Now We Know: So It’s Trump

Well, the Republican convention has come and gone and the presumptive nominee is no longer presumptive; he’s got the nomination. So, whether you like Trump or not, it looks like he’s going to be on the ballot this November.

Now the only question is whether Hillary can stay out of jail long enough to oppose him.

I’ve never been a Trump fan, but I’ve never been a #NeverTrump sort either. I’m intellectually curious as to how he will do as a president.

Our Founding Fathers had in mind citizen-politicians when they founded this county, not the cabal of professional politicians we’ve had running Washington. And with Trump, for the first time in a long time, we’ve actually got a citizen-politician running for the presidency.

The Business

Regardless of what anyone says about Trump, he’s a businessman. Considering the mess our country is in financially, perhaps a businessman is what we need. At least with him, we can be sure that he’s going to look at money as something real, that represents the sweat of hardworking Americans, not just something you turn on the printing press to get more of. Trump understands money and he understands that someone has to earn it.

There are those who have belittled Trump for his lack of position papers and not making clear the fine details of where he stands on different issues. But that’s because they’re judging him as a politician.

Yet Trump isn’t that sort of animal, regardless of what sort of fur he’s wearing now. He’s a businessman, accustomed to sit at the apex of a corporation. So as a businessman, he gives guidance to his underlings and expects them to come back with the position papers for him to agree with or disagree with.

Anyone who knows anything about management knows that a good manager only hires people they can trust to do the job. They give those people clear guidance and then get out of their way, allowing them to do the job. That’s the way Trump is used to doing things and you can be sure that he will run the government that way. He’s not going to change to make a bunch of bureaucrats happy, any more than he is to make his opponents happy.

What makes so many people (me included) leery of Trump is his way of talking about issues. Even worse than that is the way the media misquotes his way of talking, turning everything into something for the liberals to get their panties in a wad about.

But I’m sure that at least some of that is calculated on his part. Trump has done a masterful job of manipulating the media, something that politicians aren’t supposed to be able to do. Yet because of all the free publicity he’s received from them, he’s been able to run a very inexpensive campaign to this point. We’ll have to see if he can continue capitalizing on that.

Trump has been and continues to be a huge pile of contradictions. Perhaps that’s why so many of us have trouble understanding him. Clearly the pundits who like to pontificate on what politicians say have trouble understanding him; and no wonder; he doesn’t talk anything like a politician.

While the convention itself was a typical string of speeches, most of which I very carefully managed to avoid, there are some important points out of this convention, and especially about Trump and his candidacy that I think we need to consider. After all, if the election is between him and Hillary or even him and Bernie…

The Family

Probably the most interesting thing about the convention was Trump’s family. His wife, Meliania and four of his children all spoke at the convention, relating their experience with their dad and giving the nation a view of Donald Trump that we rarely see of any political candidate. Instead of having a politician’s family, who just looks good in the pictures, Trump has a family of grown businessmen and women, who have proven their own ability to manage various parts of Trump’s businesses.

While everyone has been having a conniption fit about Meliania’s speech, accusing her of plagiarizing from Michelle Obama, they’ve largely done so in order to ignore what the kids said. The truth of the matter is that Meliania’s speech was written by a speechwriter and they plagiarize all the time.

With all the bad things that people accuse Trump of being and saying, one has to wonder how he could manage to raise such good kids. His three oldest are all Executive Vice Presidents in his corporations, and not just because their dad’s name is on the building. They’ve each worked hard for what they have, even working with their hands.

Donald Trump Junior explained his dad’s philosophy in training his kids for business. He said, “My father’s logic from the beginning was if you’re going to have someone dig a ditch for you, you’d better know how to do it yourself. So here’s your shovel. Start digging.” With training like that, it’s no wonder that Trump’s kids have risen as far and as fast as they have in the business world.

The Politician

Many of us have been concerned about Trump because he has been a lifelong Democrat. Yet he is running for president as a Republican. Perhaps that’s an indication that he’s finally grown up and is no longer chasing after the liberal rainbow; but a lot of people have been concerned what kinds of values he’d bring to the White House, if he wins in November.

