Donald Trump is stirring up the political world, and it's not just with his inflammatory remarks. Despite using bigotry and personal attacks along with wildly hypocritical policies, the billionaire is gathering staggering support. The nation is politically, morally and intellectually divided into two groups — people who agree with Trump, and people who think Trump and all who support him are raving lunatics — and thus, this election is turning out to be one of the most entertaining and horrifying elections yet.
One of the more particularly unsettling things about elections in general is the lack of research and understanding many people have of candidates' policies and beliefs. This is truly no different for Trump, since many of his supporters simply like that he is a businessman, not a professional politician, and that he is "honest" (in this case, "honest" means spewing whatever absurd insult and/or ego-inflated nonsense that floats through whatever is beneath his infamous combover). To the credit of Trump's fans, it isn't exactly easy to wade through the piles of unnecessary and repetitive ideas, but I somehow managed to narrow down some of our favorite billionaires basic themes into a fun little list for everyone.
1. Immigration
Trump stated during an interview with CNN that he would "get people out and I would have an expedited way of getting them back into the country so that they can be legal." Never fear, although it sounds like he doesn't have an actual plan for making that happen, he "knows how to manage." Now while this seems either ominous or harmless (depending on your opinion of Trump), this is a new and improved take on his original opinion on people in the country illegally as he infamously stated in his speech announcing his candidacy: "When Mexico sends its people ... they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us (sic). They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." Oh, and don't forget the border wall Trump is somehow going to persuade the Mexican People to pay for. Between deportation and building a 1,989-mile wall, experts project the cost of Trump's plan will be hundreds of billions of dollars.
2. Economy
Trump is trying name himself as the "Jobs President," and he promises to fulfill that name by bringing back jobs that are sent overseas. However, he doesn't seem to see the conflict of interest in his own brands, with his products being manufactured in China and Mexico. He proposes taxing companies like Ford Motors (currently building a plant in Mexico) who export. Unfortunately for Trump, only Congress can establish new taxes, as well as the little issue of breaking the North American Free Trade Agreement (free trade means no tariffs, quotas or other restrictions).
3. Health Care
"Repeal (Obamacare) and replace with something terrific." While no one is really sure what the "something terrific" is, experts say it sounds pretty damn close to the Affordable Care Act. So, in short, provide health care to the extremely poor with federally regulated private insurance companies depending on your state, plan, etc.
4. Foreign Policy
Taking other countries' oil is the only actual foreign policy it seems Trump has. No, really. I looked. Oh, and the vague "I have ways of making them talk" type of plan for dealing with ISIS.
5. Veterans
Recently at a Republican conference, Trump lit into Senator John McCain, a decorated war hero who spent six years as a POW in Vietnam after his plane was shot down: "He's not a war hero. ... He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK?" Need I say more? Actually, why not — these are Trump's Vietnam draft records. The public and media took an interest in the records after certain facts didn't add up.
6. Social Issues
Climate change? A joke made up by silly scientists with too much time on their hands! Marriage? Between a man and a woman. Breastfeeding? Disgusting! Guns? Ban assault weapons and have a longer waiting period to purchase a gun (as stated in Trump's book "The America We Deserve." There isn't much mention of his stance anywhere else).
All in all, Trump truly seems to say whatever comes to mind — 70 percent of which is saying either "I'm a smart, smart man" or "I am very rich" — and apparently very little of what comes to mind is tangible, thought-out plans for America. He looks down on the vast majority of the world as "losers," and he has so clearly been surrounded by yes-men his entire life that he may actually go catatonic if this election does not end the way he thinks it will. Trump will probably (hopefully) not last too long into the election, but regardless of how long he graces us with his presence, the world will certainly be horrified, amused or just plain old entertained. If there's one thing the 2016 presidential election has given us, it's a brand new anti-Christ, wrapped up in the fleshy body of billionaire spoiled brat Donald Trump. God Bless America.
