Trump: The Good, The Bad, and the Quotable

Say what you will about Donald Trump, you simply can't deny that he has made this election cycle much more entertaining.  You never know what that guy's going to say.  The editors of Beyond Books have assembled a collection of Trump's quotes for our entertainment in Trump: the Good, the Bad, and the Quotable.  Some quotes date back decades, others are from recent candidate debates and news interviews.

The quotes aren't comprehensive, nor are they meant to be.  They capture a glimpse of Trump's views on women, on wealth, and, of course, on himself.  The editors even include some nice quotes about Trump from others, including some political opponents and psychiatrists.  The editors clearly are not fans, or at least they clearly don't have an agenda to make Trump look good.

Like many Americans, I'm in a dilemma about Trump.  As bombastic and offensive as he can be, if it comes down to a race between him and Hillary, I've got to vote for Trump.  He has issues, but putting that lying, incompetent woman in the White House would be a huge mistake.  Interestingly, he's been talking about the presidency for a while.  In a 1990 Playboy interview, Trump said, "I don't want to be president.  I'm 100 percent sure.  I'd change my mind only if I saw this country continue to go down the tubes."  Obama must have confirmed the "going down the tubes" status.  About Obama Trump said, in one of the presidential primary debates, "We have a president who doesn't have a clue.  I would say he's incompetent, but I don't want to do that because that's not nice."  (By the way, there were several quotes where he used that trick, "I won't say this . . . " But really he just said it.)

I have to admit, I'm entertained by Trump.  These quotes are great.  Trump speaks his mind, and is OK with self-effacing humor.  I get a kick out of his "I'm the smartest/best-looking/fittest/etc. bravado.  He knows it's part of his schtick.  Everyone else should realize that as well.  Think of Trump first as an entertainer, provocateur, and publicity hound.  Once you see that he's doing those things with his public speaking, you can start to dissect who he really is and what he's really saying.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the complimentary electronic review copy!