Surprisingly, it looks like he’s actually going to bring conservative values. He’s already released his list of potential Supreme Court nominees, and they are all conservative judges. Even more surprising than that, is the platform that he put forth at the Republican Convention. It’s the most conservative platform the Republican Party has run under for years. He may not be a true conservative and he may not be as far to the right as Ted Cruz is, but he’s definitely not a liberal.

So there are a number of very good things going on in the Trump camp. But that doesn’t mean that everything is goodness and light. Trump’s personality grates on a lot of people, both in the political realm and in the country at large.

He seems to hold a grudge all too good for someone who is looking to win the presidency. This is seen in his actions towards Ted Cruz and John Kaish, his two closest rivals in the primaries. Trump has reportedly donated $20 million dollars to form superpacs, in order destroy the political career of those two rivals. Considering that he’s already won, and done so handily, that seems unnecessary.

We’ve seen this sort of pettiness before, during the years of Obama’s presidency. We’ve also seen Obama use the various departments of the federal government as a weapon, to wage his personal war on his enemies. Are we now getting ready to see four more years of the same?

trumpThere is much that Donald Trump still needs to learn, if he is going to be an effective president. While his business acumen should serve him well, you can’t treat foreign leaders the same way that you treat business rivals. Some of those foreign leaders have nuclear weapons pointed at us, so insulting them might not bring the kinds of results that we want.

Likewise, a president can’t just order Congress around, although Obama has always tried to. Presidents have to able to work with Congress, negotiating back and forth to get the business of our country taken care of. Perhaps it’s simply lack of experience in politics, but Trump seems like he expects to be able to order the government around, including lawmakers in Congress. But, then again, we already have a president who tries that, so in that manner it would be business as normal.

Regardless of what Trump claims he’s going to do, first he must win November’s election, and that’s not going to be easy. There are too many people who are against him; enough that #NeverTrump might be a bigger problem in the voting booth than Hillary will be.

There are those who are saying that they aren’t going to vote for Trump and in fact won’t vote for any candidate for president. While this is honorable on the surface, it doesn’t help keep Hillary out of the White House. No matter how a conservative or Republican feels about Trump, allowing Hillary back into the White House would truly be criminal.

It has been a long time since the Republican Party has offered us conservatives a true conservative candidate. Rather, I’ve spent most of my life voting against Democrat candidates, than truly voting for the candidates that I’ve been offered.

Surprisingly, looking at the platform that Trump has put forth, he might actually end up being the most conservative candidate that the Republican Party has fielded for a long time. He’s not a Ted Cruz, but he’s apparently not a RINO either.

Written by

Bill White is the author of Conquering the Coming Collapse, and a former Army officer, manufacturing engineer and business manager. More recently, he left the business world to work as a cross-cultural missionary on the Mexico border. Bill has been a survivalist since the 1970s, when the nation was in the latter days of the Cold War. He had determined to head into the Colorado Rockies, should Washington ever decide to push the button. While those days have passed, the knowledge Bill gained during that time hasn’t. He now works to educate others on the risks that exist in our society and how to prepare to meet them. You can send Bill a message at editor [at] survivopedia.com.

Latest comments
  • I agree that many things need to change for the betterment of America and the world, but trump is definitely not the answer. As a progressive liberal, I would have loved to see Bernie win it all. I will agree that Hillary isn’t the solution either but she is far better than trump.

    • If you or anyone thinks Hillary is better, each one needs to have a brain checkup! No one could be worse! She might even make Obama look good in comparison, and that would be hard to fathom. This is not a liar’s contest.

  • Pursue with endless perseverance the source of the spring for only then, will you know that its water is safe to drink. ~ A Arizonian

  • One thing worthy of noting about Trump donating $20 million to ruin a couple political careers. The big difference between this and Obama……..where the money comes from!! Obama used our money to fight personal battles, Trump uses personal money to fight personal battles. If he is elected, we will know if he will use our money for the same reason.

  • This is exactly what I have said from the beginning. We need a non-politician and a person with a true business sense to turn this country around. Trump fits that criterior.

