Donald Trump in The America We Deserve
On Principles & Values:
Non-politicians are the wave of the future
Yes, I am considering a run for the presidency of the United States. I will run if I become convinced I can win.
Two things are certain at this point, however: I believe non-politicians represent the wave of the future and if elected I would make the kind of president America needs in the new millennium.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 15-16
Jul 2, 2000
On Drugs:
Never touched drugs, nor alcohol, tobacco, or coffee
I’ve never taken drugs of any kind, never had a glass of alcohol. Never had a cigarette, never had a cup of coffee.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 24-25
Jul 2, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
Prepare for upcoming crash, bigger than 1929
I hope I’m wrong, but I think we may be facing an economic crash like we’ve never seen before -probably sooner rather than later. The next president could be in office for a stock market crash worse than the one in 1929.
I’m not saying this crash will ruin us, but we have to anticipate it and know how to rebound. Right now I’m not seeing the leadership we’re going to need.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 26
Jul 2, 2000
On Civil Rights:
Tolerate diversity; prosecute hate crimes against gays
One of our next president’s most important goals must be to induce a greater tolerance for diversity. The senseless murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming-where an innocent boy was killed because of his sexual orientation-
turned my stomach. We must work towards an America where these kinds of hate crimes are unthinkable.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 31
Jul 2, 2000
On Abortion:
Pro-choice, but ban partial birth abortion
I support a woman’s right to choose, but I am uncomfortable with the procedures. When Tim Russert asked me on Meet the Press if I would ban partial-birth abortion, my pro-choice instincts led me to say no.
After the show, I consulted two doctors I respect and, upon learning more about this procedure, I have concluded that I would support a ban.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 31-32
Jul 2, 2000
On Principles & Values:
In business & politics, stands for getting things done
I put people together, and when I feel I have the right team, I let them show me what they can do. When the bottom fell out of the real estate market, I survived because of the people I assembled. What saved Trump Organization was my willingness to
step back and to let the people who work for me do their thing. I’ve taken the same approach in refining my political agendas. I’ve talked to people who seemed to have the right talent and ideas. I’ve read until I found authors who saw problems the way
I do. I’ve based my political programs on this research. I’m also bringing a perspective to politics that most politicians don’t have. I’ve built a multi-billion empire by using my intuition.
Here I’m letting my instincts tell me how we have to work together to build the America we deserve. I stand for getting things done.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 33-35
Jul 2, 2000
On Government Reform:
Government scrutiny is greatest threat to American Dream
Most of us think the American Dream is a birthright, but without constant care and vigilance, it can and will be whittled down to nothing. The threatening agent is not some foreign power, but people who don’t understand the proper relationship between
the public and private arenas. In other words, the greatest threat to the American Dream is the idea that dreamers need close government scrutiny and control. Job one for us is to make sure the public sector does a limited job, and no more.In the
1970s in New York City, reckless regulators under Mayor Beame were running the show [resulting in] municipal bonds worth less than Confederate money. I learned from experiences [like that] just how hard it is for normal, sane, earnest Americans to
make their dreams come true when they have to confront mule-headed, but powerful burons-a buron being defined as a cross between a bureaucrat and a moron. In my opinion, burons are opportunity destroyers. They’re guilty of what I call Dreamicide.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 44-45
Jul 2, 2000
On Government Reform:
Government should do public works & safety & little else
Common sense tell us that the two basic principles of governing should work anywhere they are applied. First: Get government out of activities it can’t do well. (A list of thing government doesn’t do well is a very long list.)Second: Get government
back in the business of providing for public convenience (transportation, public works) and safety (police and firefighters), and make sure it does so efficiently. Then judge its efforts by visible, definable results and fine-tune as needed.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 60
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
Teach citizenship; stop “dumbing down”
Our schools aren’t safe. On top of that, our kids aren’t learning. Too many are dropping out of school and into the street life-and too many of those who do graduate are getting diplomas that have been devalued into “certificates of attendance” by a
dumbed-down curriculum that asks little of teachers and less of students. Schools are crime-ridden and they don’t teach. How long do we think the U.S. can survive schools that pretend to teach while our kids pretend to learn? How can a kid hope to
build an American Dream when he hasn’t been taught how to spell the word “dream”?
