks, do you understand how some people will take that phrasing?” TRUMP: Some people do and some people don't. I mean I've heard it both ways. It is something that I said. And I think I have had many people say there was absolutely nothing wrong with that comment.” [Newsroom, CNN, 5/1/11]

When Asked If He Was Perpetuating African- American Stereotypes, Trump Said “I Don't Know What You Mean By Stereotypes.” TRUMP: “Well, I really have to go, but I want to tell you I am the least racist. I am a wonderful person as far as you would be concerned as to race. And I think everybody that knows me knows that.” LEMON: Are you aware of the stereotypes about African-Americans? Are you?” TRUMP: “Well, I don't know what you mean by stereotypes. Why don't you define that a little bit in greater detail?” LEMON: “The stereotypes that take place in America about African- Americans, one is that they are not as smart as whites. And when you talk about someone like the President and you challenge whether or not he has an education or deserve to go to Ivy League schools, you're talking -- you're bringing up, you're promoting one of those stereotypes about African-Americans.” [Newsroom, CNN, 5/1/11]

•	Trump Called Accusations That He Was Racist “Ridiculous.” LEMON: “The stereotypes that take place in America about African- Americans, one is that they are not as smart as whites. And when you talk about someone like the President and you challenge whether or not he has an education or deserve to go to Ivy League schools, you're talking -- you're bringing up, you're promoting one of those stereotypes about African-Americans. And as someone running for president of the country, which means everyone, then wouldn't you be sensitive to those issues in the culture?” TRUMP: “It certainly does mean everyone, and it means everyone to me. As far as I'm concerned, the President is a very smart man. And I think a comment about racism is ridiculous as it applies to me. And people that know me laugh at it. They think it is so stupid. I mean it is a ridiculous statement and is certainly ridiculous as it applies to me.” [Newsroom, CNN, 5/1/11]

Trump Often Used The Phrase “Silent Majority” Which Historically Was Seen As A Racial Dog Whistle.  “In a press conference after a rally in South Carolina on Thursday, Donald Trump insisted that there is a ‘silent majority [who] wants this country to have victories again.’ It's not the first time Trump has used that phrase -- ‘silent majority.’… As far back as July, Trump was using the phrase. ‘The country is fed up with what's going on,’ he said at the time. ‘You know, in the old days they used the term 'silent majority.' We have the silent majority back, folks.’ Trump's use of that term is 1) 100 percent on purpose and 2) decidedly controversial. For many, the ‘silent majority’ is a not-so-subtle reference to white people who need/want to take ‘their’ culture and country back. And, the argument goes, they would be taking it back from those who aren't white.” [Washington Post, 8/27/15]

Donald Trump Was Criticized For Retweeting – In Response To A Twitter Thread About His Support From White Supremacists – A Graphic Containing Statistics Purporting To Show That The Vast Majority Of Murdered Black People Are Killed By Other Black People. “Donald Trump is taking heat on social media for a Sunday afternoon tweet of statistics purporting to show that the vast majority of murdered black people in the U.S. are killed by other black people. The tweet was apparently Trump’s response to a Twitter thread about support from white supremacists for the GOP front-runner. … The image Trump posted includes a list of ‘USA Crime Statistics ~ 2015.’ The two that are highlighted are ‘Blacks Killed by Police ~~ 1%’ and ‘Blacks Killed by Blacks ~~ 97%.’ A drawing of a black man wielding a sideways pistol and wearing army pants, military boots and a bandana and mask accompanies the statistics, which are sourced to the ‘Crime Statistics Bureau’ in San Francisco. … Indeed, an initial search to confirm the numbers couldn’t turn up a ‘Crime Statistic Bureau’ in San Francisco.” [The Hill, 11/22/15]

Donald Trump Did Not Believe There Was Racism On The University Of Missouri Campus, And Said The Demands Of Student Protesters Were “Crazy” And “Absolutely Over The Top.” “‘I would have handled things differently. First of all, I would have made sure there was no discrimination or any of that — and I don’t think there was. But I happened to look at the list of demands, those demands were crazy,’ Trump said. ‘Many of those demands were absolutely — not all — but many of those were absolutely over the top.’” [Yahoo Politics, 11/19/15]

ON ASIAN AMERICANS

Donald Trump Interrupted A Young Asian Man Who Voiced Concern About Trump’s Position On Defense Spending In South Korea To Ask, “Are You From South Korea?” To Which The Man Answered, “I Was Born In Texas.” “Finally, a young Asian man attempted to correct Trump on his incorrect claim that South Korea takes advantage of the United States in defense spending. ‘Are you from South Korea?’ Trump asked. ‘I’m not. I was born in Texas, raised in Colorado,’ the man responded as Trump literally shrugged. ‘I just want to say that no matter where I’m from, I like to get my facts straight and I want to tell you that that’s not true. South Korea paid $861 million—’ Then, Trump interrupts him permanently and says the phrase, ‘It’s peanuts’ around ten times.” [The Slot Blog, Jezebel, 10/12/15]

ON NATIVE AMERICANS

Donald Trump Did Not Find The Washington Redskins’ Team Name Offensive, And Said He Knew “Indians That Are Extremely Proud Of That Name.” “After months of name-calling, Jeb Bush and Donald J. Trump have finally found a name that they can agree on: the Washington Redskins. … But in this case, Mr. Trump says he thinks that Mr. Bush is right. ‘Honestly, I don’t think they should change the name, unless the owner wanted to,’ Mr. Trump said in an interview. Mr. Trump. who has made bluntness a hallmark of his presidential bid, said that the Redskins moniker was yet another issue of unnecessary political correctness. The name has been that way for years, he said, and not everyone considers it to be a slur. ‘I know Indians that are extremely proud of that name,’ he said. ‘They think it’s a positive.’” [New York Times, 10/5/15]

•	The Oneida Indian Nation Criticized Donald Trump For His Opposition To Changing The Name Of The Washington Redskins. “The Oneida Indian Nation on Monday blasted Donald Trump after the GOP presidential candidate said he knows Indians who are proud of the Washington Redskins football team name, and he sees no reason to change it….’It is hardly surprising that a candidate who labeled Mexican immigrants rapists and calls women 'pigs' now says he wants the NFL to continue slurring Native Americans,’ the statement said. ‘Donald Trump joins some of the NFL's ignoble fraternity of billionaires who sit in their office suites and owner's boxes happily spending their fortunes denigrating people of color.’” [Syracuse Post-Standard, 10/5/15]

Trump On Indian Casinos: “You Have To Check And See Whether Or Not They're The Real Indians.” KING: “Because they have gambling casinos in which they don't have to pay tax, right? Indian's property?” TRUMP: “They have gambling casinos where they're paying no tax and every politician knows it's not appropriate or not right, but they haven't done anything about it yet.” KING: “But don't you think we owe them something?” TRUMP: “I think we do.  I think to a certain extent, we do, if they're real Indians.  I mean, you have to check and see whether or not they're the real Indians.  You know, you have--” KING: “You're questioning that, Donald?” TRUMP: “No, no, you have to see who's running the casinos.  And you know, I made a statement, they don't look like Indians to me.  And everyone said, oh, what a terrible statement.  I said, what's wrong?  They don't.  If you take a look at these folks, they don't like Indians to me.  And then, actually, a number of shows did a story that my statement was 100 percent correct.  I never liked to apologize and there's no reason to apologize.  But I think the Indian casinos are -- you know, they're being looked at very seriously.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 7/23/97]

Support from White Supremacists

DONALD TRUMP RECEIVED WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FROM WHITE SUPREMACISTS, WHITE NATIONALISTS, AND NEO-NAZIS

Numerous White Supremacist Leaders And Publications Supported Donald Trump, Including David Duke, A Former Leader Of The Ku Klux Klan. “Radix, a white nationalist website and magazine pronounced earlier this year that readers should support Mr. Trump because ‘we need someone who can expose the system that rules us as the malevolent and worthless entity it is.’ Jared Taylor, the founder American Renaissance, another influential extremist outlet said in a video statement that ‘real Americans’ had been waiting for a politician to make the ‘obvious’ point ‘illegal immigrants from Mexico are a low-rent bunch’. Meanwhile, a group called the White Genocide Project called for Mr. Trump to be made the head of a ‘department for deportation’ and reportedly petitioned President Barack Obama to make it happen. The petition included the assertion that ‘diversity is a byword for genocide.’ Mr. Trump even won the endorsement of David Duke, an anti-Semitic former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.” [The Telegraph, 11/12/15]

•	Southern Poverty Law Center: Trump “Has Won The Applause Of Virtually The Entire White Nationalist Movement.” “A study by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a civil rights group, last month concluded that ‘although he has not asked for its support, Mr. Trump has won the applause of virtually the entire white nationalist movement.’” [The Telegraph, 11/12/15]

WHITE SUPREMACISTSRALLIED AROUND TRUMP’S CANDIDACY FOLLOWING HIS MASS DEPORTATION PLAN

HEADLINE: “Trump Debate Claims On Deportation Excite America's White Supremacists.” [The Telegraph, 11/12/15]

Donald Trump’s Mass-Deportation Plan “Won Him A Die-Hard Constituency In America’s White Supremacists.” “As Mr. Trump at the Republican debate this week nostalgically recalled a time when the US government rounded up and forcefully deported thousands of immigrants, the blogospheres of the extremist right sprung to action. Photographs and glowing praise for the outlandish billionaire were uploaded to some of the most racist corners of the Internet. ‘At a stroke, Trump demolished the argument that deporting illegals is not feasible,’ cheered an article re-posted on Daily Stormer, America's most popular neo-Nazi news site. It may be unsolicited - and it is almost certainly unwanted - but the policy positions that Mr. Trump has taken have won him a die-hard constituency in America’s white supremacists.” [The Telegraph, 11/12/15]

David Duke Supported Trump For President. “Donald Trump's presidential campaign has a new supporter: former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke. Duke, a self-described ‘racial realist’ and notorious white nationalist, praised Trump during a wide-ranging tirade on his radio program, calling the surging real estate mogul a ‘good salesman’ and ‘the best of the lot’ of the large group of 2016 Republican presidential candidates.” [New York Daily News, 8/25/15]

Conservative Blogger Crystal Wright: Trump Needs To Rebuke The “White Supremacists Whose Hearts Are Thumping For Trump” Under The #Cuckservative Hashtag. “The New Yorker published a disturbing article about white supremacists whose hearts are thumping for Trump. Writer Evan Osnos observed first hand their reactions to Trump’s candidacy by visiting with several… I may be a Right-wing conservative but I’m no racist and will NEVER turn a blind eye to blatant racism within my party. While the Republican candidates continue to reveal themselves to voters, I’ll be waiting for Trump to rebuke this #cuckservative nonsense and show his true colors. The Republican Party needs a nominee to broader our tent of voters — not restrict it to members of the Klu Klux Klan.” [Crystal Wright, The Telegraph, 9/25/15] 

Marilyn Mayo, Co-Director Of The Anti-Defamation League’s Center On Extremism, Said Donald Trump’s Candidacy Energized Neo-Nazis And The White Supremacist Movement. “‘When well-known public figures make these kind of statements in the public square, they are taken as a permission-giving by criminal elements who go out and act on their words.’ said Mark Potok of the SPLC. ‘Is it energizing the groups? Yeah. They’re thrilled.’ Marilyn Mayo, co-director of the ADL’s Center on Extremism, said Trump’s proposal this week to halt the entrance of Muslims into the United States is only the latest statement to inject vigor into the racist fringe of American politics. ‘Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s candidacy, we’ve definitely seen that a segment of the white supremacist movement, from racist intellectuals to neo-Nazis have been energized,’ she said.” [Politico, 12/10/15]

Taxes

2016 Tax Plan

TRUMP PROPOSED A TAX PLAN THAT ANALYSTS SAID WOULD COST $9-12 TRILLION OVER 10 YEARS

Headline: “Trump’s Tax Plan Could Cost $12 Trillion, And Save Him Millions In Taxes Each Year.” [Time, 9/29/15]

•	The Tax Foundation: Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Could Cost $12 Trillion Over The Next Decade, More Than Double His Republican Rivals. “The Tax Foundation also estimated that the plan would cost the federal government $10.14 trillion in tax revenue over the next decade—assuming that the tax cuts spurred some additional economic growth. Assuming growth doesn’t change, the bill is $11.98 trillion. This cost estimate—which places the cost of the tax plan at well over half of our current $16 trillion national debt—far exceeds those made by the Tax Foundation for plans released in recent months by GOP hopefuls Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul. They were $3.66 trillion for Bush, $4 trillion for Rubio, and $3 trillion for Paul.” [Time, 9/29/15]

Left- And Right-Leaning Groups Agreed: Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cost At Least $9 Trillion Over The Next Decade. “The first reviews are in and they agree on this much: Donald Trump's tax plan carries a hefty price tag. Analysts at the left-leaning Citizens for Tax Justice and the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation released top-line estimates on the Republican presidential front-runner's tax plan that was unveiled Monday. According to the Citizens for Tax Justice, Trump's tax proposal would reduce revenues by around $900 billion per year, which would translate to about $9 trillion over a decade. The Tax Foundation is singing a similar tune: It predicts that the billionaire's plan would reduce tax revenue by some $10 trillion over the next 10 years (when measured alongside economic growth).” [CNN, 9/29/15]

The Tax Foundation: Even After Accounting For A Potential Boost In Economic Growth From Tax Cuts, Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Still Cost More Than $10 Trillion Over Ten Years. “Today, the conservative Tax Foundation offered an answer. Without factoring in growth, it found that Trump's plan would actually add $11.98 trillion to the 10-year deficit. Once the boost to growth that would result from slashing taxes is factored in, it would only cost $10.14 trillion ... more or less cratering the government's finances into fiery rubble.” [Jordan Weissmann, Slate, 9/29/15]

TRUMP’S PLAN WOULD INCREASE THE DEFICIT

Poltifact: “Donald Trump’s False Claim That His Tax Plan Wouldn’t Increase The Deficit.” [PolitiFact, 11/5/15]

•	Politifact Gave A “False” Rating To Donald Trump’s Claim That His Tax Plan Would Not Increase The Deficit. “Trump said his tax plan would not increase the deficit. Free market-oriented and liberal groups alike say Trump’s tax plan would lead to a $10 trillion revenue loss, even if it did create economic growth. Since Trump has said he will not slash retirement programs like Social Security and Medicare, experts doubt that any spending cuts he made would result in a revenue-neutral tax plan. We rate Trump’s claim False.” [PolitiFact, 11/5/15]

Politico’s Danny Vinik: Even With The Most Optimistic Assumptions, There Is “No Way” Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Is Deficit Neutral Like He Claims. “But Trump makes one promise that sets his plan apart [from other Republican tax plans]: It will be deficit-neutral. In other words, it would pay for itself, and all those tax cuts wouldn’t make the federal deficit worse. I did some back-of-the-envelope math on Trump’s plan to see if that’s true. The short answer: There’s no way the plan is deficit neutral. Even with the most optimistic assumptions, Trump’s plan will still significantly reduce the total amount of money the government takes in. That might appeal to a lot of conservatives, but it will also definitely increase the federal deficit.” [Danny Vinik, Politico, 9/28/15] 

TRUMP PLANNED TO ELIMINATE THE ESTATE TAX

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Eliminate The Estate Tax. “No family will have to pay the death tax. You earned and saved that money for your family, not the government. You paid taxes on it when you earned it.... The death tax punishes families for achieving the American dream. Therefore, the Trump plan eliminates the death tax.” [Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

TRUMP’S PLAN LOWERED THE CORPORATE TAX RATE TO 15%

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cut The Corporate Tax Rate To 15%. “No business of any size, from a Fortune 500 to a mom and pop shop to a freelancer living job to job, will pay more than 15% of their business income in taxes…. Under the Trump plan, America will compete with the world and win by cutting the corporate tax rate to 15%, taking our rate from one of the worst to one of the best.” [Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

Vox: Donald Trump’s Call To Slash The Corporate Tax Rate To 15 Percent From 35 Percent Would “Overwhelmingly Help The Richest Americans.” “Trump's plan would almost certainly help the rich disproportionately. The slashing of the corporate tax rate, for one thing, would have major regressive implications. Jim Nunns of the Tax Policy Center has found that about 20 percent of the corporate income tax is paid by workers, and the rest by capital; he concludes that in 2015, the top 1 percent pays 52.8 percent of the corporate tax burden, and the top 0.1 percent pays 33.4 percent. So slashing the corporate rate to 15 percent from 35 percent would overwhelmingly help the richest Americans.” [Vox, 9/28/15]

UNDER TRUMP’S TAX PLAN, THE EXISTING SEVEN INCOME TAX BRACKETS WOULD BE COLLAPSED INTO FOUR AND THE TOP RATE WOULD BE SLASHED FROM 39.6% TO 25%

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Combine The Current Seven Income Tax Brackets Into Four. “The seven income tax brackets would be collapsed into brackets of zero, 10 percent, 20 percent and 25 percent, while the top tax rate on capital gains would see a slight dip, from 23.8 percent to 20 percent… Under Trump’s framework, single filers earning up to $25,000 and married couples earning up to $50,000 per year would pay no income tax.” [The Hill, 9/28/15]

Trump’s Tax Plan Called For Four Income Tax Brackets:

[Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

Trump Planned To Lower To The Top Individual Tax Rate From 39.6% To 25%. “All other Americans will get a simpler tax code with four brackets – 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% – instead of the current seven. This new tax code eliminates the marriage penalty and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II.” [Trump Tax Plan, Donald J. Trump For President, Released 9/28/15]

•	Headline: “Trump’s Tax Plan Could Cost $12 Trillion, And Save Him Millions In Taxes Each Year.” [Time, 9/29/15]

TRUMP’S PLAN LOWERED THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX RATE AND CHANGED THE THRESHOLDS AT WHICH IT KICKS IN

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cut Taxes On Capital Gains. “The top capital gains rate would be cut to 20 percent from 23.8 percent, through the elimination of Obamacare's 3.8 percent surtax. The first 15 percent capital gains rate would kick in at $100,000 for couples, not the current $74,900. But the 20 percent rate would kick in a little earlier: $300,000, not $464,850.” [Vox, 9/28/15]

TRUMP’S “POPULIST” TAX PLAN ACTUALLY GAVE SIGNIFICANT BREAKS TO THE WEALTHIEST ONE PERCENT

Headline: “Donald Trump Is Hoodwinking The Media With His Tax Plan.” “Today [9/28/15], after months of faking that he was going to break with GOP orthodoxy on taxes, Donald Trump proposed a plan to cut income tax rates across the board, a structure that necessarily delivers especially large tax cuts to the highest-income taxpayers. Yet a surprising number of media outlets reported something close to the opposite. The Financial Times ran a headline touting Trump's ‘populist’ tax message.’ … But while this is what Trump said, it's pretty clearly not what his plan actually does. A quick analysis by the Center for Tax Justice suggests that about one-third of the financial benefit of Trump's plan would flow to the richest 1 percent. ” [Vox, 9/28/15]

The Atlantic: Donald Trump’s “Amazingly Conventional” And “Utterly Plain-Vanilla” Tax Plan Would Basically Do “What Republican Candidates And Lawmakers Have Been Proposing For Years.” “Maybe Donald Trump isn’t such an unconventional politician after all. The Republican presidential frontrunner released his tax plan on Monday morning, and the most noteworthy thing about the proposal is how utterly plain-vanilla it is. Yes, Trump’s plan would dramatically reshape the tax code by cutting the current seven income brackets to four, slashing rates for the rich, poor, and businesses, and eliminating a host of loopholes and deductions. But that’s basically what Republican candidates and lawmakers have been proposing for years. Trump is hardly breaking the mold.” [The Atlantic, 9/28/15]

Tax Burden

MR. 47 PERCENT OF THE 2016 CYCLE: TRUMP SAID HALF THE PEOPLE “DON’T PAY ANY TAX” AND AREN’T “CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY”

Trump: “Half Of The People Don't Pay Any Tax … And Are Not Contributing To Society.” DOOCY: “When the president, Donald, talks about there has to be shared sacrifice, you know, there are a lot of people in this country, over half, don't even pay any federal taxes.  So he's really talking about you.  You're going to have to sacrifice more.” TRUMP: “Well, you know, I don't mind sacrificing for the country, to be honest with you, but you know, you do have is a problem because half of the people don't pay any tax.  And when he's talking about that, he's talking about people that aren't also working, that are not contributing to this society, and it's a problem. But we have 50 percent -- it just hit the 50 percent mark.  Fifty percent of the people are paying no tax.”[Fox & Friends, Fox News, 7/18/11]

TRUMP PROPOSED INCREASING TAXES ON THE WEALTHY TO LOWER THE BURDEN ON THE MIDDLE CLASS…

Trump Advocated For Increasing Taxes On The Rich While Lowering Taxes For The Middle Class. “Here's what he told Bloomberg Politics in a television interview Wednesday: ‘I would say that the hedge fund people make a lot of money and they pay very little tax. I'm about the middle class. I want the middle class to be thriving again. We're losing our middle-class. ... I would let people that are making hundreds of millions of dollars a year pay some tax, because right now they're paying very little tax, and I think it's outrageous. I want to lower taxes for the middle class.’ Asked if he was proposing to raise taxes on himself, Trump replied: ‘That's right. That's right. I'm okay with it, ready, willing. And you've seen my statements. I mean I do very well. I don't mind paying some tax. The middle class is getting clobbered in this country. The middle class built this country, not the hedge fund guys. But I know people in hedge funds, they pay almost nothing, and it's ridiculous, okay?’” [Washington Post, 8/27/15; WADR, Bloomberg TV, 8/26/15]

Trump In 1991: “Frankly, Tax Rates For The Wealthy Are Too Low.” TRUMP: “Well, I think they have a big solution now.  I think they could put the incentive back into building and real estate - that's the entire construction industry.  Throughout the United States it's unemployed.  I mean, you look at what's happening.  It's unemployed.  They put the incentive back into the industry, into my industry, and I'll tell you what - You're going to see the economy rebound fast. Frankly, tax rates for the wealthy are too low.  It used to be you'd have a 50 and 60 percent tax rate and people would invest and they'd- you know, they'd cut their tax.  They'd pay nothing, maybe.  Today, it is just a catastrophe what they've done.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

Trump On Tax Policy: “High-Income People Should Pay High Percentages.” TRUMP: “Well, what they did is they just kept cutting the tax rates, cutting the tax rates.  And I'm not talking about for the middle income or the poor.  Leave 'em.  Keep 'em low.  And I shouldn't say this, but high-income people should pay high percentages, but have the ability to spend vast amounts of money on bringing their tax rates down to nothing.  If a man is in the 50 or 60 percent bracket, he's going to invest.  If a man's in the 25 percent bracket or the 30 percent bracket, which is what you have now, there's no real reason for him to invest.  He'll say, 'Hey, look, I'll pay the tax and that's it.' So what's happened.” KING: “So you're saying the rich are under-taxed?” TRUMP: “I'm saying the rich should be taxed at a much higher rate and should have the incentive that, if they want to spend some money by investing in housing, investing in other things, they can get their tax rate down to nothing, if need be.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

•	Trump: “I’m Saying The Rich Should Be Taxed At A Much Higher Rate And Should Have The Incentive That, If They Want To Spend Some Money By Investing In Housing, Investing In Other Things, They Can Get Their Tax Rate Down To Nothing, If Need Be.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

YET HIS TAX PLANS WOULD GIVE MAJOR BREAKS TO THE RICH AND LIKELY INCREASE THE NATIONAL DEBT…

Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy On Trump’s 2011 Tax Proposal: “[Trump’s] Five-Step Plan Includes Eliminating The Estate Tax And The Corporate Income Tax, Lowering The Tax Rate On Capital Gains And Dividends, Enacting A 20 Percent Tariff On All Imported Goods And Creating A New, Lower Income Tax Rate Structure.” “What exactly are Trump’s tax plans? The most recent detailed plan that Trump has offered is contained within his 2011 book, Time to Get Tough. His five-step plan includes eliminating the estate tax and the corporate income tax, lowering the tax rate on capital gains and dividends, enacting a 20 percent tariff on all imported goods and creating a new, lower income tax rate structure. The income tax would include a tax rate structure of 1 percent for up to $30,000; 5 percent for $30,000-$100,000; 10 percent for $100,000-$1,000,000; and 15 percent for income over $1,000,000.” [Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy, 6/22/15]

•	Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy: Trump’s Policies On Taxes Would “Likely Sharply Increase The National Debt And Make The U.S. Tax System Substantially More Regressive By Both Cutting Taxes For The Rich And Creating A Massive New Tax That Would Disproportionately Hurt Lower-Income Americans.” “Billionaire businessman, television personality and now presidential candidate Donald Trump is the latest candidate to jump into the race. He has made a number of tax proposals. His more recent proposals, in contrast to ones he proposed back around the 2000 election, would likely sharply increase the national debt and make the U.S. tax system substantially more regressive by both cutting taxes for the rich and creating a massive new tax that would disproportionately hurt lower-income Americans.” [Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy, 6/22/15]

AND HE PREVIOUSLY OPPOSED PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CALL TO THE LET THE BUSH TAX CUTS EXPIRE FOR THE WEALTHY

Trump Supported The Bush Tax Cuts And Criticized President Obama More Not Wanting To Extend The Cuts. “More recently, in 2011, [Trump] criticized Obama more not wanting to extend the Bush tax cuts, including for those earning over $250,000.” [CNN Money, 7/28/15]

TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T “FULLY” BELIEVE IN SUPPLY-SIDE ECONOMICS

Trump Said He Did Not “Fully” Believe In Supply-Side Economics. “Trump was also asked, ‘Do you believe in supply-side economics in as much as, you reduce taxes on everybody, including the wealthy, and that rising tide lifts all boats?’ Trump said, ‘I don’t fully believe in it, but there is something to it. I don’t fully.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

Deductions and Incentives

TRUMP CALLED FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TAX DEDUCTIONS

Trump On The Tax Code: “We Can Get Rid Of Deductions.” “After host Sean Hannity said, ‘I thought you liked the flat tax.’ Trump stated, ‘The problem with the flat tax is it’s sort of the same. I actually believe that people as they make more and more money can pay a higher percentage.’ Later he added, ‘I don’t like where everybody’s paying the same. If I make a billion dollars, and somebody else is making a hundred, and he’s paying ten dollars and I’m paying — to me, I don’t know. I like somewhat of a graduation. What you have now is a system that’s too complicated. The easiest thing to do is make that system uncomplicated, and make it really good, make it really good. And you know, as far as the IRS, people say ‘Let’s get rid of the IRS,’ somebody’s got to collect the money.’ Regarding simplifying the tax code, also stated, ‘The word is simplification. We can simplify. We can get rid of deductions.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

Donald Trump Wanted To Abolish Various Unspecified Tax Deductions And Credits. “Donald Trump is expected to release a tax plan in the next few weeks. … He has said he would abolish various tax deductions and credits. This would be a part of his effort to simplify the tax code so he can, as he put it in August, ‘put H&R Block out of business, knock them out, put them out of business.’ Mr. Trump hasn’t said which deductions and credits he would eliminate, which isn’t unusual for a Republican candidate for president. Mr. Romney’s 2012 tax plan emphasized extensive-but-unspecified base broadening through the elimination of deductions and credits, and Jeb Bush said in May he would take a similar approach, in each case as a way to pay for reductions in tax rates.” [New York Times, Upshot blog, 9/2/15]

1991: TRUMP CALLED FOR SHORTENING DEPRECIATION SCHEDULES TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN CONSTRUCTION

Trump Advocated Shortening Depreciation Schedules To Incentivize Investment. TRUMP: “I would put the construction industry back to work because when the construction by creating tremendous incentives for construction, for building.” KING: “Give me an example.  Saying, all right--” TRUMP: “All right, shortening up depreciation schedules, creating great depreciations so that you can sell it.  If a dentist is making $ 300,000 a year drilling people's teeth and he wants to invest because he doesn't want to pay so much tax, and he wants to invest in low-income housing, that's a great asset to the country.  That's not a liability.  People didn't understand that, but that's not a liability.  He should be allowed to invest to build moderate-income housing - even to build luxury housing because the man that moves into that luxury apartment is buying radios and hi-fi's and television sets and all of this other stuff.  So there should be incentive in that industry.  It affects every other industry.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

•	In 1991, Trump Complained That Tax Laws Gave No Incentive To Build Or Invest. KING: “They were going to - and now they're not going to - cut the credit card rates.  They were going to do it by edict on bank credit cards….banks went in an uproar because, apparently, that's where they make the most profit….What are your thoughts on that idea?” TRUMP: “I don't think it's going to have an effect one way on the country.  I think the biggest effect is what I've already discussed.  I mean, that's what you have to do.  You have to put incentive back into this country.  There's no incentive for people to do things.  There's no incentive to build.  There's no incentive to create.  And again, we're like the Soviet Union, there's no incentive to do anything any more.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

Flat Tax and Fair Tax

TRUMP HAS SAID HE OPPOSED A FLAT TAX BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE TOO MUCH OF A BREAK TO THE WEALTHY….

