Trump: 'I identify with some things as a Democrat'

Donald Trump, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said Friday he sometimes identifies more as a Democrat when pressed to explain previous statements that the economy generally does better under Democrats than Republicans.

"I identify with some things as a Democrat," Trump said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" when pressed about the comments from 2004, adding that "generally speaking" he was "never a Bush fan."

"When the economy crashed so horribly under George Bush because of mistakes they made having to do with banking and lots of other things, I don't think the Democrats would have done that," Trump said.

"Now, I see it both ways, but I hated what I was watching in the last two years of George Bush, because it was a bubble that was waiting to explode," he added. "What they were doing was a death wish, and I saw that."

"I have seen things done by Republicans that are not good and are not smart, and I would not do that," he said.

The celebrity real estate developer skyrocketed to the top of many polls following the launch of his GOP White House bid in mid-June, amid weeks of criticism and media attention to his controversial comments on Mexican immigrants.

Trump made waves this week after he threatened during an interview with The Hill to run as a third-party candidate. He played down that possibility Thursday, saying, "I want to run as a Republican. I think I'll get the nomination."

"Over the years as a businessman, I've always helped everybody," Trump said Friday on MSNBC, further explaining his past support for both Democrats and Republicans.

"I'm a conservative, I want to run as a Republican, I'm leading every poll," he said. "I do not want to do independent at all. Now, if I'm treated poorly, that's one thing. If I'm treated well and with great respect and don't win, I would not do that."

Trump had suggested to The Hill on Wednesday that the Republican National Committee "has not been very supportive." He said Friday that the RNC has been "very, very nice over the last few days.”

you offer a false choice sir, in your first sentence, which is when I stopped reading. I rarely read long posts. They’re boring. YOu also took me out of context a bit on purpose to make your point I presume.

There are Trump’s hard core supporters, who I think are delusional...and then there are those like myself who love what he’s doing but realize he’s not the answer as nominee. Therefore, your choice was not relevant and you wasted all that time.

There is a third group, the estabs, who hate everything about Trump. Aim your self righteousness at them.

Well enlighten then.

I see you pointing the finger at dems and I agree with you. But I don’t see you also holding GW Bush responsible and I disagree with you there.

I remember a whole week of FR posts in 2008 about a longtime veteran SEC investigator, a professional who had devoted his whole life to law enforcement, who had been cited for merit and promoted repeatedly for professionalism above and beyond, and when he had Merrill Lynch and others in his grasp, Bush people ordered him to back off and then they demoted him and forced him into early retirement.

And there were lots and lots of cases that were quashed by Bush’s people leading up to the financial meltdown.

So yeah, I agree with Donald on Bush but would remind him to smack the democrats too as you have done.

It's huge right now...about a quarter of the Republican electorate, probably 50% of the base....for a man who does not deserve that support from those folks.

I'm not seeing it with that much of the base around here outside of border first people, although I'm also seeing it with the low informed voters within the base a little bit. Those that mistake tough talk for being tough support him. I think Trump's biggest support is from those who hate all politicians, forgetting that anyone who runs for office is a politician.

Most of the tea party I see are supporting Cruz or Walker. Most of the establishment I see are supporting Walker. Most of the religious conservatives I see are supporting Cruz. The libertarian republicans are backing Rand. I know a couple of Fiorina, Carson, and Rubio people. Only one or two Trump people from the base.

When Cruz starts getting upset about what Trump is doing, then I will. Otherwise, as Cruz stays cool with it, I will be cool with it.

I like Cruz. I’ve always liked Cruz and voted for him. He is the leader I will follow and I don’t think he needs his ‘worshipers’ screaming at other people about Trump when he himself isn’t doing that. It doesn’t help Cruz one bit.

‘worshipers’ used like those in the condescending “we’re so pure” camp use it

I know. Someone without an ideological grounding can stop immigration one day and then appoint Hillary to the USSC the next.

HOWEVER, the good news for conservatives about someone like Trump is that without a solid lib ideology the Dems would oppose him most of the time, so even if he named a judge they liked (for example), in such a case I think the GOP would be emboldened to find a spine and for once the Dems wouldn't want to be too supportive of someone who wasn't theirs. Could be wrong. All we know for sure is that it would not be 100% to our liking. But as I say, if I can get two or three really big wins, smaller losses can be tolerated.

I am thinking why. Trump is angling to offset Republican establishment defections by reaching out to non-ideological Democrats, by showing them that he is not a knee jerk Republican.

The "why" reflects the fact that most Democrats, who are not simply being bought by Government handouts, are really no more ideological than some of the robot Republicans, who could care less--that is before the crash--if the "too big to fail banks" were putting us all at risk.

Because the Hildebeast was Senator from his state, or was she SOS at that time? I dunno. And, I think that Bill can be a likeable guy when he keeps his pants up around his waist. Possibly, Trump is more shrewd than we think as he goes after the Democratic vote. I’m enjoying his antics for now, though and am still taking a wait-and-see attitude with him. We have many months to go before the primaries, and the weaker links will be weeded out by then.

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