Public education was never meant to only teach the three R’s, history, and science. It was also meant to teach citizenship. At the lower levels
it should cover the basics, help students develop study habits, and prepare those who desire higher education for the tough road ahead. It’s a mandate the public schools have delivered on since their inception. Until now.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 67
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
End “creative spelling,” “estimating,” & “empowerment”
The people running our public schools don’t want to damage a student’s self-esteem. They’re concerned about “empowerment.” They’re worried kids will feel bad if they get a problem wrong or flunk a spelling test.
It’s better to pat a kid on the head and praise his “creative spelling” than point out that there is a traditional name for people with poor spelling skills. We call them illiterates.Some educators think being “judgmental” is the worst of all sins.
The problem is that life tends to judge-and harshly at that. There’s no room for error when you’re launching the space shuttle. Or mixing the concrete for the foundation of Trump Tower, for that matter.
Try giving a number “in the neighborhood of” on your tax returns and you may end up in a place where there’s a very definite number stamped on the back of your shirt.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 69
Jul 2, 2000
On Jobs:
Unions fight for pay; managers fight for less; consumers win
It’s probably more refreshing to deal with the Teamsters than the AFT or NEA. At least the leaders of the Teamsters don’t blow smoke. The construction unions I deal with want more in the pay envelope for their rank and file.
That’s what they tell you every time you sit down at the table. You can respect that-even as you push back to cut the best deal from your perspective. That’s the American way.
What we all want is monopoly-dominance in our chosen line of work that allows us to call the tune. No one really wants to compete-they have to in order to survive.
Everyone pursues monopoly, the system prevents it, and the results is the world’s most competition-intensive economy. Who wins? Consumers do. They get more choice and more quality at lower cost.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 78-79
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
Bring on the competition; tear down the union walls
Our public schools have grown up in a competition-free zone, surrounded by a very high union wall. Why aren’t we shocked at the results? After all, teachers’ unions are motivated by the same desires that move the rest of us.
With more than 85% of their soft-money donations going to Democrats, teachers’ unions know they can count on the politician they back to take a strong stand against school choice.
Our public schools are capable of providing a more competitive product than they do today. Look at some of the high school tests from earlier in this century and you’ll wonder if they weren’t college-level tests. And we’ve got to bring on the
competition -open the schoolhouse doors and let parents choose the best school for their children.
Education reformers call this school choice, charter schools, vouchers, even opportunity scholarships. I call it competition-the American way.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 80-81
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
School choice will improve public schools
Defenders of the status quo insist that parental choice means the end of public schools. Let’s look at the facts. Right now, nine of ten children attend public schools. If you look at public education as a business-
and with nearly $300 billion spent each year on K-through-twelve education, it’s a very big business indeed-it would set off every antitrust alarm bell at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
When teachers’ unions say even the most minuscule program allowing school choice is a mortal threat, they’re saying: If we aren’t allowed to keep 90% of the market, we can’t survive. When Bell Telephone had 90% of the market, a federal judge broke it up.
Who’s better off? The kids who use vouchers to go to the school of their choice, or the ones who choose to stay in public school? All of them. That’s the way it works in a competitive system.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 83
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
For tough anti-crime policies; not criminals’ rights
We can have safe streets. But unless we stand up for tough anticrime policies, they will be replaced by policies that emphasize criminals’ rights over those of ordinary citizens. Soft criminal sentences are based on the proposition that criminals are
the victims of society. A lot of people in high places really do believe that criminals are victims. The only victim of a violent crime is the person getting shot, stabbed, or raped. The perpetrator is never a victim. He’s nothing more than a predator.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p. 93-94
Jul 2, 2000
On Gun Control:
Dems and Reps are both wrong on guns
It’s often argued that the American murder rate is high because guns are more available here than in other countries. Democrats want to confiscate all guns, which is a dumb idea because only the law-abiding citizens would turn
in their guns and the bad guys would be the only ones left armed. The Republicans walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.102
Jul 2, 2000
On Gun Control:
For assault weapon ban, waiting period, & background check
I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.