    • Really CR? Trump fits th criteria? Run the government like a business? We are already bankrupt, do we need to go further in debt??? Not to mention Trump is a 5 time draft dodger. I have a serious issue with that and the fact he beraided McCain as a worthless soldier also drives me insane. Having spilt blood for thiscountry and watch my brethren die for this country, it inults me theat Trump is draft dodger and has the AUDACITY to call McCain a poor sodier cause he spent 6 years in a VC prison camp. The fact that he is 5 time draft dodger is a slap in the face to every man and women who served or made the ULTIMATE sacrifce with their lives for this country. Before you get on your soap box Hillary AINT NO BETTER EITHER!!!!!!!
      C. Castelluci USMC

    • According to the pundits the country is already bankrupt which makes Mr. Trump a good fit.
      As for his “Safe America” but for the fact that a president doesn’t wield that much power but if Mr. Trump can implement some of his policies (providing he is elected) all I can say is duck and “God save America”

  • I’m not crazy about his personality at times and certainly don’t like his hair. However…….he is the ONLY candidate with the fortitude to meet challenges, protect our country, protect our military, and our flag. He is a great dad with very intelligent, well spoken kids. Give the man a chance to prove he can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!! I can read the writing on the wall when I read/hear what his oppositions have to say.

  • What ever Mr Trump is ,or what ever He will do, it will be a thousand time better, smarter , than ROTTEN HILLARY would . He is brutally Honest and does not apologize, or back down under pressure. I hope and pray He will win, because He is our only Hope.

  • Good article and very thought provoking.

  • I’m a Trump supporter, no he not perfect, but we need this country run like a business, not run like business as usual

  • Bill, thanks for voicing some of the same concerns about Donald Trump that many of us share. I was a strong supporter of Ted Cruz and Carly Fiorina and still believe in their leadership values. While I defend Cruz’s voice at the RNC, I fear he has not helped to keep Clinton from becoming our next POTUS. By the same token, if Trump is vindictive enough to reportedly start a PAC against Cruz or any other competing candidate, any faith that I gained during the RNC to support him as POTUS wll come into serious question. And along with that, will I feel duped by yet another with whom I have placed my trust? I pray that will not be the case. I pray Trump becomes our next President and becomes the leader conservatives have chosen to exemplify our principles, our values and our sense of justice by following our Constitution.

  • Awesome artcile…exactly the way I feel.

  • Bill White,
    You need to vet your facts a little bit more. Donald Trump has been a Republican for years. However he is more of a populist so he is somewhat toward the center of Ted Cruz.

  • Your article is mediocre at best. It doesn’t convey anything new or alerting at all. Once it’s read, you just want to put it away. I’ve always been a Democrat until the end of Bill Clinton’s first term. After that, I’d started listening and paying attention to the Republican Party. Did not vote neither for Bush or Romney. But my values have become very conservative in the past sixteen years. I will vote for Trump because all I personally have is his experience in business and his talk. Experience as a politician he has none; that’s why I believe giving him a chance to prove himself of what he claims he can do for America. Hillary has experience as a politician with hands on the various jobs she’s held so far. And I don’t agree with her total results. With the Democratic Party headed by Hillary I see the same rethotic over and over again. Promises and promises but never move forward. She’s been bought and paid by the Wall Street corporations and also by Arab Foreign Nations. With Trump you get no one being able to buy him out nor to bribe him at any cost. He’s a smart businessman who ai believe could get America’s economy back on track and provide more jobs to Americans and also bringing more companies back to United States. His way of talking , I recognize it’s not the most suitable, but I behave and talk like him oftentimes. And YES, I keep my enemies closer than MY friends. Believe it or not, I like it that way, and it keeps me on my toes. At this time in America you’ve got to be a bit of a gambler. You’ve got to take a risk, a chance, a follow your gut feeling, sort of speak. Because if we stay as we’ve been for the past almost eight years, we’ll sink like the Titanic. I became a proud American citizen in ’88. I wouldn’t live anywhere else; this is by far the best country in the world to work, to study, to achieve all my dreams my Mother land couldn’t offer me. If you don’t agree why is it that even though we’re in a mess, people from all over the blonde still want to come to America? I don’t hear nor see people rushing and saying: oh wow, let’s go live and study in Russia, or China, or Germany, or Cuba, or Netherlands? NO, they all want to come to where? To the United States of America. If you ever meet me, don’t ever put America down not degrade her in front of me..you may regret it. MP

