Trump would be historic, too, but for all the wrong reasons

By Ann McFeatters

Tribune News Service

WASHINGTON

They said he would change when he won enough votes to secure the nomination. He’d become presidential.

He said he’d build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the country. He, the son of an immigrant and married to a third wife who is an immigrant, said he’d deport 11 million people here without documents because they can’t stay, even if they were born here.

They said he would change.

He said he would ban Muslims from the country. Although this is unconstitutional, he said he didn’t care.

They said he would change.

He said he would kill the wives and children of terrorists. He said he knows more about the Islamic State than all the generals.

They said he would change.

He said women who have abortions should be punished.

They said he would change.

He has disparaged women as “pigs.” He insulted Carly Fiorina. He insulted Megyn Kelly. He insulted Hillary Clinton. Then he said he loves “the women.”

They said he would change.

He called his rivals names. He said it was “little Marco” Rubio. He said it was “low energy” Jeb Bush. He said it was “lyin’ Ted” Cruz. He said it was “crooked Hillary.” He said he can’t admire John McCain because he was taken prisoner and tortured during the Vietnam War; real heroes, he said, don’t get captured.

They said he would change.

He mocked a man with disabilities.

They said he would change.

He said he is very rich, incredibly rich, impossibly rich. He actually said, “The point is, you can never be too greedy.” But he can’t say how he’d create jobs.

They said he’d change.

He said he would not release his tax return. His tax bracket, he said, is not the voters’ business. Neither are his bankruptcies. Neither is the defunct Trump University, the defunct Trump vodka, the defunct Trump Airline, the defunct Trump Mortgage, et cetera.

They said he would change.

Miss Universe pageant

He said he knows about foreign policy because he ran the Miss Universe pageant in Russia. He said he admires Vladimir Putin. He said he’d negotiate with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He said he would consider using nuclear weapons in Europe. He picked a fight with Pope Francis. Oh yes, and the man who wants to bring America’s jobs back has a line of clothing made in China.

They said he would change.

He said he would pay the legal costs of supporters who physically bashed protesters against him at his rallies.

They said he would change.

He often tells lies but doesn’t admit he’s wrong. He sues. A lot. At least 3,500 times. And counting.

They said he’d change.

He consistently gets the facts wrong. Then he says he’s been “misconstrued.”

He proudly has an enormous ego. He said: “All of the women on [his TV show] ’The Apprentice’ flirted with me – consciously or unconsciously. That’s to be expected.”

They said he’d change.

He said he doesn’t believe the president is a citizen. He said reporters who ask him tough questions are sleazy and dishonest. He says he is fair and nice to people who are nice to him but not to people who are not nice to him. He said he likes to play tough no matter what and indicated as president he might have to look into getting even with people who cross him.

They said he’d change.

He got the votes to win the nomination. Then he said a U.S.-born federal judge could not do his job and be fair and impartial because of the judge’s Mexican heritage. He denied he’s a racist.

They sighed. They said he probably would not change.

They said they would still support him and urged him to use a teleprompter.

They said they like that he says what he thinks but insist he doesn’t really mean what he says.

Like his opponent, who would be the first woman president in the United States, his presidency, too, would be historic.

Ann McFeatters is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service.