With today’s Internet technology we should be able to tell within 72-hours if a potential gun owner has a record.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.102
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
Capital punishment isn’t uncivilized; murderers living is
Civilized people don’t put up with barbaric behavior. Would it have been civilized to put Hitler in prison? No-it would have been an affront to civilization. The same is true of criminals who prey on innocent people. They have declared war
on civilization. I don’t care if the victim is a CEO or a floor sweeper. A life is a life, and if you criminally take an innocent life you’d better be prepared to forfeit your own. My only complaint is that lethal injection is too comfortable a way to go
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.102-3
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
Death penalty deters like violent TV leads kids astray
I can’t believe that executing criminals doesn’t have a deterrent effect. To point out the extreme, 100% of the people who are executed never commit another crime. And it seems self-evident (we can’t put numbers to this) that a lot of people who
might otherwise commit a capital crime are convinced not to because they know there’s a chance they could die for it. Young male murderers, we are constantly told, are led astray by violent music and violent movies. Fair enough. I believe that people
are affected by what they read, see, hear, and experience. Only a fool believes otherwise. So you can’t say on one hand that a kid is affected by music and movies and then turn around and say he is absolutely not affected when he turns on
the evening news and sees that a criminal has gone to the chair for killing a child. Obviously capital punishment isn’t going to deter everyone. But how can it not put the fear of death into many would-be killers?
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.102-4
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
Hold judges accountable; don’t reduce sentences
Criminals are often returned to society because of forgiving judges. This has to stop. We need to hold judges more accountable, and the best way to make that happen is to elect them. Whey they hurt us, we need to make sure we can vote them out of the
job. The rest of us need to rethink prisons and punishment. The next time you hear someone saying there are too many people in prison, ask them how many thugs they’re willing to relocate to their neighborhood. The answer: None.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.106-7
Jul 2, 2000
On Welfare & Poverty:
Let “saints” help teen moms; restrict public assistance
Can restraint be taught? Teenage mothers [shouldn’t] get public assistance unless they jump through some pretty small hoops. Making them live in group homes makes sense. A lot of these girls didn’t have fathers or full-time parents.
But there are people-I think we can call them saints-who dedicate their lives to helping kids like this. Whoever they are, and whether they work out of a church, a temple, or some kind of public facility, they deserve all our support.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.107-8
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
Post-Cold War: switch from chess player to dealmaker
In the modern world you can’t very easily draw up a simple, general foreign policy. I was busy making deals during the last decade of the cold war. Now the game has changed. The day of the chess player is over. Foreign policy has to be put in the hands
of a dealmaker. Two dealmakers have served as president-one was Franklin Roosevelt, who got us through WWII, and the other was Richard Nixon, who forced the Russians to the bargaining table to achieve the first meaningful reductions in nuclear arms.
A dealmaker can keep many balls in the air, weigh the competing interests of other nations, and above all, constantly put America’s best interests first. The dealmaker knows when to be tough and when to back off. He knows when to bluff and he knows
when to threaten, understanding that you threaten only when prepared to carry out the threat. The dealmaker is cunning, secretive, focused, and never settles for less than he wants. It’s been a long time since America had a president like that.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.111-12
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
Be tougher on China-we’re too eager to please
Our biggest long-term challenge will be China. The Chinese people still have few political rights to speak of. Chinese government leaders, though they concede little, desperately want us to invest in their country.
Though we have the upper hand, we’re way to eager to please. We see them as a potential market and we curry favor with them at the expense of our national interests.
Our China policy under Presidents Clinton and Bush has been aimed at changing the Chinese regime by incentives both economic and political. The intention has been good, but it’s clear that the Chinese have been getting far too easy a ride.
Despite the opportunity, I think we need to take a much harder look at China. There are major problems that too many at the highest reaches of business want to overlook, [primarily] the human-rights situation.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.117-18
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
China: lack of human rights prevents consumer development
Why am I concerned with political rights? I’m a good businessman and I can be amazingly unsentimental when I need to be. I also recognize that when it comes down to it, we can’t do much to change a nation’s internal policies. But I’m unwilling to shrug
off the mistreatment of China’s citizens by their own government. My reason is simple: These oppressive policies make it clear that China’s current government has contempt for our way of life. We want to trade with China because of the size of its
consumer market. But if the regime continues to repress individual freedoms, how many consumers will there really be? Isn’t it inconsistent to compromise our principles by negotiating trade with a country that may not want and cannot afford our goods?
