As Donald Trump segues from the nomination contest to the general election, he has to make some big decisions. How does he build on the momentum he created with pro-authoritarian voters to launch a national campaign that has a prayer of winning?
Trump made very big promises to a voting bloc who are frustrated with lying politicians in Washington. So, naturally, one of the first things he is doing as a national politician is to break some of the biggest promises he made to his most ardent supporters.
Trump Promised He Would Self-Fund His Campaign, But Now…
During the primary race, Trump accused his Republican rivals of being “puppets” of the donors to their campaigns and Super PACs. According to The Intercept, Trump said during a debate in March that the donor and Super PAC system had to be ended,
“These Super PACs are a disaster, by the way, folks. Very corrupt. It’s going to lead to lots of disasters. But Ted has Super PACs, and you have to look at the people that are giving to those Super PACs, number one,” said the real estate mogul. “It’s very important to do that.”
Trump went on to say that he was the one to end it, because he had been a big political donor, so he knew how it worked, how it was wrong, and how to end it. He led his supporters to believe that because he was rich he could self-fund his campaign, and wouldn’t need Super PACs. This was one of the biggest selling points for his supporters for his entire campaign.
He kept this up throughout the primaries. Most of his campaign funds came out of his own pocket. NPR reports that he lent $38 million to his own campaign to clinch the nomination, and spent roughly $49 million.
But when the Wall Street Journal interviewed Trump on Wednesday, he was telling a very different tale. Trump told the Journal he would build a “world-class finance organization.” This will involve building up Super PACs, which his campaign legally can’t coordinate with, and co-fundraising with the RNC. Wall Street Journal points out that the Clinton campaign and the DNC have a massive head start, having raised over $200 million.
One Super PAC that has already been raising money for Trump is Great America PAC. Politico reported that key strategists for Great America PAC were recently convicted of breaking campaign finance laws during the 2012 election, when they were supporting Ron Paul.
Wall Street Journal noted the contradiction in Trump’s promises and his new strategy,
The move is also likely to put off some Trump supporters, many of whom have said his reliance mostly on his own funds makes them trust him more than other politicians.
This goes to show that he’s not the insurgent outsider ready to shake up the Washington establishment. He wants the toys of establishment power so he can play with them. Everything that came before now was an act. His campaign is not going to make America great again. It’s about making Donald Trump’s personal wealth and power greater than it was before.
#1: misterwhite To: Deckard (#0)
Trump said all along that he would self-fund his PRIMARY campaign. And he did.
He never said, nor implied, that he would self-fund the general which is expected to be over $1 billion per candidate.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-06 19:14:03 Reply Private Reply
#2: Deckard To: misterwhite (#1)
Oh - you mean he thinks PACs are a bad thing during primaries but A-OK after that?
“These Super PACs are a disaster, by the way, folks. Very corrupt. It’s going to lead to lots of disasters. But Ted has Super PACs, and you have to look at the people that are giving to those Super PACs, number one,” said the real estate mogul. “It’s very important to do that.”
He certainly makes no distinction with that statement, does he?
Deckard posted on 2016-05-06 19:46:31 Reply Private Reply
#3: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#1)
So when he said that big donors turned candidates into "puppets" and made them "feel obligated" that applied only to primary donations and not general? Why would that be the case?
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-06 20:09:08 Reply Private Reply
#4: Deckard To: ConservingFreedom, misterwhite (#3)
Trump Picks Former Goldman Partner And Soros Employee As Finance Chairman
Deckard posted on 2016-05-06 20:14:19 Reply Private Reply
#5: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#3)
I'm sure Trump could explain that, but since you don't believe him what's the point?
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-06 20:19:38 Reply Private Reply
#6: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#5)
Since sheep like you will be "sure" he can explain obvious nonsense and hypocrisy, why should he even try?
