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More headlines: Donald Trump on Corporations

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FactCheck: No, steel & auto investments aren't skyrocketing

Among the president's top 10 whoppers of 2018: STEEL AND AUTOMAKER INVESTMENTS ARE SKYROCKETING.

"Big steel is opening and renovating plants all over the country. Auto companies are pouring into the U.S., including BMW, which just announced a major new plant," Trump tweeted in November.

This is not true, according to industry experts. Auto investment is down; BMW had said they might open a new plant, but they didn't announce one. There are a handful of bright spots for steelmakers--production is up, for one--but there's no sign of a broad trend of investment and new plants.

The falsehood came days after news broke that General Motors would close American plants because the president's steel tariffs raised the cost of doing business, and Trump has repeatedly sought to portray his trade war as a boon to the country.

Source: NBC Fact Check on 2018 Trump Promises, "10 falsehoods" Dec 20, 2018

US open for business: keep Carrier AC in Indiana

President-elect Donald Trump aimed a series of tweets at companies that would move American jobs out of the country: "Expensive mistake," said the sixth in a rapid-fire series. "THE UNITED STATES IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS."

A central theme of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign had been bringing back jobs that had been outsourced to other countries. That point was something he emphasized last week with a deal that was to retain some jobs at Carrier, which manufactures air conditioners in Indiana, rather than having those jobs exported to Mexico.

Trump tweeted: "Any business that leaves our country for another country... fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the US... without retribution or consequence, is WRONG! There will be a tax on our soon-to-be-strong border of 35% for these companies...wanting to sell their product, cars, A.C. units etc., back across the border."

Source: Politico.com on Twitter posts during 2016 Trump Transition Dec 4, 2016

OpEd:Thinks you can punish business into doing what you want

If Donald Trump's plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into prolonged recession. If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished. Successfully bringing jobs home requires serious policy and reforms that make America the place businesses want to come, want to plant and want to grow. You can't punish business into doing what you want.

But you say, "wait, wait, wait, isn't he a huge business success? Doesn't he know what he's talking about?" No, he isn't and no he doesn't.

His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who work for them. He inherited his business, he didn't create it. And whatever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there's Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks and Trump Mortgage. A business genius he is not.

Source: Transcript of Mitt Romney Speech on Donald Trump Nomination Mar 3, 2016

2002: Participated in development boom of Jersey City

Jersey City at the time had been coming off one of the largest building booms in history. Top developers, including Donald Trump and suburban home builders such as Toll Brothers and K. Hovnanian Homes, were putting in thousands of new residential units. The tallest building in NJ, the Goldman Sachs Tower, designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli, had been planted along the waterfront just a few years earlier. With so much new construction, they were calling the downtown area around City Hall a gold coast, permanently transforming a city once left for dead.
Source: The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin, p.120 Apr 10, 2012

First real estate deal: 1,200-unit residential foreclosure

In college, I spent my spare time reading about real estate and foreclosures. I read on my own because I was interested and truly wanted to learn, not just to pass a test. My extracurricular studying led to my first successful real estate deal in which I earned enough money to start building my own business. I found a 1,200- unit residential development that had 800 vacant apartments. It was a disaster. Although the developers had gone under and the government foreclosed, I saw it as a great opportunity. I worked hard and learned a lot, which gave me confidence and increased my thirst to move forward in my real estate career. I've continued the pattern I began with that first deal throughout my life: Before I commit to any venture, I study it fully because I want to know all the facts.
Source: Trump 101, by Donald Trump, p. 27 Oct 20, 2006

Vulture lawyers look for businesses known to settle cases

Lawyers in general did really bother me. For instance, often a case will be presented to me in which I am being sued for X dollars and a settlement will be offered for substantially less than what my legal fees would be. Depending on the type of case it is, I will often reject the settlement. When a businessman becomes known as someone who easily settles cases, it creates a very bad precedent. While it may often be the thing to do, it allows vulture lawyers to watch various companies and see who are and who aren't the "settlers." The moment someone settles or makes it easy for a particular lawyer, he will inevitably return with another suit a short time later. Also, his scavenger friends who were watching will likewise find reason to sue.
Source: The Art of the Comeback, by Donald Trump, p.103-4 Oct 27, 1997

