# Donald Trump's 2016 General Election Campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 4, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901 "2016-05-04T02:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 115
**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:** [July 6, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2282 "2016-07-06T17:10:14Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > [Donald Trump’s team is looking into getting rid of the heebie-jobbies that TSA agents wear.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cd8wEBP7hw) (at 3:38 in the video) > > My questions are: how do you spell heebie-jobbies? what are they? what’s Hillary’s stand on heebie-jobbies? Do they give her the heebie-jeebies? ---
**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:** [July 6, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2283 "2016-07-06T17:52:47Z")
Both from Political Wire: > [@](#): > > Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) “will speak at the Republican National Convention, making her among the prominent conservative politicians the Trump campaign has lined up for the event,” the New York Times reports. > […] > **Ernst told Politico she’s not interest in being Trump’s running mate.** > […] > **Sen. Bob Corker** […] **told the Washington Post that he has taken himself out of consideration for the position.** > > Said Corker: “There are people far more suited for being a candidate for vice president and I think I’m far more suited for other types of things.” That’s two “legitimate” contenders for VP who don’t want the job. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2284 "2016-07-06T18:02:58Z")
It was always going to be Christie. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2285 "2016-07-06T18:31:17Z")
Sen. Bob Corker said the best vice-president for Trump is his daughter, Ivanka. No link yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2286 "2016-07-06T18:52:20Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > … Unlike many European fascists, Trump is not an ideologue who hates any particular ethnic groups; he’s a money-grubbing scam artist for whom a Presidential race is a way to make money from suckers. I agree; Trump’s bigotry is real, in my opinion, but it’s not what _drives_ him. As you say, he’s not an ideologue. I don’t think he cares two cents about the ‘purity of the White Race,’ but if pandering to those who do will make him a buck, he’ll pander. > [@RickJay](#): > > If elected he’d either resign in boredom or be impeached. … This gets said a lot, and some who say it intend a sort of comfort, I think: if he gets in, don’t worry, it won’t last long. (You may or may not intend that meaning.) In any case, I’m not so sure about this. You only have to look at Trump’s wistful remarks about dictators—at his obvious admiration for Putin, Kim Jong-Un, and others who simply have their opponents put to death, no muss no fuss!—to realize that Trump would actually find being President For Life to be a worthy goal. Working towards that goal would not bore him. He couldn’t do it alone, of course. But what he might be doing with the majority of his time in office could be networking with those at the top of the power structure of the USA who are a little “meh” about democracy and the rule of law. And don’t kid yourself–there are plenty of them who feel that they’d be doing something very virtuous and righteous by moving the USA to a “more efficient” sort of system. Trump might not be the figurehead they’d _prefer_, but they’d find reasons to move ahead anyway. If Trump succeeded in talking enough of these guys into it, it would happen in response to an “emergency”–an attack by terrorists so massive, so shocking, that a large part of the population would accept that martial law was necessary. It would be child’s play to set up such an attack, of course. There is no shortage of actual terrorists who would be delighted to take advantage of any opportunities they ‘accidentally’ come across. Then it’s just a matter of the Continuing Emergency which makes it necessary to postpone elections for the duration. But “it can’t happen here.” Really. It “can’t,” it just “can’t.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2287 "2016-07-06T19:26:35Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Sen. Bob Corker said the best vice-president for Trump is his daughter, Ivanka. > > No link yet. Twitter is your friend. > ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2288 "2016-07-06T20:03:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Sen. Bob Corker said the best vice-president for Trump is his daughter, Ivanka. > > No link yet. The NY Times Book Review published a rare piece of fiction, the payoff of which was that Ivanka was donating to Hillary and egging Donald on to do increasingly irrational things - thus explaining the campaign so far. I wonder if Corker heard about this - it might be a subtle joke. