# Why Is Trump Such A Bad President and Bad Person? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [March 25, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111 "2025-03-25T21:06:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/61 "2025-03-26T08:37:05Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Cut them out of your will and your life, but tell the granddaughter that if she ever needs to flee her betrothed, you will help her. > > Also, get her a subscription to The Atlantic and Foreign Policy as wedding gifts. Both excellent ideas. No, three! Three excellent ideas. Four… (oh, bugger!) ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/62 "2025-03-26T09:30:14Z")
I believe he is a bad person/president because, perhaps the primary factor, he was raised to be what he is. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/63 "2025-03-26T16:44:37Z")
I had to trim my previous post because many of the links I collected to the prosecutions of Trump’s partners, by his own FBI and his own DOJ, have either expired or been scrubbed from [justice.gov](http://justice.gov). I’ve tracked down saved versions of those files, so here they are: > **[File:Manafort statement of offense.pdf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manafort_statement_of_offense.pdf)** > **[File:Stone indictment 012419.pdf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stone_indictment_012419.pdf)** > **[File:Cohen information.pdf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cohen_information.pdf)** > **[File:Flynn statement of offense.pdf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flynn_statement_of_offense.pdf)** > **[File:Statement of the offense.filed.pdf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statement_of_the_offense.filed.pdf)** I’ll also add: > **[texas-ag-action-against-proven-methods-milins.pdf](https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/468978/texas-ag-action-against-proven-methods-milins.pdf)** > > 393.44 KB [https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1180481/dl](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1180481/dl) > **[pr0204\_02a.pdf](https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/iln/chicago/2010/pr0204_02a.pdf)** > > 532.04 KB > **[Elliott Broidy Pleads Guilty for Back-Channel Lobbying Campaign to Drop 1MDB...](https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/elliott-broidy-pleads-guilty-back-channel-lobbying-campaign-drop-1mdb-investigation-and)** > > Elliott Broidy, 63, of Beverly Hills, California, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act. > **[Wynn Las Vegas Forfeits $130 Million for Illegally Conspiring with Unlicensed...](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/wynn-las-vegas-forfeits-130-million-illegally-conspiring-unlicensed-money-transmitting)** > > SAN DIEGO – Wynn Las Vegas, the Las Vegas casino and subsidiary of Wynn Resorts, Limited, agreed today to forfeit $130,131,645 to settle criminal allegations that it conspired with unlicensed money transmitting businesses worldwide to transfer funds... And a lawsuit against the McMahons: [https://dicellolevitt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Date-Stamped-Does-1-5-v.-WWE-et-al.-Complaint-10.23.2024.pdf](https://dicellolevitt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Date-Stamped-Does-1-5-v.-WWE-et-al.-Complaint-10.23.2024.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/64 "2025-03-26T17:05:04Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > “I’m opposed to Donald Trump and those who support him because I’m a patriot who loves and respects her country and is indebted to those who devoted or gave their lives for the principles this country was founded on.” Sage advice. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/65 "2025-03-26T17:05:30Z")
Good stuff here. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/66 "2025-03-26T17:40:36Z")
To get an idea about why he’s a Bad Person, you personally could take a look at the 2024 film [The Apprentice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_(2024_film)). It’s a biopic of him flailing around as a loser until Roy Cohn takes in interest in him and mentors him. Studying at the feet of Cohn in the 70s-80s set in motion many of the events that are playing out in real-time today. The film gives a lot of historical context as to why he never admits wrongdoing, never apologizes, always attacks, etc. It’s very well-acted and insightful. It also shows how Ivana contributed to the organization’s success and how he repaid her. This doesn’t address directly the issue with your family but it’s insightful to see what social forces in the USA could create a creature like him. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/67 "2025-03-26T17:58:00Z")
I’m curious what the definition of a bad President is. Is it someone completely ineffectual like Grant or Harding? Is it someone that makes decisions that hurt the country? Not only is that subjective but where does that put FDR and his isolationism before WW2? Or Buchanan that let states secede or Lincoln who decided on Civil War? Or Wilson and the decision to enter a European war that didn’t threaten us? Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on civilians twice. Some of you may argue that these were, in fact, good decisions hence my claim that “bad” is subjective. > [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I understand your point, but it’s already too late. And I don’t need a script. They are not educated and I just need them to understand why our feelings are so strong. > [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I would like for them to know why we have our opinions. > And what’s really at stake. Why? What is your objective? To change their mind? To get them to submit to your political views? To get them to say, “Let’s agree to disagree.”