Love him or hate him, Donald J Trump has been a household name in American culture for decades. Building his empire on the premise that he is a self-made man and a shining example of the American dream. He has long since claimed to have built his businesses the old-fashioned way. For people like you and I the old-fashioned way might refer to building a business from scratch, through long hours, sleepless nights filled with tears and sweat but to Donald Trump it refers to having a one-million-dollar loan from father and real estate tycoon Fred Trump. When criticized for that comment he has argued that one million dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to the fortune he has built. However there have been glaring irregularities in Donald Trump’s history, for him to become a real-estate magnate, one would assume that he is great at what he does. A quick look at his past, shows that six of his businesses made up of hotels and casinos have filed for bankruptcy. He has had a slew of failed ventures like Trump Wine, Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines... to name a few. The most recent venture that comes to mind was Trump University an online university that claims to hand the keys to financial success to its students through an economics-oriented curriculum, however in 2016 a class action lawsuit was filed by former students alleging fraud against the now President of the United States which he quietly settled for 26 million dollars. All of these facts do not scream great business man but how else would he be as rich and successful as he is today if not for his great deal-making skills? On the 2nd of October 2018. We, the public gained new perspective on the legend of Donald Trump, the self-made billionaire. Reporting from the New York Times shows that he has received $413 million in today’s dollars from his father, not all of which were legal. In the 1990s, New York Times reporting shows that he participated in tax schemes and fraud, down playing the real value of his father’s estate as to not pay as much taxes on them, only to sell those same assets a decade later for 16 times the amount declared to the US government. This new information also sheds light on why the 45th president broke with tradition and refused to release his full tax returns to this day, a practice that has been done by all US presidents in modern history. Donald J Trump has been receiving money from his father since he was a toddler, by age 3 he was earning $200,000 in today’s dollars, by age 17 he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million dollars a year, a sum that grew to $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s. In fact, to this day the reporting shows that he is still receiving money from his father’s investments. Not only did he mislead the public with his self-made persona, but the investigative reporting shows that he outright defrauded his customers, the Times details the example of “All country Building and Supply” where he and his family would buy everything from boilers to cleaning supplies, inflate the prices on those items sometimes fivefold and then proceed to use that as justification to raise rent for thousands of tenants, many of whom could barely afford the current prices. What is clear from the New York Times reporting is statements by Mr. Trump such as “My life has been hard” or “It has not been easy for me” don’t hold up against any kind of scrutiny. Even though the White House and Mr. Trump's personal lawyer vehemently oppose these allegations, there is no denying the credibility of the New York Times and the mountain of facts and evidence used to support the investigative reporting. All of which paint a stark image of a man who through lies and deception conned a nation into the highest office in American politics, becoming one of, if not the most powerful man in the world. AuteurMehdi Ferras
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