'Donald Trump is manifestly unqualified to be president'
Benjamin Bathke
November 18, 2016
What can the world expect from the 45th US President? "A grave threat," says biographer David Cay Johnston. Based on decades of research, the investigative journalist paints a very dark picture of the president-elect.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston has been following Trump's career since 1988. In "The Making of Donald Trump," the former New York Times reporter and registered Republican calls the president-elect a 'dictator' and a 'deceiver' with no regard for the people who elected him.
DW: You have been quoted as saying there was "no way" Trump would win the election. How could you be so wrong?
David Cay Johnston: I regret it. Every bit of polling data at the time suggested that Hillary Clinton would convincingly win the popular vote, which in fact she did. The FBI director's statement about Hillary Clinton's e-mails 11 days before the election hurt her very badly. And larger numbers of white working class voters than expected turned out at the polls, people who believed Trump was going to relieve their economic situation. They bought his con job that it's the Chinese, the Mexicans and that "idiot" in the White House. And that he alone possesses the ability to fix this.
You have predicted a constitutional crisis and that Trump would be impeached within one year.
Trump does not even know what the president's job description is - the executive who carries out the will of Congress. But Trump talks like a dictator. He has said that he will order the military to kill women and children who are the families of people he believes are terrorists. Those would be crimes, and senior military officers will reject those orders. They would then be fired, or some other problem would arise. Trump has no respect for the Constitution. Remember, he even said he wouldn't accept a defeat.
To be fair, his tone in his victory speech and in his interview on the CBS program "60 Minutes" was a bit more subdued. And during his White House visit, he looked respectful, even modest.
Having won, of course, he can sound reasonable and read remarks others wrote for him. But he is about to enter an unbelievable pressure cooker where he will know secrets that he cannot disclose for reasons of national security. He will then be criticized over what he's doing or not doing. Donald Trump is not equipped psychologically to deal with that.
Do you foresee Trump's business activities interfering with his duties as president?
This is a really important issue. Previous presidents had their stock and bond portfolios put into a blind trust. Federal officers are allowed to sell their materials without paying capital gains tax. Donald Trump's primary businesses involve long-term contractual relationships with Middle East potentates, Russian oligarchs and other enterprises around the world. Laws do not require complete disclosure. The national security and corruption implications of this are tremendous. How do we know if he makes a decision that isn't to prevent the collapse of one of his overseas businesses? This requires really close scrutiny.
As somebody who has been following Trump for decades, what are your biggest concerns about his presidency?
Donald Trump is manifestly unqualified to be president of the United States. He is a world-class narcissist who believes in his genetic superiority and greatness. Throughout his life, he has been defrauding workers or small business vendors and investors. He also has life-long associations with the American mafia, Russian mobsters, con artists, swindlers, violent felons and a confessed cocaine trafficker. He thinks that he can learn everything you need to know about missiles in 90 minutes.
All of these things together, especially his fragile and immature psyche, pose a grave threat to the world. I cannot see how this will end - except badly. But if he turns out to be a great president, I'll be the first person saying 'Man, did I get this dead wrong.'
David Cay Johnston is an award-winning journalist, educator and author of several books on tax and economic policy. "The Making of Donald Trump" is the culmination of nearly 30 years of reporting. It was released in the US in August 2016.
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
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The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
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From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
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Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
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What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
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"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
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Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
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Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
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Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
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Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
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Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
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The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
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Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
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Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
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Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.