? because that doesn’t sound like it would satisfy you. > [@Jaycat.again](#): > > I’m still trying to figure out how your wife’s mother is your daughter. He’s his own grandpa. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > You won’t be able to convince them of the correctness of your views. Exactly, nor they convince you. You should do what our family does as we are all over the political spectrum. We agree to no political talk. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > And your only solution is capitulation? She didn’t say that. She didn’t say she’d agree with them just to see her daughter. See my solution above. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/68 "2025-03-26T18:44:01Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Why? What is your objective? To change their mind? To get them to submit to your political views No and no. I’ve been pretty clear about my objective upthread: I want to be prepared to articulate why I won’t support a marriage between my granddaughter and a hardcore TrumpSucker. As I said above, Daughter and Granddaughter are politically naiive and don’t understand the dangers that TrumpSuckers represent to our Constitution, our Country and our way of life. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/69 "2025-03-26T20:25:59Z")
I also believe that it is in the way he was raised, and his genes, that predisposed him to narcissism, which probably was triggered as a consequence of the trauma he suffered in his loveless childhood. Just wanted to add that today I came across this gem in an article in **[Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/trump-officials-signal-chat-candlelight-dinner-mar-a-lago-yemen/#intcid=_wired-right-rail_afffcb8d-8e18-437e-bbe9-b65c62970062_popular4-2)**: > “The team in MAL did a great job too,” referring to the team positioned at Mar-a-Lago, which included Miller, Waltz, and Rubio. **Trump’s team has long used the shorthand MAL to refer to Mar-a-Lago.** > [bolding mine] “Mal”, of course, is Spanish for evil and bad. And Rubio speaks Spanish and should know that. In French “mal” means also evil, harm, ache, sickness, trouble, just as a noun. I spare you the meaning as adjective and adverb, you can read them **[here](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/french-english/mal)**. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/70 "2025-03-27T12:10:18Z")
Anything you can do to help the unwashable stench of Trump to infect the ones you love should be attempted. Here are some helpful points to make from The Daily Kos: > **[Dear GOP: You'll Never Wash the Stench of Trump Off You or Your Party. Never.](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/26/2312660/-Dear-GOP-You-ll-Never-Wash-the-Stench-of-Trump-Off-You-or-Your-Party-Never?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web)** > > Dear Republicans, Here we go again. A large chunk of Trump‘s cabinet and our national security leaders just endangered our country and our pilots who were flying over Yemen with their arrogance and frank stupidity. Their lies about it were so... ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/71 "2025-03-27T12:35:57Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I understand your point, but it’s already too late. And I don’t need a script. They are not educated and I just need them to understand why our feelings are so strong. One of my best friends sort of supports Trump. Kind of a weird pseudo-Trumper - he’s Canadian and is socially liberal, but is convinced Trump is an economic mastermind and that all this is a scheme to defeat China and none of the negative stuff (invade Greenland, likely Canada, help Putin in every way) is real. I simply don’t bother. There is no point; he is immune to reason. I have a policy of just refusing to engage. I’ve made it clear to him I think he is wrong and blind to the truth on that subject and just change the topic immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/72 "2025-03-27T12:58:43Z")
Trumpism is nearly impossible to cure. The best we can do is work tirelessly on prevention of the spread of the disease to the unaffected. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/73 "2025-03-27T12:59:45Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > One of my best friends sort of supports Trump. I _kind_ of understand this. My BIL is a fellow I like a lot. I see him maybe once every two years. He lives in Texas, I’m in Colorado. BIL is or at least was a Trump supporter. He is quite well off. But knows how to do hard work. It’s strange, we don’t talk about it, though my Wife, his sister did write him a rather scathing letter once about Trump. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/74 "2025-03-27T13:13:44Z")