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2289 "2016-07-06T20:25:45Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > This gets said a lot, and some who say it intend a sort of comfort, I think: if he gets in, don’t worry, it won’t last long. It wasn’t meant to be comforting, believe me. Trump can do a great deal of damage in a short period of time, and that could include foisting off an incredibly bad successor. > [@](#): > > … to realize that Trump would actually find being President For Life to be a worthy goal. Working towards that goal would not bore him. This is one of the scenarios under which I think you’d see an impeachment. Bear in mind that 1. Trump is widely despised by many Republicans and 2. Congress can impeach for basically anything they want to call a “high crime or misdemeanor.” Trump is short of allies at the top (postponing elections, furthermore, is a state power, so he’d have to get a lot of truculent governors to go along with his plan) and you can’t network THAT well in a short period of time. Were Trump to pull off an upset, the Impeach Trump scheming would begin before the electoral college even met, and handing the schemers a gift as wonderful as a plan to be President for Life would result in articles of impeachment passed faster than you can say “Nixon.” If anyone is smart enough to be elected President but sufficiently dumbassed enough to be impeached and convicted, it’s Donald John Trump. I’m not saying American democracy is invincible. But if someone is going to kill it, they need a party to do it with. Trump doesn’t exactly have a party. He’s carjacked one but it’s not really his. ---
**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 6, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2290 "2016-07-06T20:42:19Z")
[Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson says Corker is still on the VP list till Trump says he’s not on the VP list.](http://gawker.com/potential-vp-pick-bob-corker-is-done-when-the-trump-cam-1783213396?) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2291 "2016-07-06T21:06:01Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson says Corker is still on the VP list till Trump says he’s not on the VP list.](http://gawker.com/potential-vp-pick-bob-corker-is-done-when-the-trump-cam-1783213396?) > [@](#): > > “I will say he’s taking it very seriously,” Pierson said. “This is very personable.” Ever notice how often his spokesbimbos use words incorrectly? Back when the first demand was made for Trump to release his taxes, one of them said he didn’t have to because of his right to habeas corpus . ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2292 "2016-07-06T21:40:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > “I will say he’s taking it very seriously,” Pierson said. “This is very personable.” > > Ever notice how often his spokesbimbos use words incorrectly? > > Back when the first demand was made for Trump to release his taxes, one of them said he didn’t have to because of his right to habeas corpus . “Very personable”? I couldn’t even begin to guess what that babble was supposed to mean, if anything. Very “personal”, maybe? But what does _ **that** _ mean? But it’s good enough for his audience. They don’t understand words of more than four letters anyway. I bet Hitler’s spokespersons were much better at this. The man himself certainly was – the Fuhrer offered up all the hate and demagoguery anyone could want, but with an actual strategy, and the ability to string many sentences together into actual coherent hateful ideas. The Donald is more like an empty suit bellowing hate and jingoism because he’s figured out that there’s money in it. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2293 "2016-07-06T22:32:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > … This is one of the scenarios under which I think you’d see an impeachment. Bear in mind that > > 1. Trump is widely despised by many Republicans and > 2. Congress can impeach for basically anything they want to call a “high crime or misdemeanor.” > > Trump is short of allies at the top (postponing elections, furthermore, is a state power, so he’d have to get a lot of truculent governors to go along with his plan) and you can’t network THAT well in a short period of time. Were Trump to pull off an upset, the Impeach Trump scheming would begin before the electoral college even met, and handing the schemers a gift as wonderful as a plan to be President for Life would result in articles of impeachment passed faster than you can say “Nixon.” … Well, yes, of course: if Trump were to announce ‘I’m going to be President for Life,’ he’d be impeached. But that’s not the scenario I was describing. No dictator that I’m aware of has announced “I’m now PFL” and had that work out well. What happens is that there is an Emergency under which elections must, regrettably, be postponed for Just a Little While (which turns into years). Or, alternatively, Mr. Dictator simply “wins” election