Trump Must Be Stopped

FPRI takes no positions on the presidential candidates; naturally, our individual scholars do, and we anticipate those positions will vary. 

Donald Trump offered viewers a preview of the latest House of Cards season, which began on March 4, throughout the course of the Republican presidential debate that took place the night before. Trump is the closest real-life approximation of Frank Underwood, the scheming, self-absorbed politician who prevaricates to the point of it being second nature to him, and who puts himself and his sordid interests above those of his country. And like Underwood, Trump has been pulling the wool over the eyes of Republican voters (Underwood is a Democrat) throughout the current election campaign, telling them whatever it is they want to hear and avoiding specifics as much as he can. But unlike even Underwood, Trump also is ever ready to stoop as low as he feels necessary in order to besmirch his competitors rudely, crudely and publicly. Underwood at least is a back-stabber.

Trump feels no compunction about the shenanigans that have surrounded his eponymous so-called university. He argues that the lawsuits against him will be dealt with in a few years’ time. Yet he hopes to be president in a few years’ time. Does he intend to continue to fight the lawsuits while he is president? Will he order government agencies such as the FBI or the IRS to intimidate plaintiffs and witnesses?

His statements regarding the torture ofcaptured terrorists would indicate that he indeed would use any means to block the lawsuits against him. He has made it clear that he is quite prepared to order the military to torture captive terrorists, despite the fact that such an order would be illegal. In fact, he asserted during the March 3 debate that the military would follow his orders, thereby disregarding the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice which forbids troops from carrying out an illegal order such as a command to torture prisoners. Will he therefore have an enemies list, which would include anyone who attempts to fight him in court, and against whom he would do whatever it takes to prevail, legal or illegal?…

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