2000 Election: Trump “Explicitly Rejected” The Idea Of A Flat Tax In His Book “The America We Deserve.” “The oddest thing about Trump’s recent support for a flat tax is that it represents a significant reversal from his previously stated opposition to a flat tax. During the 2000 election Trump released a book, titled The America We Deserve, in which he explicitly rejected the flat tax. He said that a flat tax would be ‘unfair to the poor,’ who would be forced to pay more in taxes due in part to the repeal of the earned income tax credit. He also said that it would be unfair to allow the wealthy to get away with not paying any taxes on income from dividends, capital gains and interest.” [Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy, 6/22/15]

Trump Said He Was Against The Flat Tax Because People Who Make More Can Afford To Pay More In Taxes. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said that he is against a flat tax and ‘people as they make more and more money can pay a higher percentage’ in an interview broadcast on Wednesday’s ‘Hannity’ on the Fox News Channel. Trump was asked, [relevant exchange beings around 3:00] ‘You want to lower the tax, you want to implement a flat tax.’ Trump objected to this characterization. After host Sean Hannity said, ‘I thought you liked the flat tax.’ Trump stated, ‘The problem with the flat tax is it’s sort of the same. I actually believe that people as they make more and more money can pay a higher percentage.’ Later he added, ‘I don’t like where everybody’s paying the same. If I make a billion dollars, and somebody else is making a hundred, and he’s paying ten dollars and I’m paying — to me, I don’t know. I like somewhat of a graduation. What you have now is a system that’s too complicated. The easiest thing to do is make that system uncomplicated, and make it really good, make it really good. And you know, as far as the IRS, people say ‘Let’s get rid of the IRS,’ somebody’s got to collect the money.’ Regarding simplifying the tax code, also stated, ‘The word is simplification. We can simplify. We can get rid of deductions.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

•	Trump: “The Problem With The Flat Tax Is It’s Sort Of The Same. I Actually Believe That People As They Make More And More Money Can Pay A Higher Percentage.”[Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

•	Trump: “I Don’t Like Where Everybody’s Paying The Same. If I Make A Billion Dollars, And Somebody Else Is Making A Hundred, And He’s Paying Ten Dollars And I’m Paying — To Me, I Don’t Know. I Like Somewhat Of A Graduation.”[Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

BUT ALSOTRUMP SUGGESTEDHE WOULD BE OPEN TO A FLAT TAX OR A FAIR TAX…

Trump Supported A Flat Tax And The “Fair Tax.” “While Trump has not specified a new tax plan in the run-up to his 2016 candidacy, he has indicated that he supports a flat tax and the so-called ‘Fair Tax’ (a national sales tax). If Trump ends up proposing a flat tax, he would not be alone considering that other presidential candidate supporters of a flat tax include Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, Ben Carson, Sen. Lindsey Graham and yet to announce candidate Gov. John Kasich, while the national sales tax is supported by both Mike Huckabee and Sen. Cruz. If enacted in a revenue-neutral way, both the Fair Tax and a flat tax would likely cut taxes on the wealthiest American by an average of over $200,000, while significantly increasing taxes on the vast majority of Americans. The oddest thing about Trump’s recent support for a flat tax is that it represents a significant reversal from his previously stated opposition to a flat tax.” [Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy, 6/22/15]

Trump On Tax Reform: “We Can Leave The Tax Code The Way It Is And Simplify It, Or You Could Go To A Form Of A Flat Tax. You Could Go To A Fair Tax.” TRUMP: “And I have hedge fund guys that are making a lot of money that aren’t paying anything, okay. And I don’t know how his pledge relates to that. But I know a lot of bad people in this country that are making a hell of a lot of money and not paying taxes. And the tax law is totally screwed up. The complexity of it, the size of it. I mean I spent millions of dollars every year on lawyers and accountants just to do a tax return. And I want to put H&R Block out of business. I want to make it very simple. And we can leave the tax code the way it is and simplify it, or you could go to a form of a flat tax. You could go to a fair tax. There’s a lot of things you could do.” [TIME, 8/20/15]

Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire: “In A Recent Fox News Interview Mr. Trump Said He Favored A Flat Tax But Then Immediately Said Such A System Would Be Unfair Because The Rich Would Be Taxed At The Same Rate As The Poor.” [Wall Street Journal, Washington Wire blog, 9/4/15]

Bush Tax Cuts

1999: TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T THINK BUSH’S PROPOSED TAX CUTS WERE BIG ENOUGH

Trump On Bush’s Tax Plan: “I Don't Think It's Aggressive Enough…  I Think We Need A Bigger Tax Cut Than This Plan.”  ROBERTS: “The other big issue that's happened this week is George W.  Bush has put out his tax plan.  What do you think of it?” TRUMP: “I don't think it's aggressive enough.  I don't think it's going to be a plan that's going to keep the economy going anywhere near even what it is.  I think we need a bigger tax cut than this plan.  I think this plan is very timid.  I was surprised.  I thought--I thought that his plan was very timid.”[This Week, ABC, 12/5/99]

2011: TRUMP SUPPORTED THE EXTENSION OF THE BUSH TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY

Trump Supported The Bush Tax Cuts And Criticized President Obama More Not Wanting To Extend The Cuts. “More recently, in 2011, [Trump] criticized Obama more not wanting to extend the Bush tax cuts, including for those earning over $250,000.” [CNN Money, 7/28/15]

Net Worth Tax

1999: TRUMP PROPOSED A ONE-TIME NET WORTH TAX OF 14.25% ON THOSE WORTH OVER $10 MILLION

Trump: “I Would Impose A One-Time, 14.25% Tax On Individuals And Trusts With A Net Worth Over $10 Million.” “Trump on Taxes ‘I would impose a one-time, 14.25% tax on individuals and trusts with a net worth over $10 million,’ Trump said. ‘For individuals, net worth would be calculated minus the value of their principal residence. That would raise $5.7 trillion in new revenue, which we would use to pay off the entire national debt.’” [The Club For Growth press release, 6/16/15]

•	1999: Trump Proposed A One-Time Net Worth Tax On Individuals Worth Greater Than $10 Million. QUESTION: “Mr. Trump, can you outline your plan?” TRUMP: “Yes, I propose a one-time 14.25 % net worth tax on individuals with a net worth of greater than $10 million. This would raise $5.7 trillion in revenue. I would pay off the national debt entirely. That would save us $200 billion in annual interest payments. I would use $100 billion of this savings for tax cuts on the middle class and put the other $100 billion in the social security trust fund every year. That would make the social security system solvent for the next century. I would also repeal the 55% Inheritance Tax. More importantly America would experience the greatest economic boom in our history.” [Statement, Donald J. Trump Presidential Exploratory Committee, 11/9/99]

1999: Trump Said That The Rich Could Either Borrow Money Or Liquidate Assets To Pay 14.25% Net Worth Tax. QUESTION: “How will rich people come up with a 14.25 % payment to the government? TRUMP: “The same way every taxpayer does when they owe the IRS — they can either borrow the money against their enormous assets or liquidate some assets in order to pay their taxes — it happens every April 15th. However, in the case when a wealthy tax payer is not liquid, we could phase in their payments over time — say ten years — as long as government knew they could count on the revenue.” [Statement, Donald J. Trump Presidential Exploratory Committee, 11/9/99]

•	Trump Said That Wealthy People Would Pay His Proposed Net Worth Tax By Selling Off Assets. REDEKER: “People who have a net worth of $ 10 million or more, including yourself, generally don't have huge cash reserves.  Where would they come up with this money?” TRUMP: “It's a very fair question and very good question that's been thought of in great detail.  Some people would be able to sell things off, easily pay the tax, and ultimately get it back many fold by the booming economy.  And you will have a boom like you literally have never had before and by the saving of the inheritance tax….  Well, they sell off assets, you'd sell off assets.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 11/10/99]

Trump Said That His Proposed Net Worth Tax Would Eliminate The National Debt And Lower Taxes For The Working Class. TRUMP: “Ever since I can remember, people have been wanting to get rid of the national debt.  My idea gets rid of the national debt, and then it gets rid of high tax rates -- you bring them down. There's something very compelling and very nice about that… Taxes for the working man and woman would go down to a very low level.  The -- in terms of the rich, who are really paying for this plan -- and they should get something for that -- the inheritance tax, which is a terrible and onerous tax, would go away in its entirety.” [Inside Politics, CNN, 11/9/99]

Corporate Taxes

TRUMP’S PLAN LOWERED THE CORPORATE TAX RATE TO 15%

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cut The Corporate Tax Rate To 15%. “No business of any size, from a Fortune 500 to a mom and pop shop to a freelancer living job to job, will pay more than 15% of their business income in taxes…. Under the Trump plan, America will compete with the world and win by cutting the corporate tax rate to 15%, taking our rate from one of the worst to one of the best.” [Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

TRUMP BELIEVED CORPORATE TAX BREAKS WOULD CURTAIL INVERSIONS

Trump Supported Lowering Tax Rates In Order To Stop Corporate Inversion. “Trump also signaled he was willing to take on the issue of corporate inversion, by which companies are re-incorporated abroad as a way to skirt costs of doing business when based in the U.S., and said he had discussed the subject with American businessman Carl Icahn….His solution to the problem involves lowering corporate taxes. ‘Let the money come in, tax it at a much lower rate, and let the money come in,’ Trump said, adding. ‘This is money that could be spent in this country, and they can't get it in.’” [Bloomberg, 8/26/15; WADR, Bloomberg TV, 8/26/15]

Capital Gains and Carried Interest

TRUMP’S PLAN LOWERED THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX RATE

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cut Taxes On Capital Gains. “The top capital gains rate would be cut to 20 percent from 23.8 percent, through the elimination of Obamacare's 3.8 percent surtax. The first 15 percent capital gains rate would kick in at $100,000 for couples, not the current $74,900. But the 20 percent rate would kick in a little earlier: $300,000, not $464,850.” [Vox, 9/28/15]

TRUMP PROPOSED HIGHER TAX RATES ON HEDGE FUND PROFITS

Trump Would Increase The Taxes On Hedge Fund Managers Even If It Increased The Taxes He Paid. “‘I would change it. I would simplify it,’ Trump told hosts Mark Halperin and John Heilemann from the lobby of Trump Tower on New York's 5th Ave. Specifically, Trump targeted hedge fund profits, which are currently taxed at a lower rate than regular income. ‘I would take carried interest out, and I would let people making hundreds of millions of dollars-a-year pay some tax, because right now they are paying very little tax and I think it's outrageous,’ Trump said. ‘I want to lower taxes for the middle class.’ Asked whether his proposed changes meant he was prepared to raise taxes on himself, the billionaire framed his answer in terms of fairness. ‘That's right. That's right. I'm OK with it. You've seen my statements, I do very well, I don't mind paying some taxes. The middle class is getting clobbered in this country. You know the middle class built this country, not the hedge fund guys, but I know people in hedge funds that pay almost nothing and it's ridiculous, OK?’” [Bloomberg, 8/26/15; WADR, Bloomberg TV, 8/26/15]

Trump Said It Was “Ridiculous” That Hedge Fund Managers Paid So Little In Taxes. “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump blasted hedge fund managers on Sunday as mere ‘paper pushers’ who he said were ‘getting away with murder’ by not paying their fair share of taxes. In a telephone interview on CBS's ‘Face the Nation,’ Trump vowed to reform the tax laws if elected and said the current system was harming middle class Americans who currently faced higher tax rates than traders on Wall Street. ‘The hedge fund guys didn't build this country. These are guys that shift paper around and they get lucky,’ Trump said. ‘They are energetic. They are very smart. But a lot of them - they are paper-pushers. They make a fortune. They pay no tax. It's ridiculous, ok?’” [Reuters, 8/23/15]

DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTED ELIMINATING THE CARRIED INTEREST LOOPHOLE ON PROFITS BY HEDGE FUND MANAGERS

Trump Has Not Released A Detailed Tax Plan, But He Suggested Raising The Capital Gains Tax And That Profits Made By Hedge Fund Managers Should Be Taxed As Real Income. “Though Trump has not released a plan detailing the specifics of his proposed tax reforms, he has suggested raising the capital-gains tax repeatedly, claiming that the profits that hedge fund managers make should be taxed like real income.” [Business Insider, 9/9/15]

•	Hedge Fund Managers Pay Taxes At A Lower Rate Through The “Carried Interest” Loophole. “As CBS notes, many hedge-fund managers pay taxes on capital gains rather than income taxes, the rates of which are significantly higher for the highest earners. This is known as the ‘carried interest’ loophole in the tax code.” [Business Insider, 9/9/15]

TRUMP’S CALL TO CLOSE THE CARRIED INTEREST LOOPHOLE WAS PRAISED BY ELIZABETH WARREN, PAUL KRUGMAN, AND WARREN BUFFET

Elizabeth Warren, Paul Krugman, And Warren Buffet Praised Trump’s Call To Close The Carried Interest Loophole. “Donald Trump is earning praise from an unlikely trio of high-profile leaders for some of his proposals on taxes and the economy. In the past several days, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, and legendary investor Warren Buffett have praised Trump on taxes and economics. More specifically, the left-leaning trio has said they agree with Trump's call to close the so-called ‘carried interest’ tax loophole, which allows hedge-fund managers and other wealthier Americans to pay lower taxes on incomes through capital gains.” [Business Insider, 9/9/15]

Estate Tax

TRUMP PLANNED TO ELIMINATE THE ESTATE TAX

Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Eliminate The Estate Tax. “No family will have to pay the death tax. You earned and saved that money for your family, not the government. You paid taxes on it when you earned it.... The death tax punishes families for achieving the American dream. Therefore, the Trump plan eliminates the death tax.” [Donald J. Trump For President, Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again, 9/28/15]

1999: TRUMP CALLED FOR THE REPEAL OF THE FEDERAL INHERITANCE TAX

1999: Trump Proposed Repealing The Inheritance Tax. “My proposal would also allow us to entirely repeal the 55% Federal Inheritance tax which really hurts farmers and small businessmen and women more than anyone else.”[Statement, Donald J. Trump Presidential Exploratory Committee, 11/9/99]

IRS

TRUMP OPPOSED CALLS TO ELIMINATE THE IRS

Trump Did Not Support Abolishing The IRS. “After host Sean Hannity said, ‘I thought you liked the flat tax.’ Trump stated, ‘The problem with the flat tax is it’s sort of the same. I actually believe that people as they make more and more money can pay a higher percentage.’ Later he added, ‘I don’t like where everybody’s paying the same. If I make a billion dollars, and somebody else is making a hundred, and he’s paying ten dollars and I’m paying — to me, I don’t know. I like somewhat of a graduation. What you have now is a system that’s too complicated. The easiest thing to do is make that system uncomplicated, and make it really good, make it really good. And you know, as far as the IRS, people say ‘Let’s get rid of the IRS,’ somebody’s got to collect the money.’ Regarding simplifying the tax code, also stated, ‘The word is simplification. We can simplify. We can get rid of deductions.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]

Miscellaneous

1991: TRUMP BLASTED THE 1986 TAX REFORM, CALLING IT “THE DUMBEST TAX LAW EVER THOUGHT OF BY MAN”

Trump: “The 1986 Tax Law Change Was A Total Disaster.” TRUMP: “At the same time, the 1986 tax law change was a total disaster. It was dumb.  It was expensive.  It cost the United States billions and billions of dollars.  And it was foolish.  I mean you had some senators that had no idea what they were doing when they passed that. And it shouldn't have happened.  RTC was created.  Trillions of dollars in property were just thrown out, thrown out the window and bought for very little money by some very smart people.  And it should have never happened.”[Evans & Novak, CNN, 12/27/97]

•	Trump Said That The 1986 Tax Reform Act Destroyed The Real Estate Industry And The Savings And Loans Institutions. TRUMP: “The Government in 1986 passed the dumbest tax law ever thought of by man.  They destroyed the savings and loan institutions because of the real estate.  The insurance companies and banks are going to be next.  And if they don't put incentive back into real estate you're going to have a catastrophe in this country like you've never seen before.” KING: “The 'they,' though, is your party?” TRUMP: “Politicians.” KING: “The Republican Party?” TRUMP: “Well, I don't say the Republicans.  I mean, I guess it takes both parties to pass it, but they destroyed the real estate industry and this is why your unemployment is so high.  This is why your manufacturing is so low.  Real estate triggers everything.  When you build a house - again, refrigerators, carpeting, this, this, this.  It affects so many different things and, in 1986, they destroyed the real estate industry, stupidly, and they thought they were saving something on taxes.  In the meantime, the savings and loans are going to cost trillions of dollars to save.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91]

1999: TRUMP CLAIMED ECONOMISTS HAD DEEMED HIS TAX PLAN “BRILLIANT”

Trump Said That Economists Called His Tax Plan “Brilliant.” REDEKER: “What are economists saying about this idea?  It's certainly a radical approach to try and solve a few problems and maybe not that realistic, but what are they saying?” TRUMP: “I know lots of very great and talented economists.  The ones that I've spoken to and consulted with--and I'll be announcing who they are at a later date, if I decide to run, have said that this plan is, quote, ‘brilliant.’ I don't want to take the whole credit, but they have said it.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 11/10/99]

2011: TRUMP SAID HE WOULD IMPOSE A 25% TAX ON CHINESE PRODUCTS

Trump Said He Would Immediately Announce A 25% Tax On Chinese Products. TRUMP: “And if you read the real economists and real people that know what's going on it's an unfair playing field. So here's what happens. You said what would I do? I would immediately announce a tax of 25 percent. The first thing that's going to happen is the Chinese are going to call.”[Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

DONALD TRUMP WANTED TO CALCULATE TAXES ON IMPORTS BASED ON DEVALUATION OF THE COUNTRY’S CURRENCY, AND HAVE A SET TAX ON CHINESE GOODS

In Donald Trump’s “Time To Get Tough,” Which Was Reissued In 2015, Trump Suggested Calculating Taxes On Imports Based On The Devaluation Of The Country’s Currency And Setting A 25% Tax On Chinese Goods, But Trump Suggested A 12% Tariff On Chinese Products In A September 2015 Interview. “Mr. Trump’s 2011 book ‘Time to Get Tough’ has just been reissued in paperback with a new subtitle to match his campaign slogan ‘Make America Great Again.’ … In the book Mr. Trump suggests calculating taxes on imports based on how much a country’s currency is devalued and setting a 25% tax on Chinese goods if they don’t set a real market value on their currency. In an interview with The Economist this week, he suggested a 12% tariff on Chinese products.” [Wall Street Journal, Washington Wire blog, 9/4/15]

TRUMP BRAGGED ABOUT HIS OWN USE OF TAX SUBSIDIES

The Daily Beast: Donald Trump Bragged About Dodging NYC Taxes And Getting A Taxpayer-Funded Subsidy. “The ex-reality TV star’s love of cronyism extends beyond eminent domain and into tax dodging. In his Art of the Deal memoir, Trump bragged about obtaining a 40-year property ‘tax abatement’ from the City of New York so he could build a hotel. While an ‘abatement’ sounds like innocuous tax benefits, in effect it’s a taxpayer-funded subsidy similar to those sports team owners receive when they build new stadiums.” [The Daily Beast, 10/8/15]

Trade

TPP

Trump: “Stop TPP” “New orders for manufacturing down 9/10 months http://hotair.com/archives/2015/07/02/june-jobs-report-223k-added-but-432k-left-workforce-april-may-revised-down-60k/ … Time for fair trade. Stop TPP!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 7/2/15]

Free and Fair Trade

Trump: “I’m Not An Isolationist.” KING: “Are you as much of an isolationist in that area as Buchanan is?” TRUMP: “I'm not an isolationist.  What I am, though, is I think that you have to be treated fairly by other countries.  If other countries are not going to treat you fairly, Larry, I think that those countries should be -- they should suffer the consequences.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Trump: “Free Trade Is A Wonderful Thing.” KING: “So this isn't fair trade?  Free trade isn't fair trade?” TRUMP: “No, free trade is a wonderful thing, and I believe in free trade, but, at the same time, it's got to be fair trade.  You look at some of these -- I mean, look what Japan does with the cars and the subsidies and everything else, and look at Korea, with the ships and the subsidies they get.  I mean, it's very unfair to this country. What is happening throughout the world in a business sense is very unfair.  We could reduce taxes and take care of health care, and it would be beautiful, and you would have plenty of money left over.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Trade Wars

TRUMP ON A TRADE WAR: “WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?”