    • Let me share this with you Mario. It is the best country in the world but you just condriticted yourself. People have still been coming to this counry even though its been business as usual. Its great that you came to the and of oppurtunity, worked hard and made something of yourelf. I will say this about Trump that I have a mjor problem with. I served this country, spilt blood for it, and watched some of my closest friends die for it. TRUMP being a 5 time draft dodger gives me a real problem for me. The rich constantly get out of being drafted or out of serving this contry and then they want to command the greatest military in the world???? Before you get on your soap box Hillary IS NO BETTER!!!!! Here is something different between you and I in my opinion. I know the Constitution but yet it seems you have forgotten the Bill of Rigths? I would take serious issue with someone beliitling my country that I was born in and served but I know that the 1st Amendment allows for anyone to say what they want about thi country. That’s why our fore fathers made the 1st mendment number 1 FREE SPEECH!!!! And the reason they did that was because the Tyrant King bestowed harsh punishment on those who spoke out against the crown. Keep that in mind when someones starts talking S%!T about the US before you blow a fuse on someone like the TYRANT KING would do.
      C. Castellucci USMC

  • Trump is a carnival sideshow barker, not a “businessman.” He has bankrupted SIX companies, is under state and federal investigations for fraud for both real estate “deals” and his “Trump University” debacle and has been the focus of more than 3,500 lawsuits because of his shady practices. He isn’t even close to being a conservative, either! His children are puppets who want his money — they will say anything he wants them to, and they lie outright happily. He has apparently never read the Constitution. He openly says he wants to take away rights to free speech, rights to free movement — no true conservative could back his threatening agenda. This column is the nauseating result of fear-mongering rather than logic — a vote for Trump will be a vote to flush this country down the toilet.

    • I don’t think so. A vote for Hillary (or anyone other than Trump, which would end up being a vote for Hillary) is a vote to flush this country down the toilet.

    • Del, you should get your facts straight about Trump. The facts you state have some truth in them, but do not tell the correct story. Your facts come from left wing talk show hosts, news media, Erick Erickson, others like him and Trump haters. They all want a politician in office who they can manipulate. They do not have any holds on Trump which makes them uneasy and afraid they might lose their precious positions.

  • Bill; Thanks for your writing on Trump vs. Hillary. I am 100% for Trump; vs. Hillary. After reading about the Clintons history, such as the emails, lies, angry burst, Benghazi etc. It is just to much and I fear for our Country. Being the extension of Obama is just something that I fear for our Country. I saw the “Hillary’s America Movie and it really is an eye opener for everyone that sees this Movie. So much to say against A Hillary Presidency; is mind boggling

  • I agree .. The Government has been run by Politicians .. And we all have seen what’s happened to it.. Bob McKuen said long ago when you have a business run by People whom don’t understand business and the fuel for running it is Fiat Money/ Fake money as we were put on fully in 1971 by Richard Nixon.. It’s death is going on and will continue to be kept on life support at the expense of the Tax Payer intil the World says Stop !!! And that will happen sooner than later.. Trump either will wake up America and put us thru a Long recovery period and Save the Patient / Republic USA !!Or a criminal will will get in and The USSA will be left to our children and grandchildren.. It’s time to wake up and buck up people

  • Donald Trump is a Con Man, he knows how to manipulate the media to get all the attention he needs. If he becomes president he will be a dictator. Google description of a dictator and he fits the bill perfectly. He is a danger to this country and will tear it apart. He only cares about himself and what he wants. Im surprised that you have’nt researched how bad a business man he is and how he has ripped off so many people in the process of taking care of business. What happened to vetting these folks. To be president you should have exemplary character and without flaws.

    • Do you think that Hilary has “exemplary character without flaws???

    • Hillary should definitely be vetted! She has so many flaws & criminal background it’s pitiful!

    • It sure sounds to me like you are describing Obama. I believe you are wrong. You would vote for Hillary as a person who has “exemplary character and [is] without flaws?” Your kind of thinking is a greater liability to this country than you imagine Trump to be.

  • Although I agree with a lot of what you wrote, I cannot in good concious vote for “The Donald”. I’m not too sure how shrewd of a business man he actually is. His companies went bankrupt 4 times. His Trump University was a scam for a cost of $35,000. a head and he’s due back in court when the election is over. I wouldn’t trust him with my money. I sure in heck would not trust him with the assets of this great country.