We have to make it absolutely clear that we’re willing to trade with China, but not to trade away our principles, and that under no circumstances will we keep our markets open to countries that steal from us.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.119 & 123
Jul 2, 2000
On War & Peace:
Support Israel, our unsinkable Mideast aircraft carrier
The U.S. must continue to nurture and safeguard our special relationship with the state of Israel. This relationship must remain the cornerstone of our policy tactics through the entire Middle-East region,
as it has been for administrations of both parties for more than half a century.Why do we have this special relationship? It is not out of charity, guilt, or what some call “ethnic lobbies.”
We have been there for Israel because Israel is there for us. Israel is a stable democracy in a region filled with dictatorship.
As Israel has matured, our close ties also bring America a fair trading partner and a fellow pioneer
on the high-tech frontier of medicine and communications that will enrich Americans’ lives in the coming century. Our two countries must continue to stand strong together as pillars of freedom and progress.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.132-33
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
Support Russia, but with strings attached
I don’t understand why American policymakers are always so timid in dealing with Russia on issues that directly involve our survival. Kosovo was a perfect case in point: Russia was holding out its hand for billions of dollars in IMF loans
(to go along with billions in aid the U.S. has given) the same week it was issuing threats and warnings regarding our conduct in the Balkans. We need to tell Russia and other recipients that if they want our dime they had better do our dance,
at least in matters regarding our national security. These people need us much more than we need them. We have leverage, and we are crazy not to use it to better advantage.Few respect weakness.
Ultimately we have to deal with hostile nations in the only language they know: unshrinking conviction and the military power to back it up if need be. There and in that order are America’s two greatest assets in foreign affairs.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.134
Jul 2, 2000
On War & Peace:
No humanitarian intervention; only to direct threats
My rules of engagement are pretty simple. If we are going to intervene in a conflict it had better pose a direct threat to our interest-
one definition of “direct” being a threat so obvious that most Americans will know where the hot spot is on the globe and will quickly understand why we are getting involved.
The threat should be so direct that our leaders, including our president, should be able to make the case clearly and concisely, which has certainly not been the case regarding the terrible events in Yugoslavia.
At the same time, we must not get involved in a long-festering conflict for humanitarian reasons. If that’s our standard, we should have troops stationed all over Africa, and much of Asia as well.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.141-42
Jul 2, 2000
On Immigration:
Control borders; even legal immigration should be difficult
America is experiencing serious social and economic difficulty with illegal immigrants who are flooding across our borders. We simply can’t absorb them. It is a scandal when America cannot control its own borders. A liberal policy of immigration may seem
to reflect confidence and generosity. But our current laxness toward illegal immigration shows a recklessness and disregard for those who live here legally. The majority of legal immigrants can often make significant contributions to our society
because they have special skills and because they add to our nation’s cultural diversity. They come with the best of intentions. But legal immigrants do not and should not enter easily. It’s a long, costly, draining, and often frustrating
experience-by design. I say to legal immigrants: Welcome and good luck.
It comes down to this: we must take care of our own people first. Our policy to people born elsewhere should be clear: Enter by the law, or leave.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.143-45
Jul 2, 2000
On Free Trade:
Renegotiate tougher & fairer trade agreements
You only have to look at our trade deficit to see that we are being taken to the cleaners by our trading partners. We need tougher negotiations, not protectionist walls around America.
We need to ensure that foreign markets are as open to our products as our country is to theirs. Our long-term interests require that we cut better deals with our world trading partners.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.145
Jul 2, 2000
On Homeland Security:
3% of GNP for military is too low
To tell the enemy we’re not going to invade defies common sense. That lack of confidence may reflect another troubling reality: our diminished military forces. To wage our aerial assault on Yugoslavia we had to call upon US forces from all points of the
globe. Why? Because we’re spread too thin. The US last year spent 3% of gross domestic product maintaining our military forces. Compare that with past figures: Defense spending in the last year of the Carter administration came to 4.9% of GDP. During
the Reagan buildup it was 6.5%. We are still living off the Reagan military buildup of nearly 20 years ago. The question is: What will we live off ten or fifteen years from now if we do not invest again?You can’t pursue forward military and
foreign-policy objectives on a backward military budget. I’m not advocating that America go forth and police the world. I’m just saying that if we’re going to use our military power abroad, we had better make sure that power is ready to be used.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.149
Jul 2, 2000
On Homeland Security:
Missile defense is inappropriate; focus on terrorism
We definitely must find funding for defense, which means somebody is going to come up with less money for their own project. I think the best place to start is by diverting money from the planned missile defense system.
