The reason tRUMP will never run for president is that it would expose all the slime ball activities he has engaged in over the years. The con jobs, lies, multiple trophy wives, wearing dead animals on his head, Chinese made suits, and the fact that it's all leveraged to the hilt. He has truly become America's Buffoon.

I could've saved these people a lot of heartache and told them to take a trip to Atlantic City.

His casinos are dumps, surrounded by pawn shops and liquor stores, half of which are in foreclosure. All with a giant "T" emblazoned in buzzing, neon-red signs bolted to them.

Trump and class. It's like putting perfume on a pig. He will make the ideal GOP candidate.

As a real MBA ( University of Chicago) and a Realtor, Landlord and Investor, I am surprised Trump cheapens his "brand" with silly ideas like Trump University. There have been charlatans selling get rich quick real estate courses on late night tv for years. Trump University is just the latest iteration.

Trump has done successful real estate developments. It seems odd that he would slap his name on something that he does not have control over just to make a few bucks.

Rolex, Tiffany, Cartier, BMW, etc. carefully cultivate their brands and their image and the quality that their brand name is applied to.

I am starting to think that maybe Trump is not so smart after all or he must really need the money.

Although my empathetic side feels sorry for anyone who loses money in a scam, my rational side says that they usually deserve it, especially when they are buying a name in order to impress others. I have to agree with mkeMike that anyone who buys anything because it has the Trump name on it pretty much deserves what they get. Why are supposedly intelligent people so impressed with celebrity that they risk any amount of money on investing in a name, especially the name of someone who is so pompous, controlling and egomaniacal?

Trump can't be called "America's Buffoon", as Bluelake named him. The on-line Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "buffoon" as a "usually ill-educated or stupid person". I don't know about his education, but Trump is not stupid. He is laughing all the way to the bank, as they say. A conniving, egotistical slim ball...yes. Stupid...not so much.

This country is doomed if he becomes president. If he can scam millions from clients through licensing fees, etc., then think of what a field day he will have with taxpayer money at his disposal.

Donald's Dad WOULD NOT be proud of his son.

Why would you buy anything from a person with a head like that? Doesn't the words "YOUR FIRED" tell you anything about the person behind them? Look, at the end of the day, people don't love, revere, respect, or even care about him. They despise, disrespect, and abhor the man. They may think he has something to teach, and he might, but at what cost? If he were laying in the road dying from a wound and there was a homeless person suffering from the same injury right next to him, I'd probably help the homeless person because I believe in karma. I have never liked Donald Chump and don't plan to anytime soon. He's wealthy, so what? You think he got htere by being an angel? Wise up man!!

I don't know, scales - I watched an interview with him and he said, regarding the US Flag, "I don't know what the 13 stripes stand for."

God help us if he actually winds up in the 2012 Elections.

Genius, deceptive, borderline fraud? Shows how he is in it for himself and doesn't care about what might happen to the little guy. Shows how he would run our country if elected POTUS. trump will never get my vote.

He has no money!!!!!! That is why he rents out his name. He is great at spending your money! There is a sucker every minute. Why do they still give him money. If he was so rich he would not need your money! Get it! He and his son are great scam artists. The people who they scam are greedy brain dead. I don't feel for them at all. Well said; Mike. Trump should be in Jail.

scales67--Well I wont argue with Merriam-Webster though I don't think tRUMP is as "smart" as you might think. I will tell you again however that he has as much a chance of becoming President as he has of walking to the moon.

Bluelake - I didn't mean to imply that I think he is smart. Maybe a better way of stating it is to say that he is conniving and foxy enough to become rich off of others, kind of like wild animals that steal food after others have put forth the effort to capture it. He is 100% sleaze.

TinStars - Wow! I hadn't heard that Trump stated he doesn't know why there are 13 stripes on the American flag. How could he have missed that in grade school?

The mainstream media assault to trash Donald Trump is in full swing. Any conservative candidate that gains any traction will quickly become the target of the media. We've seen it multiple times now, and quite frankly would be disappointed now if it didn't happen!

I look forward to seeing how Herman Cain will be treated, as he is going to be gaining a lot of notoriety and will clearly be a threat to the president's African-American base (he's blacker than Obama for any who may not be familiar with him). Let the thrashings begin!

The last thing you ever expect is that somebody you revere will mislead you...

They are called Politicians. Welcome to the Real World.

Never sign loan Docs or any kind of contract without reading the fine print & have it explained by the loan officer or broker.

as .. P T Barnum once said ...theres a sucker born every minute ... you cant blame trump if your a sucker ...