after election. We’ve seen this in nation after nation after nation. If Trump managed to hook up with big names in our military who see it as their patriotic duty to Restore Order after massive terror attacks, he could, conceivably, pull off a declaration of martial law. If it were Trump _alone_ saying ‘we must unfortunately suspend our normal peacetime rights and privileges, just until we understand what’s going on–I know all true patriots will agree’—he wouldn’t get far. But if he were backed by high-ranking generals and other well-known figures (a few Supreme Court Justices, for example), then it might fly–if the terrorism is massive and severe enough to really frighten people. I realize that this sounds ‘out there’—but seriously, ask yourself if, a year ago, you would have thought it possible that Trump could achieve the GOP nomination. We know Trump would love the chance to be a full-fledged dictator (can anyone doubt that?) The danger, always, is that others in power might start to think that it would be the patriotic–or holy and righteous–thing to do, to back him as figurehead of a more authoritarian government. Just until we vanquish the enemies that want to destroy us, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2294 "2016-07-06T22:54:43Z")
[Latest Trump campaign tax problems](http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/05/questionable-tax-free-payments-to-trump-staffers-give-experts-pause.html) > [@](#): > > A series of filing anomalies point to a Donald Trump camp that is either unaware of campaign finance law, or is actively funneling donors’ cash to insiders, according to several experts interviewed by CNBC. > > These “red flags,” as one expert deemed them, include a total lack of disclosure on which vendors staffers for the presumptive Republican nominee are paying, an “unusual” six-figure payout to campaign staff for nontaxable expenses and what appeared to be double reimbursements for some employees’ expenses. Is the Trump campaign ignorant, criminal, or some combination of the two? ---
**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 6, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2295 "2016-07-06T23:04:07Z")
> [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > [Latest Trump campaign tax problems](http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/05/questionable-tax-free-payments-to-trump-staffers-give-experts-pause.html) > > Is the Trump campaign ignorant, criminal, or some combination of the two? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2296 "2016-07-06T23:52:08Z")
Eric Trump went on a profanity laced tear to the Washington Post editors about the articles questioning their charitable activities. > **[Cursing Eric Trump Calls WaPo Reporter Over Coverage Of His Dad’s Donations](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/eric-trump-rants-donald-donations)** > > Eric Trump reportedly called up The Washington Post on Wednesday to profanely rant at the reporter spearheading coverage of the charitable contributions made (or not made) by his father, Donald Trump. This naturally prompted the Washington Post to run another article detailing Eric’s objections to their original article. Well played, that man. > [@The Washington Post](#): > > The Post had made efforts to reach the Eric Trump Foundation, and Eric Trump himself, via email and Twitter. At 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, he called The Post. He denounced its reporting — often in forceful, profane terms. “I’m just saying, Jesus Christ, why is this guy trying to f—ing kill us?” Eric Trump said at one point. Eric went on to insist that Donald had given his (Eric’s) foundation hundreds of thousands of dollars but refused to provide any evidence. He also claims that Donald has given money to many other charities, but again - no evidence. > [@The WaPo's latest article about Trump charity shenanigans](#): > > “My father likes to keep some anonymity. It’s who he is. It’s who he is as a person,” Eric Trump said. Yes, that’s right. We all admire Donald Trump for the way he abhors self-promotion. Eric went on to take issue with recent Washington Post research about the tax fillings of Eric’s foundation: > [@Those very unfair meanies at the Washington Post](#): > > Eric Trump also criticized The Post for a recent blog post — and recent Twitter messages by this reporter — about a payment made by the Eric Trump Foundation to one of Donald Trump’s golf courses. > > “It’s disgusting. It is so disgusting what’s happening,” Eric Trump said. “I’m saving dying children. We do tremendous good for people. And you’re sitting there tearing us apart.” > > That payment is detailed in a 2014 tax filing by the Eric Trump Foundation. The foundation notified the Internal Revenue Service that it had paid $87,665 to one of Donald Trump’s golf courses. The tax filing called that payment a “charge for the use of the golf club” during the Eric Trump Foundation’s fundraiser golf