Trump Said He Was “OK” With Starting A Trade War, Saying “What Difference Does It Make.” CAVUTO: “You know, critics will say that invites a trade war right there.” TRUMP: “That’s OK. What difference does it make? I mean, we’re on the losing end. What difference does it make? We have such deficits with so many countries, we’re on the losing end. I mean, you look at Mexico, you look at some of these countries, we have such incredible trade imbalance that, what difference does it make? I would rather have no trade than the kind of trade we’re doing, because we are losing our shirts with most of these countries.”[Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 8/6/10]

Trump Said It Did Not Matter If Products Cost More Because Of Chinese Trade Policy Because His Son Already Had Enough Toy Airplanes. BURNETT: “So, if we adjust the currency, if China adjusts their currency, a couple of negative things might happen in the U.S. Prices at Wal-Mart may go up and the U.S. is still just barely passed by China in terms of manufacturing. So, make the case for why now, why they adjust?... Right, because it will cost a little bit more to make them here, but that's the choice you make as Americans.” TRUMP: “You know, I mean, I have a child upstairs who's got nine airplanes. So, instead of nine, he'll three that will be made in this country, and I like that. And he wouldn't know the difference.” BURNETT: “No, he wouldn't. Who needs nine airplanes, right?” TRUMP: “He doesn't need it. They are stacked up in a corner. Who needs it? They will be made in this country.” [Outfront, CNN, 10/10/11]

NAFTA and WTO

Trump In 1999: “NAFTA Is Going To Look Like A Disaster.” KING: “You shared Mr. Perot and Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Nader's belief with regard to NAFTA, right?  You were an opponent of NAFTA?” TRUMP: “I am.  And the reason NAFTA looks OK now is because the economy is strong, but when the economy is not strong, which, unfortunately, will at some point happen, NAFTA is going to look like a disaster.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Trump: “I’m Not A NAFTA Fan, I’m Not A World Trade Organization Fan.” TRUMP: “Yeah, I think certain areas do thrive.  I think certain areas are not.  I mean, I'm not a NAFTA fan, I'm not a World Trade Organization fan.  I'm really a big trade fan.  I think we should be trading, but we should be trading on a fair basis.  We're not trading on a fair basis right now.  Look, the United States has been a sucker for many, many years on world trade.  That's why our deficits are so--you know, in China, we lose a hundred billion dollars to China, and then we have a problem with North Korea, and China won't help us because nobody speaks to them properly.  Not tough, properly.”[This Week, ABC, 12/5/99]

Tariffs

Club For Growth: Trump Called For A 20% Tax On Imported Goods And A “Twenty-Five Percent Tax On China, Unless They Behave.”  “Trump on Trade Trump has called for ‘a 20% tax for importing goods,’ and a ‘Twenty-five percent tax on China, unless they behave.’” [The Club For Growth press release, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Boasted He Would Have Blocked New Ford Plants In Mexico By Threatening To Impose A 35% Tax On Vehicles And Parts Made In Mexico And Shipped To The U.S. But Only Congress Can Impose Taxes And Such A Tax Would Violate The North American Free Trade Agreement.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD RELY ON TARIFFS TO KEEP JOBS FROM MOVING OVERSEAS

Trump Would Use Tariffs To Keep Companies From Moving Overseas. “Pressed by Cuomo on how exactly he'd get American companies to stop building factories overseas, where labor is cheaper, Trump said he'd slap the companies with tariffs and communicate with them.” [CNN, 8/19/15]

•	CNN Money: Trump’s Massive Tariffs “Would Start An Immediate Trade War That Would Likely Hurt American Jobs And Exports.” “Trump's big claim is that he will bring back American jobs -- ‘from China, from Mexico, from Japan, from so many places.’ If you listen closely, Trump has proposed doing this two ways: slapping tariffs on foreign goods and negotiating better trade deals. In his campaign announcement speech, he threatened a 35% tax on Ford (F) vehicles made in Mexico that are brought back to the U.S. to be sold, and in 2011, he has made headlines for suggesting a 25% tariff on goods coming from China to the U.S. At face value, what Trump has proposed would start an immediate trade war that would likely hurt American jobs and exports.” [CNN Money, 7/28/15]

1989: TRUMP CALLED FOR 15 TO 20 PERCENT TARIFFS ON GOODS FROM JAPAN AND ANY OTHER NATION THAT ABUSES THE U.S.

Trump Advocated 15 To 20% Tariffs On “All Of The Many Nations That Abuse The United States,” Especially Japan. TRUMP: “The top ten banks in the world are Japanese banks.” SAWYER: “But it's all right if they continue to invest at the current rate?” TRUMP: “I think investment is fine, but I think we should take plenty of their money so they won't be able to invest as much. I believe very strongly in tariffs. I believe that Japan - and I'm not just saying Japan. I'm saying that all of the many nations that abuse the United States should pay a major tax - like a 15 or a 20 percent tax on any product they sell in the United States. I'm using Japan as an example. Japan is not even the worst abuser. If you look at West Germany, if you look at Saudi Arabia, if you look at so many of the other countries, South Korea, they are absolutely catastrophic in what they're doing to this country. America is being ripped off. And I'll tell you what. We're not going to have an America in 10 years if it keeps going like this. We're a debtor nation, and we have to tax, we have to tariff, we have to protect this country. And nobody's doing it.”[Primetime Live, ABC News, 11/2/89]

Trade with China and Currency Devaluation

TRUMP: THERE’S NO CHOICE BUT TO START A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA

In Response To China Devaluing Their Currency, Trump Said He Would Put A Tariff On Chinese Products And Claimed We “Have To” Have A Trade War With China. “Challenged by host Bill O'Reilly, the celebrity real estate tycoon doubled down on what has become a main issue in his campaign, criticizing the U.S. government for allowing China to devalue its currency. Trump said he would put a tariff on Chinese products, saying ‘you have to’ have a trade war. ‘Their leaders are intelligent, ours aren't,’ Trump said Monday.” [The Hill, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

Trump Said He Would Start A Trade War With China, Stating “You Have To Do That ... You Have No Choice.” “Trump, who has made a similar call with Mexico, said Monday that he would initiate a trade war with China, saying ‘you have to do that ... you have no choice.’: [CNN, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

2011: TRUMP INSISTED HE WOULD ENCOURAGE A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA 

Trump Said He Would Urge A Trade War With China And Urge Americans To Stop Buy Fewer Chinese Products. CAVUTO: “I would imagine, President Trump would then start urging Americans to buy less from China.” TRUMP: “Absolutely.” CAVUTO: “Trade war. Trade war ensues then what?” TRUMP: “Oh, I'd urge that anyway. Look, this isn't free trade. This isn't free trade. If you try and do business, I have to tell you, Nucor, a great steel company, you ask that gentleman that's running Nucor, is it possible to do business in China? He'll tell you it's virtually impossible. We can't do business in China. They do business with us. I've had Chinese partners. I will tell you right now, very difficult. Want the edge all the time. And unless we have the right people to deal with them, you got yourself a big problem in this country and we don't have the right people as of this moment that are dealing with the Chinese.”[Your World With Neil Cavuto, Fox News, 1/18/11]

TRUMP HAS CALLED FOR TARIFFS BETWEEN 12 AND 20 PERCENT ON CHINESE PRODUCTS 

2015: Trump Said He Would Impose Import Tariffs Of Up To 12 Percent On China. “As for China, Trump said he would play hardball with Beijing on trade. He accused China of devaluing its currency and said he would hit the Chinese with import tariffs of up to 12 percent.” [Public Radio International, 9/7/15]

•	The Economist’s David Rennie: “If [Donald Trump] Did One-Tenth Of What He’s Planning, He Would Trigger A Global Trade War, Which Would Cause A Kind Of Global Recession And Cost Lots Of Jobs.” “The editors at The Economist looked at the overall implications of Trump’s policy ideas and were less than impressed. ‘Americans are waking up to the possibility that a man whose hobby is naming things after himself might — conceivably — be the nominee of the party of Lincoln and Reagan. It is worth spelling out why that would be a terrible thing,’ they write in the latest issue of the magazine. ‘From an economics point-of-view, we think that if he did one-tenth of what he’s planning, he would trigger a global trade war, which would cause a kind of global recession and cost lots of jobs,’ [David] Rennie [Washington bureau chief for The Economist] says.” [Public Radio International, 9/7/15]

2011: Trump Said He Would Put A 40% Tariff On Chinese Products “Without Hesitation” If China Continued To Manipulate Its Currency. SPITZER: “Based on what you just said about China and their manipulation of their currency which is estimated to be between 30, 40 percent. Are you going to slap a 40 percent tariff on everything coming in from China?” TRUMP: “If they don't change their ways I would do it without hesitation.”[In The Arena, CNN, 4/22/11]

2011: TRUMP SAID HE WOULD IMPOSE A 25% TAX ON CHINESE PRODUCTS

Trump Said He Would Immediately Announce A 25% Tax On Chinese Products. TRUMP: “And if you read the real economists and real people that know what's going on it's an unfair playing field. So here's what happens. You said what would I do? I would immediately announce a tax of 25 percent. The first thing that's going to happen is the Chinese are going to call.”[Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

TRUMP CALLED FOR “A BIG UNCOUPLING” OF THE U.S. AND CHINESE ECONOMIES

After The Slump In China’s Stock Market, Trump Called For “A Big Uncoupling” Of The U.S. And Chinese Economies. “Trump sharpened his attacks against China on Monday after the U.S. stock market took a dive over concerns about China's economy, leading Trump to call for ‘a big uncoupling’ of the U.S. and Chinese economies. ‘They want our people to starve -- they're taking our business away. They've taken our jobs away,’ Trump said.” [CNN, 8/25/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 8/24/15]

Trump Claimed A Fall In The U.S. Stock Market Was Due To U.S. Ties To China. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lamented the global stock market turmoil Monday morning -- when the Dow plummeted 1,000 points at open -- saying it's an example of how the United States is too closely tied to China. ‘As I have long stated, we are so tied in with China and Asia that their markets are now taking the U.S. market down. Get smart U.S.A.’ Trump tweeted. He added in a separate Tweet: ‘Markets are crashing - all caused by poor planning and allowing China and Asia to dictate the agenda. This could get very messy! Vote Trump.’” [CNN, 8/24/15]

TRUMP CALLED FOR “STRONG ACTION” TO DEAL WITH CHINA’S CURRENCY MANIPULATION…

Trump Said That The U.S. Has “To Take Strong Action” To Deal With China’s Currency Devaluation. The New York Times on Donald Trump: “How would he handle China, should it keep devaluing its currency? ‘Well, you have to take strong action,’ he said at a news conference here later in the day, right before he took the stage in a hall crammed with about 3,000 people.” [New York Times, 8/11/15]

Trump Said That China’s Currency Manipulation Would Be “Devastating” For The U.S. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday said China's devaluation of the yuan would be ‘devastating’ for the United States. ‘They're just destroying us,’ the billionaire businessman, a long-time critic of China's currency policy, said in a CNN interview. ‘They keep devaluing their currency until they get it right. They're doing a big cut in the yuan, and that's going to be devastating for us.’” [Reuters, 8/11/15]

Trump Said That China’s Devaluation Of Its Currency Would “Suck The Blood Out Of The United States!” “The speech started with a riff on China's currency devaluation, which Trump tried to put in layman's terms: ‘Devalue means, suck the blood out of the United States!’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; Genesee and Saginaw Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner, 8/11/15]

YET TRUMP SOLD GOODS THAT WERE MADE IN CHINA…

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Sells Chinese Goods Despite Accusing China of Stealing US Jobs.” [ABC News, 6/17/15]

ABC News: “In His Campaign Kickoff On Tuesday, Donald Trump Blasted Cheap Chinese Goods — But He Has No Problem Putting His Name On Them And Selling Them.” “In his campaign kickoff on Tuesday, Donald Trump blasted cheap Chinese goods — but he has no problem putting his name on them and selling them. The day after his tirade, the Trump Store inside the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York boasted an array of imported goods, including teddy bears and T-shirts from China alongside products from Haiti, Nicaragua and Lesotho. Trump mentioned China two-dozen times in the opener to his 2016 presidential bid, accusing that country and Mexico of putting Americans out of work. ‘They can’t get jobs, because there are no jobs, because China has our jobs and Mexico has our jobs,’ Trump said.” [ABC News, 6/17/15]

AND SAID HE PROCURED HIS BUILDING MATERIALS FROM CHINA 

Trump Said That He Buys Chinese Products Because They Are Cheaper.KING: “Do you know your wife sells a jewelry line on QVC?” TRUMP: “That's true. And you know what else -- can I give you--” KING: “Do you know every piece of jewelry -- every piece of jewelry is made in China?” TRUMP: “Can I tell you what else? I build my buildings, unfortunately, because companies can't compete because they manipulate their currency. So China makes jewelry and they make curtain walls and they make lots of other things and it shouldn't be that way, John. We should be making it.”KING: “People will ask, is this guy a hypocrite? He's out there beating up on the Chinese and his wife is making money selling products made in China.” TRUMP: “Because of the fact that China manipulates their currency. And they really manipulate it big league. And our people aren't smart enough to know what's going on. When I order curtain walls for a big beautiful building, when I order other things, you know what happened with the sheetrock, because the good news is we make better products than they make in China. But when I order -- can I talk? When I order various elements for building a big building, many of them come from China. Many other industries, the same thing. These -- it comes from China. You know why? Because they manipulate the hell out of their currency.”  [John King USA, CNN, 4/27/11]

•	Trump Said He Often Can’t Buy American Products Because No One Makes Them In The U.S. TRUMP: “When I order curtain walls, when I order other things -- I order thousands of television sets for a building, thousands. I said, ‘Let's buy it from the United States. I want America. I want United States.’ There's no place that makes them. We don't have television companies in this country. I mean, of any consequence. So, I end up getting LGs made in South Korea, thousands of them. Now, why -- excuse me, why aren't we -- why aren't we making them in this country? Why?” [John King USA, CNN, 4/27/11]

Transportation and Infrastructure

Trump On U.S. Infrastructure: “We’re Becoming A Third World Country.” “But we’re becoming a third world country, because of our infrastructure, our airports, our roads, everything.” [Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement, 6/16/15]

Women and Families

Abortion

TRUMP PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED AS PRO-CHOICE

Trump: “I Used To Not Be Pro-Life. I Have Become Pro-Life.”  O'REILLY: “Ok. Real quick, social issues. Abortion…You favor it?” TRUMP: “No, I'm as you know, I'm pro-life.” O'REILLY: “Ok, so you're pro-life on abortion. But would you outlaw abortion?” TRUMP: “Well, I'd -- I'd go a step -- I'd go a pretty strong step. Something I don't like, I used to not be pro-life. I have become pro-life. I have seen friends that had children that they didn't want. And now they have children and they are the apple of the eye. So I really have changed in my views over the years but I am pro-life. I would -- I would really -- I'm forming an opinion, I'm forming a very strong opinion but I'll let you know in about three or four weeks if I decided it.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 3/30/11]

2015: TRUMP SUPPORTED A 20 WEEK ABORTION BAN

Trump Supported The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Which Prohibited Abortion After 20 Weeks Of Pregnancy. “In an exclusive to The Brody File, Donald Trump has come out in support of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill, which will be taken up by Congress, prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Donald Trump released his exclusive statement to The Brody File below: ‘I support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and urge Congress to pass this bill. A ban on elective abortions after 20 weeks will protect unborn children. We should not be one of seven countries that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks. It goes against our core values.’ –Donald Trump” [CBN, 7/23/15]

TRUMP SAID HE SUPPORTED ALL ABORTION BAN EXCEPTIONS

Trump Supported Abortion Ban Exceptions In Cases Of Rape, Incest Or The Health Of The Mother. “Business mogul Donald Trump went on a media blitz Tuesday morning, making back-to-back appearances on Fox and CNN as he sought to tamper down the controversy over his spat with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly… But he believes abortion ban exceptions should be made in cases of rape, incest or compromised health of the mother. ‘I am for the exceptions. You have the three exceptions, I am for the exceptions. … I absolutely am for the exceptions, and so was Ronald Reagan for the exceptions, by the way. There’s nothing wrong with that, you have to do it, in my opinion,’ he said on CNN.” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; New Day, CNN, 8/11/15]

TRUMP DID NOT SAY WHETHER HE WOULD TRY TO APPEAL ROE V. WADE

Trump Did Not Say Whether He Would Try To Repeal Roe V. Wade, Saying “You Need A Lot Of Supreme Court Judges.” AUDIENCE MEMBER: “Will you try to defund [Planned Parenthood], and repeal Roe v. Wade?” DONALD TRUMP: “Well, the answer is yes, defund. The other, you need a lot of Supreme Court justices. But we’re gonna be looking at that also very, very carefully. But you need a lot of Supreme Court judges. But defund, yes, we’re going to be doing that.” [Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Waterville Valley NH, 12/1/15]

TRUMP CLAIMED TO AGREE WITH A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO PRIVACY, BUT SAID HE WAS PRO-LIFE

Trump Agreed That There Was A Right To Privacy In The Constitution. GUTHRIE: “Is there a right to privacy in the Constitution?” TRUMP: “I guess there is. I guess there is.” [MSNBC, 4/19/11]

Trump: “I’m Strong On Pro-Life.” GUTHRIE: “Is there a right to privacy in the Constitution?” TRUMP: “I guess there is. I guess there is. I mean, why -- and why, just out of curiosity, why do you ask that question?” GUTHRIE: “So how does that -- Well, I’m just wondering how that squares with your pro-life views.” TRUMP: “Well, that’s a pretty strange of getting to pro-life. I mean, it’s a very unique way of asking about pro-life. Why are you -- what does that have to do with privacy? How are you -- how are you equating pro-life with privacy?” GUTHRIE: “Well, you know about the Roe v. Wade decision.” TRUMP: “Yes, right, sure. Look, I’m for pro -- I am pro-life. I’ve said it. I’m very strong there and I’m strong on pro-life.” [MSNBC, 4/19/11]

Planned Parenthood and Women’s Health Care

TRUMP SUPPORTED DEFUNDING ANDSHUTTING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT OVER PLANNED PARENTHOOD…

Trump Supported Defunding Planned Parenthood. “Trump has also come out in support of defunding Planned Parenthood after newly released videotapes have come out showing Planned Parenthood doctors arranging the sale of body parts from aborted babies.” [CBN, 7/23/15]

Trump Supported Shutting Down The Government To Defund Planned Parenthood. “Real estate mogul Donald Trump said he supports shutting down the government over legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, adding that the Republican Party could have done the same thing with Obamacare. ‘I would [support a government shutdown], and I was also in support if the Republicans stuck together you could have done it with Obamacare also, but the Republicans decided not to stick together and they left a few people out there like Ted Cruz,’ Trump said on the ‘Hugh Hewitt Show’ on Monday.” [Politico, 8/4/15]

Trump Issued A Statement Calling For Planned Parenthood To Receive No Federal Funding While The Group Continues To Conduct Abortions. “In response to several folks seemingly misunderstanding what the 2016 GOP frontrunner said on CNN on Tuesday morning about Planned Parenthood funding, Donald Trump has issued a statement to Breitbart News exclusively that makes it crystal clear where he stands: While the organization conducts abortions, they should receive no taxpayer dollars. That means Trump supports one of two pathways forward for Planned Parenthood: Either they stop conducting abortions, or they lose all their taxpayer subsidies.” [Breitbart, 8/11/15]

BUT STILL CLAIMED TO SUPPORT SOME OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S SERVICES

Trump Supported Defunding Parts Of Planned Parenthood, But Not All Of It. “Business mogul Donald Trump went on a media blitz Tuesday morning, making back-to-back appearances on Fox and CNN as he sought to tamper down the controversy over his spat with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly….He wants to defund parts of Planned Parenthood, but not all of it. ‘I would look at the good aspects of it, because I’m sure they do some things properly and good and good for women. And I would look at that, and I would look at other aspects also,’ he said on CNN. ‘But we have to take care of women. We have to absolutely take care of women. The abortion aspect of Planned Parenthood should absolutely not be funded.’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; New Day, CNN, 8/11/15]

Trump Said That Abortion Was A Small But Brutal Part Of What Planned Parenthood Did. “Trump's proposal: Abortion is a small but brutal part of what Planned Parenthood does. They also serve women. Jeb Bush was so bad on women's health issues the other day! We have to help women. The answer: ‘Maybe unless they stop with the abortions, we don't do the funding for the stuff that they want. There are many ways you can do that, Sean.’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/11/15]

•	Trump Defended Planned Parenthood’s Non-Abortion Services And Called For The Group To Be Funded. “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump defended Planned Parenthood during an interview Tuesday night, doubling down on his remarks that part of the group should be funded. ‘They do good things,’ Trump said during an interview with Sean Hannity that aired on Fox News. ‘There's two Planned Parenthoods, in a way. You have it as an abortion clinic. Now that's actually a fairly small part of what they do, but it’s a brutal part and I'm totally against it,’ Trump said. ‘They also, however, service women,’ Trump said, adding later, ‘We have to help women. A lot of women are helped. So we have to look at the positives for Planned Parenthood.’ Trump's comments immediately drew fire from anti-abortion-rights advocates, who say that abortion represents a larger portion of what the organization does and that it should be entirely defunded.” [The Hill, 8/12/15]

TRUMP CALLED ON JEB BUSH TO APOLOGIZE FOR SUGGESTING THAT THE U.S. SPENT TOO MUCH ON WOMEN’S HEALTH

Trump Called On Jeb Bush To Apologize For His Comments On Women’s Health Care. “Business mogul Donald Trump went on a media blitz Tuesday morning, making back-to-back appearances on Fox and CNN as he sought to tamper down the controversy over his spat with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly….He thinks Bush is waging a war on women. ‘I think Jeb Bush owes women an apology because he made a terrible statement about women's health issues, and it was a foolish statement and perhaps a stupid statement,’ he said on CNN. ‘It’s a statement that should never have come up, it should never have been made, and I think that will prove to be his ‘47 percent.’ … He's the one that has to apologize to women.’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15; New Day, CNN, 8/11/15]

AFTER THE SHOOTING AT A PLANNED PARENTHOOD FACILITY, TRUMP DEFENDED SECRETLY RECORDED VIDEOS OF THE ORGANIZATION’S OFFICIALS AND DISMISSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE SHOOTER’S MOTIVE

Donald Trump Defended The Secretly Recorded Videos Of Planned Parenthood Officials That Launched Renewed Conservative Criticism Of Planned Parenthood. “‘Told by host Chuck Todd that Dear had reportedly spoken of ‘baby parts’ to police, the Republican presidential front-runner defended the series of secretly recorded videos with Planned Parenthood officials that launched a fresh wave of conservative attacks against the organization. ‘I will tell you there is a tremendous group of people that think it's terrible, all of the videos that they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood, talking about it like you're selling parts to a car,’ Trump said.” [Politico, 11/29/15]

•	Donald Trump Said The 11/27/15 Shooting Attack At A Planned Parenthood Facility In Colorado Was “Terrible. It’s More Of The Same. And I Think It's A Terrible Thing. And He's A Maniac!” CHUCK TODD: “Let me ask you about your reaction to [the 11/27/15 shooting attack at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs,] Colorado.” DONALD TRUMP: “Okay. I think it's terrible. I mean, terrible. It's more of the same. And I think it's a terrible thing. And he's a maniac! He's a maniac.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 11/29/15]

Donald Trump Said “A Tremendous Group Of People” Think Planned Parenthood Is “Terrible” And That He Sees “A Lot Of Dislike For Planned Parenthood” At His Rallies. DONALD TRUMP: “Well, I will tell you there is a tremendous group of people that think it's terrible, all of the videos that they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood talking about it like you're selling parts to a car. I mean, there are a lot of people that are very unhappy about that. Now, I know some of the tapes were perhaps not pertinent. … But there were many tapes that are appropriate in terms of commenting on. And there are people that are extremely upset about it. It looks like you're talking about parts to some machine or something. And they're not happy about it.” TODD: “But it does sound like you understand why people might react this way.” TRUMP: “Well, there's tremendous dislike. … [At rallies] I see a lot of anxiety and I see a lot of dislike for Planned Parenthood. There's no question about that.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 11/29/15]

TRUMP SAID THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTER’S STATEMENTS ABOUT “NO MORE BABY PARTS” WERE INDICATIVE OF HIS MOTIVE OR REFLECTIVE OF THE HEATED RHETORIC ABOUT THE GROUP

11/29/15: Donald Trump Argued, Despite The Planned Parenthood Shooter’s Comments About Baby Parts To Officers, That No Inference Could Be Drawn Regarding His Motive Because He Had Not Released A Statement Describing His Motive. CHUCK TODD: “Now, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood is concerned that the heated rhetoric around the Planned Parenthood debate could've had an adverse effect, basically, on this mentally disturbed individual. Do you think the rhetoric got out of hand on Planned Parenthood?” DONALD TRUMP: “No. I think he's a sick person. And I think he was probably a person ready to go. We don't even know the purpose. I mean, he hasn't come out, to the best of my knowledge, with a statement as to why it happened to be at that location.” TODD: “Well, we have reporting —” TRUMP: “Nobody knows. He lived in a different area.” TODD: “— We have reporting that he was talking about baby parts and things like that from law enforcement officials during his interview.” TRUMP: “Well, I will tell you there is a tremendous group of people that think it's terrible, all of the videos that they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood talking about it like you're selling parts to a car. I mean, there are a lot of people that are very unhappy about that.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 11/29/15]

•	Donald Trump Denied That The Heated Rhetoric Surrounding Planned Parenthood Could Have Had An Adverse Effect On A Mentally Disturbed Individual. CHUCK TODD: “Now, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood is concerned that the heated rhetoric around the Planned Parenthood debate could've had an adverse effect, basically, on this mentally disturbed individual. Do you think the rhetoric got out of hand on Planned Parenthood?” DONALD TRUMP: “No. I think he's a sick person.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 11/29/15] 

Equal Pay

In Response To A Question Asking How He Would Ensure Equal Pay For Women, Donald Trump Said He Paid Women “More Than Men, For Similar Work Because They Are Better,” But That When The Government Says “‘Everybody Gets Equal Pay’ You Get Away From The Whole American Dream, You Get Away From Capitalism In A Sense.” “You can give the politically correct answer, but you have to let people get out there. I have to tell you, I have a company where I pay women in many cases more than men, for similar work because they are better. But when you start getting involved -- [applause] no, come on, I do it. … Here is the problem. If you start getting involved with government on ‘this one gets this pay and this one gets that pay,’ and you say — where does it all start?’ You could have a woman much better than a man, or you could have a woman that’s not as good as man, and if you sorta say ‘everybody gets equal pay’ you get away from the whole American Dream. You get away from capitalism in a sense. I can tell you, that I have women, honestly that are just, in many cases, they’re better than men and I paid them more than men. And to a certain extent, people have to go out and they have to fight for themselves. I don't know if people agree with me, but once you get where everybody gets the same, I mean you’re into a socialistic society.” [Donald Trump, WHO-TV Iowa Forum, Newton, Iowa, 11/19/15]