Donald would make the ideal Republican candidate. He embodies everything they stand for - greed, self interest, dishonesty, hipocracy and a con artist of the first order. He could become "Grifter in Chief".

WAIT - You are telling me that the guy who is known for making money only wants to make money?

bravo! chuck w.

What I don't understand is why congress demands tax breaks for the wealthiest in America, while putting the debt on those that can least afford it.

And who gets all the money given by special interest to congress?

Trump is living proof (Barely living) that this country has been railroaded. They hand us a bs story and we buy, just like these people that bought into the trump name.

Well, America...straight from the mouth of Trump, himself without translation...He is quoted; "I have made myself very Rich"

What he failed to add, was: "I have made myself very Rich, at the expense of others!"

Gary - I'm surprised that having an MBA from UofC you don't KNOW Trump is all brass and no class. His "successful real estate" deals are a thing of the past. He has gone through 3 bankruptcies and countless lawsuits because he has no ethics or business morals. I'm pretty sure University of Chicago would have taught you that. No dummies there.

The real issue here is that this is actually about the BEST that the GOP can do. Adulterers, religious cultists, homosexuals, pedophiles, and candidates with huge past ethical deficiencies seem to be the norm rather than the exception. You would think that the party of "family values" could do better.

In my opinion (not to be confused with fact) Trump has no intention of running for President. He is interested only in the millions of dollars in free publicity that he is getting. He is interested in cultivating a poorly educated and poorly informed segment of the population. If they take him seriously as a candidate he has a condominium to sell them.

And I would humbly point out that 1) Trump has never made a dime in his life. He inherited his wealth from his father, Fred Trump who was a major New York real estate "tycoon" if a bit of a shady character. If you take the money that the Donald inherited and adjusted for inflation, he has actually lost money. Currently Trump must do things like renting out his name to developers and hosting a reality TV series, because he has no liquid assets and no cash flow and needs the money to live on. His net worth on paper is huge, but it depends on the assets remaining on paper. If he liquidates them (as he has done in bankruptcy court several times) he owes more than he has.

And one issue that no one seems to be mentioning about the Donald is his relationship with former Congressman Mark Foley. They were fast friends and many people, including Foley, have stated that the Donald is bi-sexual. Trump states that this was only because Foley was always escorted in public by beautiful women. But there are many reports in the press about them hanging out together, sans women, in bars in both New York City and Washington DC.

Recently there have been a number of stories regarding these "for profit" "universities."

Just yesterday a story on NPR focused on the cash cow these places (often virtual - no bricks and mortar, and incorporated in states with lax laws regarding their governance) are for the founders or investors; NOT for the actual students.

These universities' primary source of revenue is Federally funded student loans, taken out by folks who can least afford to re-pay them. Many are laid-off from prior careers and trying to re-tool, many are folks who are not 4 yr college bound and just out of high school, some are GED earners. They end up hopelessly in debt, and the "colleges" (in this case Trump) have gauranteed payments. Wow. OF COURSE Trump is in on this! Way to cash in on our tax dollars, Donald.

This is the same man who tried to get people to invest in New Orleans for a condo/building and nobody did. The place is still a parking lot.

NO one "deserves" to be swindled. I hope America isn't swindled by this man - in 2012.

"Why are supposedly intelligent people so impressed with celebrity that they risk any amount of money on investing in a name, especially the name of someone who is so pompous, controlling and egomaniacal?"

It happened with GWB, too. TWICE. People are NOT as "intelligent" as they give themselves credit for.

You really shouldn't trust a carnival barker.

golds...Maybe they didn't read Trump's "Art of the Deal" first? I've seen Atlantic City and heard stories from those who lived there before Trump managed to sidle up to AC's biggies. Trump is like Leona Helmsley....cry poverty when they use 14K gold Charmin.

Trump doesn't care who gets trampled, so long as it isn't him.

He sounds like a snake oil salesman.

@ harold

What's always amused is the fact that FoxNews brags about beating every other news outlet there is in ratings, yet they constantly blame the liberal bias and "the lamestream" media as responsible for misinforming most of the public.

Donald Trump has as much intelligence as P.T. Barnum. He knows how to recognize gullibility and make a profit from it. His house of cards is supported by a bag of wind. He has all the qualifications needed to become a perfect Republican candidate for President.

As for the Thomas409 diatribe, I feel happy for him. He must feel much better after relieving himself of so much bloating excrement.

“They are people who lost money and are looking for somebody to blame,” Mr. Garten said."

