OPINION:
After what can only be deemed as a horrifically abysmal week on the campaign trail, I’m trying to seek the “cerebral” Donald Trump — you know, the one Ben Carson says is in there, somewhere.
I don’t think I’m going to get it through an interview — nor do I really want to. I’m sick of the bombast and the ill-preparedness Mr. Trump’s shown on the campaign trail — from suggesting women be punished for getting an abortion, to saying education is a core tenant of the federal government.
So I’m going to his book, “The Art of the Deal,” to try to better figure out the man who has confounded so many this election season. The questions are my own — the answers, directly from Mr. Trump.
KR: Republicans have called you a con-man, not a true conservative and your business dealings, like Trump University, are a scam. What say you?
DT: You can’t con people, at least not for long. You can create excitement, you can do wonderful promotion and get all kinds of press, and you can throw in a little hyperbole. But if you don’t deliver the goods, people will eventually catch on.
KR: Why the continued fight with Megyn Kelly? Why can’t you just apologize to Michelle Fields?
DT: When people treat me badly or unfairly or try to take advantage of me, my general attitude, all my life, has been to fight back very hard. The risk is that you’ll make a bad situation worse, and I certainly don’t recommend this approach to everyone. But my experience is that if you’re fighting for something you believe in — even if it means alienating some people along the way — things usually work out for the best in the end.
KR: You’ve been accused of manipulating the press for daily headlines. Is the manipulation real?
DT: One thing I’ve learned about the press is that they’re always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better.
The funny thing is that even a critical story, which may be hurtful personally, can be very valuable to your business.
When a reporter asks me a tough question, I try to frame a positive answer, even if that means shifting ground. For example, if someone asks me what negative effects the world’s tallest building may have on the West Side, I turn the tables and talk about how New Yorkers deserve the world’s tallest building.
KR: Are you really going to make America great again? What does that even look like?
DT: I play to people’s fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That’s why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and greatest and the most spectacular.
I call it truthful hyperbole. It’s an innocent form of exaggeration — and a very effective form of promotion.
KR: Your unfavorable numbers are ticking up, and some say you’re the most polarizing figure in politics — can you turn this around?
DT: I was always something of a leader in my neighborhood [growing up]. Much the way it is today, people either liked me a lot or didn’t like me at all.
KR: “Little Marco,” “Low-Energy Jeb,” “Lyin Ted.” Why denigrate your competition so?
DT: I’m the first to admit that I am very competitive and that I’ll do anything within legal bounds to win. Sometimes, part of making a deal is denigrating your competition.
KR: You’ve said you are your top foreign policy adviser — if you become President, can and will you listen to counsel?
DT: I’m someone who responds to people I have respect for, and I listen.
KR: Why would a businessman make for a better president than a politician?
DT: (After announcing Trump could build a convention center for at least $150 million less than New York City politicians had estimated) ….
There was scarcely an approving peep from the politicians. I discovered, for the first time but not the last that politicians don’t care too much for what things cost. It’s not their money.
KR: You’re self-funding your campaign. Will you spend the estimated $1 billion you’re going to need to build a winning infrastructure? Or will you continue to rely on free, earned media, propelled by over-the-top comments, to fuel your campaign?
DT: I believe in spending what you have to. But I also believe in not spending more than you should.
KR: Do you have any regrets regarding any of the comments you made on the campaign trail this week?
DT: I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about what I should have done differently, or what’s going to happen next.
Kelly Riddell is a columnist for The Washington Times.
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