Donald Trump is a man of many accomplishments. Following the lessons of his father, the young Trump created a real estate empire, now worth billions. As if that were not impressive enough, Trump raised his public profile by hosting the popular TV show The Apprentice. But recent events suggest that Trump will be remembered for his vocal and fervent political opinions rather than his business success. There is no better example of this than Trump’s ongoing scrutiny of president Barack Obama.
Trump is only one of many who are strongly critical of Obama and his policies. But there is a distinction between political discourse and just being downright fatuous, and it is the latter path that Trump has been taking.
It seemed as though Trump would back out of presidential politics after the White House finally released the president’s long-form birth certificate, in the face of Trump’s incessant public badgering. He certainly seemed proud of himself, despite the fact that countless comedians had a great deal of fun at his expense. People everywhere heaved a sigh of relief, hoping that the real estate mogul had finally ended his daft outbursts about the president’s origins. It seems that they were mistaken.
The critical media coverage convinced many that next time Trump would know better and keep his mouth shut until he had something of value to offer. I was wrong. Following Obama’s re-election victory, Trump had what can be best described as a freakout on Twitter. He went on a series of pathetic and hilarious rants about the state of the nation and the president. He described the election as a “sham” and a “disgusting injustice,” and called for a revolution. Mr. Trump, just because your favorite candidate doesn’t win, doesn’t mean democracy is broken. It may be hard for you to accept this, blessed as you are with many of life’s luxuries, but you must accept that you can’t always get what you want.
It would be wise for Trump to step back for a while, and look at the path he has been taking. The legacy he leaves behind ultimately falls in his own hands. He has the power to shape it. He can be remembered as the tenacious and intelligent businessman, who always got what he wanted; or he can be remembered as the grumpy old man who had nothing better than to do than to raise conspiracy theories and attack the foundations of democracy. There was a time where I had respect for Trump. I saw him as someone with both book and street smarts, and the know-how to be successful. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that is no longer the case.
People are starting to see Trump in a different light. Perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps all this is a publicity stunt to gain him popularity and interest for The Apprentice, or perhaps he wants himself to be taken seriously, so he can one day run for president himself. If the answer is the former, then it might be working. If it is the latter, and I sure hope it isn’t, then Trump is doing it all wrong. Whatever the reason, everyone has a responsibility to stop for a minute and really think about what we say and do. Trump is no different.