    Unfortunately I must have to say, I’m with her. Only to stop him from ruining this blessed country.

    • The country has already been ruined! Haven’t you seen what has happened during the past 7 + years? We need someone to stop this trend and save what is left of this blessed country. Hillary will only keep us on the same track to destruction.

  • Hello Bill,
    Our country isn’t ready for a woman president!!!!!!! The White House would have to change the restroom signs!!!! We have not survived the shame and ridicule from Obama.
    Hillary is weak, so she will delegate others to do what she wants. I get a bad feeling in my stomach when I think of who that person would be.
    We have fallen two steps back, when we tried to go forth to nominate the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, in 2012.
    Now, I don’t know all the statistics about the Democrats, but I do know that if Mrs. Hillary Clinton gets the presidency, she will release more emails and we will see more deaths and not be a safe conservative nation. The United States, as we know it, will no longer be. I won’t sleep at night, knowing something is always going to disrupt our Americans and those whom have given their lives for our freedom. She will try to stifle our cries and pleas for help and our rights to live in peace and tranquility.

  • Bill, an excellent piece on Trump. I think Trump is what we need in the White House and will serve as a good if not great president. Our major problem is the never Trump, and other naysayers who are standing on principal and touting how great they are by doing so. Well, I have voted in ever election since 1962 and have voted for some candidates that I could not stand, but wanted my party to win. Cain is one I did not like and thought was a RINO and then Romney , I still voted for them. So what I am saying is we need for the GREAT ONES STANDING ON PRINCIPAL TO VOTE FOR THE PARTY or Hillary will win and throw this country into the great liberal progressive movement that you will not like. So tell Glen Beck , and others I will not name, to stop calling for his boy Cruz to go third party or just keep stirring up the never Trump pot and we will lose.

  • Let’s not forget about Gov. Gary Johnson!! He WILL BE on the ballot in all 50 states as the libertarian candidate, even if the mainstream media and rigged election system try to keep him out of the debates. He’s been a successful entrepreneur, a successful 2 term governor (don’t forget New Mexico is a heavy dem state and he ran, won and was re-elected as a republican!!), he’s literally climbed mountains!! He’s got my vote! He’s socially liberal, fiscally conservative and DIFFERENT! Seriously, go look him up! If you’re on the fence, you don’t have to pick a side…. He’s the best of both worlds, riding right down the middle!

  • I agree with some of what you have to say, but Donald Trump has been a conservative since the early days of his life. You can see videos of him from the early 80’s that show him to have the same values then as he does now. There is even proof that Reagan himself asked him to run for President. He has never wanted to before because he loved his business and what he was doing. But he loves America so much that he was willing to give up everything and run for the Presidency. That is no small thing to do. I have been concerned with his need to go after Cruz and Kasich, but it is the first time he has shown this much lingering anger, but it might be because of their breaking their word, and to him, his word is everything. I believe he will work with Congress, he loves making deals and he will want to make deals with them. He knows how to deal with other world leaders as he has dealt with them many times over the years with his many businesses. They are not strangers to him. I see nothing but a win/win with Donald Trump and I have been for him from the very beginning. I worked in the Republican party in VA for 6 years about 7 years ago and I found out how the Bush’s were into the NWO and I knew that Cruz was involved with them and had only been putting on a show to make people think he was on the outs with Congress and the Republican party. He would have turned on the USA is he had been our nominee and we would have been a 3 nation conglomerate using CFR, which Heidi had been involved with with “W” when he was in office, and we would have been Mexico, Canada and USA with Cuba to have been added in the near future. I couldn’t let that happen to my country!!

  • This is just a comment that is what it is JUST A COMMENT before someone get on the sopabox. You mean to tell me out of 320,000,000 people in this contry these are the best 2 canidates the American people have to choosefrom? What a JOKE thi country is!!!! Another reason the primaries and the Electoral College needs to b removed!!!! 1 vote for each person should count!!! We don’t have this system for are Local, State, and Fed Reps or Senators. I wonder how many conutries are laughing at us now
    C Castellucci USMC

  • Let’s keep it simple. Do u want the Constitution to protect ur rights and get back the ones already lost or do u want to be forced to pray on a rug or die! Trump is 4 the Constitution! It boils down to that!

