# How do you suppose Trump would govern? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 26, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234 "2016-01-26T04:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/41 "2016-01-26T20:54:02Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Hi **Alley Dweller** , what is meant by this quote? Rumsfeld is an idiot, yes, but this quote does make sense. We all know what we do and don’t know. And we all have unknown blind spots too. Those who aren’t aware of this are naïve at best and ignorant and dangerous at worst. It was a poorly worded reference to “[URL=“[Johari window - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window)”]Johari’s WindowURL]”, a concept that has many applications, national security being one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/42 "2016-01-26T20:58:47Z")
I’d be frightened of a Trump presidency. GW Bush had some experienced people working for him that could manage him as needed. I think a Trump White House would need a revolving door for the staff members who’d be fired or quit for trying to do the job Trump hired them to do. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/43 "2016-01-26T21:06:48Z")
Darn dictionary not noticing context :smack: Correcting and expanding the last lines in my previous post: I meant to say that we should then expect also the right wing military dictatorships of many nations to get lots of support. And incentives for _coup_ (d’etats) in already democratic nations from Trump and buddies. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/44 "2016-01-26T21:14:21Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > How does that disagree with me? It says the same thing, it was a bad idea from the start. How does that disagree with you? You said: > [@](#): > > The USFL failure had nothing to do with him,… And the article I linked to cited the move to a fall schedule and lawsuit against the NFL, actions Donald Trump pushed for, as causes for the league folding. The only way it could disagree more is if it said “TriPolar is wrong” in big flashing neon letters. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/45 "2016-01-26T21:24:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I can’t easily point to specific sources over the past 40 years, but I can tell you something about an interview that did impress me. He was asked about the early financial difficulties of his Atlantic City hotel. He said that things were a mess because the guy he put in charge had a Type B personality, I think he means what he’s calling ‘low energy’ now. He said that a hotel needs a Type A personality in charge. Then he said it was his mistake, he a chosen a good man, but he should have known that the man was suited for his job. I’m not saying that I doubt your recollection, but I’d love to actually see the transcript of that interview. Did Trump, in fact, say, “it was my mistake” (or words to that effect)? A big part of his blustering public persona (including in interviews) is that, according to him, he simply is never wrong, does not make mistakes, and never has to apologize. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/46 "2016-01-26T21:32:04Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > How does that disagree with you? You said:And the article I linked to cited the move to a fall schedule and lawsuit against the NFL, actions Donald Trump pushed for, as causes for the league folding. > > The only way it could disagree more is if it said “TriPolar is wrong” in big flashing neon letters. You left out the part that said “…he just made a bad choice investing in an unworkable concept.” So it did have everything to do with him at the beginning, which I didn’t intend to deny. I was responding to “Trump’s brash ego and greed were at least contributing factors if not major reasons why that league failed.”, and I still disagree with that, it was just a bad business decision initially. However, you could also read that and his subsequent decisions as being a result of a brash ego and greed, but they occurred after the league was already in trouble and they sound like reasonable steps to take in that situation. It is going to be hard for you to argue that the USFL was a good idea that Trump sank somehow. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/47 "2016-01-26T21:37:27Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > There was a survey made recently that showed that Trump and most Trump supporters had something in common: That they like authoritarian ideas or solutions. > > [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533) Hmmm . . . Maybe Bernie could get their votes if he grew a Lenin-beard or a Stalin-'stache? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/48 "2016-01-26T21:44:29Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I’m not saying that I doubt your recollection, but I’d love to actually see the transcript of that interview. Did Trump, in fact, say, “it was my mistake” (or words to that effect)? A big part of his blustering public persona (including in interviews) is that, according to him, he simply is never wrong, does not make mistakes, and never has to apologize. Yes he did say that. He also said the things you have cited, though more recently when he was riding high in business and on the campaign trail. You can take what you want from those statements, but they don’t detract from his success as a businessman. And his bluster is no worse than the bullshit that comes out of most politicians mouths. The kind of criticism you have provided is going to help him in his campaign. It just gives him the opportunity to attack his opponents and turn the conversation away from any meaningful discussion of what he would actually do as a president. If you want Trump to be president make sure to let everyone know they should be more concerned about style than substance. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/49 "2016-01-26T22:00:28Z")
I never understand why his supposed business acumen, even if we take it as real, is supposed to be evidence that he could be a good president. I can’t think of a single business leader I would want to be president. I don’t see how the skillsets transfer over. I do see how being a politician and a business person are alike. Knowing how to manage your image is extremely important in both. But not once you get the actual job. The president’s job is not to make more money. As we’ve often said, the President has little to do with the economy. So Trump has skills in taking risks and mitigating any fallout for himself (but farming it out to others.) How does that help a President Trump? How can an authoritarian skillset transfer over to an anti-authoritarian job? ---
