Thursday, October 04, 2018
PMT: The Trump Inheritance
So, Don Lemon quoted the Razor last night on CNN.
But, let's set all that mess aside for the moment. The non-Kavanaugh news for this week revolves around the New York Times's report that Donald Trump actually received over $413,000,000 from his father before and after his father's death. Moreover, the transfer of that money to him may have involved illegal tax dodges.
The implications of this, to some, strike at a central part of the Trump persona: that he is a self-made man, a business virtuoso who became very wealthy through "the art of the deal."
Will this matter? Should it?
But, let's set all that mess aside for the moment. The non-Kavanaugh news for this week revolves around the New York Times's report that Donald Trump actually received over $413,000,000 from his father before and after his father's death. Moreover, the transfer of that money to him may have involved illegal tax dodges.
The implications of this, to some, strike at a central part of the Trump persona: that he is a self-made man, a business virtuoso who became very wealthy through "the art of the deal."
Will this matter? Should it?
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No. It won’t matter to most Trump supporters. It is incredibly hard for many to change their mind, to admit they were wrong, or worse duped. Seeing a fact like this won’t change a thing. Just like any potive revelation, should one ever come out, probably wouldn’t change the mind of the opposition.
These things should matter though. I wish we could scrutinize politicians with an objective eye. But we seldom do, to the detriment of our democracy.
These things should matter though. I wish we could scrutinize politicians with an objective eye. But we seldom do, to the detriment of our democracy.
It won't matter. His supporters are galvanized.
Let the State of New York do there work and sort it out. They can't be pardoned from State charges and that tax fraud file is going to fill an entire building.
Let the State of New York do there work and sort it out. They can't be pardoned from State charges and that tax fraud file is going to fill an entire building.
It won't matter, from a political perspective, mostly because there's nothing new about the fact that Trump inherited millions from his father. Late-2015 and 2016 were filled with articles suggesting that Trump would be richer today if he had simply invested his inheritance in an index fund rather than trying his hand at real estate investing. His failed deals, his bankruptcies, his dealings with bad actors, foreign loans, etc. have all been been public since before the election. He was elected nonetheless. The alleged criminal conduct, while potentially legally significant, is also just another drop in the pool that is Trump's shady dealings and alleged wrongdoing.
His supporters will support him in spite of these things, his detractors will despise him even if all of this turns out to be untrue. It's not just Trump supporters who are galvanized, the opposition is very much entrenched as well. Confirmation bias is no longer just a bias, it is a baseline. And most of us just see what we want to see--that's a bigger problem than Trump will ever be.
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His supporters will support him in spite of these things, his detractors will despise him even if all of this turns out to be untrue. It's not just Trump supporters who are galvanized, the opposition is very much entrenched as well. Confirmation bias is no longer just a bias, it is a baseline. And most of us just see what we want to see--that's a bigger problem than Trump will ever be.
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