Candidate Profile: Donald Trump
Current Office: None
Age: 69 (Born June 14, 1946)
Party: Republican
Real Clear Politics Poll Average (as of November 25, 2015): National 27.5% (1st); Iowa 25.5% (1st); New Hampshire 26.6% (1st)1
Campaign Website: donaldjtrump.com
Donald Trump is a businessman and former reality television host who, after considering running for President in 2000 and 2012, decided to seek the Republican nomination in 2016.
Immigration:
Trump’s immigration proposals are as disastrous as they are fanciful. From apparently forcing Mexico to pay for a wall by the sheer force of his personality to restricting legal immigration and apparently deporting 11 million people, there is nothing in the way of a sound proposal here. I am not a fan of amnesty or policies that encourage illegal immigration, but I am no more a fan of ridiculous schemes that would indiscriminately tear families apart and make my entire party look like a refuge for bigots and wingnuts.
He also does not think that the Fourteenth Amendment ensures birthright citizenship. See my thoughts here.
Israel:
On Israel itself, Trump says the right things. He has expressed support for Israel and he vehemently opposes the Iran deal. However, Trump has shown absolutely no command of foreign policy or knowledge of the Middle East, although he likes to remind us that he once met Vladimir Putin. While Trump may support Israel, there is little reason to believe with any degree of confidence that a Trump Presidency would be good for Israel.
Issue of Interest — Trump’s “Conservatism”:
It puzzles me how Trump, who is not conservative, is doing so well in the polls thus far. This man was recently a registered Democrat, praised Hillary Clinton, supported single-payer healthcare, and supported large tax increases. That Trump’s “views” seem to change on a day-to-day basis evinces the fact that Trump’s campaign is not about ideas for the country, it is about ideas to keep Trump at the forefront of the news-cycle.
Conclusion:
I appreciate greatly being able to freely vote for my representatives every election day. Unlike Donald Trump, I do not miss election day.2 Because of this, I ask my fellow Republicans to please — please — stop damaging the Republican Party by supporting him in the polls. Donald Trump’s campaign is not about America, advancing conservative principles, or doing anything productive for anyone but himself. He has shown consistently that he is willing to say and propose whatever will get him the most attention at any given moment. The Republican field in 2016 has no shortage of exceptional candidates offering a variety of views on how to improve America, and there is no reason that anyone should support a narcissist who is both unqualified and actively damaging the chances that a qualified Republican is our next President both by his inflammatory rhetoric and his relentless attacks against his superior opponents.
- http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html (retrieved on November 25, 2015)
- Melchoir, Jillian Kay, “Donald Trump Hasn’t Voted in the Last Six Presidential Primaries,” (June 28, 2015), National Review Online, http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420435/donald-trump-voting-record-jillian-kay-melchior
Resources and Materials:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.html
