In fact, it is surprisingly enlightening to read the interview Trump gave Playboy magazine in 1990. His views are not new. One of Tru o’s views have changed much in forty years. People expected tariffs and a trade war with China. No one thought he wanted one with the EU, Switzerland, Vietnam, Canada or Antarctica.
Excerpt from 1990 Trump Interview
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Playboy: How large a role does pure ego play in your deal making and enjoyment of publicity?
Trump: Every successful person has a very large ego.
Playboy: Every successful person? Mother Teresa? Jesus Christ?
Trump: Far greater egos than you will ever understand.
Playboy: And the Pope?
TRUMP: Absolutely. Nothing wrong with ego. People need ego, whole nations need ego. I think our country needs more ego, because it is being ripped off so badly by our so-called allies; i.e., Japan, West Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, etc.
They have literally outegotized this country, because they rule the greatest money machine ever assembled and it’s sitting on our backs. Their products arebetter because they have so much subsidy.
We Americans are laughed at around the world for losing a hundred and fifty billion dollars year after year, for defending wealthy nations for nothing, nations that would be wiped off the face of the earth in about fifteen minutes if it weren’t for us.
Our “allies” are making billions screwing us.
Playboy: How do you feel about Japan’s economic pre-eminence?
Trump: Japan gets almost seventy percent of its oil from the Persian Gulf, relies on ships led back home by our destroyers, battleships, helicopters, frog men.
Then the Japanese sail home, where they give the oil to fuel their factories so that they can knock the hell out of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. Their openly screwing us is a disgrace.
Why aren’t they paying us? The Japanese cajole us, they bow to us, they tell us how great we are and then they pick our pockets. We’re losing hundreds of billions of dollars a year while they laugh at our stupidity.
The Japanese have their great scientists making cars and VCRs and we have our great scientists making missiles so we can defend Japan.
Why aren’t we being reimbursed for our costs? The Japanese double-screw the U.S., a real trick: First they take all our money with their consumer goods, then they put it back in buying all of Manhattan. So either way, we lose.
Playboy: You’re opposed to Japanese buying real estate in the U.S.?
Trump: I have great respect for the Japanese people and list many of them as great friends. But, hey, if you want to open up a business in Japan, good luck. It’s virtually impossible.
But the Japanese can buy our buildings, our Wall Street firms, and there’s virtually nothing to stop them. In fact, bidding on a building in New York is an act of futility, because the Japanese will pay more than it’s worth just to screw us. They want to own Manhattan.
Of course, I shouldn’t even be complaining about it, because I’m one of the big beneficiaries of it. If I ever wanted to sell any of my properties, I’d have a field day. But it’s an embarrassment, I give great credit to the Japanese and their leaders, because they have made our leaders look totally second rate.
Playboy: A group of Japanese visitors to New York was recently asked if there were anything in the U.S. they would like to buy. The answer: towels.
Trump: That’s fair trade: They’ll take the towels and we’ll buy their cars. It doesn’t sound like a good deal to me. They have totally outsmarted the American politician; they have no respect for us, because they’re getting a free ride.
Of course, it’s not just the Japanese or the Europeans—the Saudis, the Kuwaitis walk all over us.
…
Playboy: Sometimes you sound like a Presidential candidate stirring up the voters.
Trump: I don’t want the Presidency. I’m going to help a lot of people with my foundation—and for me, the grass isn’t always greener.
Playboy: But if the grass ever did look greener, which political party do you think you’d be more comfortable with?
Trump: Well, if I ever ran for office, I’d do better as a Democrat than as a Republican—and that’s not because I’d be more liberal, because I’m conservative. But the working guy would elect me. He likes me. When I walk down the street, those cabbies start yelling out their windows.
Playboy: Another game: What’s the first thing President Trump would do upon entering the Oval Office?
Trump: Many things. A toughness of attitude would prevail. I’d throw a tax on every Mercedes-Benz rolling into this country and on all Japanese products, and we’d have wonderful allies again.
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Playboy: And how would President Trump handle it?
Trump: He would believe very strongly in extreme military strength. He wouldn’t trust anyone. He wouldn’t trust the Russians; he wouldn’t trust our allies; he’d have a huge military arsenal, perfect it, understand it.
Part of the problem is that we’re defending some of the wealthiest countries in the world for nothing…. We’re being laughed at around the world, defending Japan—
Playboy: Wait. If you believe that the public shares these views, and that you could do the job, why not consider running for President?
Trump: I’d do the job as well as or better than anyone else. It’s my hope that George Bush can do a great job.
Playboy: You categorically don’t want to be President?
Trump: I don’t want to be President. I’m one hundred percent sure. I’d change my mind only if I saw this country continue to go down the tubes.