I finally found a Trump supporter – this morning when I went to buy coffee. (I noticed a Trump bumper sticker on his car.)
“Hi,” I said. “Noticed your Trump bumper sticker.”
“Yup,” he said, a bit defensively.
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I’m curious. Why are you supporting him?”
“I know he’s a little bit much,” said the Trump supporter. “But he’s a successful businessman. And we need a successful businessman as president.”
“How do you know he’s a successful businessman?” I asked.
“Because he’s made a fortune.”
“Has he really?” I asked.
“Of course. Forbes magazine says he’s worth four and a half billion.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s been a success,” I said.
“In my book it does,” said the Trump supporter.
“You know, in 1976, when Trump was just starting his career, he said he was worth about $200 million,” I said. “Most of that was from his father.”
“That just proves my point,” said the Trump supporter. “He turned that $200 million into four and a half billion. Brilliant man.“
“But if he had just put that $200 million into an index fund and reinvested the dividends, he’d be worth twelve billion today,” I said.
The Trump supporter went silent.
“And he got about $850 million in tax subsidies, just in New York alone,” I said.
More silence.
“He’s not a businessman,” I said. “He’s a con man. “Hope you enjoy your coffee.”
Priceless. ‘The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.’ – Winston Churchill
This somewhat smug exchange fails to mention the next thing a Trump supporter would say – that all of these facts he brought up are simply false, perpetuated by the "corrupt corporate media”, bringing them both back to square one.
Being a Trump supporter to the point of buying a sticker (contributing to the campaign) is a part of their identity, and one cannot take it away by simply telling them they were conned. Reversing this damage is at this point impossible.
But it is possible to appeal to those who are still uncommitted and explain what’s at stake (like what would happen if Trump would default on US debt like he promised).
tinfoilparachute 