Employer-Provided Child Care

Donald Trump Said Companies Could “Very Easily” Provide Child Care For Their Employees — "You Need One Person Or Two People, And You Need Some Blocks … You Know, Surely, It's Not Expensive.” “Donald Trump doesn't understand why so few companies provide affordable, in-house child care for their employees like he does at some of his companies. ‘It's not expensive for a company to do it,’ Trump said during a town hall at a community college in this small town on Thursday afternoon. ‘You need one person or two people, and you need some blocks and you need some swings and some toys. You know, surely, it's not expensive. It's not an expensive thing. I do it all over, and I get great people because of it... It's something that can be done, I think, very easily by a company.’” [Washington Post, 11/19/15] 

Donald Trump Said He Provides Child Care For His Employees — “I Do It All Over, And I Get Great People Because Of It.” “Donald Trump doesn't understand why so few companies provide affordable, in-house child care for their employees like he does at some of his companies. ‘It's not expensive for a company to do it,’ Trump said during a town hall at a community college in this small town on Thursday afternoon. ‘You need one person or two people, and you need some blocks and you need some swings and some toys. You know, surely, it's not expensive. It's not an expensive thing. I do it all over, and I get great people because of it... It's something that can be done, I think, very easily by a company.’” [Washington Post, 11/19/15] 

Sexual Assaults

DONALD TRUMP’S EX-WIFE IVANA HAS USED THE WORDS “VIOLATED” AND “RAPE” TO DESCRIBE A SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH TRUMP

HEADLINE: “Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	SUBHEADLINE: “Ivana Trump Once Accused The Real-Estate Tycoon Of ‘Rape,’ Although She Later Clarified: Not In The ‘Criminal Sense.’” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump’s Ex-Wife Wife Ivana Trump Accused Trump Of Raping Her In 1989. “It was an unfortunate turn of phrase for Trump—in more ways than one. Not only does the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination have a history of controversial remarks about sexual assault, but as it turns out, his ex-wife Ivana Trump once used ‘rape’ to describe an incident between them in 1989. She later said she felt ‘violated’ by the experience.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Ivana Trump’s “Rape” Assertion Originally Appeared In A Deposition As A Part Of The Early 1990s Divorce Case Between The Trumps And Was Described As A “Violent Assault” In The 1993 Book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump. “Ivana Trump’s assertion of ‘rape’ came in a deposition—part of the early ’90s divorce case between the Trumps, and revealed in the 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump. The book, by former Texas Monthly and Newsweek reporter Harry Hurt III, described a harrowing scene. After a painful scalp reduction surgery to remove a bald spot, Donald Trump confronted his then-wife, who had previously used the same plastic surgeon. ‘Your fucking doctor has ruined me!’ Trump cried. What followed was a ‘violent assault,’ according to Lost Tycoon.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

IN RESPONSE TO A STORY ABOUT IVANA’S RAPE ALLEGATIONS, DONALD TRUMP’S SPECIAL COUNSEL SAID “YOU CAN’T RAPE YOUR SPOUSE AND TOLD THE REPORTER HE WOULD “MESS YOUR LIFE UP”

Michael Cohen, Special Counsel At The Trump Organization: “Understand That By The Very Definition, You Can’t Rape Your Spouse.” “Michael Cohen, special counsel at The Trump Organization, defended his boss, saying, ‘You’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual who never raped anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse.’ ‘It is true,’ Cohen added. ‘You cannot rape your spouse. And there’s very clear case law.’ Ivana Trump’s assertion of ‘rape’ came in a deposition—part of the early ’90s divorce case between the Trumps, and revealed in the 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump….That is not true. In New York, there used to be a so-called marital rape exemption to the law. It was struck down in 1984.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump Special Counsel: “So I’m Warning You, Tread Very Fucking Lightly, Because What I’m Going To Do To You Is Going To Be Fucking Disgusting. … You Write A Story That Has Mr. Trump’s Name In It, With The Word ‘Rape,’ And I’m Going To Mess Your Life Up.” “Trump’s lawyer then changed tactics, lobbing insults and threatening a lawsuit if a story was published. ‘I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we’re in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don’t have. And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know,’ Cohen said. ‘So I’m warning you, tread very fucking lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting. You understand me?’ ‘You write a story that has Mr. Trump’s name in it, with the word ‘rape,’ and I’m going to mess your life up…for as long as you’re on this frickin’ planet…you’re going to have judgments against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it,’ he added.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

COHEN APOLOGIZED FOR SAYING “YOU CANNOT RAPE YOUR SPOUSE”

Michael Cohen, Special Counsel To Trump, Apologized For Saying “You Cannot Rape Your Spouse.” “Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump. Cohen has been a long-time aide to Trump, but he found himself facing the national media glare last month when he defended his boss to a Daily Beast reporter in a story about rebuffed allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump. Cohen has since publicly apologized for telling the Daily Beast that ‘you cannot rape your spouse’ and has repeatedly said that he does not believe that statement. ‘As an attorney, husband and father there are many injustices that offend me but nothing more than charges of rape or racism. They hit me at my core,’ Cohen said in an apology statement to CNN. Cohen has served as a media liaison to Trump, helping to coordinate interviews. And he has also appeared on television defending Trump's campaign, but his public appearances have dwindled following the controversy.” The Hill, 8/14/15]

WHEN MIKE TYSON WAS CONVICTED OF RAPE, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGNED FOR A LENIENT SENTENCE WITH NO JAIL TIME

Donald Trump Campaigned For A Lenient Sentence With No Jail Time After Mike Tyson Was Convicted Of Raping An 18-Year-Old Girl In 1992, Suggesting Tyson Should Give Millions To A Rape Survivor Fund Instead. “Trump campaigned for a lenient sentence for former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, whom he'd advised in the past, after Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old girl in 1992. The real estate mogul proposed that Tyson be ordered to pay millions of dollars to his victim and into a fund for other rape survivors rather than serve a prison sentence. ‘As everybody knows, I am very strong on the death penalty and for the strongest of sanctions and hardest of disciplines for anyone,’ Trump said in an interview with Newsday at the time. ‘But far more people can be helped by allowing the tremendous sums of money from his fights to be put into funds used for rape victims.’ Tyson was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison, but a judge suspended four years of that sentence.” [Talking Points Memo, 7/29/15]

DONALD TRUMP ON MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT: “WHAT DID THESE GENIUSES EXPECT WHEN THEY PUT MEN & WOMEN TOGETHER?”

Trump: “26,000 Unreported Sexual [Assaults] In The Military—Only 238 Convictions. What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” “Two years ago, Trump weighed in on the alarming rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on the presence of women. ‘26,000 unreported sexual [assaults] in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?’ he tweeted in 2013. ‘The Generals and top military brass never wanted a mixer but were forced to do it by very dumb politicians who wanted to be politically [correct]!’ he continued.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	Donald Trump: “26,000 Unreported Sexual Assults In The Military-Only 238 Convictions. What Did These Geniuses Expect When They Put Men & Women Together?” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/7/13]

Trump: “The Generals And Top Military Brass Never Wanted A Mixer But Were Forced To Do It By Very Dumb Politicians Who Wanted To Be Politically [Correct]!” “Two years ago, Trump weighed in on the alarming rate of sexual assault and rape in the military—and in doing so, pinned the blame on the presence of women. ‘26,000 unreported sexual [assaults] in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?’ he tweeted in 2013. ‘The Generals and top military brass never wanted a mixer but were forced to do it by very dumb politicians who wanted to be politically [correct]!’ he continued.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	Donald Trump: "The Generals And Top Military Brass Never Wanted A Mixer But Were Forced To Do It By Very Dumb Politicians Who Wanted To Be Politically C!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/7/13]

Offensive Comments

TRUMP ATTACKED MEGYN KELLY FOR QUESTIONING HIS COMMENTS ABOUT WOMEN BEING “DOGS,” “FAT PIGS,” ETC.

Megyn Kelly Questioned Trump For Calling Women “'Fat Pigs,' 'Dogs,' Slobs, And Disgusting Animals.” “Real-estate magnate Donald Trump was confronted by Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly during the first Republican presidential debate on Thursday, accusing him of being insensitive toward women. ‘You've called women you don't like, 'fat pigs,' 'dogs,' slobs, and disgusting animals,’ Kelly opened a question to Trump. ‘Only Rosie O'Donnell,’ Trump quipped. ‘No it wasn't. For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O'Donnell. Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women's looks. You once told a contestant on 'Celebrity Apprentice' it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?’ Kelly asked Trump. Trump went on to say he thinks a major problem with America is its trend toward being ‘politically correct.’ And he told Kelly if she didn't like it, ‘I'm sorry.’ ‘I think the big problem this country has being politically correct. I've been challenged by so many people and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness,’ he said. [Business Insider, 8/6/15]

•	Trump Attacked Rosie O’Donnell, Calling Her “Disgusting” And Saying That He Wanted To Sue Her Because He’d “Like To Take Some Money Out Of Her Fat-Ass Pockets.” “When Rosie O’Donnell of ‘The View’ criticized Trump for the move, he didn’t pull punches. This was personal. ‘Rosie O’Donnell is disgusting, I mean both inside and out,’ Trump said. ‘… Take a look at her, she’s a slob. She talks like a truck driver. … Her show failed when it was a talk show, she failed on that.’ He added: ‘Probably I’ll sue her because it would be fun. I’d like to take some money out of her fat-ass pockets.’” [The Washington Post, 7/13/15]

When Trump Was Asked About Offensive Comments He Had Made Toward Women, He Claimed “It’s Fun, It’s Kidding. We Have A Good Time.” KELLY: “Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?” …TRUMP: “And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it’s fun, it’s kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.” [Washington Post, 8/7/15; Republican Primary Debate, Cleveland OH, 8/6/15]

After Megyn Kelly Asked Trump If He Had The Temperament To Be President When He Has In The Past Called Women ‘Fat Pigs’ And ‘Slobs’ Trumped Attacked Her, Saying “I’ve Been Very Nice To You, Although I Could Probably Maybe Not Be, Based On How You’ve Treated Me.” “Later, Kelly asked Trump if he had the temperament to be president when he has in the past called women ‘fat pigs’ and ‘slobs.’‘The big problem this country has is being politically correct,’ Trump shot back.‘What I say is what I say, and honestly, Megyn, if you don’t like it I’m sorry,’ he continued. ‘I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on how you’ve treated me, but I won’t do that.’” [The Hill, 8/6/15]

Trump Said Kelly Should Apologize To Him For Asking ‘Stupid’ And ‘Unfair’ Questions. “Donald Trump on Monday showed no signs of slowing down or shutting up, saying he thinks Megyn Kelly should offer him an apology for asking a ‘stupid’ and ‘unfair’ question. ‘She should really be apologizing to me, you want to know the truth. And other candidates have said that,’ Trump said Monday on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe.’” [Politico, 8/10/15]

TRUMP SAID THAT A FEMALE JOURNALIST WHO ASKED ABOUT PAST MISOGYNISTIC COMMENTS HAD “BLOOD COMING OUT OF HER EYES, BLOOD COMING OUT OF HER WHATEVER”

Trump Hit Megyn Kelly For The Questions She Asked During The First Debate And Claimed “You Could See There Was Blood Coming Out Of Her Eyes, Blood Coming Out Of Her Wherever.” “During Thursday's presidential debate, Kelly pressed Trump about misogynistic, sexist comments he made in the past, such as calling some women ‘fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.’ Trump slammed Kelly, saying her questions were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘off-base.’ ‘You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes,’ Trump told CNN's Don Lemon on Friday night. ‘Blood coming out of her wherever.’” [CNN, 8/8/15; Don Lemon, CNN, 8/7/15]

TRUMP ALLEGEDLY CALLED A WOMAN WHO ASKED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM WORK TO PUMP BREAST MILK “DISGUSTING”

2011: Trump Called A Lawyer Who Requested A Break From A Deposition To Pump Breast Milk “Disgusting,” Before Ending His Testimony And Leaving The Room. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump once called a lawyer who requested a break from a 2011 deposition to pump breast milk ‘disgusting’ before ending his testimony and leaving the room. ‘He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at me and he screamed, 'You're disgusting, you're disgusting,' and he ran out of there,’ Beck told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on Wednesday morning, calling it ‘an absolute meltdown.’ The incident was described in a letter from Jared Beck, Elizabeth's co-counsel and husband, obtained by CNN and first reported Tuesday by the New York Times. Trump's attorney Allen Garten, who was present for the deposition, does not dispute that Trump called Beck ‘disgusting.’ Trump slammed Beck's interview in a tweet to CNN Politics on Wednesday morning: ‘Lawyer Elizabeth Beck did a terrible job against me, she lost (I even got legal fees). I loved beating her,she was easy,’ he tweeted.” [CNN, 7/29/15]

•	Alan Garten, Executive Vice President And General Counsel At The Trump Organization, Did Not Dispute Trump’s Remarks And Said That The Lawyer “Was Disgusting.”  “Alan Garten, executive vice president and general counsel at The Trump Organization, did not dispute the remark, but said Trump called Beck ‘disgusting’ because she was about to use her breast pump in the middle of the deposition room. ‘She was disgusting,’ Garten said in a phone interview with CNN. ‘She was attempting to breast feed -- to pump in the middle of a deposition, in a deposition room with five lawyers and was not excusing herself.’” [CNN, 7/29/15]

ON WOMEN’S WEIGHTAND APPEARANCE… INCLUDING HIS OWN DAUGHTER’S

Trump On What He Would Do If His Wife Gained 40 Or 50 Pounds: “I'd Say, 'Start Working Out.'” COOPER: “What happens if Marla gained this kind of weight? Would you drop her?” TRUMP: “Well, I'd probably do the same thing with her.  I'd say, 'Start working out.' No, I wouldn't.” COOPER: “OK.  You're sure?” TRUMP: “It's a very interesting question.” [This Morning, CBS, 1/29/97]

Trump On Miss Universe Pageant Winner: “She Weighed 118 Pounds, Or 117 Pounds, And She Went Up To 160 Or 170.  So This Is Somebody That Likes To Eat.” COOPER: “Enter the man Alisa calls her new boss.  You got it, The Donald. Trump and his wife, Marla, purchased the Miss Universe pageant earlier this month.  And Trump decided this investment needed a little extra attention.” TRUMP: “She weighed 118 pounds, or 117 pounds, and she went up to 160 or 170.  So this is somebody that likes to eat.” COOPER: “Now instead of steaks and French fries, it's medicine balls and jump ropes for Alisa; that is, when there's room enough to exercise.” [This Morning, CBS, 1/29/97]

Donald Trump Said Wearing Burkas Makes It “Easier” For Women To Look Beautiful Because They “Don’t Have To Put On Make-Up.” “Trump extended his blunt-force brand of diplomacy and non-interventionist stance to women's rights, saying that America should stop meddling in Middle Eastern affairs because women there ‘don't want freedom,’ as evidenced by their desire to wear burqas or niqabs, which cover their faces. ‘With the women over there, they don't have to wear the you-know-what,’ Trump said referring to the veils worn by some Muslim women. ‘And then I said, 'Oh well that makes sense. That's nice.' Then, I saw women interviewed. They said, 'We want to wear them. We've worn them for a thousand years. Why would anyone tell us?' They want to. What the hell are we getting involved for? The fact is it's easier. You don't have to put on make-up. Look how beautiful everyone looks. Wouldn't it be easier if ‘mwah’ (kissing sound)? Right? Wouldn't that be easy? I tell you if I was a woman - ‘mwah’ - I'm ready darling. Let's go.’” [CBS News, 10/26/15]

Trump: Doesn’t Matter What Media Say About You “As Long As You’ve Got A Young And Beautiful Piece Of Ass.”  In 1991, Trump told Esquire, "You know, it doesn't really matter what (the media) write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” [Des Moines Register, 9/13/15]

Trump On His Daughter: “She Does Have A Very Nice Figure . . . If [She] Weren’t My Daughter, Perhaps I’d Be Dating Her.” “She was replaced by Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, of whom Trump once said, ‘She does have a very nice figure . . . if [she] weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.’” [Anna Holmes, Washington Post, 4/30/11]

ON THE “HUNT” FOR WOMEN

Trump: “I Think The Hunt Is Always Fun, Whether It's Deals, Whether It's Women, Whether It's Anything.” WALTERS: “I want to clear something up. In your book, the new book, you say, ‘The fun is in the getting, not the having.’ Does that include women? No kidding.” TRUMP: “Interesting question. I think the hunt is always fun, whether it's deals, whether it's women, whether it's anything. I think, however, that with respect to women, there would be nothing that would make me happier than having a great marriage. An absolutely great marriage, and that would certainly supersede the hunt.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Trump On Not Having A First Lady: “We Could Have One In 24 Hours” If Necessary. KING: “We will not have a first lady.  Who will be?  I'm thinking ahead.  Who's in charge of social affairs?” TRUMP: “Well, we could have one in 24 hours.  We actually -- it would be very interesting.” KING: “There's a line out there?” TRUMP: “But we could have one quickly.” KING: “Are you telling us something?” TRUMP: “No, not all.  But I'm saying, if there was a, you know, prerequisite, 24 hours, it's done.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

ON A WIFE’S ROLE IN THE HOME

Trump: “I Don't Want To Sound Too Much Like A Chauvinist, But When I Come Home And Dinner's Not Ready, I'll Go Through The Roof.”NANCY COLLINS: “Well, you now are married to a woman, and you- who would like to continue her career. Marla says she does want to have a career….You have said you don't want Marla to work.”… TRUMP: “I think I'm probably mixed. I have days where I think it's great and then I have days where if I come home and- you know, I don't want to sound too much like a chauvinist, but when I come home and dinner's not ready, I'll go through the roof, okay?”[Primetime Live, ABC News, 3/10/94]

Trump:  Men Need “Support At Home…Not Someone Who Is Always Griping and Bitching.  "Often, I will tell friends whose wives are constantly nagging them about this or that that they're better off leaving and cutting their losses. I'm not a great believer in always trying to work things out, because it just doesn't happen that way. For a man to be successful he needs support at home, just like my father had from my mother, not someone who is always griping and bitching." [Des Moines Register, 9/13/15]

ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF WOMEN AND “GETTING AHEAD”

Trump: It Is Rare That Women Are Both “Very Beautiful” And Have High IQs. ZAHN: “Let's go back to the women for a moment.  Because ‘TIME’ magazine calls them, either the hottest women in your office hot to super model hot, and they say that there is more leg and naval flashed in most staff meetings outside of Hooters.” TRUMP: “And they know how to use their looks.  Many of the women are very beautiful, super model beautiful but they have 200 IQs, which is rather rare.” [Paula Zahn Now, 1/7/04]

Trump Said That Women Using Sexuality To Get Ahead Is “Part Of Life.” KING: “Do you think that some complaining about women use their gender to advantage in this, or is that also part of life?” TRUMP: “Women?  I mean, do women use sex?  Absolutely not. You've never known a woman to use sex, right?  On my show, I get criticized when they use sex.  The rest of the world, nobody gets criticized. You know, amazingly, these people were chosen. They're young people, and they were chosen for their brain, but they happen to be attractive.  I mean, the women, some of the women, happen to be very attractive.  And they have used their sexuality to win certain tasks, as we call them.  And hey, that's part of life, I guess.  In real life, that happens, too.  I've known it.  I've seen it happen.  It's actually happened to me a couple of times, Larry.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 2/27/04]

ON HIS “CREATION PROCESS” – ADMITTEDLY, “IT’S PRETTY SAD” – AND LEAVING FOR “A PIECE OF ASS”

Trump On His Marriages: “I've Really Given A Lot Of Women Great Opportunity. Unfortunately, After They're A Star, The Fun Is Over For Me. It's Like A Creation Process.” NANCY COLLINS: “You know what's interesting, Donald, is you take these women, these two particular women in your life, and you help them become very well-known. And then, when they want to act on that appeal, you seem to get upset about it.” TRUMP: “I create stars. I love creating stars. And, to a certain extent, I've done that with Ivana. To a certain extent, I've done that with Marla. And I like that. I mean, I've really given a lot of women great opportunity. Unfortunately, after they're a star, the fun is over for me. It's like a creation process. It's almost like creating a building. It's pretty sad.”[Primetime Live, ABC News, 3/10/94]

Trump On His Divorce From Ivana: “When A Man Leaves A Woman, Especially When It Was Perceived That He Has Left For A Piece Of Ass--A Good One-- There Are 50 Percent Of The Population Who Will Love The Woman Who Was Left.” WALTERS: “The author, Marie Brenner, quotes you as saying to her, ‘When a man leaves a woman, especially when it was perceived that he has left for a piece of ass- a good one- there are 50 percent of the population who will love the woman who was left.’” TRUMP: “I do remember saying that. I don't remember having used those words. That's possible. But I believe that if a man leaves a woman for almost any reason, that that particular person, the man, is going to be at a major disadvantage in terms of the public eye, there's no question about it.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

ON WHAT WOMEN WANT

Donald Trump:  “[Women] Do Want To Be Taken Care Of And They Do Want To Be Cherished And They Do Want To Be Respected, And I Think When You Ask A Question Like That You're Just Trying To Be Politically Correct, That's All. But That's Okay.” [GQ, 11/23/15]

Working for Trump

Trump Was Accused Of Saying That In General Women Are Not As Good As Men, But That A Good Woman Is Better Than Ten Men. BARBARA RES: “I was just a young woman working for a construction company, and he put me in charge of one of the greatest buildings that's ever been built. In the 1980s, females were unheard of in the construction business. He said in general women are not as good as men, but a good woman is better than ten men. He said he thought that I was a killer.” [“Who Is Donald Trump?”, A&E, 12/16/15]

Several Women, Including The Woman Trump Put In Charge Of Constructing Trump Tower, Who Are Longtime Trump Employees And Supporters Do Not Support His Presidential Campaign.” “But several women who are longtime Trump supporters say the provocative outbursts that served Trump well in business and entertainment don’t belong in politics. ‘I don’t like the fact the worlds are merging,’ said [former ‘Apprentice’ contestant] Ereka Vetrini, a TV host and lifestyle expert. … ‘Fiorina and Kelly?’ she said. ‘I can’t disregard those comments.’ Nor can [Barbara] Res [who Trump put in charge of the construction of Trump Tower], who also disagrees with her former boss’s political stance: From his anti-choice position to his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, ‘his policies, the things he says he believes in, are very anti-women.’ ‘I’m voting for Hillary,’ Res said.” [Washington Post, 11/24/15]

Women Who Worked For Donald Trump Said That While He Could Be Boorish, They Appreciated How Trump Provided Them With Opportunities For Career Advancement In A Male-Dominated Industry. “In the five months that the billionaire businessman has spent on the presidential campaign trail, his inflammatory missiles toward women have prompted charges of sexism, even misogyny. … But many women who have worked closely with Trump say he was a corporate executive ahead of his time in providing career advancement for women. While some say he could be boorish, his companies nurtured and promoted women in an otherwise male-dominated industry. Several women said they appreciated how Trump granted them entry to a new playing field.” [Washington Post, 11/24/15] 

Working Families

Comments on Contributors to American Society

MR. 47 PERCENT OF THE 2016 CYCLE: TRUMP SAID HALF THE PEOPLE “DON’T PAY ANY TAX” AND AREN’T “CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY”

Trump: “Half Of The People Don't Pay Any Tax … And Are Not Contributing To Society.” DOOCY: “When the president, Donald, talks about there has to be shared sacrifice, you know, there are a lot of people in this country, over half, don't even pay any federal taxes.  So he's really talking about you.  You're going to have to sacrifice more.” TRUMP: “Well, you know, I don't mind sacrificing for the country, to be honest with you, but you know, you do have is a problem because half of the people don't pay any tax.  And when he's talking about that, he's talking about people that aren't also working, that are not contributing to this society, and it's a problem. But we have 50 percent -- it just hit the 50 percent mark.  Fifty percent of the people are paying no tax.”[Fox & Friends, Fox News, 7/18/11]

Minimum Wage

TRUMP OPPOSED RAISING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE

Trump: “I Don’t Want To Raise The Minimum Wage.” “He wouldn’t go into specifics, but promised he would create jobs if elected president. ‘I don’t want to raise the minimum wage. I want to create jobs so people can get much more than that, so they can get five times what the minimum wage is,’ said Trump.” [The Hill, 7/23/15]

Donald Trump Opposed Raising The Minimum Wage Because Wages Are “Too High. We’re Not Going To Be Able To Compete Against The World.” “The leading candidates for the GOP presidential nomination, arguing that they are best positioned to boost the nation’s economy, said Tuesday night that the problem is that entry-level wages are too high. Real estate tycoon Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson used an opening question on the minimum wage to argue that high wages are a drag on job creation. ‘Taxes too high. Wages too high. We’re not going to be able to compete against the world. I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is,’ Trump said.” [USA Today, 11/11/15]

SNAP Benefits

TRUMP CRACKED A JOKE ABOUT A FAT PROTESTER GETTING EXCITED OVER FOOD STAMPS

Trump On A Protester: “I Mention Food Stamps And That Guy Who Is Seriously Overweight Went Crazy.” “A heckler was thrown out of a Donald Trump rally in Worcester, Mass., while Trump was speaking about food stamps. Trump responded, ‘I mention food stamps and that guy who is seriously overweight went crazy.’” [Washington Post, 11/18/15]

“Free Stuff”

Donald Trump Said, During A Democratic Debate, Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders “Couldn’t Give Things Away Fast Enough.” “As Hillary and Bernie Sanders, they just couldn’t give things away fast enough. I watched Hillary last night with, “We’re going to give this, we’re going to give that, we’re going to give that.” The poor woman, she’s got to give everything away ’cause this maniac that was standing on her right is giving everything away. So, she’s following. That’s what’s happening…’Cause you got to win. Cause she’s not doing so well.” [Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Richmond, VA, 10/14/15]