No, they aren't. They are people who had their money stolen from them; it's not like they simply chose some bad stocks to invest in. This was hard cash they put down in exchange for a HARD ASSET. Now, no cash and no home either. Criminal charges should be filed against the real estate thieves involved. If that isn't possible because of the legal mumbo-jumbo, then civil suits complete with massive punitive damages are certainly in order. They took the money and provided nothing in return...and then they find the cash to hire a lawyer to blame the whole thing on the buyers and/or on the economy. RIGHT. Sure, you betcha. Gimme a break.

Reality is that the only thing that Trump can do is advertising his "name" for the purpose of exploiting. Fact, Trump just simply hire people to build estates.

Well,

Smile.

Simple.

It's about making money. No one should blindly trust another man any way. This is the problem with some people. They blindly trust that he has everyone's interest at hand. He is trying to make money. That's just like buying a pair of Air Jordans and they break after two weeks, are you suing Jordan? This is stupid.

"All Democrats are racists"!!!

What drugs are you on? Hallucinogenics? Must be because you are so obviously twisted and demented to realize what an insane and delusional viewpoint you have! Do you even realize how you are talking down to all minority groups and their individual intelligence to choose whatever party they prefer? How dare you categorize "minorities" by making a claim that they cannot make their own choices! And to even infer that they are still slaves is disgusting. It is you and people who are racists like you who think they can speak for minorities in this country.

Thomas409 - Wow, I never really thought about it that way, but you are 100% correct. But I am afraid until people are willing to help themselves instead of letting the government "fix" everything for them, none of the Dems are going to see it so clearly. Now I am not talking about the disabled but in general, we have a lot of lazy people living in this country of every race...

Another slam piece from the NYT. Many celebrities license their names to companies. There's a Tiger Woods designed golf course here in WNC that was scheduled to open this spring. There's Tiger Woods' picture all over billboards advertising the next country club. It's broke and may not ever be completed. It is a Tiger Woods design, but he didn't cause it to fail. Trump lends his name for a fee and that's it. If these poor fools invested their money in a bad deal too bad for them.

You keep talking about Trump filing for bankrupcies, well it's because he took a chance and the project failed. Look at the big banks and GM, our fearless leaders said they are too big to fail, let's bail them out. Now they are back making the big bucks with multimillion bonuses.

Trump may be a lot of things and he has plenty of faults, but he knows how to make money. If a company asked you for the right to use your name and was willing to pay you a fee, what would your reply be?

There is a sucker born every minute and plenty of Trump like characters to fleece their pockets. I have sympathy for neither.

I would reply "no" to using my name for a fee. My ego does not require my name, face, personal business, etc. to be plastered on billboards or in blazing lights on buildings. Mr. Trump is a giant pile of ego. How can someone who does not know about the original flag and it's 13 stripes and stars be the leader of the same country? He does not care about "country" - he only cares about "donald". That's all. Just Donald. Mr. - I've Got Mine You'll Have To Find Yours Because I Don't Care - Donald. And no thanks. My guess is Hagrid could do a better job.

Let me get this straight- My TRUMP MATTRESS wasn't made by Trump personally?

He just put his name on it?

Next thing you are going to tell me that my Tommy Hillfinger shirt wasn't sewn together by Mr. Hilfinger himself.

Duchessfeathers - How can someone who does not know how many states makes up the U.S. be the leader of the same country??? Oh wait, the Dems vote him into office...

Thomas409, Thank you, great post, couldn't have said it better myself.

I almost got suckered into a scam that was endorsed by Trump's son. It sounded very professional at the time but there were a few red flags that made me doubt their credibility. When I did a search about this company on Google, I got over 30,000 hits with the word "scam" in them. When I alerted the Trump organization that this company was using Mr. Trump's son's name to scam people, I got an e-mail response back from his company that said that this other company was legitimate and that they were sorry if I felt I was being scammed but assured me that they have the utmost integrity. That's when I realized that Trump et al is nothing more than a bunch of glorified con-artists that only care about making money and don't care how they do it! So, I made sure that I reported the company to the BBB.

Laws are different in Canada and should be interesting now that it's been reported to the City of Toronto where one of the properties is.

The Trump Organization has announced its intention to build a new gambling casino, greyhound racing circuit and high-rise resort hotel in Laughlin, Nevada. A company spokesman stated that the luxury complex, the largest of its kind in the United States, is scheduled for a June 2013 opening and will be called The Trump Three-Card Monte.

