There are several reasons to panic now that Donald Trump is the presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican Party, writes Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel in her latest column.
“That Trump is unable to articulate a rational, informed position on almost every policy issue is just one of them,” she writes. “It is deeply disturbing that a major party candidate for the highest office in the free world could come so far in the political process knowing so little and not caring enough to fake it.”
The most chilling evidence of this, Riegel says, is Trump’s March 21 editorial board meeting with The Washington Post, of which printed and audio versions are available online.
“When asked, for instance, whether he would use a tactical weapon against ISIS, Trump immediately changed the subject by complementing the editors in the room on how beautiful they were,” she writes. “Huh?”
When asked about Russian aggression in the Ukraine, Riegel notes Trump said “other people” should be doing more. And when asked about the future of NATO, he opined that we spend “hundreds of billions of dollars supporting other countries that are, in theory, wealthier than we are.”
“Really?” Reigel writes, noting Trump later dialed it down, saying the actual figure may be closer to the “billions.”
By comparison, Riegel says, Trump stayed steadfastly on point when he steered the conversation to the size of his hands, which became an issue during the primary season.
“Read it and weep,” she writes. “This stuff is for real. This could be your next president.”
It’s unclear if Trump will capture the White House, Riegel says, adding what is apparent is that he has set a new tenor for American political discourse—“one that is devoid of reason, pumped up on testosterone, and exploitative of our basest prejudices and fears.”
“What is, perhaps, more troubling is the message that Trump’s success thus far sends to young people—nay, all people—across this once-great country,” Riegel writes. “It is this: Nice guys finish last, bullies really do get ahead, and rudeness, crassness, false pride and bravado are the keys to success, despite what they teach you in church or in kindergarten.”
Read the full column. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