Veterans

Trump On Sen. McCain: “He’s Not A War Hero. He’s A War Hero Because He Was Captured. I Like People Who Weren’t Captured.” “Mr. Trump upended a Republican presidential forum here, and the race more broadly, by saying of the Arizona senator and former prisoner of war: ‘He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.’ Mr. McCain, a naval aviator, was shot down during the Vietnam War and held prisoner for more than five years in Hanoi, refusing early release even after being repeatedly beaten.” [New York Times, 7/19/15]

Politifact  Virginia Assessed A “Mostly False” Rating To Donald Trump’s Claim That “Over 300,000 Veterans Have Died Waiting For Care," From The Department Of Veterans Administration. “‘Over 300,000 veterans have died waiting for care,’ Trump said in a Norfolk speech in which he promised to overhaul the VA. Trump offered the most dire possible interpretation of a scathing report on VA record-keeping and went well beyond what the inspector general was able to conclude. The report found that 307,173 dead people were listed last year on a VA database as having pending status with the agency. But shabby records make a detailed dissection of that number impossible. Investigators said that some of those people were not veterans; not all of them were seeking health care or necessarily any VA service; and some of them died before 1998, when the database began. No doubt, the VA is ripe for criticism. But Trump’s statement takes liberty with the facts, and we rate it Mostly False.” [Politifact Virginia, 11/9/15]

Plan for the VA

DONALD TRUMP WOULD ALLOW VA-ELIGIBLE VETERANS TO RECEIVE HEALTH CARE FROM ANY FACILITY THAT ACCEPTS MEDICARE

Donald Trump Said He Would Allow Veterans To Get Care From Private Doctors. “Trump told Landen as president, he would allow veterans to get health care locally by private doctors.” [CNN, 10/27/15]

Donald Trump Released A Plan For Improving The Department Of Veterans Affairs Would Allow Veterans To Receive Treatment From Any Facility That Accepts Medicare.” “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump released a plan on Saturday aimed at overhauling the Department of Veterans Affairs and improving veterans’ health care and employment services. Under Trump’s plan, eligible veterans would be able to bring their veterans’ identification cards to any private doctor or facility that accepts Medicare and be able to receive immediate treatment. The change, he said, would help improve wait times and services by adding competition.” [Washington Post, 10/31/15]

•	Donald Trump’s Would Allow VA-Eligible Veterans To Receive Care From Any Doctor Or Care Facilities That Accepts Medicare. “The Trump plan gives veterans the freedom to choose and forces the VA to compete for their dollars. … Under a Trump Administration, all veterans eligible for VA health care can bring their veteran’s ID card to any doctor or care facility that accepts Medicare to get the care they need immediately. Our veterans have earned the freedom to choose better or more convenient care from the doctor and facility of their choice. The power to choose will stop the wait time backlogs and force the VA to improve and compete if the department wants to keep receiving veterans’ healthcare dollars. The VA will become more responsive to veterans, develop more efficient systems, and improve the quality of care because it will have no other choice.” [Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

The Trump Plan To Reform The Department Of Veterans Affairs Would Increase Funding For PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury And Suicide Prevention Services. “The Trump Plan Will: Increase funding for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury and suicide prevention services to address our veterans’ invisible wounds. Service members are five times more likely to develop depression than civilians. They are almost fifteen times more likely to develop PTSD than civilians. This funding will help provide more and better counseling and care. More funding will also support research on best practices and state of the art treatments to keep our veterans alive, healthy and whole. With these steps, the Trump plan will help the veteran community put the unnecessary stigma surrounding mental health behind them and instead encourage acceptance and treatment in our greater society.” [Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

The Trump Plan To Reform The Department Of Veterans Affairs Support Women Veterans By Ensuring Every VA Hospital “Will Be Fully Equipped With OBGYN And Other Women’s Health Services.” “The Trump Plan Will: … Better support our women veterans. The fact that many VA hospitals don’t permanently staff OBGYN doctors shows an utter lack of respect for the growing number female veterans. Under the Trump plan, every VA hospital in the country will be fully equipped with OBGYN and other women’s health services. In addition, women veterans can always choose a different OBGYN in their community using their veteran’s ID card.” [Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

TRUMP: THE CURRENT STATE OF THE VA WAS “ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE”

Donald Trump:  “The Current State Of The Department Of Veterans Affairs (VA) Is Absolutely Unacceptable.”“The current state of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is absolutely unacceptable. Over 300,000 veterans died waiting for care. Corruption and incompetence were excused. Politicians in Washington have done too little too slowly to fix it. This situation can never happen again, and when Donald J. Trump is president, it will be fixed – fast.” [Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

Donald Trump: The Guiding Principle Of The Trump Plan Is Ensuring Veterans Have Convenient Access To The Best Quality Care.”The guiding principle of the Trump plan is ensuring veterans have convenient access to the best quality care. To further this principle, the Trump plan will decrease wait times, improve healthcare outcomes, and facilitate a seamless transition from service into civilian life.”[Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

Donald Trump: Ensure Our Veterans Get The Care They Need Wherever And Whenever They Need It.“Trump Plan [for the Veterans Administration] Will:Ensure our veterans get the care they need wherever and whenever they need it. No more long drives. No more waiting for backlogs. No more excessive red tape. Just the care and support they earned with their service to our country.”[Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

Donald Trump: The VA Will “Support The Whole Veteran.” “The Trump Plan [for the Veterans Administration] Will: … Support the whole veteran, not just their physical health care, but also by addressing their invisible wounds, investing in our service members’ post-active duty success, transforming the VA to meet the needs of 21st century service members, and better meeting the needs of our female veterans.”[Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again, DonaldJTrump.com, Campaign Website, accessed 11/2/15]

A VETERANS ADVOCACY GROUP CRITICIZED TRUMP’S PLAN FOR THE VA AS “PAINFULLY THIN ON SPECIFICS”

The Advocacy Group “Concerned Veterans For America” Criticized Donald Trump’s Plan To Reform The Department Of Veterans Affairs For Being “Painfully Thin On Specifics.” “A veterans advocacy group is criticizing the plan to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released by Donald Trump. Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) said the plan was ‘heavy of rhetoric, light on specifics’ in a statement on Saturday. ‘While Donald Trump rightly proposes more health care choices for veterans and long-overdue accountability for bad VA employees, his ‘plan’ is painfully thin on specifics about how he would implement those principles,’ CVA CEO Pete Hegseth said in the statement.” [The Hill, 11/1/15]

Trump’sPolitics

2016

GOP Loyalty Pledge

TRUMP WAS INITIALLY OPEN TO RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT IF THE RNC TREATED HIM POORLY DURING THE PRIMARY, OR IF HE DID NOT RESPECT THE GOP NOMINEE

Trump Said He Would “Have To See Who Wins” Before Deciding To Support The GOP Nominee Or Run As An Independent. “If he doesn't win the Republican nomination, Trump said on Fox he would ‘have to see who wins’ before deciding to support the GOP nominee or run as an independent.” [CBS News, 7/10/15]

Trump Said The Chance That He Would Launch A Third-Party White House Run Would ‘Absolutely’ Increase If The Republican National Committee Was Unfair To Him During The 2016 Primary Season. “Donald Trump says the chances that he will launch a third-party White House run will ‘absolutely’ increase if the Republican National Committee is unfair to him during the 2016 primary season. ‘The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy,’ the business mogul told The Hill in a 40-minute interview from his Manhattan office at Trump Tower on Wednesday. ‘The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.’ Pressed on whether he would run as a third-party candidate if he fails to clinch the GOP nomination, Trump said that ‘so many people want me to, if I don’t win.’ ‘I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,’ Trump said. ‘Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.’” [The Hill, 7/23/15]

In First GOP Debate, Trump Refused To Pledge To Support The Eventual GOP Nominee: “I Cannot Say. I Have To Respect The Person If It’s Not Me Who Wins.” “Fireworks erupted at the outset of the first Republican debate on Thursday night, when Donald Trump said he wouldn’t pledge not to run as an independent if he doesn’t win the Republican nomination. Anchor Bret Baier asked the field of candidates to raise their hands if they were unwilling to pledge their support to the eventual Republican nominee, and only Trump raised his hand. ‘I cannot say [that],’ Trump said. ‘I have to respect the person if it’s not me who wins.’" [The Hill, 8/6/15]

SEPTEMBER 2015: TRUMP SIGNED A LOYALTY PLEDGE TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Trump Signed Loyalty Pledge To The GOP. “Donald Trump on Thursday signed a loyalty pledge to the Republican Party -- and, with that, the renegade candidate became a little less of a renegade and a party establishment unsure of what to do with the bedeviling front-runner brought him more fully into its embrace. The document the GOP presidential front-runner signed promises that he will support the Republican nominee in next year’s general election, effectively ruling out a third-party or independent run.” [Washington Post, 9/3/15]

Campaign Finance

PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC SHUT DOWN AFTER SCRUTINY OVER ITS CONNECTION TO TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN

Make America Great Again, The Main Super PAC Supporting Donald Trump, Shut Down Amidst Increasing Scrutiny Of Its Connections To Trump’s Campaign. “The main super PAC backing Donald Trump is shutting down amidst increasing scrutiny of its ties to Trump’s campaign. Trump, who has made his independence from wealthy donors a cornerstone of his anti-establishment presidential campaign, never officially blessed the Make America Great super PAC. But Mike Ciletti, a Republican operative based in Colorado, reportedly used contact information obtained from a top Trump aide to reach out to prospective donors.” [Politico, 10/22/15]

•	The Political Operative Who Launched Pro-Trump Super PAC Make America Great Again Solicited Political Contributions Using Contact Information He Obtained From One Of Trump’s Close Aides. “A super PAC backing Donald Trump solicited a Trump business acquaintance for a political contribution using contact information obtained from a top aide to the real estate tycoon, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. The donor outreach was among several new details that emerged this week linking Trump to Make America Great Again, a super PAC backing his presidential bid. … In a Sept. 1 e-mail, Mike Ciletti, a Colorado GOP operative working for the Make America Great Again PAC, suggested to a Trump acquaintance and longtime GOP donor that he was using contact information he obtained from Trump’s longtime assistant and gatekeeper, Rhona Graff. ‘I apologize for reaching you at this email address, it is the one that Rhona had on file,’ Ciletti wrote to a GOP donor, who requested anonymity to avoid angering Trump.” [Washington Post, 10/20/15]

Mike Ciletti, The Republican Operative Who Launched The Pro-Trump Super PAC Make America Great Again, Said He Was Shutting It Down Because Trump Said He Did Not Have A Super PAC Supporting Him. “But Mike Ciletti, a Republican operative based in Colorado, reportedly used contact information obtained from a top Trump aide to reach out to prospective donors. Ciletti told POLITICO that his decision Thursday to shut down the organization, which he launched in July in an effort to boost Trump’s candidacy, is an attempt ‘to erase any questions as to whether he has a super PAC.’ ‘Mr. Trump has said he doesn’t have a super PAC,’ Ciletti continued. ‘So to honor his wishes, I’m shutting my organization down.’” [Politico, 10/22/15]

•	Mike Ciletti, The Republican Operative Who Launched Pro-Trump Super PAC Make America Great Again, Refused To Give More Information About How Much Money Was Raised, Or If He Was Ordered To Shut Down The Super PAC. “But Mike Ciletti, a Republican operative based in Colorado, reportedly used contact information obtained from a top Trump aide to reach out to prospective donors. … Ciletti declined to say how much money he was able to raise in roughly four months or whether anyone specifically asked him to shut the organization down. He plans to refund contributions after making sure existing contractual obligations to various vendors (mostly related to voter targeting and advertising) are met.” [Politico, 10/22/15]

TRUMP DIRECTED FUNDS TO COMPANIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUNDER OF THE “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” SUPER PAC AND ATTENDED FUNDRAISERS FOR THE SUPER PAC

Donald Trump’s Campaign Manager Insisted Trump Never Worked With The Make America Great Again Super PAC, Despite FEC Filings Showing The Campaign Directed Funds To Colorado Companies Affiliated With The Super PAC’s Founder. “Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager, has insisted that Trump has never blessed or worked with a super PAC, although recent FEC filings revealed that the campaign directed hard dollars to two Colorado-based companies both affiliated with Ciletti. The campaign paid $33,000 to DC Connect, an Aurora-based company Ciletti founded, for telemarketing from May through July; and it paid $56,000 to WizBang Solutions, a Commerce City-based printing company where Ciletti is the director—both payments first reported by the Washington Post.” [Politico, 10/22/15]

IN OCTOBER 2015, TRUMP DISAVOWED NINE SUPER PACS THAT SUPPORTED HIM, AND ENCOURAGED OTHER CANDIDATES TO DO THE SAME

Donald Trump’s Campaign Sent Letters To Nine Super PACs Supporting Him, Stating They Were Not Authorized To Use His Name Or Likeness In Connection With Fundraising Activities. “Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump wants the super PACs supporting his race for the White House to stop supporting him. The Trump campaign said they sent letters to the nine known super PACs supporting Trump, stating in part, ‘We are providing this written notice that your organization is not authorized to use Mr. Trump’s name and likeness in connection with its fundraising activities, and we are formally disavowing such activities. Thus, given the invocation of Donald J. Trump in connection with your activities, we ask that you refund all funds received by you in connection with any fundraising undertaken to specifically support and/or done in the name of Donald J. Trump. ... The campaign has never received money from your PAC, nor does the campaign want any money, services or goods from your committee.’” [ABC News, 10/23/15]

•	Donald Trump Asked Nine Known Super PACs Supporting His Candidacy To Refund All Contributions Solicited In Support Of His White House Bid. “The Trump campaign said they sent letters to the nine known super PACs supporting Trump, stating in part, ‘We are providing this written notice that your organization is not authorized to use Mr. Trump’s name and likeness in connection with its fundraising activities, and we are formally disavowing such activities. Thus, given the invocation of Donald J. Trump in connection with your activities, we ask that you refund all funds received by you in connection with any fundraising undertaken to specifically support and/or done in the name of Donald J. Trump. ... The campaign has never received money from your PAC, nor does the campaign want any money, services or goods from your committee.’” [ABC News, 10/23/15]

Donald Trump Called On Other Presidential Candidates To Follow His Example And Disavow Super PACs. “Trump has received nearly $4 million in traditional campaign donations. His campaign has received donations from more than 75,000 people with an average amount of about $50. In a statement, the campaign said this has allowed Trump ‘to campaign with integrity, wholly independent of the dark money, donor class perpetuating a broken Washington, D.C.’ ‘I am self-funding my campaign and therefore I will not be controlled by the donors, special interests and lobbyists who have corrupted our politics and politicians for far too long,’ Trump said in a statement on Friday. ‘I have disavowed all Super PAC's, requested the return of all donations made to said PAC's, and I am calling on all presidential candidates to do the same. The character of our country is only as strong as our leaders.’” [Washington Post, 10/23/15]

TRUMP CRITICIZED SUPER PACS AND CALLED FOR TOTAL TRANSPARENCY IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Trump Called For “Total Transparency” When It Came To Campaign Finance. TRUMP: “Well I think this whole thing with PACs is nonsense. Because Jeb Bush puts his friend in charge of has PAC, and they don’t talk….And he’s going to work hard, as is Hillary Clinton. They all have their friends running the PACs. Now you’re not supposed to talk, you’re not supposed to – they go out and play golf, they get together, but they don’t talk. Who believes that? So I want transparency. I don’t mind the money coming in. Let it be transparent. Let them talk, but let there be total transparency.” [TIME, 8/20/15]

Donald Trump Criticized Idea Of Super PACs In General. “Trump attributes Carson's rise in Iowa to the super PAC operations backing Ben Carson in the state, which he attacked as ‘running Iowa for him.’ … He knocked the idea of super PACs in general, saying that ‘this whole PAC concept is fraught with problems and I think you're going to see tremendous problems with PACs over the years.’” [CBS News, 10/25/15]

TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN WAS PRIMARILY FUNDED BY DONORS AND NOT BY HIS PERSONAL WEALTH

Politco’s Issac Arnsdorf: Donald Trump’s Campaign “Is Nowhere Near 100-Percent Trump-Funded.” “Criticizing the campaign finance jungle, Trump said he’s paying for “100 percent” of his own campaign. The claim dovetails with his crowd-pleasing refrain about rejecting special interests, lobbyists and donors. Trump has given his campaign almost $105,000 and lent another $1.8 million (which can be paid back at any time), according to FEC filings. But the campaign raised a total of $5.83 million—meaning $3.9 million came from people who are not Donald Trump. And the campaign has spent $5.6 million. Since that’s $3.66 million more than Trump supplied, his campaign is nowhere near 100-percent Trump-funded.” [Isaac Arnsdorf, Politico, 10/29/15]

10/29/15: Two-Thirds Of Donald Trump’s Campaign Funding Came From Individual Contributions, Not From Trump Himself. “According to the latest federal filing, Trump’s campaign has raised $5.8 million. However, the bulk of that sum — 67%, or $3.9 million — has come from approximately 75,000 individual contributions. Meanwhile, Trump has poured $1.9 million of his own money into his campaign, which represents about 33% of that total haul.” [MSNBC, 10/29/15]

TRUMP BRAGGED HE IS MAKING A PROFIT FROM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

10/31/15: Donald Trump Bragged That He Actually Made A Profit Running For President — “If I Net It Out, I’m At Like A Million Bucks.” “I’m Running for President. I have spent less money than any other candidate running for president and I’m number one. Now think of it. No think of it. No, think of ‘em. So I’ve spent — and a big part of what I’ve spend is my airplane which I get reimbursed for. So that shows here — but I actually — so I’ve spent even less than people think. You have to put down market value. You play, whatever the hell it is, so they put it down there — so it’s actually even better. But I’ve spent less money than any other candidate. We’re number one. Others have spent 28 million. I think if I net it out, I’m at like a million bucks, right? So far it’s been a good deal.” [Donald Trump Campaign Rally, Norfolk, VA, 10/31/15]

Going Negative

Trump On The First Debate: “‘I Don't Want To Attack Anybody. Maybe I'll Be Attacked And Maybe Not. I'd Rather Just Discuss The Issues, But Certainly I Don't Want To Attack.”  “Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Wednesday that he hopes the first GOP-sanctioned debate this week is about the issues and not jabbing among those on stage. ‘I don't want to attack anybody. Maybe I'll be attacked and maybe not. I'd rather just discuss the issues, but certainly I don't want to attack,’ Trump said on ABC's ‘Good Morning America.’…’I hope we can keep it on a high level,’ Trump told Breitbart. ‘If that doesn't happen, I'm willing to go to the other route. But I will say the two people who hit me really hard both went down in the polls.’”  [The Hill, 8/5/15]

Staffing Problems

Trump’s Campaign Falsely Claimed That Aaron Borders Had No Connection To Trump’s Campaign. “Donald Trump’s presidential campaign ended its relationship with an Arizona-based politico Tuesday evening after BuzzFeed News asked about Islamophobic Facebook posts he wrote and racially charged Facebook posts about Barack and Michelle Obama. Asked by BuzzFeed News about Aaron Borders, who identified himself on various social media profiles and his LinkedIn as Trump’s Arizona state director, the Trump campaign originally falsely denied that he had any connection to the campaign. But audio recordings provided by Borders to BuzzFeed News show Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski informing Borders of the campaign’s intent to hire him. In a second recording, Lewandowski tells Borders that he is going to fire him over the Facebook posts, and in a third recording delivers a threat ‘to sue your fucking ass to next year.’ Trump fired a longtime aide last week after Business Insider unearthed racially charged Facebook posts.” [BuzzFeed, 8/5/15]

•	Borders Was The Second Trump Staffer To Be Fired In A Week For Racially Insensitive Facebook Posts. “Borders is the second person associated with the Trump campaign to be cut off this week for posts on Facebook, after Sam Nunberg, an adviser, was fired following the unearthing of a 2007 post in which he wrote about calling Al Sharpton’s daughter ‘N——-!’.” [BuzzFeed, 8/5/15]

Polling

Donald Trump: “How Often Do You See That The Polls Are Wrong? Not Too Often.” TRUMP: “I’m a believer in polls. I only like them because I’ve been number one for 100 days now, in a row, which is pretty good. But I am a believer in polls. I mean, how often do you see that the polls are wrong? Not too often. You know, you go out and you see elections and somebody is scheduled to win by four, and they win by three-and-a-half or five. But they, you don’t usually see where they…and his [Biden’s] polling numbers were not great. And I’m actually happy about it because I’d actually rather run against Hillary. I think beating Hillary on her record will not be very difficult. Her record has been atrocious.” [Capital Download, USA Today, 10/22/15; VIDEO]

According To PPP’s Tom Jensen, A Trump Employee Placed “Non-Stop Calls” Trying To Get PPP To Place Trump In Its Polls. “This time, the real estate on a polling questionnaire is precious — and reserved for serious contenders. Two national pollsters said Trump’s representatives had complained to them about his exclusion from their surveys, including PPP’s Jensen, who described ‘non-stop calls’ from a Trump employee. ‘We even had a conversation with her, and she still kept calling,’ he said.” [Politico, 5/13/15]

Dishonesty

HEADLINE: “Donald Trump’s Spectacular, Unending, Utterly Baffling, Often-Wrong Campaign Launch.” [Washington Post, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “Trump Claimed That Economic Growth Has ‘Never’ Been Below Zero Until Last Quarter's Drop, Which Is Far From True. It Has Been Below Zero 42 Times Since 1946.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Said ‘There Are No Jobs’ To Be Had. In Fact, There Were 5.4 Million Job Openings Recorded At The End Of April, The Most In 15 Years.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Said The ‘Real’ Unemployment Rate Is ‘Anywhere From 18 To 20%’ And ‘Maybe Even 21%.’ We See No Factual Basis For This Opinion.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Boasted He Would Have Blocked New Ford Plants In Mexico By Threatening To Impose A 35% Tax On Vehicles And Parts Made In Mexico And Shipped To The U.S. But Only Congress Can Impose Taxes And Such A Tax Would Violate The North American Free Trade Agreement.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “Trump Claimed The Five Taliban Leaders Exchanged For Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl ‘Are Now Back On The Battlefield Trying To Kill Us.’ But All Five Remain In Qatar, Where They Continue To Be Monitored And Are Subject To A Travel Ban, According To The State Department.”[USA Today, 6/16/15]

USA Today: “[Trump] Also Made The Misleading Claim That Health Care Premium Costs Are Going ‘Up 29, 39, 49 And Even 55%.’ He's Talking About Some Proposed Rate Increases On The Individual Market That Still Need Regulatory Approval. There Are Also Proposed Rate Decreases Or Single-Digit Increases That Did Not Have To Be Submitted For Review.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

Political Philosophy

Changing Party ID

Over The Years, Trump Was A Registered With The Republican Party, The Independence Party, The Democratic Party, And Was Unaffiliated. “Mr. Trump registered in New York as a Republican in 1987, switched to the Independence Party in 1999, became a Democrat in 2001, returned to the Republican Party in 2009, gave up his party affiliation in 2011 and came back to the GOP in 2012.” [Wall Street Journal, 12/10/15]

In 2004, Trump Said That He Identified More As A Democrat. BLITZER: “Do you identify more as a Democrat or a Republican?” TRUMP: “Well, you'd be shocked if I said that in many cases I probably identify more as a Democrat.  And I think you would probably be shocked at that.” [Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 3/19/04]

Trump In 1999: “I'm Somewhat Liberal On Social Issues, Especially Health Care.” KING: “Now, let's get into some things.  The Reform Party, by its name, means reform.  You will be leaving, if you run this -- you believe in, what, the Republican Party I believe?” TRUMP: “I'm a registered Republican.  I'm a pretty conservative guy.  I'm somewhat liberal on social issues, especially health care, et cetera, but I'd be leaving another party, and I've been close to that party.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Obama Administration

Birtherism

USA Today: Trump “Was Perhaps The Most Prominent Voice Of The ‘Birther’ Movement.” “Trump has been an outspoken critic of President Obama and was perhaps the most prominent voice of the ‘birther’ movement, which asserted, erroneously, that Obama was not a natural-born U.S. citizen. On Monday, he took a shot at the newest entrant to the 2016 Republican field, Jeb Bush, tweeting: ‘Do we really need another Bush in the White House — we have had enough of them.’ If there's one thing Trump brings to the 2016 campaign, it's confidence. ‘I'm the most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far,’ he told The Des Moines Register in a recent interview.” [USA Today, 6/16/15]

Trump Questioned Whether President Obama Was Actually Born In The US. “Donald Trump says he’s still not convinced President Obama was born in America, but that he’s not interested in rehashing the issue. ‘I don't know. I really don't know,’ the 2016 Republican presidential candidate told CNN when asked on Thursday. ‘I don't know why he wouldn't release his records.’” [The Hill, 7/9/15]

Trump Claimed That Obama’s Grandmother Said That He Was Born In Kenya.TRUMP: “I'm sure the governor really recalls him. I think the governor's taking a bullet for the party. Look, I didn't say that. You have to be born in the country. If he was three years old or two years old or one year old and people remember him, that's irrelevant. You have to be born in the country. There's no birth certificate. There's only a certificate of live birth, which is a totally different thing and a much, much lower standard. There are no hospital records. His own family doesn't know what hospital he was born in in Hawaii. But have you no hospital records in any of the hospitals that he was born there. There are no bills, no room numbers, no nothing. They do that for other people, but they don't have for Obama. His grandmother in Kenya said that he was born in Kenya. Now, he could have been born -- and she said it very strongly -- that he was born in Kenya, she was there when he was born. And the newspapers were a week late”… MALVEAUX: “No, I have to interrupt here because I know what you're talking about. I know the report you're talking about. Within that interview itself -- it has been discredited. There is an interview that was done here, and in the interview, Obama's step grandmother says that she was there when he was born. The interpreter realizes when the questioner again asks him if he was born in Kenya that she was misinterpreted, that that was not correct.”[Newsroom, CNN, 4/7/11]

Trump Said His Questions About Obama’s Birth Certificate Had “Absolutely Nothing To Do With Race.” VAN SUSTEREN: “Why aren't you satisfied he was born in the United States?” TRUMP: “The fact is they asked me the question. I said I want to see his birth certificate. It's very simple. Somebody asked today can I see your birth certificate. I had it in my hands in less than an hour. People that are born in this country have birth certificates. So I wanted to see his birth certificate. I mentioned that on ‘The View’ … Whoopi said if that were a white man you wouldn't be asking that question. I said what does this have to do with race? It has absolutely nothing to do with race.” [On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 3/28/11]

Trump Said That Obama “Spent Millions Of Dollars On Lawyers Trying To Get Out Of” The Birth Certificate Issue. VAN SUSTEREN: “Why aren't you satisfied he was born in the United States?” …TRUMP: “The fact is if you look at what has happened, with respect to this birth certificate issue, he doesn't have it. He spent millions of dollars on lawyers trying to get out of the issue. They get what is called a certificate of live birth which doesn't have a signature on it and anybody can get a certificate of live birth. It has nothing to do with a birth certificate. And they are really reeling.”[On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, 3/28/11]

Impeachment

12/2/15: Donald Trump Said He Would Not Back Impeachment Hearings For President Obama Because Doing So Would Make Obama A “Martyr” And Because There Was Not Enough Time, With Obama Only In Office For Another Year. “Donald Trump wouldn’t back impeachment hearings for President Barack Obama, saying such a move would only make Obama a ‘martyr.’ … ‘The best thing that we have going with Obama is that he’s got a year left,’ Trump said, adding that wasn’t enough time to go through impeachment hearings. ‘So don’t make him a martyr?’ Jones asked. ‘In a way you’ll make him a martyr,’ Trump said, but then pivoted away. ‘But I don't even say that,’ he continued. ‘I'm the most disappointed in Republicans.’” [Politico, 12/2/15]

Press Corps.