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-06 20:29:05 Reply Private Reply
#7: rlk To: Deckard (#0)
Uh, much of that money is being channeled into the campaigns of other people that will support his presidency. The mission to stop Trump continues to sell anti-Trump propaganda.
rlk posted on 2016-05-06 20:42:34 Reply Private Reply
#8: buckeroo To: Deckard (#0)
buckeroo posted on 2016-05-06 22:46:05 Reply Private Reply
#9: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#6)
Well, there you go. I don't need an explanation and you wouldn't believe one. No need for Trump to respond. And no need for you to ask.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-07 09:49:03 Reply Private Reply
#10: misterwhite To: Deckard (#4)
Key word: "former"
Unless you think Trump is now obligated to Goldman Sachs because he hired a former employee.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-07 09:53:13 Reply Private Reply
#11: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#9)
"Need", no - but he raises and leaves himself open to the question, and it pleases me to ask.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-07 10:05:24 Reply Private Reply
#12: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#11)
Get used to disappointment.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-07 10:31:11 Reply Private Reply
#13: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#12)
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-07 14:28:04 Reply Private Reply
#14: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#13)
The "?" at the end of the sentence. Or was your question in post #3 rhetorical?
Do you expect an answer to the above question?
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-07 15:18:44 Reply Private Reply
#15: Deckard To: misterwhite, ConservingFreedom (#10)
Did Donald Trump Just Go Full Establishment?
After digging a little deeper, it turns out Mnuchin has an even more surprising former employer: none other than democratic political financier, billionaire, and Hillary Clinton donor George Soros.
“In addition to Goldman, Mnuchin also worked at Soros Fund Management, whose founder, George Soros, has funded many left-leaning causes. Where it gets even more bizarre is that Mnuchin has donated frequently to Democrats, including to Clinton and Barack Obama.”
Further, Trump has begun to surround himself with neocon Republican establishment icons. As Dan Sanchez explains:
“Trump’s circle now includes such mainstream warmongers as Rudolph Giuliani, Chris Christie, Richard Haass (current president of the Council on Foreign Relations), and Senator Jeff Sessions. Trump has even identified John Bolton, an Iraq War architect and close ally of the neocons, as a ‘go to’ expert for advice on national security.”
It appears Donald Trump’s days as an anti-establishment outsider have come to a close now that he’s gearing up for the general election (most likely) against Hillary Clinton — another politician with ties to Goldman Sachs. It appears that regardless of who winds up winning the presidency in 2016, Goldman Sachs will remain the unbeatable incumbent.
Deckard posted on 2016-05-07 15:24:27 Reply Private Reply
#16: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#14)
Sorry, wrong - to ask a question, even a non-rhetorical one, is not necessarily to expect an answer.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-07 16:23:52 Reply Private Reply
#17: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#16)
So how do we know when you expect an answer?
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-07 18:00:54 Reply Private Reply
#18: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#17)
Why would you need to know what I expect? You're free to answer a question or not regardless of my expectations - but note that a non-answer can speak volumes.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-08 09:51:59 Reply Private Reply
#19: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#18)
I understand that. But it would be rude not to answer a question directed at me.
Obviously you feel differently.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-08 10:12:08 Reply Private Reply
#20: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#19)
You mean like you didn't answer my question directed at you in post #5 (but rather evaluated Trump's ability to answer)?
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-08 11:23:02 Reply Private Reply
#21: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#20)
Not agreeing with my response doesn't mean I didn't answer.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-08 11:26:35 Reply Private Reply
#22: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#21)
An actual answer would be of the form: General election donations don't turn candidates into "puppets" and made them "feel obligated" because ...
Your post, "I'm sure Trump could explain that, but since you don't believe him what's the point?" was not an answer to the question.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-08 11:38:46 Reply Private Reply
#23: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#22)
You asked me why Trump said that. I answered that question.
I have my own opinion about donors, obviously, but you didn't ask about that.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-08 12:07:22 Reply Private Reply
#24: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#23)
Your post, "I'm sure Trump could explain that, but since you don't believe him what's the point?" was not an answer to the question.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-05-08 22:06:44 Reply Private Reply
#25: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#24)
It might not be the answer you wanted, but it's the answer you got.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-09 08:52:17 Reply Private Reply