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

The Hill ^ | 07/24/2015 | Jesse Byrnes

[E. Pluribus Unum]

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."

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"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.”

[entropy12]

The financial crash would be impossible if Glass-Steagall was never removed. Bob Rubin was the force behind removal of that law during Clinton. That law prevented banks from gambling with depositor’s money. When the gamble failed, tax payers were asked to bail them out.

George W Bush is entirely responsible for allowing bailout of too big to fail Wall Street banks. I will never understand why the Secretary of Treasury and chairman of federal reserve were from Goldman Sachs during Bush-43. Talk about fox guarding the chicken coop!

[ScottinVA]

Someone who espouses democrat economic policy positions is not a conservative by any measure no matter how many times he bellows it.

[lwd]

You could just as easily be right. I haven’t looked at the polls too closely but I would think Rubio would be Jeb’s biggest threat. Let’s hope this thing thins out at some point and conservatives coalesce around one candidate.

[ek_hornbeck]

I would think Rubio would be Jeb’s biggest threat

I think Rubio takes about an equal number of votes that would have otherwise gone to Jeb as those that would have otherwise have gone to a conservative alternative to Jeb. A lot of people are still convinced that Rubio is a Tea Party conservative rather than a con man.

[ontap]

He was doing pretty good until he voted for TPA

You should get out more often!! http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/06/23/ted-cruz-flips-on-trade-bill-on-eve-of-key-senate-vote/

[C. Edmund Wright]

The devotion of some of Trump's supporters can be mind-boggling. When I ask them how they can trust Trump on immigration today when 4 years ago he thought that even Mitt Romney (!!!) was too conservative on the issue, the more polite Trump supporters just ignore the question and pretend it never happened, the less polite ones go into hysterics and paroxysms of hatred.

Yep, and like kabar and some others, they lie and intentionally misrepresent and give false choices, because that's what low IQ people with no intellectual argument must resort to. I would also add, vis a vis Mitt....that with Trumps comments on universal health care over the years...he is in WORSE SHAPE than Mitt is on Obama Care....because at least Mitt never advocated for a national universal system.....but the loonies won't address that. The polite ones, who say yeah I know about his weaknesses but support him anyway...are fine. At least they're honest.

[entropy12]

How do you explain I made most money in the stock market during Bill Clinton’s 8 years. Actually I quadrupled my money during those 8 years and was able to retire in mid-50’s!

[austinaero]

“Look you self righteous jackass”

Says the guy who whines about how ‘pure’ Conservatives are talked down to.

Ah, life must be good up in your ivory tower.

I will continue to support Cruz DESPITE idiots like you. You do him no favors. Take your holier-than-thou “such a pure Conservative” tone and shove it. You’re no better than anyone else.

[LS]

I don’t care which of those he “believes in” if he doesn’t act on them.

[wardaddy]

Funny isn’t it that the first 30 posts are 80% Freepers lamenting that Freepers think Trump is a conservative

So why wouldn’t it be first 80% is Freepers lauding Trump instead of bashing him?

If anyone thinks Trump is Edmund Burke they need to read up

But what Trump is......is an excellent hammer to pound media and Reince Preibus sorts with.....it’s revolutionary frankly and great fun to watch them exposed for what they are

To watch them scurry totally terrified is priceless

To quote another famous Conservative like Donald Trump:

David Crosby: “separate the wheat from the chaff......
I feel like I owe it to someone.”

[austinaero]

“low IQ people with no intellectual argument “

again with the adhominems, oh “pure” one

Your nasty tone does what for Cruz, exactly?

[entropy12]

Haha here is what the "conservative republicans" have been saying:

First they said they couldn’t do anything because they didn’t have the Presidency, House or Senate. Then they said they couldn’t do anything because Harry Reid was blocking everything in the Senate. Then they said they couldn’t do anything until the 2016 elections because Obama would veto. Now they are saying they won’t be able to do anything even with a Republican President because too many Senate seats are up for grabs in 2018.

[TNMOUTH]

Cruz has been saying them...he just isn’t the media star that is Trump.

Check out FR and what Cruz said to Turtle boy on the Senate floor today.

[C. Edmund Wright]

I’m not here to do anything for Cruz. I support him because unlike Trump, he’s a true life long conservative. Let me repeat...LIFE LONG conservative. But I’m here to discuss IDEAS, not kool aid fan boy love crushes.

The idea? Trump: a Conservative on some issues for 8 minutes. THATS the idea.

Also, let me say that the low IQ people with no intellectual argument are not all of his support, but they damned sure are much of his support....because they refuse to have an intellectual debate, they go paranoid and name calling. They always start it BTW. So which are you? A low IQ Trump supporter, or one who is reasonable and will at least engage in intellectual debate over our problems with him?

[The Toll]

It’s nonstop with this guy. All he does his insult people all day. I think Trump must have stolen his girlfriend or something. Absolutely ridiculous behavior day in day out.

[The Toll]

It’s nonstop with this guy. All he does his insult people all day. I think Trump must have stolen his girlfriend or something. Absolutely ridiculous behavior day in day out.

[austinaero]

“I like Donald Trump. I think he’s terrific, I think he’s brash, I think he speaks the truth,” Cruz said Tuesday morning on Fox News.

Now scream at Cruz for saying that.

That’s all I’ve been saying and many of us here on FR that you insult. I’ve never said he is all Conservative. He is in my opinion, all- American.

You can’t handle that, that’s your problem.

[ek_hornbeck]

Yep, and like kabar and some others, they lie and intentionally misrepresent and give false choices

I had one of them keep accusing me and anyone else remotely skeptical of Trump of being Hillary supporters, because apparently in his mind the only candidates running are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

rumps comments on universal health care over the years...he is in WORSE SHAPE than Mitt is on Obama Care....because at least Mitt never advocated for a national universal system.....but the loonies won't address that.

I'm sure he's changed his mind on this one about a half-dozen times since he last talked about it. The problem with Trump isn't so much that he's a crypto-liberal posing as a conservative or some kind of intentional stalking horse for liberals, it's that he really has no political agenda at all besides self-promotion. I get the impression that he has no core political convictions at all, and that he'll sound like a liberal today and like a conservative tomorrow depending on what mood he's in and what will generate the most controversy and media attention. That's fine for the reality show circuit, it doesn't really inspire much confidence politically.

Usually "fringe" candidates, whether you like their politics or not, have some kind of core agenda, so that their candidacies are about issues and policies, not about them. Perot was talking about and lobbying on behalf of a balanced budget amendment for decades fore he ran for President. Ralph Nader was a leftist gadfly for decades before he ran. They have some kind of track record to suggest that whether you like their views or not, at least they're fairly consistent, sincere and are running for the sake of getting a message out, rather than themselves. Trump never used his money or considerable media ties to seriously advance any of the issues he's running on now. That's because Trump's only consistent message seems to be Trump.

[austinaero]

No Kidding! It’s one thing to have a different opinion or disagree, but there’s this little clique of “PERFECT” conservatives that have no problem looking down their noses at everyone else and if you dare challenge them, they just mock it...and that is not a reflection of how Cruz acts, though some say they support him.

The bullying, insulting tone is more like Obama or the GOPe,,and it’s coming from the very people who whine when it’s done to them.

I call that hypocrisy.

[GoneSalt]

I’ve been told I’m Democrat because I think it’s reprehensible 2/3 of the earth’s produce is poisoned by mercury. To me that’s just common sense. Likewise I support hemp legalization.

The people who would automatically classify me as a lib plant for holding such thoughts are not important people.