"If I'm President we'll win so much, you'll get bored with winning". Those were the words of Donald J. Trump on September 9, 2015. As Donald never gets tired of telling us, he's a winner. He wins at everything. He wins at business, he wins in life, he wins wins wins. Just ask him. Now I'm a big believer in affirmations and speaking things into existence. I absolutely believe that can be done. But I've come to learn over the years that no matter how many times I say that I weigh 185 pounds, every time I get on a scale I'm forced to confront the fact that it just isn't so. Monday night in Iowa Donald Trump, figuratively speaking, got on the scale. And as much as I'm certain he would prefer it not to be so, he now has to confront the fact that he is not a winner, he is a loser.
Truth be told, a quick Google search will make you wonder why Donald is so comfortable calling himself a winner. He's certainly had some business success, just ask him. His name is on some of the finest properties in the world, and he has managed to make lots and lots of money. But is he really a winner? I mean he did start off with a "small" $1 million loan from his father, the guy isn't exactly a rags to riches story. But he did turn that into billions, so no doubt there have been some victories. But there have also been some losses.
1. Trump Airlines. You probably don't remember Trump Airlines do you? Trump bought the Eastern Air Shuttle which operated flights between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC, and renamed it the Trump Shuttle. The shuttle had been in operation for 27 years before Trump acquired it. He operated it for about 4 years before declaring bankruptcy. He never turned a profit, he defaulted on his loans, and the company was turned over to his creditors. When it came to Trump Airlines, Donald was a loser.
2. Trump University. In 2004 Trump launched "Trump University". It wasn't really a school but a series of real estate workshops in hotel ballrooms around the country. He promised to teach ordinary people his real estate secrets that would make them rich, sometimes charging them tens of thousands of dollars. One former student says he spent nearly $35,000 for his "certificate" from Trump University. Because it was not really a school, New York State Education Department Officials told the company to change it's name because it was misleading. They changed the name to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in May 2010, and stopped operating all together shortly afterwards. Estimates say Trump made $5 million from the university, and now according to The Washington Post, "In three pending lawsuits, including one in which the New York attorney general is seeking $40 million in restitution, former students allege that the enterprise bilked them out of their money with misleading advertisements." In the case of Trump University, Donald was a loser.
3. The Bankruptcies. Donald the great businessman has actually filed bankruptcy four times. The Trump Taj Mahal in 1991 where Donald was forced to give up half his stake in his casino in addition to being forced to sell his yacht and his airline. The Trump Plaza Hotel in 1992 where he was forced to relinquish a 49% stake in the hotel to his lenders. Even though he remained CEO in title, he didn't earn a salary and had no say in the day to day operations of the hotel according to the New York Times. Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts in 2004 where he had to reduce his ownership share from 47% to 27%, but he did remain in charge of operations. Finally there was Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009 where even though they continued to use his name in licensing, he was forced to resign as the company chairman and had his corporate stake in the company reduced to 10%. I think reasonable minds can agree that in all four of these instances, Donald was a loser.
These are three examples of where Donald actually lost but the list goes on. Does anybody remember any of these:
Trump Vodka
Trump Mortgage
Trump: The Game
Trump Magazine
Trump Steaks
Trump Ice
The New Jersey Generals
Tour de Trump
GoTrump.com?
And what about the line of Trump clothes that started out in Macy's and now you see them at all the discount stores? Didn't he also have a Trump Cologne? And these are just the things that you find in a quick Google search. Imagine how many other things he's put his name on that have failed. I think percentage wise Kim Kardashian has had more business success. She knows better than to try to sell steaks for heaven's sake. One thing is clear, Donald loses a lot.
So there you have it. When Donald steps on the scale, I'm not sure it says winner. I think it says loser. In fact, in Donald parlance, he loses all the time. He lost at airlines, he lost at steaks. He lost in board games and casinos. He lost in football and in travel. He lost in vodka and he lost in clothing. He just loses loses loses. And now he's lost in politics. To a guy who was born in Canada.! He just may be the biggest loser I've ever seen.
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