# Donald Trump announces presidential run **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 16, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679 "2015-06-16T16:35:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/421 "2015-07-29T18:12:12Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > … The religious component of that support indicates a greater spirituality in Donald Trump than I had considered. … I can’t wait until someone asks him about Jesus. “Jesus was only a hero because he was crucified. I prefer my heroes to not be crucified. He’s a loser!” ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/422 "2015-07-29T23:29:46Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > OTOH, if the party does anything to shut down or stifle Trump, or keeps him off ballots, it will exacerbate the civil war between the rationalists and Tea Partiers. If he runs as an independent, he might bring a lot of the Tea Partiers with him into some 3rd party. Perhaps in the long run losing the conservative base might be of benefit to the party, but it will make for Democratic landslides for several elections to come. Go ahead, GOP Leadership, make him angry. You won’t like him when he’s angry. But we will… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/423 "2015-07-30T00:03:00Z")
[Rick Perry challenges Trump to a pullup competition.](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/249698-perry-responds-to-trump-insults-with-pull-up-contest-challenge) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/424 "2015-07-30T00:40:05Z")
Straight from the Airing of Grievances to the Feats of Strength. Happy Festivus, everyone! (no, not original) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/425 "2015-07-31T01:40:30Z")
Wow, is it December already? Here’s _The Daily Show_ on Trump’s attack on McCain. Very funny: > **[The Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Comedy Central](https://www.cc.com/shows/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah)** > > The Daily Show is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning program that looks at the day’s top headlines through a sharp, reality-based lens. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/426 "2015-07-31T01:50:49Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > [Secretary of Keeping It Rea](http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Bart_to_the_Future/Quotes)l is already taken. And you noticed the reference to President Trump on that same page…? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/427 "2015-07-31T01:57:55Z")
Trump does have an alternative health care proposal, unlike pretty much any of his opponents or any of his party-mates in Congress, even after all these years, and more specific than any of their trial balloons: “Repeal and replace with something terrific.” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/428 "2015-08-01T23:42:03Z")
[Gallup’s polls](http://www.gallup.com/poll/184418/trump-gop-favorable-image-drops-positive.aspx?utm_source=Politics&utm_medium=newsfeed&utm_campaign=tiles) since the McCain comments: > [@](#): > > … Bottom Line > > Trump enjoyed a bump in Republican favorability earlier this month as he swatted away criticisms from corporate sponsors, took a hard line against illegal immigration and drew crowds of enthusiastic fans. However, since questioning McCain’s heroism and getting personal in his attacks on several fellow Republican candidates, he has lost those gains. Whether those actions are the cause of Trump’s slide isn’t clear, but they do coincide with it. … Still though running at 51% favorable among GOP/GOP leaners (7 day rolling average); Bush is 52%. On 3 day moving average Trump has dropped to 49 after peaking at 63 mid-July, just before the McCain comments. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/429 "2015-08-04T12:41:24Z")
In order to avoid opening another Trump thread, I’ll ask a question here. If we assume that Trump won’t be the nominee, what path do you see to his defeat? Will it be sudden, his support just collapsing over a few days or a sudden announcement of his withdrawal? Or do you think he’s hit a ceiling, and that as other minor candidates like Pataki and Fiorina drop out that their supporters will go to Bush or Walker while Trump stays stuck at around 20 something percent? I predict the former is more likely, but the latter would be an interesting process to see play out. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/430 "2015-08-04T15:38:23Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > In order to avoid opening another Trump thread, I’ll ask a question here. If we assume that Trump won’t be the nominee, what path do you see to his defeat? Will it be sudden, his support just collapsing over a few days or a sudden announcement of his withdrawal? Or do you think he’s hit a ceiling, and that as other minor candidates like Pataki and Fiorina drop out that their supporters will go to Bush or Walker while Trump stays stuck at around 20 something percent? I predict the former is more likely, but the latter would be an interesting process to see play out. He could crater if he starts talking about all of the more left-wing positions he has, though he’s insulated against that to some extent by some righties convincing themselves that they are rooting for him to shake up the establishment and defeat Bush, not because they want to see him as president. Otherwise, I think he’s just going to fade as it gets nearer to serious primary season. I could be wrong, though. I’ve been wrong about a lot so far with Trump, though I did guess that the McCain kerfuffle wouldn’t hurt him much. ---