**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:** [January 26, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/50 "2016-01-26T22:00:49Z")
Based on the precedent of how he runs his businesses, he’d govern in whatever way would maximize him getting more attention, money, and power, in that order, without regard for what effect any of it might have on the nation or world. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/51 "2016-01-26T22:15:20Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > You left out the part that said “…he just made a bad choice investing in an unworkable concept.” I quoted the part where you said the USFL failure had nothing to do with him, and I linked to a article that said the USFL failure had a lot to do with him. That’s what I call a disagreement. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/52 "2016-01-26T22:51:31Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I quoted the part where you said the USFL failure had nothing to do with him, and I linked to a article that said the USFL failure had a lot to do with him. > > That’s what I call a disagreement. And I readily admit it had something to with him, as could easily be determined by the statement you left out. I’ll take the hit for poor writing. ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/53 "2016-01-27T00:38:25Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Hi **Alley Dweller** , what is meant by this quote? Rumsfeld is an idiot, yes, but this quote does make sense. We all know what we do and don’t know. And we all have unknown blind spots too. Those who aren’t aware of this are naïve at best and ignorant and dangerous at worst. Without trying to sidetrack the thread… it wasn’t that this quote was nonsense in itself. It does make sense. The trouble at the time was that Rumsfeld was (still is I am sure) just an asshole to be responding with that to questions about evidence for going to war with Iraq. [LINK](http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/the-certainty-of-donald-rumsfeld-part-1/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1) As for Trump, on one hand I think he talks like he has little idea how being president actually works. He talks like he thinks he is being elected supreme god-king, and his wish is America’s command. Which is dumb. But on the other hand, I think if elected, he will be governing with a Republican Senate and Republican House (_shiver_), and at that point, might as well be king. Nothing is too stupid for those guys. He could become the Tea Party rubber-stamp president. Also, I predict he will try to chase down the current administration for some witchhunt bullshit or other. I started a thread about that a few months ago, mostly out of idle curiosity. But as the odds of President Trump go up, and considering all three branches may be Repubs … why not? [LINK](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=769988) ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/54 "2016-01-27T01:38:28Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > He expresses the same kind of bravado that Bush the Imbecile did and that might lead us to unnecessary military action. Yes, he would be a foreign policy disaster, pissing off long standing allies and playing dangerous brinkmanship games with China and Russia. If he gets in a game of chicken with China, particular over say Taiwan, he could badly miscalculate and start a real shooting war. The PRC would see backing down over what they see as an integral part of China as an intolerable loss of face. And Trump is arrogantly confident that he knows China and can “deal with them”. Thats a joke, but unfortunately a very dangerous one. Relevant “Trump saying China”: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RDrfE9I8_hs/maxresdefault.jpg "Donald Trump Says "China"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrfE9I8_hs) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/55 "2016-01-27T01:40:38Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Well, he’s not a politician. He doesn’t seem to understand how government works, how a budget works, and promises things that won’t happen (i.e. Mexican-paid border wall). > > So he’ll govern like any 12 year old would. :rolleyes: FWIW I see him as a master at leveraging the strength he has without overplaying his hand. He makes the most out of whatever leverage he has and does not overestimate it. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/56 "2016-01-27T01:58:16Z")
[quote=“coremelt, post:54, topic:744234”] Relevant “Trump saying China”: [/QUOTE] It reminded of a memory I had repressed for years: (Haysi Fantayzee - Shiny Shiny -Not the very racy version-) I’m sorry… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/57 "2016-01-27T02:07:39Z")
Oh and just for the record, there is no evidence that Trump knows “how to deal” with China. He buys clothing and items from Chinese companies, and he’s dealt with Hong Kong and Chinese investors, thats it. Trump has no properties in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, so he’s never done any real business there. Heres a summary just how disastrous his policy of putting tariffs on imports from China would be if he actually tried to follow through on it. > **[Everything Trump Says About Trade With China Is Wrong](https://thefederalist.com/2016/01/20/almost-everything-donald-trump-says-about-trade-with-china-is-wrong/)** > > Donald Trump’s China trade plan would make American families pay a lot more for food, clothing, electronics, and everything else that says ‘Made in China.’ ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/58 "2016-01-27T02:29:23Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > FWIW I see him as a master at leveraging the strength he has without overplaying his hand. He makes the most out of whatever leverage he has and does not overestimate it. The problem is that as president he will have almost limitless leverage. With its economic and military power the US can basically threaten into submission anyone it wants to. However doing so willy nilly would lead to a diplomatic nightmare. The main concern that I have with Trump is that he approach every diplomatic situation from the position that we are bigger than you and you will do what we say or we will crush you. In terms of specifics the only real policy specifics he’s made on the campaign trail is that he will build a wall along the Mexican border and force Mexico to pay for it or suffer massive trade sanctions. Given the amount of press he’s gotten about this claim he’s going to have at least attempt to follow through with his promise. And I see no reason he would not use similar tactics to get what he wants elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/59 "2016-01-27T03:55:32Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Oh and just for the record, there is no evidence that Trump knows “how to deal” with China. He buys clothing and items from Chinese companies, and he’s dealt with Hong Kong and Chinese investors, thats it. Trump has no properties in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, so he’s never done any real business there. > > Heres a summary just how disastrous his policy of putting tariffs on imports from China would be if he actually tried to follow through on it. > [Everything Trump Says About Trade With China Is Wrong](http://thefederalist.com/2016/01/20/almost-everything-donald-trump-says-about-trade-with-china-is-wrong/) The people who run “[thefederalist.com](http://thefederalist.com)” (ironic considering Hamilton’s support for protectionism) have their primary allegiance to Capital not America and would gladly give America’s nuclear launch codes to Beijing for 30 pieces of silver or rather a good stock portfolio. Ideally Trump will be Huey Long on a national level. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234/60 "2016-01-27T04:35:39Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > The people who run “[thefederalist.com](http://thefederalist.com)” (ironic considering Hamilton’s support for protectionism) have their primary allegiance to Capital not America and would gladly give America’s nuclear launch codes to Beijing for 30 pieces of silver or rather a good stock portfolio. > . Maybe, but they’re still right that manufacturing jobs have disappeared in the US mostly due to automation, not outsourcing. Even if you put 100 percent tariffs on imported electronics from China the amount of new jobs generated would be vastly less than the ones that disappeared over the last 20 years. Those jobs aren’t coming back. People need to reskill and move on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-suppose-trump-would-govern/744234.md?page=4)