Trump: “The Press Are Liars. They're Terrible People.” “‘The press are liars. They're terrible people … Not all of them, but many of them.’ Trump also bragged that he knows how to get past the media: ‘I have millions of people on Facebook and Twitter,’ which he likened to ‘owning the New York Times without the losses.’” [New York Magazine, 6/12/15]

Endorsements

David Duke Supported Trump For President. “Donald Trump's presidential campaign has a new supporter: former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke. Duke, a self-described ‘racial realist’ and notorious white nationalist, praised Trump during a wide-ranging tirade on his radio program, calling the surging real estate mogul a ‘good salesman’ and ‘the best of the lot’ of the large group of 2016 Republican presidential candidates.” [New York Daily News, 8/25/15]

Donald Trump Was Endorsed By Rev. James David Manning, Known As “The Harlem Hate Pastor” Who Has Proclaimed “Obama Has Released The Homo Demons Of The Black Man.” “Undiluted affection came Trump’s way via an endorsement by Rev. James David Manning, known to many New Yorkers as ‘The Harlem Hate Pastor.’ Manning has stated that President George W. Bush and his father George H.W. Bush each had sex with 100 men. He has compared President Obama to Hitler. The sign outside his Atlah Worldwide Church on Lenox Ave. has proclaimed: ‘Obama has released the homo demons of the black man. Look out black woman. A white homo may take your man.’” [New York Daily News, 12/2/15]

Trump’s Personal Life

Finances

Member Of The Elite

TRUMP’S VIEW: MAKING MONEY IS JUST A GAME TO HAVE FUN WITH 

Trump: “Well, [Making Money Is] A Game.  I Have A Lot Of Fun With The Game. Money Is A Little Bit Of A Scorecard.” BLITZER: “You've obviously made a ton of money.  When is enough enough?” TRUMP: “Well, it's a game.  I have a lot of fun with the game. Money is a little bit of a scorecard, but I don't do it for the money. I do it because I really enjoy it.  I love the creative process. I'm building a tremendous building in Chicago now.  I just finished a number of great buildings in New York.  I'm building a few more right now.  I mean, under construction.  I'm doing something in California two miles along the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles.  I'm building a golf course that will be better than Pebble Beach.  It's going to be amazing, Trump National Golf Club.  It'll open in June. I'm doing things that are just creative things for me, and I love them. So, as long as I'm healthy, as long as I have my health, and my imagination, and the brain is working well, I'll keep going. It's interesting, in my business, in the real estate business, guys are very old.  Guys go into their 80s and 90s, and they're still doing deals.  In a lot of businesses, they sort of retire when they're 65 or 70, and they retire. So, I think I want to go as long as I can go.” [Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 3/21/04]

TRUMP RECEIVED A “SMALL” $1 MILLION LOAN FROM HIS FATHER

Headline: “Trump: My Dad Gave Me A 'Small Loan' Of A Million Dollars.” [Politico, 10/26/15]

Donald Trump Said The “Small,” One Million Dollar Loan He Received From His Father “Isn’t Very Much Compared To What I Built.” “GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Monday that his business success stems from a ‘small’ $1 million loan his father once gave him. ‘I started off in Brooklyn [and] my father gave me a small loan of a million dollars,’ he told host Matt Lauer on NBC’s ‘Today’ show. … Lauer then challenged Trump’s assertion that $1 million constitutes a ‘small’ business loan. ‘Let’s just put this in perspective,’ Lauer said. ‘You said this hasn’t been easy for you, but ‘my dad gave me a million-dollar loan.’ ‘That [is] probably going to seem pretty easy to a lot of people,’ Lauer added. Trump countered that his father’s financial aid pales in comparison with his own current wealth. ‘You’re right, but a million dollars isn’t very much compared to what I built,’ the outspoken billionaire responded. ‘I mean, I built one of the great organizations.’” [The Hill, 10/26/15]

Net Worth

In 1990, Forbes Reported That Trump Had A $3.2 Billion Debt And A Net Worth Of About $500 Million. DONALDSON: “Let's take the Forbes magazine piece.  It says that you have a debt of about $3.2 billion, a net worth of about $500 million, and that you're losing money at the rate of $40 million a year.  True?” TRUMP: “Forbes has been after me for years, consistently after me.  They took properties and devalued the properties.  They say the Plaza Hotel's not worth what everybody knows it's worth.  They say the Taj Mahal- they include the debt of the Taj Mahal, but not the income.  They said that my empire is down to a mere $500 million.  I'm saying that the assets are far more valuable than they give them credit for.” [Primetime Live, ABC, 5/3/90]

•	In 1990, Forbes Valued Trump’s Total Assets At Just Under $3.7 Billion. “Maybe not, but Forbes has made its own estimate, one that has upset Donald Trump.  Trump controls a huge financial empire, no doubt about it.  In New York City, he owns luxury apartments and condominiums, including the Trump Tower.  He owns premier hotels, including the world-famous Plaza.  He owns 100 acres of prime Manhattan real estate for development.  He owns an airline, the Trump Shuttle, which flies between New York, Boston and Washington, and a helicopter service to take gamblers to Atlantic City.  There, he owns three hotel-casinos, including his newest, the $1 billion Taj Mahal.  And when one adds personal residences, including his Florida estate, and such things as his yacht, it is all staggering. Forbes puts Donald Trump's total assets at just under $3.7 billion.  But hold on.  Trump does not own all this outright.  His debt on these assets amounts to almost $3.2 billion, according to Forbes.  Subtracting that produces the $500 million Forbes net worth figure.  And when Trump announced he might sell his airline, the financial sharks smelled blood.” [Primetime Live, ABC, 5/3/90]

2015: Forbes Estimated Trump’s Worth At $4 Billion. “It should be noted that Forbes estimates his net worth at $4 billion; Trump once sued a reporter for libel after writing that his net worth was closer to hundreds of millions of dollars. A New Jersey appellate judge dismissed the case in 2011, saying Trump failed to prove ‘actual malice.’” [Fox Business, 7/15/15]

•	Donald Trump Said He Is Worth More Than Twice As Much As Forbes Magazine’s Estimate Of His Net Worth. “Move over, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina and Fox News — Donald Trump has somebody else to argue with. It's Forbes magazine and its new estimate that his net worth is just $4.5 billion, less than half Trump's claim of more than $10 billion. ‘I'm a private company,’ he said in an interview at Trump Grill, the restaurant on the lower level of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan. ‘I like the people at Forbes,’ he said, but added: ‘They don't really know my assets very well.’ ” [CNBC, 9/30/15]

TIMOTHY O’BRIEN REPORTED TRUMP’S NET WORTH WAS LESS THAN $250 M., SO TRUMP SUED HIM FOR LIBEL

2005: New York Times’s Timothy O’Brien: Three People With Direct Knowledge Of Trump’s Finances Estimate His Net Worth At Somewhere Between $150 Million And $250 Million. “Three people with direct knowledge of Donald's finances, people who had worked closely with him for years, told me that they thought his net worth was somewhere between $150 million and $250 million. (Donald's casino holdings have recently rebounded in value, perhaps adding as much as $135 million to these estimates.) By anyone's standards, this still qualified Donald as comfortably wealthy, but none of these people thought that he was remotely close to being a billionaire.” [Timothy O’Brien, Business Day, New York Times, 10/23/05]

2011: TRUMP DID NOT KNOW WHAT PERCENT INCOME TAX HE PAID

Trump Was Not Sure What Percent Personal Income Tax He Paid. CROWLEY: “I have two quick questions. There was an article out the other day talking about the top 400 gross income folks. It was in Bloomberg, paying 17 percent personal income tax while those who made less than them were paying 23 percent. What percent of your personal income do you do?” TRUMP: “I'd really have to check. I'd really have to check.” CROWLEY: “You really don't know where it is?” TRUMP: “Sure, it's substantial. But I would really have to check.” [State Of The Union, CNN, 4/17/11]

Inheritance

TRUMP REPORTEDLY BORROWED $30 MILLION AGAINST HIS INHERITANCE TO KEEP HIMSELF AFLOAT

Donald Trump Borrowed $30 Million Against His Inheritance To Bolster Hiss Faltering Properties. “By 1974, Trump was president of his father's company — meaning that the status of that modest million-dollar loan was probably somewhat irrelevant by that point; Trump was now in primary control of that sizable real estate empire. Trump apparently did need a loan a bit later on. As the Times's Timothy O'Brien reported in a 2005 look at Trump's net worth, Trump asked for a $10 million loan against his inheritance to bolster his faltering properties. His siblings, who had a stake in the pool of money that would be inherited, grudgingly agreed. A year later, he asked for $20 million more. Trump denies this account.” [New York Times, 10/26/15]

•	1993: Donald Trump Was Forced To Ask For A $10 Million Loan From His Siblings, Who All Demanded He Sign A Promissory Note Guaranteeing The Loan Against Future Distributions From His Trust Fund. “By 1993, with his casinos in hock, most of his real estate holdings either forfeited or stagnant and his father slipping into the fog of Alzheimer's disease, Donald Trump, at the age of 47, had run out of money. There were no funds left to keep him aloft, and as the bare-bones operation he maintained in Manhattan started to grind to a halt, he ordered Nick Ribis, the Trump Organization's president, to call his siblings and ask for a handout from their trusts. Donald needed about $10 million for his living and office expenses, but he had no collateral to provide his brother and sisters, all three of whom wanted a guarantee that he would repay them. The Trump children's anticipated share of their father's fortune amounted to about $35 million each, and Donald's siblings demanded that he sign a promissory note pledging future distributions from his trust fund against the $10 million he wanted to borrow.” [New York Times, 10/23/05]

Beyond The $1 Million Loan From His Father, Donald Trump Used His Family’s Wealth As A “Backstop” During Hard Financial Times, Including An Illegal $3.5 Million Loan From His Father. “Wherever the truth lies, it's clear that Trump got more than a $1 million loan (paid back with interest) from his father. He got control of his company and, ultimately, a large inheritance (although the where, when and how much on this is murky). And when he was in financial trouble in the early 1990s — being dropped from the Forbes 400 in 1990 — he had his family's wealth as a backstop. Update: So much so that, as our Glenn Kessler pointed out, Fred Trump bought $3.5 million in Trump Castle Casino Resort chips, which he never used to bet. (The purchase was determined to be illegal; the casino had to pay a fine.)” [New York Times, 10/26/15]

TRUMP DESCRIBED HIS $9.6 MILLION INHERITANCE AS “A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.”

2007: During A Deposition, Donald Trump Admitted To Taking $9.6 Million From His Father’s Estate, Which Trump Characterized As A Loan, For “A Very Small Amount Of Money.” “In a 2007 deposition, the Donald admitted to taking about $9.6 million from his father’s estate, calling the sum ‘a very small amount of money.’ Trump was being deposed by the lawyer of journalist Timothy L. O’Brien, who Trump sued for defamation after the writer estimated in his 2005 book TrumpNation that Trump’s net worth was a mere $150 to $250 million, compared to Donald’s own $6 billion personal valuation. Trump was asked in the December 2007 deposition if he had ever borrowed money from the deceased Fred Trump’s estate. ‘I think a small amount a long time ago,’ Donald Trump replied. ‘I think it was like in the $9 million range.’ Asked when this happened, Trump said, ‘I don’t know. Years ago.’” [BuzzFeed, 11/515]

•	Donald Trump Would Have Made More Money By Simply Investing His 8-Figure Inheritance In A Mutual Fund Indexed To The Stock Market Than He Made Through His Real Estate And Other Business Ventures. “As ‘really rich’ as Donald Trump is today, he might have been even richer if, instead of dabbling in skyscrapers and casinos, he’d simply taken his eight-figure inheritance decades ago and sunk it into the stock market. Had the celebrity businessman and Republican presidential candidate invested his eventual share of father’s real estate company into a mutual fund of S&P 500 stocks in 1974, it would be worth nearly $3 billion today, thanks to the market’s performance over the past four decades. If he’d invested the $200 million that Forbes magazine determined he was worth in 1982 into that index fund, it would have grown to more than $8 billion today.” [National Journal, 9/2/15]

Dodging Personal Bankruptcy

TRUMP NARROWLY AVOIDED PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY

Donald Trump Took Two Of The Trump Casinos Public In 1995 And 1996, Enabling Him To Unload Personal Debt Onto The New Company. “In a tribute to the sucker-born-every-minute theorem, Donald managed to take two of the Trump casinos public in 1995 and 1996, at a time when he was unable to make his bank payments and was heading toward personal bankruptcy. The stock sales allowed Donald to buy the casinos back from the banks and to unload huge amounts of debt. The offering also yanked Donald out of the financial graveyard and left him with a 25 percent stake in a company he once owned entirely. Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts traded at $14 a share initially and, along with a fresh bond offering, the new company raised about $295 million.” [New York Times, 10/23/05]

Donald Trump’s Creditors Could Have Forced Him Into Bankruptcy But Chose Not To Because They Were Reluctant To Face Him In Bankruptcy Court. “After a decade of profligate borrowing, Trump lacked the cash to make his loan payments. Although he owned hotels, skyscrapers, casinos and an airline, his debts exceeded the value of his properties by hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump's lenders could have forced him into personal bankruptcy and stripped him of almost every-thing. But that didn't happen. Instead, the bankers and investors to whom Trump owed money made a series of deals that left him wealthy. They let him keep some properties and took control of others, and they reduced Trump's personal debt by about $ 750 million, more than four-fifths of the total. They didn't do it out of charity. Rather, the lenders were reluctant to confront Trump in bankruptcy court, where they would face years of delay and massive legal expenses. In the end, lenders said, they feared they would recover less money in bankruptcy than they could get by striking compromises with Trump.” [Washington Post, 11/29/92]

Donald Trump Was On The Brink Of Bankruptcy Following The 1990 Real Estate Collapse But Was Able To Avoid Personal Bankruptcy By Selling Off Some Of His Cherished Possessions. ZAHN: “If the 1980s were the greed is good era, then Donald Trump was the decade's poster boy. But by 1990, the real estate mogul nearly lost it all due to a collapsing real estate market. He was on the brink of bankruptcy. To make matters worse, Trump was going through a personal crisis. His marriage was falling apart. … With a failed marriage behind him, Trump now focused on trying to rebuild his business. He was able to avoid bankruptcy by selling off some of his cherished possessions.” [CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

Donald Trump Appeared Upbeat During Negotiations With His Creditors But Was Personally Worried About Avoiding Bankruptcy. “Donald managed to weather the slings and arrows of doubters during these lean years and hunkered down with his bankers and with his debts. As the negotiations progressed, Donald's bankers looked for every alternative they could find to bankruptcy, because none of the banks wanted to contend with the mess that would ensue if the talks collapsed. And the Trumpster kept singing a happy tune. ‘He was always upbeat,’ recalled Harvey Miller, a lawyer representing Citibank. ‘One thing I'll say about Donald, he was never depressed.’ Unbeknownst to his creditors, Donald was just as worried about a bankruptcy as they were. He later told me that he wanted to avoid bankruptcy at all costs because he felt that it would permanently taint him as a failure or a quitter.” [New York Times, 10/23/05]

Personal Health

TRUMP CLAIMED TO HAVE NEVER SMOKED A CIGARETTE, DONE DRUGS, HAD A DRINK OF ALCOHOL, OR A CUP OF COFFEE

Trump Said He Had Never Smoked A Cigarette Or Had A Drink Of Alcohol. ZAHN: “Trump rebounded personally as well. He married Marla Maples in 1993 and soon after she gave birth to Donald's fourth child. The couple would divorce only four years later. Despite a life lived out in the tabloids, Donald Trump has always worked hard and lived clean. He says he's never smoked a cigarette. Never even had a drink.” TRUMP: “I've seen people that I have great respect for and then they end up drunk one night. I could know them for five years, they end up drunk and you lose all of your respect for them.” ZAHN: “Drinking has touched Trump's personal life as well.” TRUMP: “Well, alcohol has touched my family. My brother, Fred, who was a terrific guy in every way, passed away and alcohol killed him. It was pure and simple. He died because of alcohol. And I wished the lawyers that went after the tobacco companies would go after the alcohol companies.” [CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

•	Trump Said He Never Had A Drink Of Alcohol Because His Brother Died Of Alcoholism. ZAHN: “Trump rebounded personally as well. He married Marla Maples in 1993 and soon after she gave birth to Donald's fourth child. The couple would divorce only four years later. Despite a life lived out in the tabloids, Donald Trump has always worked hard and lived clean. He says he's never smoked a cigarette. Never even had a drink.” TRUMP: “I've seen people that I have great respect for and then they end up drunk one night. I could know them for five years, they end up drunk and you lose all of your respect for them.” ZAHN: “Drinking has touched Trump's personal life as well.” TRUMP: “Well, alcohol has touched my family. My brother, Fred, who was a terrific guy in every way, passed away and alcohol killed him. It was pure and simple. He died because of alcohol. And I wished the lawyers that went after the tobacco companies would go after the alcohol companies.” [CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

Trump: “I've Never Had A Cup Of Coffee In My Life.” TRUMP: “I learned a lot from my brother, who was quite a bit older than me.  He said, 'Don't you ever smoke.  Don't you ever--ever have a glass of alcohol.' And I watched his life just be destroyed, and I never have had a glass of alcohol, I've never had a cigarette.  I've never had a cup of coffee in my life.  I've never, you know, 'cause that's-” SAWYER: “Caffeine?” TRUMP: “Well, caffeine is caffeine.  Look, I'm not knocking coffee. I'm not putting it into the same breath, but I just have chosen not to.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 12/1/99]

2016 CAMPAIGN DOCTOR’S REPORT

1999: Donald Trump Agreed That All Candidates Owed The Public Their Medical Reports. KING: “Does -- do all candidates owe us their medical reports?” TRUMP: “I think so.  I think you don't want to get into a situation where you elect someone and then you find he's terminally ill and he'll be in office for about three more months.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

12/3/15: DONALD TRUMP PROMISED TO RELEASE A DOCTOR’S REPORT OF HIS HEALTH AFTER POLITICO PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ON HIS FAILURE TO DO SO.

Donald Trump Promised To Release A Doctor’s Report Of His Health Approximately Three Hours After Politico Published An Article That Described His Poor Diet, Lack Of Exercise, And The Fact That He Would Be The Oldest Person Ever Elected President. [Politico, 12/3/15; @realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 12/3/15]

•	12/3/15: So Far In The 2016 Presidential Campaign, Donald Trump Had Not Released His Medical Records, Despite His Age, Diet And Self-Professed Lack Of Workout Regimen. “Donald Trump once said that all presidential candidates should release their medical records. But so far in the 2016 race, he had declined to release his, and a campaign spokeswoman had not responded to multiple requests for comment about the candidate’s health records stretching back to October. … While the health of a presidential candidate is always important, and nominees release their medical records as a matter of course, Trump’s age, diet and self-professed lack of workout regimen makes the issue more pressing in his case. … If elected, the businessman would take office at the age of 70, making him the oldest person ever to ascend to the presidency. … Over the course of his presidential campaign, Trump has said that he does not exercise or play sports regularly and that he eats whatever he wants – a diet heavy on bacon and steak.” [Politico, 12/3/15]

•	Donald Trump: "As A Presidential Candidate, I Have Instructed My Long-Time Doctor To Issue, Within Two Weeks, A Full Medical Report-It Will Show Perfection." [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 12/3/15] 

12/14/15: DONALD TRUMP RELEASED A LETTER FROM HIS PERSONAL PHYSICIAN CONTAINING BROAD, SWEEPING GENERALIZATIONS

New York Times: Donald Trump Released A Letter From His Personal Physician That Cited Few Specific Lab Results But Included “A Sweeping Declaration In A Tone Oddly Similar To How Mr. Trump Talks About Himself.” “Donald J. Trump has released a letter from his personal physician attesting that his health is ‘extraordinary.’ The letter, gushing in tone and signed by Dr. Harold N. Bornstein of Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, was four paragraphs long and provided few specific laboratory test results. The letter made a sweeping declaration in a tone oddly similar to how Mr. Trump talks about himself.” [New York Times, 12/14/15] 

•	Donald Trump Said He Was “Fortunate To Have Been Blessed With Great Genes” But Did Not Say That His Father Developed Alzheimer’s, The Genetics Of Which Are Not Understood With Certainty. “In a cover letter to Dr. Bornstein’s letter, Mr. Trump said: ‘I am fortunate to have been blessed with great genes — both of my parents had very long and productive lives.’ He did not say his father, Fred, developed Alzheimer’s disease beginning in his late 80s. The genetics of most forms of Alzheimer’s and dementia are not known with certainty.” [New York Times, 12/14/15]

•	Reporters Who Covered Trump’s Campaign Thought He Had Gained Weight, Contrary To Trump’s Claims And The Letter Signed By His Doctor. “A “recent complete medical examination” of Mr. Trump “showed only positive results,” the letter [signed by Donald Trump’s physician] said. It gave few specifics about that examination but contained a number of flamboyant descriptions. … [According to the letter] Mr. Trump has lost “at least 15 pounds” in the past 12 months. But his exact weight before and after the loss was not stated. Reporters who have covered Mr. Trump’s campaign said their impression was that he had gained weight over recent months. [New York Times, 12/14/15] 

2004: TRUMP SAID HE ONLY SLEEPS “VERY LITTLE” – 3 TO 4 HOURS A NIGHT

Trump Said He Slept 3 To 4 Hours A Night. TRUMP: “Well, I'm lucky. And I guess I got this from my parents. But I sleep very little, 3 or 4 hours a night. And that's what I need. And I have friends that need 12 hours' sleep. I say, 12 hours? What are you going to do? So how does somebody that's sleeping 12 and 14 hours a day compete with somebody that's sleeping 3 or 4 ? It doesn't work that way. So if you can -- now, part of sleeping not so much is enjoying your life. If you don't enjoy your life, I know other people when they're doing well and things are good, they sleep 5 hours. When things aren't going so well they're in bed all week long. But the fact is that sleep as little -- you're going to be sleeping for a long time someday.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 11/24/04]

Marriages and Other Relationships

TRUMP HAS BEEN MARRIED THREE TIMES AND HAS FIVE CHILDREN

Donald Trump Had Five Children From Three Wives. ANDERSON: “It’s Melania’s first child, and the baby is due in the spring, gender unknown. It will be the fifth child for the Donald, who has three kids with first wife Ivana Trump, Donald Jr., 27; Ivanka, 23; and Eric, 21; and an 11-year-old, Tiffany, with second wife Marla Maples. With five kids from three wives, the Donald is a fine example of the new American family.” [Showbiz Tonight, CNN, 9/27/05]

Ivana Trump

TRUMP MARRIED IVANA ZELNACHEC IN 1977

Donald Trump Married Model Ivana Zelnachec In 1977. ZAHN: “On the road to Manhattan, Donald Trumpmet a stunning blonde Czechoslovakian named Ivana Zelnachec.” UNIDENTIFIED MALE: “She was a model at the time. They were both driven, perfectionists. They were both highly ambitious people. They are both gaudy people. There's a what you see is what you get quality to both of them. And in a lot of ways, they were a match made in heaven.” ZAHN: “The two were married in 1977 and went on to have three children. It was around the same time that Trump laid the first brick in the foundation of his empire. Trump bought the bankrupt Commodore Hotel near Grand Central Station.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

