# “The failing” this. “The failing” that **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 23, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696 "2025-02-23T15:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/1 "2025-02-23T15:38:41Z")
Has any business Trump has described as “failing” actually failed? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/2 "2025-02-23T15:47:35Z")
Some examples would be helpful. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/3 "2025-02-23T15:56:18Z")
Trump has relentlessly referred to “The Failing _New York Times_”. Although it’s still a going business concern, in terms of journalistic standards and sense of mission, the NYT is inarguably in a state of failure. It’s clearly serving as a stenographer pool for the most powerful people in the world. In the rare cases you do see them challenging power, it’s a feeble and neutered attempt to preserve a fig-leaf of neutrality. But it’s clearly a trained poodle for the wealthy, utterly castrated and failed as an independent voice. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/4 "2025-02-23T16:04:34Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Some examples would be helpful. Literally any organization that criticizes Trump. He’s mentioned CNN, MSNBC, NY Times, Washington Post, Jimmy Kimmel, and on and on ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/5 "2025-02-23T16:07:09Z")
“Failing” to be sufficiently worshipful. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/6 "2025-02-23T16:31:24Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > He’s mentioned CNN, MSNBC, NY Times, Washington Post, Jimmy Kimmel, and on and on Arguably CNN and WaPo have failed in the same way I described the Times as failing above. I don’t follow MSNBC that much, so I don’t know if they’ve reached that failure state. But I can’t think why any particular corporate news outlet would be a holdout against Trump when the clear business play is to bend the knee. I mean, news media distortion is getting crazy. I used to depend on _The Economist_ as a fairly unbiased voice that’s been quite critical of Trump in the past - you can look at the [2017 covers](https://www.economist.com/weeklyedition/archive?year=2017) to see the sense of alarm and disdain. In 2025 the difference is [subtle but marked](https://www.economist.com/weeklyedition/archive?year=2025), just sort of “here’s what’s happening, some big economic doings, you decide what it means.” ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/7 "2025-02-23T16:54:34Z")
It never occurred to me that by describing an organization as “failing” Trump meant anything but “on the path to going out of business.” Silly of me, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/8 "2025-02-23T17:02:24Z")
Did he mention or was at least alluding to any of the ones that he _himself_ has run into the ground? Fair is fair play and self-honesty and humbling oneself before the truth, and all that… ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-failing-this-the-failing-that/1014696/9 "2025-02-24T03:54:01Z")
I asked chatGPT - and clearly anything he’s put his name on has or will fail, and politically it’s just going to be which was worse, Trump 45 or Trump 47. Let’s make it to the end of Felon47 and see if there’s an election in 2028. ### **🔹 Business Failures:** 1. **Trump University (2005-2010)** – A for-profit “university” that faced lawsuits for defrauding students, ultimately settling for **$25 million**. 2. **Atlantic City Casinos** – Multiple Trump-branded casinos, including **Trump Plaza, Trump Taj Mahal, and Trump Castle** , filed for bankruptcy. 3. **Trump Airlines (1989-1992)** – A failed luxury airline that never turned a profit and was repossessed by creditors. 4. **Trump Steaks (2007)** – Sold through Sharper Image, it flopped due to poor sales. 5. **Trump Vodka (2006-2011)** – Marketed as premium vodka, but demand was low, and production ceased. ### **🔹 Political Failures:** 1. **Repealing & Replacing Obamacare** – Despite Republican control of Congress in 2017, the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act **failed in the Senate**. 2. **The Border Wall** – He promised Mexico would pay for it, but **U.S. taxpayers footed the bill** , and much of it was unfinished or easily breached. 3. **Trade War with China** – Tariffs led to **higher costs for U.S. consumers and farmers** , requiring billions in government bailouts. 4. **COVID-19 Response** – Downplayed the virus early on, leading to **high death tolls and economic damage**. 5. **2020 Election Loss & Capitol Riot** – Repeated false claims about election fraud culminated in the **January 6th insurrection** , leading to his **second impeachment**.