# What's with the extreme reactions in Donald Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 4, 2016, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907 "2016-03-04T08:40:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/21 "2016-03-04T13:20:28Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Trump is a dipshit. Aside from the fact that he’s a mental lightweight, he’s a prick. Stupid assholes don’t need nuclear launch codes. Plus, thin skinned as he is, he’d let perceived personal slights color his foreign policy decisions. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/22 "2016-03-04T13:40:52Z")
He has been attacked by morally bankrupt people. They are smearing him with mud which hides his actual faults. This is all because far more people have voted for him in this cycle than anyone else. Expect the attacks to continue. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/23 "2016-03-04T13:52:39Z")
To answer the OP question: Trump has been extremely dishonest and inaccurate – even more so than most Republican candidates. He was perhaps the most prominent Birther, after all. In addition, he’s refused to decisively slap down the white supremacist elements of his supporters time and time again. And he advocates for moral abominations and war crimes like torture and the deliberate and targeted killing of women and children because they are related to terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/24 "2016-03-04T13:56:12Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > He has been attacked by morally bankrupt people. They are smearing him with mud which hides his actual faults. This is all because far more people have voted for him in this cycle than anyone else. Expect the attacks to continue. Only suggestion for him: once he gets GoP nomination, he should totally stop commenting on Rubio, Cruz and other who have lost to him…and if he must, he should be extra-respectful towards them. And I think he won’t need this advice as he is smart. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/25 "2016-03-04T13:58:04Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > Only suggestion for him: once he gets GoP nomination, he should totally stop commenting on Rubio, Cruz and other who have lost to him…and if he must, he should be extra-respectful towards them. And I think he won’t need this advice as he is smart. Being respectful to other people is not something that comes easily to Trump. Indeed, you could call that his biggest character trait. Are you actually watching this guy? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/26 "2016-03-04T14:06:26Z")
A white nationalist roughed up a black woman at a Trump rally this week, while those around them hurled racial and sexist epithets at her. During the whole thing, the candidate himself was yelling “Get them out of here!” from the stage, presumably egging the raging crowd on. And nary a peep from the campaign or candidate since the assault. That says everything I need to know about this fucking loser. You want him? That says a lot about you too. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/27 "2016-03-04T14:11:57Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > He has been labeled racist, sexist. People ridiculing his ideas. And all the fear mongering (the next Hitler etc). I am quite sure that it will backfire on those who use these tactics. > > I am not American(never been there actually) and from whatever I have seen on the internet, he seems quite intelligent and bright leader who can bring equality and peace in the world. He’s been labeled a racist and sexist because of the continuous stream of racist and sexist stuff he says and does. His ideas get ridiculed because they are ridiculous. I am quite sure mocking him as the complete loser he and his followers are will not backfire on anyone because he has no chance in hell of winning a general election. I do not know what you could have possibly seen on the internet that would make you think he was intelligent or a good leader, but i assure you that whatever it was you got the completely wrong impression from it. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/28 "2016-03-04T14:12:32Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Being respectful to other people is not something that comes easily to Trump. Indeed, you could call that his biggest character trait. Are you actually watching this guy? Been watching quite a lot. Right now, Rubio, Cruz are competition… Once he becomes nominee, he doesn’t need to comment on them. People may like to provoke him for a comment later on, but he will have to realise that he will have more to lose and much less to gain by replying in similar tone at that time. I think he will realise. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/29 "2016-03-04T14:23:58Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > Lol, no. I am just saying how it works. Criticise him on specific issues, do not use those adjectives to describe him. Else the support will only get stronger. That is not what it is taking place. [http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271247-poll-clinton-sanders-would-beat-trump](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271247-poll-clinton-sanders-would-beat-trump) > [@](#): > > The Hill. March 01, 2016 > > Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders would both defeat GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump in a general election, according to a new poll. > > Clinton tops Trump in a hypothetical match-up, 52 percent to 44 percent, in the CNN/ORC survey released early Tuesday. > > Sanders would also beat the outspoken billionaire, pollsters found, by a 12-point margin. > > Trump has closed the gap with Sanders, while Clinton has gained ground against the real estate mogul, pollsters found. Trump and Clinton were tied at 48 percent in a similar sampling last September, CNN/ORC reported. The problem you have is that you are not taking into account that Trump is now just succeeding among Republicans, but he is consistent in getting about 38% of the Republican vote. Clinton was consistent on the polls having her ahead of Trump by 5% points for months already but it seems more people are beginning to support her, in part also because a good number of Americans will vote against Trump for all the items many posters have mentioned already. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/30 "2016-03-04T14:29:47Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > That is not what it is taking place. > > [http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271247-poll-clinton-sanders-would-beat-trump](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271247-poll-clinton-sanders-would-beat-trump) > The problem you have is that you are not taking into account that Trump is now just succeeding among Republicans, but he is consistent in getting about 38% of the Republican vote. Clinton was consistent on the polls having her ahead of Trump by 5% points for months already but it seems more people are beginning to support her, in part also because a good number of Americans will vote against Trump for all the items many posters have mentioned already. Easy to discuss this in terms of percentages, though they are meaningless here. More people have voted for Trump in this cycle than for any other candidate. He continues to win because he his opponents keep underestimating him and overestimating themselves. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/31 "2016-03-04T14:37:08Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Easy to discuss this in terms of percentages, though they are meaningless here. More people have voted for Trump in this cycle than for any other candidate. He continues to win because he his opponents keep underestimating him and overestimating themselves. Two things: 1. You are implying than that magically the pollsters are missing the Trump supporters in the match up polls and over counting the support for Hillary. I don’t think so because those same pollsters had also found the Trend going for Trump among Republicans early on. And that is one big reason I’m giving a lot of weight to the recent polls that show that Clinton is ahead of Trump and her lead is just increasing. 2. I looked that the turnout in the primaries item, as I found when I investigated in another thread that Democrats had less turnout in the primaries in Nevada and Florida in 2008 and other states, the Democrats still won the presidential election in those states that year. It was worse in 2012 and the Republicans had larger turnouts in the primaries then, but then again Obama ran virtually unopposed in those states that year. ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/32 "2016-03-04T14:51:37Z")
I think Trump is lucky in that if you took all of the different factions of the GOP (establishment, tea party, evangelical), and put them in a Venn diagram, they all overlap in traits he preys upon. Nationalism, xenophobia, fear of the “other”, anger, love of authoritarianism; every faction has large elements with these traits, and in fact fealty to authoritarianism was the trait that was the best indicator of a Trump supporter-so much so that evangelicals will ignore his lax Christianity and flip flops on abortion so that they can get in line and vote for him, and establishment folks will ignore his prevarications and pull the lever, as well. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/33 "2016-03-04T15:00:00Z")
> [@CGav8r](#): > > I think Trump is lucky in that if you took all of the different factions of the GOP (establishment, tea party, evangelical), and put them in a Venn diagram, they all overlap in traits he preys upon. Nationalism, xenophobia, fear, love of authoritarianism; every faction has large elements with these traits, and in fact fealty to authoritarianism was the trait that was the best indicator of a Trump supporter-so much so that evangelicals will ignore his lax Christianity and flip flops on abortion so that they can get in line and vote for him. Sure, because it’s impossible for his popularity to be based on the utter and complete failure of the GOP establishment so far and that they are making a pragmatic decision about a candidate that each of those factions also dislikes for one reason or another. Frankly I see the Trump attacks as nothing but denial about the incompetency and failure of the establishment in both parties. It’s very easy to pick at Trump for his idiosyncracies and actual faults than to admit that his establishment opponents on both sides of the aisle have been in power and failed. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/34 "2016-03-04T15:08:09Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sure, because it’s impossible for his popularity to be based on the utter and complete failure of the GOP establishment so far and that they are making a pragmatic decision about a candidate that each of those factions also dislikes for one reason or another. > > Frankly I see the Trump attacks as nothing but denial about the incompetency and failure of the establishment in both parties. It’s very easy to pick at Trump for his idiosyncracies and actual faults than to admit that his establishment opponents on both sides of the aisle have been in power and failed. 2 trends have been there - 1. Massive trade deficit. 2. Growing govt. debt (from $9 trillion in 2008 to $19 trillion now) It may have been needed in the past (recession time) but now it’s the time to not let the situation worsen and to improve things. Trump seems the perfect guy for the job. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/35 "2016-03-04T15:10:56Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sure, because it’s impossible for his popularity to be based on the utter and complete failure of the GOP establishment so far and that they are making a pragmatic decision about a candidate that each of those factions also dislikes for one reason or another. Well the best counter to that is Trump himself, he is the walking definition of what they actually do oppose but they see it now as the best choice among lousy ones. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Frankly I see the Trump attacks as nothing but denial about the incompetency and failure of the establishment in both parties. It’s very easy to pick at Trump for his idiosyncracies and actual faults than to admit that his establishment opponents on both sides of the aisle have been in power and failed. Trump platform includes “idiosyncrasies” like eliminating estate taxes and many corporate ones, it is IMO a very naked conflict of interest and it is just one item among many that does really show that most Trump supporters are the ones who are actually denying the reasons that make Trump the last person they should should choose to become president. > [@truthSeeker2](#): > > 2 trends have been there - > > 1. Massive trade deficit. > 2. Growing govt. debt (from $9 trillion in 2008 to $19 trillion now) > It may have been needed in the past (recession time) but now it’s the time to not let the situation worsen and to improve things. Trump seems the perfect guy for the job. Not so, AFAIK there were already reports that showed that the plans Trump have for taxation and trade will make the deficit hole even bigger. On Edit: Indeed: > **[Donald Trump's false claim that his tax plan wouldn't increase the deficit](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/nov/05/donald-trump/donald-trumps-false-claim-his-tax-plan-wouldnt-inc/)** > > A week after the third GOP debate, Donald Trump is still salty at CNBC’s John Harwood, the moderator who asked him wheth > [@](#): > > Donald Trump’s false claim that his tax plan wouldn’t increase the deficit ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/36 "2016-03-04T15:11:53Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > He is talking about fixing the trade deficit with China($500 bn annually) and Mexico($58bn) through import duties and through increasing American exports (using large imports as levers to increase exports). Trump’s “facts” aren’t necessarily facts. Trump routinely lies or mischaracterizes things, especially dollar figures (what things cost, what savings will be, how much money he has, etc.). [Cite: > [@](#): > > TRUMP: “We are getting absolutely crushed on trade… With China we’re going to lose $505 billion in terms of trades. You just can’t do it. Mexico, $58 billion. Japan, probably about, they don’t know it yet, but about $109 billion.” > > THE FACTS: Trump is way off on the U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China. It was $365.7 billion in 2015 - indeed, a record and the largest deficit the United States had with any country. > > But the U.S. deficit with all countries last year was $531.5 billion, up from $508.3 billion in 2014, close to the $505 billion deficit that Trump assigned just to one country, China. Trump did get the deficit with Mexico correct. > > But not Japan. His estimate of a $109 billion trade deficit with Japan compares with the actual deficit of $68.6 billion last year. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_GOP\_2016\_DEBATE\_FACT\_CHECK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-03-03-23-56-39](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOP_2016_DEBATE_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-03-03-23-56-39)) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/37 "2016-03-04T15:16:14Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > 2 trends have been there - > > 1. Massive trade deficit. > 2. Growing govt. debt (from $9 trillion in 2008 to $19 trillion now) Are you getting these numbers from Trump? It is true that the debt currently is about $19B, but your 200 figure is way off. [Cite: > [@](#): > > Debt breached $10 trillion in 2006 and $15 trillion in 2010. > [@](#): > > In the Crash of 2008 government debt increased sharply to bail out the banks and to provide “stimulus” to the economy. ]([http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/recent\_debt](http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/recent_debt)) ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/38 "2016-03-04T15:17:41Z")
Forgot to quote the impact of Trump’s plan to the deficit: > [@](#): > > The impact > > **Both right- and left-leaning groups found that Trump’s plan could lead to at least a $10 trillion revenue loss in a decade, without factoring in interest.** > > The liberal Citizens for Tax Justice pegged the cost of Trump’s plan at $12 trillion over 10 years and pointed out that 37 percent of the tax cuts would go to the top 1 percent. > > Trump’s plan, according to the free market-oriented Tax Foundation, would cut taxes by almost $12 trillion and also lead to an 11 percent higher GDP. With this projected growth, Trump’s plan would still reduce revenues by $10.14 trillion. > > To make the plan revenue neutral, Trump would have to make huge spending cuts. Experts said the scale of the cuts would not be realistic, given that Trump himself has said he intends to protect popular programs such as Medicare and Social Security. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/39 "2016-03-04T15:35:01Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Are you getting these numbers from Trump? It is true that the debt currently is about $19B, but your 200 figure is way off. > > [Cite:](http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/recent_debt) According to following link, it was arnd $9 tn in 2008 - [http://m.financialsense.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/smartphone/users/u245/images/2013/0405/04.jpg](http://m.financialsense.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/smartphone/users/u245/images/2013/0405/04.jpg) > **[Will America Ever Pay Off Its Debt?](https://www.financialsense.com/contributors/ronald-cooke/will-america-ever-pay-of-its-debt)** > > Assuming no unusual economic event occurs during the last 6 months of the federal fiscal year (ending September 30, 2013), American GDP for that period should be in the range of ~ 16.3 trillion. Anyways, point is that public debt to GDP ratio is over 100% at present levels of $19tn, it may be time to prevent it from getting worse. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907/40 "2016-03-04T15:36:33Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > Anyways, point is that public debt to GDP ratio is over 100% at present levels of $19tn, it may be time to prevent it from getting worse. And no matter how much you want to ignore it, Trump wants to make it 10 Trillion times worse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-extreme-reactions-in-donald-trump/747907.md?page=3)