•	Trump On His Divorce From Ivana: “When A Man Leaves A Woman, Especially When It Was Perceived That He Has Left For A Piece Of Ass--A Good One-- There Are 50 Percent Of The Population Who Will Love The Woman Who Was Left.” WALTERS: “The author, Marie Brenner, quotes you as saying to her, ‘When a man leaves a woman, especially when it was perceived that he has left for a piece of ass- a good one- there are 50 percent of the population who will love the woman who was left.’” TRUMP: “I do remember saying that. I don't remember having used those words. That's possible. But I believe that if a man leaves a woman for almost any reason, that that particular person, the man, is going to be at a major disadvantage in terms of the public eye, there's no question about it.” [20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

•	Trump: “I Don't Know What The Legal Definition Of Marriage Is, To Be Perfectly Honest.” WALTERS: “There's some confusion as to you marital state. You're still married, but you've told friends that you'll probably be divorced.” TRUMP: “I am still married. I don't know what the legal definition of marriage is, to be perfectly honest.” WALTERS: “You don't the legal definition of marriage?” TRUMP: “The legal definition of marriage in this context. I am married. I don't know whether or not you'd consider it a separation. I can't tell you what's going to happen because I'm not even sure I know myself.” [20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Ivana Trump Said That She Did Not Understand What She Was Signing In Her Prenuptial Agreement With Donald. NANCY COLLINS: “If the Trumps agreed about their problems, they certainly disagreed about the money. Ivana had to settle for the paltry $20 million promised her in her prenuptial agreement.” IVANA TRUMP: “My prenuptial, I did not understand what I was signing. I was younger and I did not speak very well English and I really- my parents never had one. It did not exist in communistic Czechoslovakia. I really wasn't sure. What I thought that I was signing was to give the rights to the family for their money, that I would not claim the money of the family, like, say, the fathers and grandfathers and all that stuff. That's what I understood I was signing.” [Primetime Live, ABC News, 4/12/95]

Trump Had An Affair With Marla Maples, Leading To A $20 Million Divorce Settlement. ZAHN: “If the 1980s were the greed is good era, then Donald Trump was the decade's poster boy. But by 1990, the real estate mogul nearly lost it all due to a collapsing real estate market. He was on the brink of bankruptcy. To make matters worse, Trump was going through a personal crisis. His marriage was falling apart. And Donald was spending a lot of time with former beauty queen Marla Maples. Their affair erupted into a full-fledged scandal. The New York tabloids were merciless… The $20 million divorce settlement hit The Donald where it hurt.” TRUMP: “There's nothing great about divorce. Divorce is tough because it's personal.” ZAHN: With a failed marriage behind him, Trump know focused on trying to rebuild his business. He was able to avoid bankruptcy by selling off some of his cherished possessions.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

DONALD TRUMP’S EX-WIFE IVANA HAS USED THE WORDS “VIOLATED” AND “RAPE” TO DESCRIBE A SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH TRUMP

HEADLINE: “Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

•	SUBHEADLINE: “Ivana Trump Once Accused The Real-Estate Tycoon Of ‘Rape,’ Although She Later Clarified: Not In The ‘Criminal Sense.’” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump’s Ex-Wife Wife Ivana Trump Accused Trump Of Raping Her In 1989. “It was an unfortunate turn of phrase for Trump—in more ways than one. Not only does the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination have a history of controversial remarks about sexual assault, but as it turns out, his ex-wife Ivana Trump once used ‘rape’ to describe an incident between them in 1989. She later said she felt ‘violated’ by the experience.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Ivana Trump’s “Rape” Assertion Originally Appeared In A Deposition As A Part Of The Early 1990s Divorce Case Between The Trumps And Was Described As A “Violent Assault” In The 1993 Book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump. “Ivana Trump’s assertion of ‘rape’ came in a deposition—part of the early ’90s divorce case between the Trumps, and revealed in the 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump. The book, by former Texas Monthly and Newsweek reporter Harry Hurt III, described a harrowing scene. After a painful scalp reduction surgery to remove a bald spot, Donald Trump confronted his then-wife, who had previously used the same plastic surgeon. ‘Your fucking doctor has ruined me!’ Trump cried. What followed was a ‘violent assault,’ according to Lost Tycoon.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

IN RESPONSE TO A STORY ABOUT IVANA’S RAPE ALLEGATIONS, DONALD TRUMP’S SPECIAL COUNSEL SAID “YOU CAN’T RAPE YOUR SPOUSE AND TOLD THE REPORTER HE WOULD “MESS YOUR LIFE UP”

Michael Cohen, Special Counsel At The Trump Organization: “Understand That By The Very Definition, You Can’t Rape Your Spouse.” “Michael Cohen, special counsel at The Trump Organization, defended his boss, saying, ‘You’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual who never raped anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse.’ ‘It is true,’ Cohen added. ‘You cannot rape your spouse. And there’s very clear case law.’ Ivana Trump’s assertion of ‘rape’ came in a deposition—part of the early ’90s divorce case between the Trumps, and revealed in the 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump….That is not true. In New York, there used to be a so-called marital rape exemption to the law. It was struck down in 1984.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

Trump Special Counsel: “So I’m Warning You, Tread Very Fucking Lightly, Because What I’m Going To Do To You Is Going To Be Fucking Disgusting. … You Write A Story That Has Mr. Trump’s Name In It, With The Word ‘Rape,’ And I’m Going To Mess Your Life Up.” “Trump’s lawyer then changed tactics, lobbing insults and threatening a lawsuit if a story was published. ‘I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we’re in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don’t have. And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know,’ Cohen said. ‘So I’m warning you, tread very fucking lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting. You understand me?’ ‘You write a story that has Mr. Trump’s name in it, with the word ‘rape,’ and I’m going to mess your life up…for as long as you’re on this frickin’ planet…you’re going to have judgments against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it,’ he added.” [Daily Beast, 7/27/15]

COHEN APOLOGIZED FOR SAYING “YOU CANNOT RAPE YOUR SPOUSE”

Michael Cohen, Special Counsel To Trump, Apologized For Saying “You Cannot Rape Your Spouse.” “Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump. Cohen has been a long-time aide to Trump, but he found himself facing the national media glare last month when he defended his boss to a Daily Beast reporter in a story about rebuffed allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump. Cohen has since publicly apologized for telling the Daily Beast that ‘you cannot rape your spouse’ and has repeatedly said that he does not believe that statement. ‘As an attorney, husband and father there are many injustices that offend me but nothing more than charges of rape or racism. They hit me at my core,’ Cohen said in an apology statement to CNN. Cohen has served as a media liaison to Trump, helping to coordinate interviews. And he has also appeared on television defending Trump's campaign, but his public appearances have dwindled following the controversy.” The Hill, 8/14/15]

Marla Maples

AFTER CHEATING ON IVANA WITH HER, TRUMP MARRIED MARLA MAPLES IN 1993

Trump Had An Affair With Marla Maples, Leading To A $20 Million Divorce Settlement. ZAHN: “If the 1980s were the greed is good era, then Donald Trump was the decade's poster boy. But by 1990, the real estate mogul nearly lost it all due to a collapsing real estate market. He was on the brink of bankruptcy. To make matters worse, Trump was going through a personal crisis. His marriage was falling apart. And Donald was spending a lot of time with former beauty queen Marla Maples. Their affair erupted into a full-fledged scandal. The New York tabloids were merciless… The $20 million divorce settlement hit The Donald where it hurt.” TRUMP: “There's nothing great about divorce. Divorce is tough because it's personal.” ZAHN: With a failed marriage behind him, Trump know focused on trying to rebuild his business. He was able to avoid bankruptcy by selling off some of his cherished possessions.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

Trump Married Marla Maples In 1993, But Got Divorced Four Years Later. ZAHN: “Trump rebounded personally as well. He married Marla Maples in 1993 and soon after she gave birth to Donald's fourth child. The couple would divorce only four years later. Despite a life lived out in the tabloids, Donald Trumphas always worked hard and lived clean. He says he's never smoked a cigarette. Never even had a drink.”[CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

•	Donald Trump Married Marla Maples On December 20, 1993. FERNANDEZ: “The Donald and The Marla are finally The Trumps.  John Roberts reports on last night's nuptials in New York.” ROBERTS: “Celebrity guests swarmed New York's Plaza Hotel for the big event, arriving in all modes of transportation.  The crowd was the expected mix of beautiful people, business leaders and politicians.  And the hype was pervasive.” [This Morning, CBS, 12/21/93]

Donald Trump And Marla Maples Were Expecting A Child In October 1993. “Just call them Mom and Pop.  Donald Trumpand Marla Maples are looking forward to becoming parents.  The on-and-off love birds confirmed yesterday they are expecting in October and the mom-to-be says it is a very happy surprise.” MARLA MAPLES: “I feel good because, you know, when it happens, you know it's meant to be.  You just have to really trust that.  Whether it's planned or not, you just sort of trust God's plan and do what you have to.” [This Morning, CBS, 4/8/93]

1997: TRUMP AND MARLA MAPLES SEPARATED

Donald And Marla Trump Announced Their Separation In May 1997. “Marla and Donald Trump-- how many years they have provided us, well, spectacle for our lives?  The affair, the tabloid pregnancy, the lavish wedding and now, we’re told, it’s over.  On Friday, the Trumps issued a joint statement saying that they are separating as friends.” [Primetime Live, ABC, 5/7/97]

•	Donald Trump Confirmed That His Ex-Wife Marla Would Keep Their Daughter Tiffany. DIAZ-BALART: “Donald, this is the first time you've been on--on national TV since the rumors have come out which--which you--you've talked about a little bit about your impending separation from Marla.  I know it's not something that's comfortable to talk about.  It's not, certainly, something that I enjoy asking about.  How are you doing?  How are you two doing?” TRUMP: “We're doing really great.  And she's a very great professional.  She's doing the show tonight and she's going to do a fantastic job.  She's a very, very professional, very talented woman.  And we're really doing great.” DIAZ-BALART: “Yeah.  And she's--she's going to stay with the child, I'm told?” TRUMP: “Oh yeah, absolutely.  She's a terrific mother.  I mean, her best asset, frankly, is that she is a terrific mother.  And Tiffany is--is a wonderful child.  And I'm very happy about that because Marla is such a good mother.” [This Morning, CBS, 5/16/97]

Melania Trump

TRUMP MARRIED MELANIA IN 2005 AND HAD A CHILD

At 59 Years Old, Trump Had A Baby With His New Wife Melania. TRUMP: “They’ve been asking us almost every day, is she pregnant? Is she pregnant? Is Melania pregnant?” ANDERSON: “Yes, now she is. The 59-year-old real estate and reality TV mogul is ready to spill the beans. His 35-year-old new wife Melania is pregnant. Regis talked to the Donald just last night.” [Showbiz Tonight, CNN, 9/27/05]

MELANIA HAS SHIED AWAY FROM TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Melania Trump Supported Her Husband’s Efforts By Being With Their Son And Was “Not Ready To Get Political Yet.” “This is Melania's first major interview, conducted in the family's lavish 66th floor penthouse, and she says she's there to support her husband's efforts. ‘My husband is traveling all the time,’ she says. ‘Barron needs somebody as a parent, so I am with him all the time.’ Reflecting on her husband's often outrageous comments, Melania says she's ‘not ready to get political yet,’ but stands by him. ‘He is who he is,’ she says. ‘Even if you give him advice, he will maybe take it in, but then he will do it the way he wants to do it. You cannot change a person. Let them be. Let them be the way they are.’” [People, 9/30/15] 

Comments on Fidelity and Pre-Nuptial Agreements

TRUMP ON THE “HUNT”

Trump: “I Think The Hunt Is Always Fun, Whether It's Deals, Whether It's Women, Whether It's Anything.” WALTERS: “I want to clear something up. In your book, the new book, you say, ‘The fun is in the getting, not the having.’ Does that include women? No kidding.” TRUMP: “Interesting question. I think the hunt is always fun, whether it's deals, whether it's women, whether it's anything. I think, however, that with respect to women, there would be nothing that would make me happier than having a great marriage. An absolutely great marriage, and that would certainly supersede the hunt.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

Trump: “I'm An Absolute Believer In Fidelity. But If A Marriage Isn't Working, That's A Different Ball Game.”WALTERS: “Do you believe in fidelity in marriage?” TRUMP: “Yes, absolutely I do. Absolutely. I think that there's nothing better than a good marriage. There is nothing worse than a bad marriage. I'm absolutely a believer in marriage, I'm an absolute believer in fidelity. But if a marriage isn't working, that's a different ball game.”[20/20, ABC News, 8/17/90]

TRUMP: PEOPLE SHOULD GET MAKE THE MOVE AND GET DIVORCED WHEN THEY GROW APART

Trump: “And A Lot Of People Should Be Getting Divorced, A Lot Of People Should Be Doing It.” TRUMP: “The thing is, I don't talk about the personal.  I've never had to talk about it before and, unfortunately, this situation - and I don't know why I say unfortunately - it is unfortunate because I say divorce is a negative, it's a bad thing, I don't like it, I- my parents are married for over 50 years, I don't like the concept of divorce, but sometimes, it becomes necessary, sometimes, you just grow apart, and you do, I mean, that's the term, that you grow apart.  And a lot of people should be getting divorced, a lot of people should be doing it, but they don't do it, because they don't make the move.  I was just amazed at the inaccuracy of the press.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 7/27/90]

TRUMP INSISTS THAT RICH PEOPLE HAVE AN “OBLIGATION” TO GET PRE-NUPS

Trump: Pre-Nuptial Agreements Are “A Modern Day Necessity.” DONALD TRUMP: “I hate the concept of a pre-nuptial agreement because it basically says, 'If and when you get divorced, this is what you're going to get.' And there's something very bad about that. But I think it's a modern-day necessity.” [Primetime Live, ABC News, 3/10/94]

Trump: Anybody With A Certain Financial Status Has “An Obligation” To Get A Prenuptial Agreement Signed. TRUMP: “Prenuptial agreements are a very important thing to have.  I mean, I think anybody getting married today with a business or with certain financial status, or whatever, has to.  They have an obligation to themselves, even to their family, even to their wife to get a prenuptial agreement signed.” [Burden Of Proof, CNN, 10/15/96]

Trump On Why He Should Be Able To Keep His Wealth After A Divorce: “I Built This Empire And I Did It By Myself. Nobody Did It For Me.” TRUMP: “I built this empire and I did it by myself. Nobody did it for me- not Ivana, not Marla- nobody. And I think that because somebody marries somebody that built something huge doesn't necessarily mean that just because they get a divorce that they should end up, you know, like the Queen of Sheba.”[Primetime Live, ABC News, 3/10/94]

Children

Donald Trump Had Five Children From Three Wives. ANDERSON: “It’s Melania’s first child, and the baby is due in the spring, gender unknown. It will be the fifth child for the Donald, who has three kids with first wife Ivana Trump, Donald Jr., 27; Ivanka, 23; and Eric, 21; and an 11-year-old, Tiffany, with second wife Marla Maples. With five kids from three wives, the Donald is a fine example of the new American family.” [Showbiz Tonight, CNN, 9/27/05]

Trump Confirmed That His Ex-Wife Marla Would Have Primary Custody Of Their Daughter Tiffany. DIAZ-BALART: “Donald, this is the first time you've been on--on national TV since the rumors have come out which--which you--you've talked about a little bit about your impending separation from Marla.  I know it's not something that's comfortable to talk about.  It's not, certainly, something that I enjoy asking about.  How are you doing?  How are you two doing?” TRUMP: “We're doing really great.  And she's a very great professional.  She's doing the show tonight and she's going to do a fantastic job.  She's a very, very professional, very talented woman.  And we're really doing great.” DIAZ-BALART: “Yeah.  And she's--she's going to stay with the child, I'm told?” TRUMP: “Oh yeah, absolutely.  She's a terrific mother.  I mean, her best asset, frankly, is that she is a terrific mother.  And Tiffany is--is a wonderful child.  And I'm very happy about that because Marla is such a good mother.” [This Morning, CBS, 5/16/97]

Trump: “There’s Always Gonna Be Nepotism… That’s The Way The World Works.” WALTERS: “On the outside people will say, nepotism.  What do you say to that?  Nepotism has become a kind of bad word.” TRUMP: “You know, there's always gonna be nepotism, whether it's a friendship nepotism or whether it's children nepotism.  And, you know, that's the way the world works.  But the fact is, I love my children and I hope they do a real good job.” [20/20, ABC News, 2/6/04]

Parents and Siblings

Parents

Trump Credited His Father With Getting Him Not To Smoke Or Drink. TRUMP: “So far, my kids have been following my lead. But I drive them crazy. They say, dad, will you stop. I had this great brother who had everything going, but he became an alcoholic. He smoked a lot. But forget the smoking, he became an alcoholic. And ultimately he died. It was an amazing genes that he lasted as long as he did. But he was a severe alcoholic. He was an amazing guy. And he was, in a certain way -- my father was a great teacher, but he was one of my great teachers, if not my best. But he got me not to smoke, not to drink.” [Piers Morgan Tonight, Fox News, 2/9/11]

Beyond The $1 Million Loan From His Father, Donald Trump Used His Family’s Wealth As A “Backstop” During Hard Financial Times, Including An Illegal $3.5 Million Loan From His Father. “Wherever the truth lies, it's clear that Trump got more than a $1 million loan (paid back with interest) from his father. He got control of his company and, ultimately, a large inheritance (although the where, when and how much on this is murky). And when he was in financial trouble in the early 1990s — being dropped from the Forbes 400 in 1990 — he had his family's wealth as a backstop. Update: So much so that, as our Glenn Kessler pointed out, Fred Trump bought $3.5 million in Trump Castle Casino Resort chips, which he never used to bet. (The purchase was determined to be illegal; the casino had to pay a fine.)” [New York Times, 10/26/15]

Siblings
	
Trump Said He Never Had A Drink Of Alcohol Because His Brother Died Of Alcoholism. ZAHN: “Trump rebounded personally as well. He married Marla Maples in 1993 and soon after she gave birth to Donald's fourth child. The couple would divorce only four years later. Despite a life lived out in the tabloids, Donald Trump has always worked hard and lived clean. He says he's never smoked a cigarette. Never even had a drink.” TRUMP: “I've seen people that I have great respect for and then they end up drunk one night. I could know them for five years, they end up drunk and you lose all of your respect for them.” ZAHN: “Drinking has touched Trump's personal life as well.” TRUMP: “Well, alcohol has touched my family. My brother, Fred, who was a terrific guy in every way, passed away and alcohol killed him. It was pure and simple. He died because of alcohol. And I wished the lawyers that went after the tobacco companies would go after the alcohol companies.” [CNN People In The News, CNN, 5/21/05]

•	Trump Said That He Would Like Alcohol Companies To Get Sued. TRUMP: “Well, I'd come down, but I'd also come down tough on alcohol.  I don't know why everyone's suing tobacco, which is terrible, and I love that they're suing and I love that they're paying a big price, but why aren't they suing the alcohol companies, because alcohol -- I mean, I lost a brother to alcohol.  I've never had a drink in my life because of the fact that I had a brother that had a problem with alcohol….I don't drink for that reason….They're taxed.  I'd like to see them sued. You know what I don't -- I hope a lot of lawyers are watching tonight. Why is it that everybody is suing the tobacco companies and nobody sues the alcohol companies.  I mean, you have the car crashes and the kids that get killed by some drunk that's, you know, riding on the road.  It's just terrible.  So, I would like to see something happen with alcohol.” [Larry King Live, CNN, 10/7/99]

Religion

TRUMP IN 1989: THERE IS NO HEAVEN…

1989: Donald Trump Said He Did Not Believe In Reincarnation, Heaven, Or Hell. “Seven years ago, Donald Trump remembers, he gazed at his $200 million Trump Tower and thought to himself: ‘I'll be 36 next year and I'll have done everything I can do. . . . Sometimes, I think it was a mistake to have raced through it all so fast.’ ….‘What's the next level up? … Right now, I'm genuinely enjoying myself. I work and I don't worry.’ Not even about death. ‘No. I'm fatalistic and I protect myself as well as anybody can. I prepare for things. But ultimately we all end up going.’ Heading upstairs for dinner with his children, Donald Trump looks back, hesitating, wanting to finish: ‘No. I don't believe in reincarnation, heaven or hell - but we go someplace. ‘Do you know,’ he says, ‘I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where.’” [Chicago Tribune, 3/12/89]

TRUMP IN 1999: “I’M RELIGIOUS” AND HOPE HEAVEN EXISTS

Trump: “I Believe In God.  I'm Religious.” SAWYER: “You are?  Are you religious?” TRUMP: “Right.  No, I believe in God.  I'm religious.  I'm religious in my thought.  And I just hope, in fact, that we're all right in believing that there is a heaven, and perhaps in believing that there is a hell.  I mean, we have to be here for something.  We have to be doing this for some reason.  There has to be a reason.  And I believe that there is in fact a reason, and I believe heaven could be that reason.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 12/2/99]

TRUMP ON THE TRAIL IN 2015: I’M A “GOOD CHRISTIAN” BUT HAVE NEVER ASKED GOD FOR FORGIVENESS

Donald Trump Said He Was A “Good Christian” And That, If Elected, “We’re Gonna Be Saying Merry Christmas At Every Store.” “Playing to Hawkeye State evangelical voters, Donald Trump riffed on religious political correctness at an event here Wednesday by vowing to always say ‘Merry Christmas’ come the winter holiday season. ‘I'm a good Christian,’ the Republican presidential front-runner said. ‘If I become president, we're gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store ... You can leave happy holidays at the corner.’” [CNN, 10/21/15]

Donald Trump Said He Had Never Asked God For Forgiveness And Spoke Casually About Holy Communion. “Last month at the Family Leader’s candidate summit in Ames, Trump, a Presbyterian, caused unease when he said he had never asked God for forgiveness and spoke casually about Holy Communion. ‘When I drink my little wine — which is about the only wine I drink — and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness,’ Trump said. Iowa radio host Steve Deace said he would be ‘very surprised’ if Trump won here. ‘Whatever chance he had to get evangelicals to coalesce around him went out the window at the Family Leader,’ he said. ‘Everyone was paying attention, especially those who are fed up with the Republican Party, but he didn’t sell them.’” [Washington Post, 8/13/15]

Trump’s Top Video Clips By Issue

ABORTION	
General Choice/
Roe v. Wade	Trump: “I’m Pro-Life And I Have Been Pro-Life.” [Bloomberg Business,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzGrSYWAkxg1/24/15; Bloomberg Business, 1/24/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwNTkzODMsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6OTE4MjcsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.EzcnX0bjyzHB8JG8z1NGjKzUOX492BbWIXxPf66TVA0&start=00:00:09VIDEO]	
Contraceptives and Employer Sponsored Health Plans		
Defund Planned Parenthood	Trump: “Planned Parenthood Should Absolutely Be Defunded.  “Planned Parenthood should absolutely be defunded.  I mean if you look at what’s going on with that, it’s terrible. And many of the things should be defunded and many things should be cut.” [Fox News, 10/19/15,http://www.lifenews.com/2015/10/19/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-should-absolutely-be-de-funded/VIDEO]

Trump Supported Shutting Down The Government To Defund Planned Parenthood. “Real estate mogul Donald Trump said he supports shutting down the government over legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, adding that the Republican Party could have done the same thing with Obamacare. ‘I would [support a government shutdown], and I was also in support if the Republicans stuck together you could have done it with Obamacare also, but the Republicans decided not to stick together and they left a few people out there like Ted Cruz,’ Trump said on the ‘Hugh Hewitt Show’ on Monday.” [Politico,http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/donald-trump-government-shutdown-planned-parenthood-120981.html8/4/15; Hugh Hewitt Radio Show,http://www.hughhewitt.com/donald-trump-on-things-2016/8/3/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDcwMjkyMDksImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6ODQ0MDQsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.sp_2RQb5KAxGyR-HjIISGqp5lpxOOUlmCQ8gJR22z2c&start=00:05:55AUDIO]	
Exceptions for Rape and Incest	Trump Supported Abortion Ban Exceptions In Cases Of Rape, Incest Or The Health Of The Mother. “Business mogul Donald Trump went on a media blitz Tuesday morning, making back-to-back appearances on Fox and CNN as he sought to tamper down the controversy over his spat with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly… But he believes abortion ban exceptions should be made in cases of rape, incest or compromised health of the mother. ‘I am for the exceptions. You have the three exceptions, I am for the exceptions. … I absolutely am for the exceptions, and so was Ronald Reagan for the exceptions, by the way. There’s nothing wrong with that, you have to do it, in my opinion,’ he said on CNN.” [Washington Post,http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/11/here-are-the-top-lines-from-donald-trumps-morning-media-blitz/8/11/15; New Day, CNN, 8/11/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDcwMjk0NjYsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NTAyMTMsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.SnpL4l2cEwZErEjW5XIV7vR8at0Q3_Apdto1GXCAw_A&start=00:07:26VIDEO]	
Planned Parenthood Shooting		
CIVIL RIGHTS	
Black Lives Matter	Trump On Black Lives Matters Activists: “I Don’t Know If I’ll Do The Fighting Myself, Or If Other People Will.” “Sanders was due to speak to a crowd of thousands at Westlake Park on Saturday afternoon but was interrupted by protesters affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement shortly after taking the stage. He eventually left without saying a word to his supporters. ‘That will never happen with me,’ Trump exclaimed, also suggesting he would get into a physical altercation with the protesters in order to prevent a similar disruption. ‘I don’t know if I’ll do the fighting myself, or if other people will, but that was a disgrace,’ Trump added. ‘I felt badly for him, but it showed that he’s weak.’” [The Hill,http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/250899-trump-sanders-weak-for-letting-black-lives-matter-shut-down-rally8/11/15; Donald Trump press conference, Birch Run MI, 8/11/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwNTk3NjIsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NTA4NTcsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.ry9rrrLPOA3-Fn47ITdtTZfP_WggCKEdFaA2tGP7Z_E&start=00:12:43VIDEO]

