On March 1, I tweeted, "Honestly I'm just sad that people genuinely think trump would be a good president.. Some people are so ill informed #dumptrump." Today I still feel the same way. No longer is it a funny joke that one of America's billionaires is trying to run the country - it is real. Donald Trump has a 50 percent chance of becoming the 45th president, and honestly that terrifies me. Coming from a conservative Trump-loving town in Idaho, I know he has some diehard supporters but I'm here to tell you just why he is not presidential material.
1. Trump is a chronic liar.
Let us take for example his recent acceptance speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump claims to present the people with "the plain facts that have been edited out of your nightly news and your morning paper." However he presents at least 25 claims that are not factual, as noted by the Washington Post. It is no secret that "The Donald" talks in hyperbolic sentences, from claiming that Mexicans are racists and women are hysterical only to name a few. And if that is not evidence enough, right before he gave his speech at the RNC, he said he would "present the facts plainly and honestly... There will be no lies." That was immediately followed by lying to the 35 million people watching.
2. Trump has no political experience.
Trump's lack of political experience is actually what seems to aid him in winning votes. The majority of Americans are tired of "politicians" as they do not see them making the changes they would like to see. These Americans then think that since Trump is not a politician the country will not be run by politicians. This point is invalid in that, even if we have a president who has no previous political experience, the house and the senate are still composed of politicians; do not forget those people are really the ones passing bills. Do we really want to give someone with no political knowledge power to be the commander in chief?
3. Trump is not politically correct.
Once again this claim helps him gain support from many republicans who are tired of politically correct terms, or as I would view it speaking respectfully. Trump has little regard for the LGBTQ+ and trans community as he would rather not refer to someone by their preferred pronouns or fund gender-neutral bathrooms because he doesn't want to conform to political correctness. I do not view that as politically correct, I view it as being a compassionate human being. Let us not forget that as the leader of a nation you should not just say what you want whenever you feel fit. He, if elected, will ultimately be how America is represented to other nations. Do we want that? As president it will be a very dangerous game for him to play. It wouldn't surprise me if he made a snide remark about Kim Jong-Un that could get us into a nuclear war with North Korea that we might just not win.
4. Trump cannot relate to the average American (No matter how much he says he can).
According to Forbes, as of 2015 Donald Trump's net worth is $4.5 billion. So yes, I guess you could say he is a very successful business man. But you cannot tell me a billionaire understands the poor and middle class. As a man who thinks that a small loan is a million dollars, he does not understand the average financial struggles of most Americans. As Trump sits on his golden throne in his 66th floor $100 million penthouse over Central Park sipping tea from a gold-trimmed cup, do not tell me he understands what it is like to live like the average American. I want a president who can at least pretend to be humble, and Trump simply cannot.
5. Trump is a horrible person.
One of the most xenophobic presidential candidates in history, Trump dislikes any and everything that is different from him. From making fun of a disabled journalist to encouraging violence at his rallies, Trump is simply rude. As someone who is supposed to be for all of America, he sure seems to be acting hateful to everyone who is not a rich white male. He has been known to make racial comments quite regularly. As America is composed of many races, we need a president who promotes racial equality not one who perpetuates racism and white privilege.
6. Trump is misogynistic.
As a woman I do not want a president that does not care about improving women's equality or their healthcare. I cannot see how women support Trump when he clearly does not support you. If you do not take my word for it I'll let Trump say it for himself.
In a 1991 interview with Esquire magazine regarding media he said, "You know, it really doesn't matter what [they] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass."
As a female writer especially, this disgusts me. My words are not suddenly less important or valid if I am not viewed by society as beautiful. Take caution women voters that Trump may not consider your concerns if you are not what he finds hot.
Maybe Trump has changed you think, but here he is being a misogynist once again in September of 2015:
Trump even went so far to bash his rival candidate Carly Fiorina, "Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not supposed to say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"
Last time I checked, attractiveness is not a quality for presidential nominee. If it were I am sure Donald J. Trump would no longer be in the running.
Lastly,
Take Ted Cruz's words "vote your conscience." If you have a conscience, do not vote Trump.
