# Can Donald Trump Actually Win The White House? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 21, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325 "2015-10-21T04:46:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/121 "2015-10-27T00:15:36Z")
With a 90% tax that was clearly punitive in nature. Punitive taxes are bills of attainder. Tax policy cannot be used to punish. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/122 "2015-10-27T00:26:04Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > With a 90% tax that was clearly punitive in nature. Punitive taxes are bills of attainder. Tax policy cannot be used to punish. I hate to Bricker this thread, but no. The Constitution specifically prohibits Bills of Attainder. Cite where the courts have ruled the AIG bill to be a Bill of Attainder, or admit you’re simply adhering to a legal theory that doesn’t hold water. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/123 "2015-10-27T00:42:42Z")
Such a case has not gone through the courts yet because Congress hasn’t passed such a law yet. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/124 "2015-10-27T01:00:23Z")
The effects of such a thing as a “Bill of Attainder” have been accomplished without the strictly semantic distinction. The Japanese/American citizens of California, for instance, who were punished as a group, with a denial of civil rights, for no other reason than the accident of descent. Congress passed no laws, but the thing was done. An idiot like Trump likely cannot _legally_ do any such thing, but the impact would be felt, nonetheless. Who’s going to buy a car if maybe you can’t get parts for it? Certainly you would at least wait to see how it all shakes out in court. The threat alone would be enough to send the stock price skittering. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/125 "2015-10-27T02:25:13Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The effects of such a thing as a “Bill of Attainder” have been accomplished without the strictly semantic distinction. The Japanese/American citizens of California, for instance, who were punished as a group, with a denial of civil rights, for no other reason than the accident of descent. Congress passed no laws, but the thing was done. Nitpicking being what we do, I feel compelled to point out that Congress passed Public Law 503 to implement Executive Order 9066. And though the Japanese internment was horrible and unconstitutional, it wasn’t a bill of attainder. Those are legislative acts that _specifically name_ the people being punished without trial. For the same reason, the AIG thing wasn’t a BOA either. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/126 "2015-10-27T03:02:21Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Such a case has not gone through the courts yet because Congress hasn’t passed such a law yet. I had a recollection that the AIG clawback passed into law, but it appears it only passed through the House. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/127 "2015-10-27T10:39:20Z")
Do you all think Trump’s wife Melanie will be be part of his campaign? So far she has been silent. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/128 "2015-10-27T10:53:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Neither is a bill of attainder. Trump obviously isn’t talking about singling out any one automaker for punitive taxes-- It’s pretty clear that he means for that to be a tax on _any_ automaker importing parts, or at least importing them from Mexico. It’s only relevant for those considering opening up plants there, but it’d apply to all of them. > > Similarly, the AIG thing didn’t target AIG specifically; it targeted a category of companies which happened to include AIG. Yeah, he specifically mentioned Ford several times, and stated he’d call Mark Fields to give him “the bad news,” so _clearly_ he isn’t singling out any one automaker. :rolleyes: If you’re going to bitch at me about my use of a legal term, you might not want to invent your own interpretation of trumps position out of whole cloth. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/129 "2015-10-27T13:30:52Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Do you all think Trump’s wife Melanie will be be part of his campaign? So far she has been silent. Both Trump’s wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka are supposed to begin campaigning for him soon. [Cite](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/donald-trump-plots-his-second-act/2015/10/06/305790c2-6c68-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html) ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/130 "2015-10-27T14:12:19Z")
[Mike Tyson has endorsed Trump.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-tyson-endorses-donald-trump-2016_562e8853e4b00aa54a4aba46)It won’t be long before his fellow intellectuals follow suit. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/131 "2015-10-27T14:16:40Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > [Mike Tyson has endorsed Trump.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-tyson-endorses-donald-trump-2016_562e8853e4b00aa54a4aba46)It won’t be long before his fellow intellectuals follow suit. **Son of a Rich** , [gimme a drink](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iAYhQsQhSY). 😃 Sorry, can’t help it. Lots of airplay lately for the song at the link, so what else am I gonna think of when I see your username? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/132 "2015-10-27T14:20:58Z")
Trump has locked up the barely-literate facial tattoo demo. That was Jeb!'s last hope. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/133 "2015-10-27T14:32:34Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > [Mike Tyson has endorsed Trump.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-tyson-endorses-donald-trump-2016_562e8853e4b00aa54a4aba46)It won’t be long before his fellow intellectuals follow suit. But who will get George Foreman and all those who come to him asking where to go with their invention ideas? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/134 "2015-10-27T20:31:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Nitpicking being what we do, I feel compelled to point out that Congress passed Public Law 503 to implement Executive Order 9066. And though the Japanese internment was horrible and unconstitutional, it wasn’t a bill of attainder. Those are legislative acts that _specifically name_ the people being punished without trial. For the same reason, the AIG thing wasn’t a BOA either. There is no doubt, upon investigation, that you are entirely right and I was wholly wrong. I fling myself prostrate in repentance, and can only hope that my forthright acceptance of my wrongitude will prevent persecution and damnation from the Avenging Angel of Unconfessed Wrongness. Whoa is me! ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325/135 "2015-10-27T20:55:11Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Yeah, he specifically mentioned Ford several times, and stated he’d call Mark Fields to give him “the bad news,” so _clearly_ he isn’t singling out any one automaker. :rolleyes: Well, maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. It’s just as likely - more likely, really - that Ford/Fields is a symbol here rather than the sole, specific target. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-donald-trump-actually-win-the-white-house/735325.md?page=6)