tournament. > > But Eric Trump said the payment was not actually for the use of the club. In fact, he said, the Trump golf course had made no money at all from hosting his foundation’s tournament: “Zero. Zero.” The games just never stop with these Trump Foundations, do they? Well, of course they don’t! It’s much easier to hide money when you’re constantly swapping it around. Just as long as no one wants to see any evidence of your income and outputs. Oh and that Tebow helmet the Donald J. Trump Foundation bought? Eric has some thoughts on that, too: > [@very unfair](#): > > Eric Trump said he wasn’t sure what had become of the helmet, but he doubted his father kept it. > > “Knowing him, he probably gave that helmet to a child,” Eric Trump said. “Sometimes the only way to support [a cause] is by buying an item at this event. You don’t want that item! … I wouldn’t even be surprised if he never collected the helmet. It’s not about the helmet.” Sure, Eric. He gave it to a child. I don’t suppose you’d let us check your closet? ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2297 "2016-07-07T02:50:16Z")
The FBI’s harsh assessment of Hillary could have been disastrous for her but Trump has done a fantastic job snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. First he tweets an anti-Semitic image. Now he is ranting and raving that he should have left the image up. In other self-defeating moves, he praised Saddam Hussein and called the FBI’s decision “rigged.” Watch this video. Trump is getting unhinged. He needs sedatives. > **[Trump Won't Back Down From Anti-Semitic Tweet, Accusing Media Of Being Racist](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-anti-semitic-tweet_n_577d8e67e4b0c590f7e7f326)** > > "How sick are they? They’re the ones with the bad tendencies." ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2298 "2016-07-07T03:20:56Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > The FBI’s harsh assessment of Hillary could have been disastrous for her but Trump has done a fantastic job snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. First he tweets an anti-Semitic image. Now he is ranting and raving that he should have left the image up. In other self-defeating moves, he praised Saddam Hussein and called the FBI’s decision “rigged.” > > Watch this video. **Trump is getting unhinged. He needs sedatives.** > > [Trump Won't Back Down From Anti-Semitic Tweet, Accusing Media Of Being Racist | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-anti-semitic-tweet_us_577d8e67e4b0c590f7e7f326) Are you _kidding_? He’s running a perfect campaign. Please proceed, Mr. Trump. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2299 "2016-07-07T03:57:28Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > The FBI’s harsh assessment of Hillary could have been disastrous for her but Trump has done a fantastic job snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. First he tweets an anti-Semitic image. Now he is ranting and raving that he should have left the image up. In other self-defeating moves, he praised Saddam Hussein and called the FBI’s decision “rigged.” > > Watch this video. Trump is getting unhinged. He needs sedatives. > > [Trump Won't Back Down From Anti-Semitic Tweet, Accusing Media Of Being Racist | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-anti-semitic-tweet_us_577d8e67e4b0c590f7e7f326) Wow, even I who is an immigrant (already a citizen) coming from a tiny place already knows that classic line of "when the enemy is making a false movement we must take good care not to interrupt him.” - Napoleon. Or her, but unfortunately for the Republicans they wishfully expected a bigger payoff and told the rank and file about it. Can not backtrack telling their followers that they they were responsible for the blunder so instead they are falling into full conspiracy mode as the solution, but that only shows them as being mad as hatters to many independents and Democrats. Fine with me. ---
**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 7, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2300 "2016-07-07T03:58:35Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > …Yes, that’s right. We all admire Donald Trump for the way he abhors self-promotion… Thank you! And frankly, I’m getting a little tired of his tireless humility. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2301 "2016-07-07T05:01:48Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > The NY Times Book Review published a rare piece of fiction, the payoff of which was that Ivanka was donating to Hillary and egging Donald on to do increasingly irrational things - thus explaining the campaign so far. I wonder if Corker heard about this - it might be a subtle joke. More likely he just reads the [dope](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19233742&postcount=95). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=114) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=116)