I agree that it’s a Sisyphean task trying to convince a MAGA-head that trump is a terrible President. It really is like trying to deprogram a cult member. I’ve heard the only chance of reaching a hardcore trumper and talking any kind of sense into them is to establish a dialog based on some point of agreement, and go from there. My method is to use Reagan-- he still seems to be a demigod to the MAGA crowd. I’d also stick to current bad things the trump admin is doing-- MAGAs have already been inoculated against the things trump has done in the past. So, maybe start with Putin. Ask if they think that Putin is our friend. Ask why trump seems to capitulate to Putin at every turn. Mention the fact that the Dept. of Defense has suspended all efforts to defend against Russian cyber-attacks. Does that sound like a safe or secure strategy for the US? Don’t you think Reagan would be rolling in his grave if he knew how we were rolling over for Russia like we’re doing? Tariffs-- all economists have said that tariffs are a bad idea. Reagan was no protectionist. Free trade used to be a bedrock Conservative principle. Tariffs are one of the things that started the Great Depression. Didn’t trump say he’s bring down prices on his first day? Now the prices of everything keep rising, the stock market is not doing well, and new cars could cost an extra $12k because of tariffs. American farmers, many of whom depend on exports of their crops, are hurting due to retaliatory tariffs. Who is that helping? The DOGE cuts-- does this seem to be going well? Firing tens of thousands of government workers with no clear strategy? Yes, Reagan wanted smaller government, but not at the cost of the American people. To save money, why not start with the [billions of dollars of subsidies the government already pays to drug companies](https://www.levernews.com/americans-paid-11-billion-to-make-drugs-you-cant-afford/) for drugs that are already the most expensive of any country in the world? And the trump admin also is responsible for rescinding laws that keep the price of drugs down. Again, who is that helping? Maybe wrap things up with an observation about how everything the trump admin seems to be doing is only helping big corporations and billionaires, at the expense of the middle, and even the upper middle class. Maybe bring up Henry Ford, who basically created the modern middle class, with reasonable working hours and livable wages-- _ **not** _ because he was a great humanitarian, but because he realized he needed a large middle class with leisure time and money to shop for and buy cars. Disclaimer: I’m not saying I admire or endorse what Reagan or especially Henry Ford did and said in their lives; I only used them for the sake of argument, being Conservative icons in politics and business. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/75 "2025-03-27T13:19:35Z")
Prior to the last election, an acquaintance of mine, a friend from way back in middle school, posted something on Facebook about how sad it was to lose friends over something so silly as politics. He’s a Trump supporter. I took it seriously and politely replied, explaining that he’s supporting a man whose policies hurt people, some of them the loved ones of your friends. This isn’t something inconsequential like cheering for OU while your friend cheers for Texas. Our 8th grade English teacher agreed with me. I pretty much ceased all effort to talk to my Trumper family about politics. When my mother brings it up I shut her down as quickly and politely as possible, but she understands my disdain as I’ve made it quite clear to her. I’m alienated enough and don’t need to make things worse. ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/76 "2025-03-27T13:29:37Z")
George Conway wrote a great Atlantic article that basically sums up everything wrong with Trump titled Unfit for Office in 2019. I wouldn’t bother trying to convince a Trump supporter to not be one, especially if I’m related to them. Someone who still supports Trump in 2025 is almost certainly hopeless. I have no desire to have constant arguments with someone I won’t convince and that I have to see on a somewhat regular basis. If my grandchild wants to marry someone with views I oppose then so be it. Keeping the peace and letting adults make their own decisions matters to me more than being right. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/77 "2025-03-27T16:55:29Z")
Not that I think you’ll change any attitudes or minds at all, but here goes: Trump’s such a bad president because he’s such a bad person. Why is he such a bad person? Because his father was a reprehensible shit, and Trump himself grew up raised by him AND with enough wealth that he was effectively shielded from the consequences of his actions. Most of us learn pretty quickly that if you’re entitled, an asshole, callous, etc… that people won’t want to be around you, and if you take it too far, you get in trouble with the law, have trouble professionally, and so forth. We learn this from a very young age, and it’s largely because we like having friends and what-not. In his case, he seems to have been in such a wealth bubble and raised by a real POS, that he didn’t learn these lessons- when he was an entitled, callous asshole, people _still_ wanted to be around him because he was wealthy. When he was a dick in business dealings, same thing. And when there were consequences, he was able to avoid having to be held accountable or having to suffer those consequences because he’s always been very wealthy. That’s why he doesn’t care- he’s never had to. He can say what he wants, no matter how untrue, hurtful, or whatever, because people still want to interact with him- at first because he was wealthy, and now because he’s basically a cult leader. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/78 "2025-03-27T18:04:56Z")
She’s in love. You could show her an arrest warrant with his name on it for murdering his five previous wives, and it would not change her feelings. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/79 "2025-03-27T18:11:30Z")
Exactly. I’m careful to never say he’s a disgusting piece of shit. It locks their brain down if you poke sticks at their hearts desire. They will not hear anything else you say. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111/80 "2025-03-27T18:13:00Z")
Hey, Mrs. Plant married me. That shows that the most intelligent people can make mistakes when it comes to Affairs of the Heart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-trump-such-a-bad-president-and-bad-person/1016111.md?page=5)