Donald Trump Said That The “Black Lives Matter” Protester Who Interrupted His Rally Was “So Obnoxious And So Loud” That “Maybe He Should Have Been Roughed Up.” “Donald Trump said Sunday that the protester who interrupted his rally at a convention center here on Saturday morning was ‘so obnoxious and so loud’ that ‘maybe he should have been roughed up.’ Mercutio Southall Jr. — a well-known local activist who has been repeatedly arrested while fighting what he says is unfair treatment of blacks — interrupted Trump’s rally and could be heard shouting, ‘Black lives matter!’ … ‘Get him the hell out of here, will you, please?’ Trump said on Saturday morning. ‘Get him out of here. Throw him out!’” [Washington Post,https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/11/22/black-activist-punched-at-donald-trump-rally-in-birmingham/11/22/15; Fox and Friends Sunday, Fox News, 11/22/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwNTk5NTMsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6ODk0MzUsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.Qsc9u6OPvgMnHbGICENDhcdXipnV8j-UXFvc-L01HGg&start=00:11:36VIDEO]	
Voting Rights	Trump Claimed That President Obama’s Anti-Voter Id Stance Was “Wrong.” “He @JamesOkeefelll proves once again why @BarackObama's anti voter ID stance is wronghttp://bit.ly/Hramxphttp://bit.ly/Hramxp   (cont)http://tl.gd/gtf114http://tl.gd/gtf114” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter,https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1897842744703139844/10/12[15] ]	
Paycheck Fairness	Trump: “I Treat Women No Differently Than I Treat The Men Who Work For Me.” “On The Apprentice, I was always pointing out the business skills of women. Talk to any of the women who worked for me and they will all tell you the same thing—I am a tough, demanding boss. I reward success and I penalize failure. I treat women no differently than I treat the men who work for me. I give women the responsibility they earn with their performance, I pay them the same, promote them accordingly, and, when they mess up, fire them the same.” [Trump, Crippled America, p.116, 11/3/15[16] ]

In Response To A Question Asking How He Would Ensure Equal Pay For Women, Donald Trump Said He Pays Women “More Than Men, For Similar Work Because They Are Better,” But That When The Government Says “’Everybody Gets Equal Pay’ You Get Away From The Whole American Dream, You Get Away From Capitalism In A Sense.” “You can give the politically correct answer, but you have to let people get out there. I have to tell you, I have a company where I pay women in many cases more than men, for similar work because they are better. But when you start getting involved -- [applause] no, come on, I do it. … Here is the problem. If you start getting involved with government on ‘this one gets this pay and this one gets that pay,’ and you say — where does it all start?’ You could have a woman much better than a man, or you could have a woman that’s not as good as man, and if you sorta say ‘everybody gets equal pay’ you get away from the whole American Dream. You get away from capitalism in a sense. I can tell you, that I have women, honestly that are just, in many cases, they’re better than men and I paid them more than men. And to a certain extent, people have to go out and they have to fight for themselves. I don't know if people agree with me, but once you get where everybody gets the same, I mean you’re into a socialistic society.” [Donald Trump, WHO-TV Iowa Forum, Newton, Iowa, 11/19/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwMTA0MjcsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6ODg2MzUsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.y8KeeUccgLCxFy00PQvVqF4-8tjDT_FxT6zjKIqOBns&start=00:03:20VIDEO]	
Criminal Justice Reform		
CLIMATE CHANGE	
Believe/ Not Believe	Trump: “I Don’t Believe In Climate Change.” “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he doesn’t believe in climate change and that measures to fight it would ‘imperil the companies in our country.’ During a Thursday morning interview on CNN’s ‘New Day,’ the New York real estate developer said that bad floods and other abnormal weather patterns have happened in the past, and the media fixated too much on the issue. ‘You can’t watch the news anymore. It’s always weather,’ said Mr. Trump…. ‘I believe in clean air. Immaculate air,’ Mr. Trump said. ‘But I don’t believe in climate change.’ ” [Wall Street Journal,http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/09/24/donald-trump-i-dont-believe-in-climate-change/9/24/15; “New Day,” CNN, 9/24/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDcwMjk4MDksImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NjQ3NzYsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.4Lw73SnzYlSlnr3bL4J5-Whc4tudEkBYmn-0MEbzI1A&start=00:06:00VIDEO]

Trump Said Pope Francis Was Getting “Extremely Political” On Climate Change. ”If Donald Trump found himself in a private meeting with the Pope next week, the Republican businessman would want to talk climate change. ‘He seems to be getting extremely political,’ Trump said of Pope Francis, who will visit the United States for a historic trip this week and has made addressing global warming one of his pet issues. ’I would actually talk to him about it to see if he's serious.’" [CNN,http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/21/politics/donald-trump-pope-francis-religion-climate-change/index.html9/21/15; On The Record, Fox News, 9/21/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwMDc0MjIsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NjM3MjYsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.mdjQjkKJrjVkWsrl4lq4mlrVKYxmFr2CCFm29UEf7nA&start=00:11:13VIDEO]

September 2015: Trump Criticized President Obama’s Concern Over ClimateChange And Claimed, “You Can’t Get Hurt By Extreme Weather.” “‘One of the things that so bothers me,’ Trump said in front of 20,000 people in Dallas, Texas, is that ‘Obama thinks the single biggest threat in the world today is global warming. Can you believe it?’ ‘Then they changed it to climate change because the word global warming wasn’t working.’ ‘Then they changed it to extreme weather — you can’t get hurt with extreme weather,’ Trump added. ‘There’s a tornado, there’s a little cold, there’s a wind — it’s always extreme.’ ‘He says the biggest threat we have is extreme weather, and I say in terms of global warming the biggest threat we have is nuclear global warming because we have incompetent politicians,’ Trump continued, referring to the Iran deal that’s unpopular among GOP politicians and voters.” [The Daily Caller,http://dailycaller.com/2015/09/16/trump-mocks-obamas-fear-of-extreme-weather-video/9/16/15; Rally, Dallas, TX, 9/14/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwMDg2MzAsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NjEyOTAsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.YVU6Kn-2wAzqh5khIWumabjYOvQBImH0NpL37VPfhVg&start=01:03:13VIDEO]

Trump Said President Obama’s Comment That Climate Change Was One Of The Greatest Threats To The U.S. Was One Of The “Dumbest Statements I’ve Ever Heard In Politics. “Donald Trump said Monday that President Barack Obama's comments that climate change poses one of the greatest threats to the U.S. is one of the ‘dumbest things’ ever said. … ‘I think one of the dumbest statements I've ever heard in politics -- in the history of politics as I know it, which is pretty good, was Obama's statement that our No. 1 problem is global warming,’ Trump said Monday on MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe.’ The mogul cited the threat of terror and attacks on the U.S. as more concerning. ‘I think it's one of the dumbest things I've ever seen, or perhaps most naïve,’ Trump said. ‘He actually is somewhat naïve, if you want to know the truth, beyond the incompetent part.’” [CNN,http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/30/politics/donald-trump-obama-climate-change-dumbest-thing/index.html11/30/15; Morning Joe, MSNBC, 11/30/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwMDg4ODMsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6OTA1OTQsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.R_dePT22JH5udYfuZfoKwluKuk91HiCFsv6C6ncHr5M&start=00:11:25VIDEO]	
ECONOMY	
Minimum Wage	Trump: “We Have To Leave [The Minimum Wage] The Way It Is.”“Taxes too high, wages too high, we’re not going to be able to compete against the world. I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is. People have to go out, they have to work really hard and have to get into that upper stratosphere. We cannot do this if we are going to compete with the rest of the world. We just can’t do it. “ [FOX Business Republican Debate, 11/10/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwNjAxMzYsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6ODU0NzgsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.0u7SrKGu60f7Sbc71Q-V40jiP4h4-lI1wSCTW6EJT04&start=00:06:35VIDEO]	
Family Leave		
Net Neutrality		
CAMPAIGN FINANCE	
Citizens United	Trump Called For “Total Transparency” Of Campaign Contributions. TRUMP: “Well I think this whole thing with PACs is nonsense. Because Jeb Bush puts his friend in charge of has PAC, and they don’t talk….And he’s going to work hard, as is Hillary Clinton. They all have their friends running the PACs. Now you’re not supposed to talk, you’re not supposed to – they go out and play golf, they get together, but they don’t talk. Who believes that? So I want transparency. I don’t mind the money coming in. Let it be transparent. Let them talk, but let there be total transparency.” [TIME,http://time.com/4003734/donald-trump-interview-transcript/8/20/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwNjA2NTcsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NTM2MzAsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.R-PuJ5S2KdNgHZ47mdN9nGoMVl8CZS8WJg_hiVyczQIVIDEO]	
FINANCIAL REFORM	
Dodd-Frank/ Wall Street Reform	Trump Claimed Dodd-Frank “Stifles” Business And “Is Probably Not A Very Good Thing.” TRUMP: “Well Dodd Frank is probably not a very good thing. There are aspects of it you could leave. But generally speaking Dodd Frank stifles business. It just totally stifles business.” [TIME,http://time.com/4003734/donald-trump-interview-transcript/8/20/15[23] ]

Donald Trump: “We Have To Get Rid Of Dodd-Frank.” TRUMP: “I disagree but I also think we have to get rid of Dodd-Frank. The banks aren't loaning money to people who need it. The banks will give me all the money I need because I don't need the money. Anybody that doesn't need money is a great candidate today to get money. If you need money to create jobs, to build something, whether it's buildings or a company, the banks aren't there. The regulators are running the banks. And that's why our country -- I mean people can't borrow money today.” [Varney & Co., Fox Business News,10/20/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwMTA5NjgsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NzYwNjYsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.LzJ4u8xOxEcjsUVaQyhNlks99Qo9NRvWaykFfIwW4vg&start=00:12:00VIDEO]	
GUN CONTROL	
Background Checks	Trump: “The Second Amendment? I Believe The Rights Of Law-Abiding Gun Owners Must Be Fully Protected.” [Trump, Crippled America, 90, 11/3/15[27] ]

Trump: The Federal Background Check System Has “Accomplished Very Little.” “There has been a lot of speculation about background checks, as if researching the background of everyone attempting to legally purchase a gun will somehow keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The national background-check system has been in place since 1998. Every time a gun is purchased from a federally licensed gun dealer, which is how the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases take place, they have to go through a federal background check. Unfortunately, as expected, bringing more government regulation into the situation has accomplished very little. The main “benefit” has been to make it difficult for a law-abiding American to buy a gun. As study after study has proven, few criminals are stupid enough to try to pass a background check or have their names in any kind of system. So they get their guns the same way bad guys have always gotten their guns—by stealing them or by buying them from an unlicensed source or getting them from family and friends. This system is another example of federal regulation that has turned into a complete failure. When the system was put in place, gun owners were promised it would be instant, accurate, and fair. That isn’t what has happened at all.” [Trump, Crippled America, 103, 11/3/15[28] ]

Trump: “I Do Not Support Expanding Background Checks. The Current Background Checks Do Not Work.” TRUMP: “I do not support expanding background checks. The current background checks do not work.” “They make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to acquire firearms while consistently failing to stop criminals from getting guns. We should re-examine our policy to make sure that these prohibitions do not impede law abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.”  [Ammoland,http://www.ammoland.com/2015/07/donald-trump-talks-gun-control-assault-weapons-gun-free-zones/ - ixzz3fJVLQL4t7/7/15[29] ]

Trump: Some Restrictions On The Second Amendment “Obviously Make Sense.” “No other right in the Bill of Rights has been attacked as often as the Second Amendment. Some of these restrictions obviously make sense. For example, felons and mentally ill people should not have access to guns.” [Trump, Crippled America, 99[30] ]	
Closing The Gun Show Loophole	Trump Opposed Expanded Background Checks — “What We Need To Do Is Fix The System We Have And Make It Work As Intended. What We Don’t Need To Do Is Expand A Broken System.” “There has been a national background check system in place since 1998. Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer – which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases – they go through a federal background check. Study after study has shown that very few criminals are stupid enough to try and pass a background check – they get their guns from friends/family members or by stealing them. So the overwhelming majority of people who go through background checks are law-abiding gun owners. When the system was created, gun owners were promised that it would be instant, accurate and fair. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case today. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system – and it should go without saying that a system’s only going to be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken system.” [DonaldJTrump.com, accessedhttps://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/second-amendment-rights11/6/15]
[31] 	
Magazine Limits	Trump Opposed Regulations On The Number Of Rounds Allowed In Gun Magazines. TRUMP: “Gun magazine limits do not make common sense. I have long opposed such limits. For instance, I fought the SAFE Act in New York, which I call the “Unsafe Act.”  I also spoke at a rally in Albany championing gun rights and protesting the Unsafe Act. The law limited capacity to seven rounds, as if criminals were going to take rounds out of their magazines before committing a crime.  It was later changed to a limit of ten rounds, but the entire episode was a complete disaster.” [Ammoland,http://www.ammoland.com/2015/07/donald-trump-talks-gun-control-assault-weapons-gun-free-zones/ - ixzz3fJVLQL4t7/7/15[35] ]

Trump: Assault Or Military-Style Weapons Are Owned By Tens Of Millions Of Americans. “So how can we protect and extend the rights of law-abiding gun owners? We accomplish that by educating all Americans about the facts. For example, there has been a long and expensive campaign to find different ways to ban guns or gun hardware. In effect, just get rid of guns. That’s the answer gun control advocates give. This tactic is a road to nowhere. Opponents of gun rights often use a lot of scary descriptive phrases when proposing legislative action against various types of weapons. Ban ‘assault weapons’ they say, or ‘military-style weapons,’ or ‘high-capacity magazines.’ Those all do sound a little ominous, until you understand what they are actually talking about are common, popular semiautomatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned and used by tens of millions of Americans.” [Trump, Crippled America, 103[36] ]	
FOREIGN POLICY	
Iraq War? Was It A Mistake?	2004: Trump Stated That He Wanted To Fire The Bush Administration For Its Decision To Invade Iraq And That “All Of The Reasons For The War Were Blatantly Wrong.” “Billionaire Donald Trump, America's toughest employer, would like to fire the Bush Administration for its decision to invade Iraq, according to an interview in the August edition ‘Esquire,’ due to be released on Friday. ‘Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country?,’ said the host of NBC's ‘The Apprentice,’ whose hallmark line is ‘You're fired.’ ‘C'mon. Two minutes after we leave, there's going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over. And he'll have weapons of mass destruction, which Saddam didn't have,’ Trump said in excerpts of the interview released in advance to Reuters. ‘The Apprentice’ was one of NBC's biggest hits last season, making the real estate mogul a well-known entity to TV viewing audiences. ‘What was the purpose of the whole thing? Hundreds and hundreds of young people killed. And what about the people coming back with no arms and no legs? Not to mention the other side. All those Iraqi kids who've been blown to pieces. And it turns out that all of the reasons for the war were blatantly wrong. All this for nothing!,’ Trump said.” [Reuters,http://www.rense.com/general54/bushs.htm7/14/04[39] ]

Trump Said The Invasion Of Iraq Was “One Of The Worse Decisions Ever Made” And That George W. Bush “Has Totally Destabilized The Middle East.” BAIER: “Two, you stand by the statement back in '08 and '07 that you would impeach George W. Bush for getting into the Iraq war?” TRUMP: “I think he was a disaster. And I think it was one of the worst decisions ever made. He has totally destabilized the Middle East. Had Saddam Hussein still been in charge, you wouldn't have the problems that you have right now. I mean if you had Gadhafi, if you had Saddam Hussein -- look at the migration.” [Special Report with Bret Baier, Fox News, 10/6/15;https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NDkwMTIxMTcsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6NjkzMjEsImRvd25sb2FkYWJsZSI6dHJ1ZX0.bzIHFr_kgw1oMC5i6r2otcajyzqRaRa6BUSlbPoq-y8&start=00:09:21VIDEO]	
Syria	Trump Said He Would Build “A Big, Beautiful Safe Zone” In Syria.  “Monday night at a rally in Knoxville, TN, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said instead of bringing refugees to the United States he would build a ‘big, beautiful safe zone’ in Syria.  Trump said, ‘What I like is build a safe zone in Syria. Build a big, beautiful safe zone, and you have whatever it is so people can live, and they’ll be happier.’  Her added, ‘So You keep ’em in Syria. You build a tremendous safe zone, it’ll cost you tremendously much less, much less, and they’ll be there and the weather’s the same. And the weather is the same and then when this horrible situation that is so horrible run. We don’t know what we are doing. When its all over they move back and they go back into their cities, and they rebuild there cities. And they start out and they start over again.’”  [Breitbart,http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/11/17/trump-i-will-build-a-big-beautiful-safe-zone-in-syria-for-refugees/11/17/15]

Trump Said He Would “Love Not To Be Over There” In Syria But Would Bomb The “S---“ Out Of Them.  “During a speech at Decker Auditorium in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Trump said he would go after ISIS-controlled oil fields and ‘bomb the s--- out of 'em,’ to loud applause. ‘ISIS is making a tremendous amount of money because they have certain oil camps, certain areas of oil that they took away…They have some in Syria, some in Iraq. I would bomb the s--- out of 'em. I would just bomb those suckers. That's right. I'd blow up the pipes. ... I'd blow up every single inch. There would be nothing left. And you know what, you'll get Exxon to come in there and in two months, you ever see these guys, how good they are, the great oil companies? They’ll rebuild that sucker, brand new — it'll be beautiful.’  ‘I would love not to be over there,’ Trump said. ‘That’s not our fight — that's other people's fights.’” [Business Insider,http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-bomb-isis-2015-1111/13/15]	
HEALTHCARE	
ACA Repeal	Trump: “Obamacare Is A Catastrophe And It Has To Be Repealed And Replaced.” There’s no question. Obamacare is a catastrophe, and it has to be repealed and replaced. And it was only approved because President the different provisions kick in over the next few years, individual deductibles are going to continue to rise. People will have to get hit by a truck to be eligible for coverage because those deductibles are going to be so high. [Trump, Crippled America, 68, 11/3/15]

Trump: “Obamacare’s Going To Be Repealed And Replaced…I Am Going To Take Care Of Everybody [And] The Government’s Gonna Pay For It.”  TRUMP: “‘Obamacare's going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare is a disaster if you look at what's going on with premiums where they're up 45, 50, 55 percent. … Everybody's got to be covered. … I am going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not. … [The uninsured are] going to be taken care of. … The government's gonna pay for it. But we're going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most it's going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.’” [60 Minutes, CBS, 9/27/15; Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.]	
Medicaid Expansion	Trump: “I Am Going To Save Medicare And Medicaid, Carson Wants To Abolish, And Failing Candidate Gov. John Kasich Doesn't Have A Clue - Weak!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 10/31/15]	
IMMIGRATION REFORM	
Comprehensive Immigration Reform	Trump Said That He Would Secure The Border First And “Take The Bad Ones And Get Them The Hell Out” And After That Implement A “Merit System” To Decide Which Undocumented Immigrants Would Be Allowed To Stay. “His position on immigration -- which has been a huge part of his appeal among conservative voters nationally -- grew even more muddled Friday when he highlighted his support for a ‘merit-based system’ for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Though he did not explain the mechanics of the system in any detail, it sounded similar to the calls by some moderate Republicans for a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, which has been an anathema to hardline conservatives. On MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe’ on Friday, Trump insisted that he would secure the border first and ‘take the bad ones’ -- referring to undocumented immigrants -- ‘and get them the hell out.’ ‘We give them back to Mexico or we make sure they stay where they came from,’ Trump told the show's hosts, noting that he would ‘secure the border’ first. But, he added in regard to the millions of undocumented immigrants in this country, ‘I'm a very big believer in (the) merit system.’ ‘I have to tell you, some of these people have been here; they've done a good job; in some cases sadly they've been living under the shadows,’ Trump said in his telephone interview. ‘We have to do something, so whether it's merit, or whether it's whatever, but -- I'm a believer in the merit system. Somebody's been outstanding, we (ought to) try to work something out.’” [CNN, 7/24/15; Morning Joe, MSNBC, 7/24/15; Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.]	
Path To Citizenship	Trump Said America Should Deport All 11 Million Undocumented Immigrants. “In an interview with CNN last week, he said America should deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants then let the ‘good ones’ back in, but without an opportunity for citizenship. ‘We got to move ’em out, we’re going to move ’em back in if they’re really good people,’ he told Dana Brush. Trump would not say how he would locate, round up and deport those 11 million, and wasn’t sure whether he would deport children, but said he would use efficient business methods.” [Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, 8/3/15; Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.]

Trump Wanted A Path To Citizenship For Students Who Attend U.S. Universities.  TRUMP: “But the good people I want them to come back. And I also want people of great talent to come to this country, to Silicon Valley for engineers. If you go to Harvard and you graduate number one in your class, and you’re from China, they send you home, you can’t get back into the country. So you end up working for companies in China and fighting us. And they’re competitors of us. They’re trained in our schools. I want people like that to come into this country. And if they want, I want that path to citizenship for these people. So they go to our best schools, they’re fabulous students, they do well, they’re going to be great and we throw them out of the country. It’s ridiculous.” [TIME, 8/20/15]	
Deferred Action	Trump Would Rescind Pres. Obama’s Executive Actions On Immigration. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants more than a wall to keep out immigrants living in the country illegally. He also wants to end ‘birthright citizenship’ for their children, he said Sunday. And he would rescind Obama administration executive orders on immigration and toughen deportation, allowing in only ‘the good ones.’” [Associated Press, 8/16/15; Meet the Press, NBC, 8/16/15; Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.]	
DREAM Act	Trump Said He Would Rescind The Dream Act Executive Order And Deport Entire Families Of Immigrants, Even If Some Family Members Were Legally Documented. “CHUCK TODD: What do you do about the DACA order now? The Dream Act, however you want to refer to it. The executive order that is -- DONALD TRUMP: The executive order gets rescinded. One good thing about -- CHUCK TODD: You'll rescind that one, too? DONALD TRUMP: One good thing about -- CHUCK TODD: You'll rescind the Dream Act executive order -- DONALD TRUMP: You're going to have to. CHUCK TODD: DACA? DONALD TRUMP: We have to make a whole new set of standards. And when people come in, they have to come in legally -- CHUCK TODD: So you're going to split up families? DONALD TRUMP: Chuck. CHUCK TODD: You're going to deport children -- DONALD TRUMP: Chuck. No, no. We're going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together. CHUCK TODD: But you're going to keep them together out -- DONALD TRUMP: But they have to go. But they have to go. CHUCK TODD: What if they have no place to go? DONALD TRUMP: We will work with them. They have to go. Chuck, we either have a country or we don't have a country.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 8/16/15; Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.]	
Services for Undocumented Immigrants		
H-1B Visas	Trump Said He Wants To Discourage Companies From Hiring H1B Visa Holders.  “Trump said he wants to require employers to pay H-1B workers much more money, which he said would discourage companies from hiring them and boost job prospects for Americans. He also wants to have tech jobs offered to unemployed Americans before they can be filled by workers with H-1B visas.  ‘This will improve the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favor of the H-1B program. Mark Zuckerberg's personal Senator, Marco Rubio, has a bill to triple H-1Bs that would decimate women and minorities,’ Trump wrote in his immigration plan. Rubio is also seeking the Republican nomination for president.” [CNN Money,http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/17/news/companies/donald-trump-mark-zuckerberg-immigration/8/17/15]	
LGBT	
Marriage Equality	2015: Trump Said He Had Been To Gay Weddings, But Opposed Gay Marriage From The Standpoint Of The Bible And Going To Sunday School And Going To Church. TRUMP: “I’ve gone to gay weddings. I’ve been at gay weddings. I have been against [gay marriage] from the standpoint of [the] Bible, from the standpoint of my teachings as growing up and going to Sunday school and going to church and I’ve been opposed to it and we’ll just see how it all comes out.” [“With All Due Respect,” BloombergPolitics, 8/26/15; Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.]

2015: Trump Told The Hollywood Reporter, “Anybody That’s Making [Same-Sex Marriage] An Issue Is Doing It For Political Reasons.” “[Question:]You say you would have liked the states, rather than the Supreme Court, to decide on gay marriage. Have you been to a gay wedding? [Trump:] Yes, I have. [Broadway theater owner] Jordan Roth. You know Jordan, right? Great guy. [Question:] So is this a dead issue for the GOP at this point? [Trump:] Some people have hopes of passing amendments, but it's not going to happen. Congress can't pass simple things, let alone that. So anybody that's making that an issue is doing it for political reasons. The Supreme Court ruled on it.” [Hollywood Reporter, 8/19/15]

2011: Trump Compared His Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage To His Reluctance To Use A New Kind Of Putter. At one point, he compared his opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriage to his reluctance to use a new kind of putter. ‘It’s like in golf,’ he said. ‘A lot of people — I don’t want this to sound trivial — but a lot of people are switching to these really long putters, very unattractive,’ said Mr. Trump, a Republican. ‘It’s weird. You see these great players with these really long putters, because they can’t sink three-footers anymore. And, I hate it. I am a traditionalist. I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am a traditionalist.’” [New York Times, 5/2/11]	
ENDA		
Kim Davis		
MEDICARE