Trump’s worst torment

Let us give the supporters of Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt – that they’re for him not because he’s a racist, a misogynist, a chauvinist and a religious bigot, but because they agree with his positions on the important issues of the day.

Yes, it’s a leap of faith to believe that the backers of the Republican nominee for president have given much thought to the challenges the next leader of the world’s lone superpower will face. But this writer is willing to take that leap for the sake of this column.

So, to begin.

One of the main issues that has endeared Trump to millions of voters is his unabashed protectionist attitude when it comes to global trade. The New York City billionaire businessman – he claims he’s worth $10 billion – has said that as president he will cancel all agreements with America’s trading partners and will demand new terms that benefit this nation.

Trump, who is making his first bid for elected office and won the GOP primaries and caucuses by playing on the fears and frustrations of the voters, has refused to answer repeated questions about what he would do if countries around the world retaliated with their own protectionist moves.

But there’s a larger problem with the GOP nominee’s stand on trade that his followers choose to ignore. It’s hypocritical.

There is, fortunately, one person who knows Trump the businessman better than most Americans – and he has some very poignant opinions of him.

Michael Bloomberg

That man is uber billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City for 12 years, who was elected two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America’s homeland. He was a Republican at the time.

Bloomberg addressed the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday – he is now an Independent – and blew the lid off Trump’s campaign for president.

Remember, Bloomberg, who by some estimates is worth more than $40 billion, knows the self-aggrandizing Donald Trump. He has had an up-close look at the real-estate tycoon’s business practices.

Here’s what Bloomberg had to say about Trump’s position on global trade and manufacturing:

“Trump says he’ll punish manufacturers that move to Mexico or China, but the clothes he sells are made overseas in low-wage factories. He says he wants to put Americans back to work, but he games the U.S. visa system so he can hire temporary foreign workers at low wages. He says he wants to deport 11 million undocumented people, but he seems to have no problem in hiring them. What’d I miss here?

“Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy. He wants you to believe that we can solve our biggest problems by deporting Mexicans and shutting out Muslims. He wants you to believe that erecting trade barriers will bring back good jobs. He’s wrong on both counts.”

Bloomberg also took Trump to task for his contention that he would be a pro-business president, given his success as a real- estate developer.

“I understand the appeal of a businessman president,” Bloomberg told the enthusiastic gathering of Democrats. “But Trump’s business plan is a disaster in the making. He would make it harder for small businesses to compete, do great damage to our economy, threaten the retirement savings of millions of Americans, lead to greater debt and more unemployment, erode our influence in the world, and make our communities less safe.”

Why does Bloomberg’s opinion matter? It matters because he is a self-made successful entrepreneur who is a pragmatist and consensus builder. Unlike Trump, who began his business career with a significant infusion of money from his developer father, Bloomberg built his empire from the ground up. And that has influenced the way he looks at this country and the world.

“Given my background, I’ve often encouraged business leaders to run for office because many of them share the same pragmatic approach to building consensus, but not all,” he told the Democrats in Philadelphia. “Most of us who have created a business know that we’re only as good as the way our employees, clients and partners view us. Most of us don’t pretend that we’re smart enough to make every big decision by ourselves. And most of us who have our names on the door know that we are only as good as our word, but not Donald Trump.”

Bloomberg’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton is “huge” – to use Trump’s favorite word – because it is a repudiation of the Republican nominee’s business practices and his hate-filled campaign rhetoric.

“There are times when I disagree with Hillary,” Bloomberg said. “But whatever our disagreements may be, I’ve come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country. And we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue.

“I believe it’s the duty of all American citizens to make our voices heard by voting in this election. And if you’re not yet registered to vote, go online. Do it now! It’s just too important to sit out.”

Uber billionaire Michael Bloomberg is lesser billionaire Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.

He knows how Trump thinks, he knows how Trump operates and he knows what drives Trump.

In other words, there is now a clash of the titans – and Bloomberg has delivered a crippling blow.