Trump has shown time and time again - he's not smart. If he had continued to fly under the radar and not injected himself into the birther political arena et al, all these stories would not have been dug up. Looks like Trump's ego got so over inflated that the bubble has burst!! He's scrambling in every direction and knows not how to handle it. The more he talks, the bigger buffoon he appears!! His laundry is hanging out there for all to see!! LOL

While he's done that, he and his ego will take down his daughter and sons as they too have attached themselves and contributed to all these Cons as they appear in videos and at groundbreakings, etc. selling the name Trump hanging on the buildings, etc when in fact it's a sham for a few million bucks.

Oh my, my, the new mommy-to-be Ivanka is as tarnished as Daddy.

The gold in Trumps apartment is tarnishing as we speak!!!

Yikes, so if my opinion is different from yours I get banned. Better just kick me out now. I agree there is no need to post over and over, but he has the right to his opinion.

Thank goodness Sally came along and got rid of the troll Thomas409, cut and paste the same thing over and over...........typical Tea Party member.

BTW.....Thomas409, hurry on down to buy some of your political leader's new properties located in Florida swampland or Mexico (you get a free assault rifle with purchase)

The people who lost money did so because of the real estate crash. The Donalds realized the risk in putting up their own cash to build, and decided to cash in on their name instead. The contracts their lawyers drew up protected them from any liability, and they could not care less whether or not anyone lost any money. The so-called Universities are just a scam, unethical at least, and maybe illegal. People were taking a risk when they bought into these properties hoping that the name Trump would ensure their investment held or increased in value. Now they claim they thought he was one of the developers, and not just licensing his name, and somehow that means he should be responsible because the builders went bankrupt. I'm not a Trump fan - I think he's despicable, but a lot of people lost tons of money during this crisis, but is he to blame? I think not. Look towards the lawmakers who allowed banks to take huge risks, and then take public money (in taxes) to pay for their losses. By the way - in who's hands exactly did the 'bail out' money end up? Now the same politicians are telling us our retirement and medical expenses are too high, and so we must sacrifice even more (to pay for the trillions given to the banks).

I totally agree with the original post of this thread. trump "chump" is about HIMSELF and if anyone is stupid enough to believe that he would be about helping people is ludicrous.

all of his endevears prove this. even a blind person can see that he is NOT trustworthy to be a good president. he is not a good person at heart. he is extremely narcisistic, manipulative, lacks business ethics, lacks professional curtousey...

just because he has manipulated the mind of others does not mean he is an honest businessman.. wait, isn't that an oxy moron when using Trump in the same sentence?

Dennis...who reveres politicians?

The guy is a huckster, plain and simple. He's the one who said something to the effect of "if you haven't declared bankruptcy numerous times, you're not a success." He sells his name now to a bunch of junk to make money, just like Krusty the Klown. It's just like Krusty's Home Pregnancy Test kit that carries the label: "Warning: May Cause Birth Defects."

PT Barnum reborn. His show is a three ring circus and he proves that there is a sucker born every minute. If he makes it to this countries highest office we are going to see politics on steroids.

Donald Trump will be the Don of the crooks already in office. Your newly elected mafia boss.

One of his latest business endeavors is selling nutritional supplements through network marketing. Translation: SNAKE-OIL PYRAMID SCHEME.

Yeah, he's a great business man. *laugh*

Thomas409 has exposed his obscene hatred many times on this post. I suspect that exposing himself in public is a frequent habit. He certainly displays the profile of a deviant of some kind.

Trump for President :) Let's give him a chance.

He will soon declare bankruptcy for the country and we won't have to pay back the Chinese on their loans. As an added bonus we won't have to look at his made in China products in the stores as well.

hey catholic girl. instead of taking unintelligent cheap shots at obama, why don't you worry about the problems in your Pedophile Catholic Cult FIRST...

cheers!

Sally goes after conservatives with a vengeance....Feeling the power Sally??? Thomas may not have been 100 percent proper....but I have seen much worse left wing posts....and Sally ignores them....

Gee Sally...I have seen literally thousands of posts stating that all tea party members and all conservatives are racist....And you didnt ban a single one of them....True to the MSNBC liberal fairness doctrine Sally???

Diamond60: You keep talking about Trump filing for bankrupcies, well it's because he took a chance and the project failed. Look at the big banks and GM, our fearless leaders said they are too big to fail, let's bail them out.

Yeah, and the big banks and GM are paying back their bail out money. How many of Trumps creditors got any of their money back after he filed for his bankrupcies?

Hey J.A. ---- to Sally's defense, some posts won't be taken down, if they are simply honest.

It' kinda like charging someone with "slander" or "libel". The defense to such a charge is very simple -- if it turns out the statement was honest or accurate, there is no case.

PS -- if you are trying, somehow, to suggest that the right-wing in the US doesn't drive much more than hatred and divisiveness, I think you're wasting your time. Nobody buys it. Even the right-wing knows what they're up to.

