# A Theory on Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 9, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453 "2015-09-09T18:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/1 "2015-09-09T18:26:28Z")
There’s a lot about Candidate Trump that doesn’t make sense. He seems to be daring folks to view him as presidential material. “Mexico? Iran? OPEC? They’ll do what I say because I say so” as if the White House, and indeed the world diplomatic scene were just a 1940’s schoolyard, and we just need to send out the biggest bully. For whatever reason, a large group of voters are still supporting him, despite (or because of?) his flamboyantly casual approach to the whole thing. (“Middle East? I’ll cram the night before the summit.”) Here’s a theory for you: Maybe he’s just trying to create a sense of need for this “Border Wall” he keeps talking about, and shilling for the Contract. Seriously, it’s the only issue about which he knows anything, or is willing to talk in depth. It’s an enormous contract, the kind that could springboard a wannabe Haliburton or Northrup Grumman. And a campaign is the perfect way to get other people to pay for your advertising. Could this be what he’s really up to? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/2 "2015-09-09T18:31:27Z")
No telling with this guy, which is why he’s been a successful deal maker. The two top polling candidates at this point have no political experience. Zero. That they are presently at the top tells me that the electorate is fed up with the party. Having already elected one knucklehead, you’d think they would be reluctant to put another one in the WH. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/3 "2015-09-09T18:33:51Z")
If he makes Mexico pay for it, Mexico would want to use Mexican contractors, wouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/4 "2015-09-09T18:35:24Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If he makes Mexico pay for it, Mexico would want to use Mexican contractors, wouldn’t they? Not only will Trump make Mexico pay for it, but he’ll make Mexico pay good red-blooded American heroes $30 per hour to build it. It will be the classiest contract in American history, and the classiest border wall since the Great Wall of f’in China. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/5 "2015-09-09T18:44:42Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Not only will Trump make Mexico pay for it, but he’ll make Mexico pay good red-blooded American heroes $30 per hour to build it. It will be the classiest contract in American history, and the classiest border wall since the Great Wall of f’in China. And probably be about as successful. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/6 "2015-09-09T19:52:50Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Here’s a theory for you: Maybe he’s just trying to create a sense of need for this “Border Wall” he keeps talking about, and shilling for the Contract. > > Seriously, it’s the only issue about which he knows anything, or is willing to talk in depth. It’s an enormous contract, the kind that could springboard a wannabe Haliburton or Northrup Grumman. And a campaign is the perfect way to get other people to pay for your advertising. > > Could this be what he’s really up to? Has he ever built anything like a border wall? I don’t know how hard it would be, but it seems like it would require different things than his usual construction projects. The Trump Organization doesn’t seem to do anything defense contract related. I guess it could be a bid to get his company’s first defense related construction project, but it seems a longshot. It’s not the craziest idea I’ve ever heard, but I don’t think it’s quite right. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/7 "2015-09-09T19:54:06Z")
Just get the guy from City Wok to do it. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/8 "2015-09-09T20:05:48Z")
You’ve got an entire nation of 50s/60s infrastructure that’s crumbling, and $trillions of debt. Not sure anyone needs more. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/9 "2015-09-09T20:06:08Z")
Construction projects? What would a TV star know about construction projects? Yeah, he’s running in order to get more money flowing into his business, but you seem to be confused as to what business he’s in. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/10 "2015-09-09T21:25:35Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > Has he ever built anything like a border wall? I don’t know how hard it would be, but it seems like it would require different things than his usual construction projects. The Trump Organization doesn’t seem to do anything defense contract related. I guess it could be a bid to get his company’s first defense related construction project, but it seems a longshot. > > It’s not the craziest idea I’ve ever heard, but I don’t think it’s quite right. > [@Chronos](#): > > Construction projects? What would a TV star know about construction projects? > > Yeah, he’s running in order to get more money flowing into his business, but you seem to be confused as to what business he’s in. I’ve been in Gov’t/Defense contracting for well over 20 years now, and I know that Trump hasn’t the slightest idea how to operate within our parameters. It could easily bankrupt him. It would be great though, because he’d have to open up his organization to all sorts of OSHA, EEO, and other workplace compliance issues which in normal business are never really inspected for compliance. I’m betting the various agencies would be all over him at the first opportunity! Chronos, it’s you who are confused. Trump gets very little for being a TV Star. His production company makes a bit off of it, but his other investments carry the weight. > **[What we know - and don't know - about Donald Trump's wealth](https://money.cnn.com/2015/07/22/news/donald-trump-finances/)** > > Donald Trump, candidate, mogul and author of classics such as Think Big and Kick Ass, has pulled back the financial curtain on his vast, confusing often eponymous holdings. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/11 "2015-09-09T21:46:41Z")
He’s doing it all for us, he’s giving us the business. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/12 "2015-09-09T21:56:04Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > There’s a lot about Candidate Trump that doesn’t make sense. He seems to be daring folks to view him as presidential material. “Mexico? Iran? OPEC? They’ll do what I say because I say so” as if the White House, and indeed the world diplomatic scene were just a 1940’s schoolyard, and we just need to send out the biggest bully. For whatever reason, a large group of voters are still supporting him, despite (or because of?) his flamboyantly casual approach to the whole thing. (“Middle East? I’ll cram the night before the summit.”) > > Here’s a theory for you: Maybe he’s just trying to create a sense of need for this “Border Wall” he keeps talking about, and shilling for the Contract. > > Seriously, it’s the only issue about which he knows anything, or is willing to talk in depth. It’s an enormous contract, the kind that could springboard a wannabe Haliburton or Northrup Grumman. And a campaign is the perfect way to get other people to pay for your advertising. > > Could this be what he’s really up to? Serious question…which Trump company or subsidiary would be qualified to do such a job or even bid on it? You know they don’t just hand out government contracts to anyone, right? There would be a RFQ/RFP process and only the vetted companies that could show they COULD do the job, plus meet a host of other criteria and are in the running cost wise would have even a chance to get through the first round or two. I have no idea what companies Trump has or whether any of them have the required contract vehicles, history of working with (I assume) the Defense Department and/or Dept of Homeland Security and also have the construction cred to bid on or even partner with other companies to bid on the proposed (theoretical) contract for such a wall. Anyone know which, if any of his companies even could do so credibly? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/13 "2015-09-10T13:59:20Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I’ve been in Gov’t/Defense contracting for well over 20 years now, and I know that Trump hasn’t the slightest idea how to operate within our parameters. It could easily bankrupt him. It would be great though, because he’d have to open up his organization to all sorts of OSHA, EEO, and other workplace compliance issues which in normal business are never really inspected for compliance. I’m betting the various agencies would be all over him at the first opportunity! Trump is many things, but he’s not completely stupid. He’s not a genius, and he’s not presidential material, but he’s not completely stupid regarding business matters. Why would he get into Govt/Defense contracting if it could easily bankrupt him? And even if he was a complete idiot, I’m pretty sure he can’t get his company to work on a defense contract on his own, there would have to be other people who would sign off on it, and those people would see that it’s a bad idea, and pressure Trump to go after some more real estate and casinos instead. His name apparently has some value for real estate, casinos, golf courses, and other things like that. I believe I’ve read that some “Trump” properties are just Trump in name only, where he really has nothing to do with them other than the property is paying to use his name. But his name would have negative value to start with for defense contracts. He and his company would really have to prove themselves, for an iffy proposition to build a wall. Why would he go for that, instead of just building some more regular buildings, where he’s much more guaranteed to either make money, or come out unscathed if another bankruptcy has to be declared? ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/14 "2015-09-10T15:25:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Construction projects? What would a TV star know about construction projects? He has built, as an owner, a sizable number of large and complex projects. The man is not stupid at all. It takes a substantial amount of work as an owner to coordinate the financing, the architects, the construction managers, etc to bring the projects in at or near budget. From that point of view he has more experience than Obama, Biden, and the entire rest of the presidential field in both parties. Edit… I have no idea how long his legs are in this race, but saying he has no building experience is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/15 "2015-09-10T15:43:27Z")
RE: having the necessary contracts: This would be a FAR 36 deal, and almost certainly a stand-alone. There are precious few people out there with experience administering FAR 36 contracts. It’s a horse of a different feather. I could see them doing it as a multi-award IDIQ, awarding segments 50-100 miles at a time to various contractors. Any specific expertise that Trump lacks he can easily subcontract out. He certainly has the bona-fides as a program management organization; managing multiple contractors to build a skyscraper is no mean feat. I just think his arrogant dismissal of detail would put him in non-compliance pretty fast. Of course, it could also get him at the proposal level. “I’ll learn that when I need to know it” will not work in a technical proposal. But “What I don’t know these fifteen small/disadvantaged business will fill in” would put him at the top of the stack. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/16 "2015-09-10T16:05:20Z")
I think it’s an ego trip for him, nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/17 "2015-09-10T16:12:21Z")
I think, with each increase in poll numbers, and more sound bites out there, every single stunt or outrageous remark, his ego grows a bit stronger, a bit bolder. I truly don’t see how it can possibly end well. It’s like watching a ticking time bomb. It’s going to burst! And it will be spectacular! I’d also bet the house, in private he’s bragging and laughing on knowing how to exploit weak, stupid, ignorant of facts, Americans. His constituency. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/18 "2015-09-10T16:18:18Z")
What’s sickening is that each racist or misogynist statement he makes seems to enhance his popularity. We all knew that there was this dark underbelly to the American electorate, but seeing it exposed like this, and seeing it successfully manipulated so blatantly, is frightening. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/19 "2015-09-10T16:28:48Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Serious question…which Trump company or subsidiary would be qualified to do such a job or even bid on it? You know they don’t just hand out government contracts to anyone, right? There would be a RFQ/RFP process and only the vetted companies that could show they COULD do the job, plus meet a host of other criteria and are in the running cost wise would have even a chance to get through the first round or two. I have no idea what companies Trump has or whether any of them have the required contract vehicles, history of working with (I assume) the Defense Department and/or Dept of Homeland Security and also have the construction cred to bid on or even partner with other companies to bid on the proposed (theoretical) contract for such a wall. Anyone know which, if any of his companies even could do so credibly? The notion that Trump would have one of his companies build the wall is fantastical. But that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be good at overseeing the building of a wall. He’s figured out how to build big apartment building complexes, casinos, and golf courses, I’m sure he could oversee the groups qualified to billed something of the scale of the wall across the border. he’d certainly be _more_ qualified to do it than probably all of the other candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453/20 "2015-09-10T16:55:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **davida03801** : > > He has built, as an owner, a sizable number of large and complex projects. The man is not stupid at all. It takes a substantial amount of work as an owner to coordinate the financing, the architects, the construction managers, etc to bring the projects in at or near budget. And it takes no work at all to drive a company to bankruptcy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-theory-on-trump/730453.md?page=2)