I know this sounds almost counterintuitive because a missile defense system is supposed to help us defend against attack by rogue states.To begin with, I’m not laughing at missile defense, and I never have.
The question isn’t whether or not such a defense can be built. The question is whether it is the right defense for our times. And I believe the answer is, largely, no.
In this age of miniaturization, our real threat is not going to be flying in on a missile. It’s going to be delivered in a van, or a suitcase, or a fire-hydrant-sized canister.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.150
Jul 2, 2000
On Homeland Security:
Prepare for bio-terrorism attack
We need to stockpile antibiotics in major population areas and train emergency workers to respond quickly to biological attack. We need to develop and deploy sensors in major cities that will give us early warning that biological devices have been
detonated. Remember, these microbes can take a while to spread, so any warning we have will help to save lives. We need to keep a close eye on former Soviet bio-technicians, offering them jobs where we can and steering them clear of terrorist regimes.
Call your congressman. When private citizens start asking about the Joint Statement on Biological Weapons, politicians will know this is an issue they’d better take seriously.
[We should] prepare for the possibility of attack, to avoid total panic in case an attack does occur. Our adversaries understand that if they are able to blindside us they will be much more likely to succeed in blackmailing us.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.166-67
Jul 2, 2000
On Social Security:
Pay off debt; put $3T interest savings into Trust Fund
I would impose a one-time, 14.25% tax on individuals and trusts with a net worth over $10 million. That would raise $5.7 trillion in new revenue, which we would use to pay off the entire national debt. We would save $200 billion in interest
payments, which would allow us to cut taxes on middle-class working families by $100 billion a year or $1 trillion over ten years. We could use the rest of the savings--$100 billion-to bolster the Social Security Trust Fund. By 2030, we [will
have] put $3 trillion into the trust Fund, which would make it solvent into the next century. [In addition to shoring up Social Security for the long term], I say it’s high time to separate Social Security from the general treasury. It is time to
lock-box it and throw away the key.
The rich will scream. Only the top 1% of people-those with a net worth of $10 million or more-would be affected by my plan. The other 99% would get deep reductions in heir federal income taxes.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.169-171 & 201
Jul 2, 2000
On Tax Reform:
Repeal the inheritance tax to offset one-time wealth tax
I would impose a one-time, 14.25% tax on individuals and trusts with a net worth over $10 million. For individuals, net worth would be calculated minus the value of their principal residence. That would raise $5.7 trillion in new revenue, which
we would use to pay off the entire national debt [and shore up the Social Security Trust Fund]. My proposal would also allow us to entirely repeal the 55% federal inheritance tax. The inheritance tax is a particularly lousy tax because it can often
be a double tax. If you put the money into trust for your children, you pay the inheritance tax upon your death. When the trust matures and your children go to use it, they’re taxed again. It’s the worst.
Some will say that my plan is unfair to the
extremely wealthy. I say it is only reasonable to shift the burden to those most able to pay. The wealthy actually would not suffer severe repercussions. The 14.25% net-worth tax would be offset by repeal of the 55% inheritance-tax liability.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.170-74
Jul 2, 2000
On Tax Reform:
Simplify tax code; end marriage penalty & other hidden taxes
Let me sum up what is wrong with the tax code. - Its complexity bleeds off billions of productive hours.
- Tax rates are too high.
- Hidden taxes take even more.
- High property taxes punish people for improving their property.
- Our code
discriminates against married people.
- The complexity of the tax code allows too much government intrusion into our lives.
- The tax code is liable to change overnight in ways that could jeopardize your plans for a small business or retirement.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.183-84
Jul 2, 2000
On Tax Reform:
Opposes flat tax; benefits wealthy too much
I object to the flat tax:- It is unfair to the poor; eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit [hurts] taxpayers at the lowest rungs of the ladder.
- It is unfair to workers by taxing them for health insurance and other benefits.
- Only the
wealthy would reap a windfall, because a flat tax would allow them to cash in interest payments and capital gains without paying personal income taxes.