**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:** [August 4, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/431 "2015-08-04T16:16:34Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > In order to avoid opening another Trump thread, I’ll ask a question here. If we assume that Trump won’t be the nominee, what path do you see to his defeat? Will it be sudden, his support just collapsing over a few days or a sudden announcement of his withdrawal? Or do you think he’s hit a ceiling, and that as other minor candidates like Pataki and Fiorina drop out that their supporters will go to Bush or Walker while Trump stays stuck at around 20 something percent? I predict the former is more likely, but the latter would be an interesting process to see play out. It’s still a bit early for the big guns to start firing but I think they will should Trump be near the top in early November. The big money establishment Republicans are going to come out and start hitting Trump. They likely already have plenty of videos of Trump saying things at odds with current GOP orthodoxy and have started to put the ads together. Starting just after Christmas, look for Jeb’s superpacs to start carpetbombing Iowa with negative ads and if they can’t knock him out in Iowa, then they go nuclear in New Hampshire. Trump likely loses New Hampshire and bows out. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/432 "2015-08-04T16:34:10Z")
I kind of like the idea of Trump attacking the voters of any state he doesn’t win. “New Hampshire … Why aren’t all you people dead yet? You certainly aren’t free! You’re a bunch of hypocrite losers!” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/433 "2015-08-04T17:02:28Z")
On sharing a stage with Trump: _On Twitter last week, John Weaver, senior adviser to the Republican presidential campaign of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, drew this analogy: “Imagine a NASCAR driver mentally preparing for a race knowing one of the drivers will be drunk. That’s what prepping for this debate is like.”_ From this article about Fox News’s Chris Wallace, who will co-moderate (or try to): [http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/10-gop-candidates-will-be-trying-to-win-a-debate-chris-wallace-wants-to-make-that-tough-for-all-of-them/2015/08/03/ffd27cf2-eae8-4718-af4a-6c3c08cd1a33\_story.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/10-gop-candidates-will-be-trying-to-win-a-debate-chris-wallace-wants-to-make-that-tough-for-all-of-them/2015/08/03/ffd27cf2-eae8-4718-af4a-6c3c08cd1a33_story.html) ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/434 "2015-08-04T17:33:20Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s still a bit early for the big guns to start firing…Starting just after Christmas, look for Jeb’s superpacs to start carpetbombing Iowa with negative ads and if they can’t knock him out in Iowa, then they go nuclear in New Hampshire. Trump likely loses New Hampshire and bows out. Yes, there’s no need to go for a big ad buy now: Trump has peaked too early. But he won’t necessarily drop out after New Hampshire. Trump says that he spends half of his time campaigning now, and half at work. There’s no reason why he couldn’t continue such a schedule indefinitely. That’s what is different about the 2012 and 2016 GOP nomination process: when your goal isn’t the Presidency, your incentives to fall in line diverge. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > On sharing a stage with Trump: > > _On Twitter last week, John Weaver, senior adviser to the Republican presidential campaign of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, drew this analogy: “Imagine a NASCAR driver mentally preparing for a race knowing one of the drivers will be drunk. That’s what prepping for this debate is like.”_ Not quite. Running with the analogy Cruz, Carson and Huckabee are drunk; Trump is on LSD. And the remainder must either be crazy or simulate crazy: otherwise they can win neither the Fox News contract nor the conciliation prize that is the GOP nomination. [Mark Everson](http://markforamerica.com/) can try to prove me wrong on that last point, but he is unlikely to even be admitted to the kiddie debate. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/435 "2015-08-04T17:35:25Z")
Several of the drivers are drunk. One of the drivers has a rocket launcher. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/436 "2015-08-04T17:38:53Z")
And they **all** have explosive diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/437 "2015-08-04T18:57:32Z")
I’d think that if Bush had to spend a significant amount of his war chest (PAC or otherwise) to knock Trump down, that it will hurt him overall against the rest of the field. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/438 "2015-08-04T19:01:17Z")
He shouldn’t try. He doesn’t need to. Trump does just fine looking foolish all by himself. Bush needs to look like a responsible adult, and engaging Trump is contrary to that goal. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/439 "2015-08-04T22:52:25Z")
Gawker published Trump’s phone number. So Trump changed his voicemail message to a campaign ad for anyone who calls. If there’s a bunch of idiots that Trump is capable of outwitting, the clickbait troglodytes at Gawker would be said idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679/440 "2015-08-05T02:28:49Z")
And anyone calling the number will probably soon wish they had remembered to hit \*67 before dialing. The Trump campaign is probably the last one I’d want to have my number. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-announces-presidential-run/722679.md?page=23)