Business is an acquired skill based on discipline & focus

A lot of people think I'm natural at business, but it's also an acquired skill that takes discipline & focus, just as being an athlete or a musician takes perseverance & training. Before I decided to go to the Wharton School of Finance, I had thought about studying film, but once I decided on Wharton, I was very serious and focused business student.

There's a certain amount of bravado in what I do these days, and part of that bravado is to make it look easy. That's why I've often referred to business as being an art.

I received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007, which was a big surprise for someone who opted for a real estate career. Did I have a natural talent for the entertainment industry? Maybe, but I've always paid attention to it, and I'm always learning. When I was in school, I always studied on my own in addition to what was required. I've noticed that a lot of very successful people have done the same thing, no matter what their respective fields might be.

Source: Think Like a Champion, by Donald Trump, p. 57-8 Apr 27, 2010

Recuperated from debt with hard work and intelligence

[In 1991, I owed bankers $149 million, but I went to a bankers' dinner where I knew I would face those to whom I owed]. Most of the supersuccessful people I know worked hard to create their own luck. Remember, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." One day, in my darkest hour, I went to a bankers' dinner in Manhattan. That one event changed the course of my life. If I had not gone to that dinner, I may not be writing this book. I hated to go to that dinner with bankers. I went because it was my job to go there. It was work, horrible hard work, but I worked hard, and I got lucky; that is why I am here today. You can make luck happen through hard work and intelligence. Sure, bad things can and do happen--be prepared for the worst, but if you work hard and are smart, luck comes your way when you least expect it.
Source: Think Big, by Donald Trump, p.133-4 Sep 8, 2008

Look below the daily news to identify big sweeping changes

Take advantage of big trends. Many events that occur appear surprising to most people but are really quite inevitable and predictable. Look below the surface of the quickly changing daily news to the big sweeping changes that take decades to play out. That is where you can find ideas. There are demographic, cultural, financial, technological, and medical trends in place now that will produce results years from now. There are shortages of doctors and nurses, and at the same time the population is aging rapidly. There is a growing Hispanic population, a migration out of the suburbs to the far suburbs, called the exurbs, a growth in the number of single people, and a cultural shift in people thinking more ecologically. There are huge opportunities for profits if you can think big and create big solutions for human needs brought about by trends.
Source: Think Big, by Donald Trump, p.288-9 Sep 8, 2008

Do your research, but then trust your instincts

Questions from Readers of the Trump University Blog:

Q: I'm starting a small business, and I have a clear vision of what I want my business to become. What do you think are the five most important aspects to consider when opening a small business in a small but global (when tourism is considered) town?

  1. Know the market.
  2. Do your research.
  3. Go with your gut. Trust your instincts.
  4. Be prepared to work every single day at full capacity.
  5. Don't give up--ever. Be tough and tenacious.
Source: Trump 101, by Donald Trump, p. 54 Oct 20, 2006

Trust people consistently ranked high over 15 or 20 years

Beware of instant stars in the world of finance. Trust the people who do it again and again, and who are consistently ranked high by the four best institutional business media outlets. But trust your own common sense first.

There are numerous firms that provide comprehensive charts and other information on the best returns from certain financial advisers and funds. Study those charts, not over the short term (maybe they just got lucky) but over a fifteen- or twenty-year period.

Invest with the help of a major firm like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, or Merrill Lynch. These are your hard-earned savings at stake. Don't take unnecessary risks. Generally there is a reason for success.

Source: How to Get Rich, by Donald Trump, p.100-1 Mar 23, 2004

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Page last updated: Oct 27, 2021