- I don’t believe that a flat tax could raise enough revenue to keep the government operating.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.186
Jul 2, 2000
On Social Security:
Let people invest their own retirement funds
The solution to the Great Social Security crisis couldn’t be more obvious: Allow every American to dedicate some portion of their payroll taxes to a personal Social Security account that they could own and invest in stocks and bonds. Federal guidelines
would make sure that your money is diversified, that it is invested in sound mutual funds or bond funds, and not in emu ranches. The national savings rate would soar and billions of dollars would be cycled from savings, to productive assets, to
retirement money. And unlike the previous system, the assets in this retirement account could be left to one’s heirs, used to start a business, or anything else one desires. Privatization would be good for all of us. Directing Social Security funds
into personal accounts invested in real assets would swell national savings, pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into jobs and the economy. These investments would boost national investment, productivity, wages, and future economic growth.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.198-199 & 203
Jul 2, 2000
On Health Care:
We must have universal health care
I’m a conservative on most issues but a liberal on health. It is an unacceptable but accurate fact that the number of uninsured Americans has risen to 42 million. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our
greatest asset. We must take care of our own. We must have universal healthcare. Our objective [should be] to make reforms for the moment and, longer term, to find an equivalent of the single-payer plan that is affordable, well-administered, and
provides freedom of choice. Possible? The good news is, yes. There is already a system in place-the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program-that can act as a guide for all healthcare reform. It operates through a centralized agency that offers
considerable range of choice. While this is a government program, it is also very much market-based. It allows 620 private insurance companies to compete for this market. Once a year participants can choose from plans which vary in benefits and costs.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.206-208 & 218
Jul 2, 2000
On Government Reform:
Ban soft money; but allow unlimited personal contributions
Our message to Congress should be clear. Take your soft money and. ban it. My second reform would be to allow unlimited personal contributions. The cynics will be steaming over that idea, but they know in their hearts that the philosophy behind it is
untouchable, because it is based on personal choice. This puts at the heart of the process the individual American. But they are convinces that if individuals were allowed to give as much as they desired, guys like me would take over politics. They
believe in personal freedom all right, so long as guys like Trump are kept in harness. Let’s be sensible. If a huge expenditure of personal funds were a guarantee of political victory, our current president would be either Steve Forbes or Ross Perot.
The third leg to the Trump political reforms is also simple and vital. I believe that Americans should know immediately who is giving what to whom. If we have full participation, we should also have full and fast disclosure.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.232-34
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
Criticized Buchanan’s view on Hitler as appeasement
In Buchanan’s book, he actually said the Western allies were wrong to stop Hitler. He argued that we should have let Hitler take all of the territories to his east. What of the systematic annihilation of Jews, Catholics, and Gypsies in those countries?
You don’t have to be a genius to know that we were next, that once Hitler seized control of the countries to his east he would focus on world domination. Pat Buchanan was actually preaching the same policy of appeasement that had failed for Neville
Chamberlain at Munich. If we used Buchanan’s theory on Hitler as a foreign policy strategy, we would have appeased every world dictator with a screw loose and we’d have a brainwashed population ready to go postal on command.
After I [wrote
an article on this for] Face the Nation, Buchanan accused me of “ignorance.” Buchanan, who believes himself an expert, has also called Hitler “a political organizer of the first rank.” Buchanan is a fan.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.267-68
Jul 2, 2000
On Social Security:
No government investment of retirement funds
I would never support what has to be the craziest ideas in the history of U.S. politics: allowing the government to invest Social Security retirement funds in the stock market. Not only would a market downturn spell
disaster for millions of retirees, but the process by which government would choose stocks would also be entirely political, making lobbyists and other political hacks the new masters of the universe.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.273-74
Jul 2, 2000
On War & Peace:
Use force to stop North Korean nuke development
[In a Trump presidency], North Korea would suddenly discover that its worthless promises of civilized behavior would cut no ice. I would let Pyongyang know in no uncertain terms that it can either get out of the nuclear arms race or expect a rebuke
similar to the one Ronald Reagan delivered to Ghadhafi in 1986. I don’t think anybody is going to accuse me of tiptoeing through the issues or tap-dancing around them either. Who else in public life has called for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea?
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.274
Jul 2, 2000
On Principles & Values:
3 principles: One term, two-fisted policies, zero excuses
I would center my presidency on three principles: one term, two-fisted policies, and no excuses. For voters it would be a business approach, and the best one available in the presidential marketplace. I’d lead by example.
And what I could also bring to the presidency is a new spirit, a great spirit that we haven’t had in this country for a long time-the kind of spirit that built the American Dream.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.276
Jul 2, 2000
Page last updated: Dec 12, 2018