  • Bill, I thought you presented your concerns honestly. Trump’s persona is definitely not that of a politician. I for one think we need to get the country on a trajectory that is not guided at the top by a politician. Business at the Trump participation level is not for a wilting lilly. We have all become so accustomed to what the politicians and the media tell us on so many things, we do not really stop often to think: Have I been programmed, or is there another way to think about some of the sacred political cows?
    As an example: NATO is deeply embedded in our world strategy. Trump has never said he wants to break up or take us out of NATO. By simply opening the thought of doing something different than we have been doing about this coalition defense institution, gets him labled as ignorant. Any criticism of NATO is quickly criticized as coming from someone who is just not capable of being Commander in Chief.
    Any cooperative institution in which our Government participates to serve American interests should function as it was intended. It may be a shield abroad for American interests in Europe or even in the Middle East, but only if all members participate fully in resources commitments–including its cost. That we have been footing the bill as we have for the U.N. and not seeing any special returns cannot be in American interests. Established mainly as a deterrant to Soviet Union aggression and to prevent the U.S. from having to get involved in another European war, the main NATO objective has been achieved with the breakup of the USSR. Russia is still resurgent and a danger, but terrorism is far more of a real time threat, and NATO needs to declare Islamic terrorist organizations as an enemy of all state participants– even as we should. There is also the small matter of $19T in debt. We are no longer in financial shape to pick up the tab–for anyone or anything– unless it it directly benefits the U.S. We have to buy the groceries first.
    Those that are gravitating to the Trump[ candidacy who are experienced, trusted policy makers–and often lifetime politicians– are highly respected, AND they have already demonstrated that Trump will listen, and make the call just like Raegan did. Selection of Mike Pense, a respected conservative, a man of faith, and one who has demonstrated legislative and administrative abilities–but who was not a friend to Trump during the Primary process, is very revealing and encouraging.
    Paul Ryan has a conservative agenda. He has had the time to get to know Trump and has said clearly in the CNN Town Hall that he believes Trump supports most of it and that it is achievable with Trump; whereas, no part of it is passable under a Clinton Presidency. He said the same as you about Trump high court appointments. That alone makes Clinton an unthinkable choice. I believe Cruz and Kaisch committed political suicide and showed a lack of true affection for the country. As Mike Huckabee said “If you can’t stand the sight of your own blood, you should stay out of politics.” I’ll donate to Trump’s superpac that has as it’s purpose exposing self-centered, faint at the sight of blood politicians. We need to be rid of them. Their vote is worthless, but they invfluence others instead of leading for the country’s clear interests in a binary choice of Clinton or Trump.

  • How many presidents have referred to this country as a democracy? What are they, stupid? this country is a republic and I don’t think they know what the difference is. Democracy is what Karl Marx promoted in his book the communist manifesto. the democrats are just closet marxists. Hillary’s astrological analysis show her to be a dictator type like hitler. shake in your boots of she gets elected. Trump is a business man. I think he would do a good job. the dumb thing about this whole election process, is the highest most important post to run this country and nobody has to produce a resume. they get the job by popular vote. Do you think that anybody would get a job at any large corporation like APPLE by popular vote. Hell no. What any candidate should do is produce a resume to the public stating their skills and then let us decide on that basis who can DO the best job. Insanity that way it is, god forbid crooked Hillary gets the job, anybody see her resume?

  • An excellent article on Donald Trump. Following your logic the next time I need delicate brain surgery I will certainly go see Joe the Plumber and make sure he heads the surgical team. It is hubris to suppose that alienating almost 50% of the electorate is going to make a “safe America”. The only saving grace will be the Constitution which will prevent most of Mr. Trump’s harebrained schemes. However, with Republicans firmly in control of all levels of government the Constitution may be at serious risk also then God save America.

  • You have an intellectual curiosity of how Trumph will do as a President? Intellectual curiosity? Are you friggin kidding me?, I guess you don’t live in this US of A
    And if anyone is going to jail, and who deserves it, is Trumph. Just ask anyone Trumph suckered into his make-believe Trump University.
    And release your taxes too! you souless bast***! Or just what are you hiding?

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