Cheers!

Danny....your fairness rating is Zero.....I will bet that you would support all middle age white southerners to be promptly put in prison....simply because you believe that they are all bad.....By the way your thinking ability is also zero......Why would anyone trust you to be right? You have displayed your lack of ability to think....Go back to your fuzzy wuzzy goody goody liberal world and call all conservatives names....

Hey J.A-522495. Here's the perfect combination for the GOP (Gestapo On Parade) and the Tea Baggaers, Mrs. Dumb-ass Palin & Donald Dump. these two characters represent the ideology and believes of all of the cult like followers of the party of hate and the Corporations Whores. Brake a leg in 2012! you guys are going nowhere thanks God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And how about comparing those with Obama(57states and a new war without congress) Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank, Van Jones....and many many more....that you must be very proud of....All mentioned are not qualified to be dog catcher...Well maybe in a cartoon...You might just fit in too....

Geez, JA. Shriek much? LOL... you sound like someone yanked your piggy tails at recess!

Danny....are you just being a jerk??? Like Jhon??? You guys have the right to lable parties as gestapo?? and cult followers and corporation whores??? And you want to say something smart ass about it.....Why dont you wait until you have some thinking ability....not just smart ass...Go ahead and defend Sally for being one sided and prejudiced....You lefties need to stick together...but even then you cant think with the reality of one sensible person.... I dont think Sally will ever understand that you lefties own the name calling gig....she just doesnt get it and she has followers like you to defend her prejudices...Dont object to my post because you liberals think you own free speech and can censor...You dont seem to own subjective thinking....

You know Sally is very young. She hasnt been out of liberal school very long and of course she moved from liberal NY to Liberal Seattle and works for liberal MSNBC.....When she grows up, maybe she will learn and be able to understand that liberalism isnt the answer....But some seem to never learn, right Danny?

Bankruptcy is also a tool for the rich to protect their ill-gotten gains.

LOL... wow, JA's piggy tails got yanked AGAIN at recess... Listen to the shrieking!!

Poor little thing...

Danny...Sorry, I just dont want to bother with your childish posts....They are even more childish when you repeat them. Do you have a fixation on grade school? Or are you still there?....Dont bother to answer....I will not respond any more to your silliness....

Good -- because I'm tired of hearing you shriek about "liberals liberals liberals" like a little 6-year-old girl who had her piggy tails yanked at recess...

You sound like a typical Dumbya Bush butt-licker who really was one of the children left behind...

Danny, you don't have anything of substance to bring to the table. You can't come up with any real arguments to prove your point so you have to rely on personal attacks... Your insults do not hold any water with me.

Hey Sally isn't that against Newsvine Rules??? Why not treet everyone the same??

Danny, you don't have anything of substance to bring to the table.

Oh really. So, you think that continually bringing up the MORONIC issue of Obama's misspeak of "57" -- suggesting that he really doesn't know how many states there are in the US -- is germaine to ANYTHING? Yet, your hero Dumbya Bush could NEVER put a sentence together to save his life? And, your mindlessness of supporting a Pedophile Cult is also at the top of your list??

You think you've EVER had ANY substance on this discussion board with your senseless yapping?? What a joke...

.............and he wants to be our latex salesman.

Anyone who would invest a dime, to say nothing of their LIFE SAVINGS, with this obvious schmuck, deserves to lose everything they invest.

He's a con man, nothing more.

I'm with you DCFE ... whoever 'believed' in Trump's vision got what they deserved. What, did his massive business failures escape you? Trump is an entertainer, not a businessman. Or at least, that's the only portion of what he does that evidence suggests he's good at.

@Thomas409

"Listen to me, minorities, DEMOCRATS ARE RACIST!!! If you really want to change your circumstances and create a better life for yourself, vote the Republicans back into office and then hold them accountable. They don't hate you, and they're not using you to pad their voting base like the liberals are. They want you to become self-sufficient and they'll help you get there. The Democrats will never allow you to rise above your current station in life and that's a guarantee.

DEMOCRATS ARE RACIST!!!"

I think you have watched too much Fox news, a discredited news outlet whom edit the news to the comfort of extreme right wingers.

If Democrats did dominated in the past the south and they were opposed to allow equal civil rights, during Martin Luther King era. Are precisely the same new generation whom now serve under the umbrella of the Republican party today. The past is past and we all living the present time. So you just another washed mind victim who doesn't have your facts straight. Sorry man you just a moron.

I am sure the reverence also extends to Lindsey Lohan et al. In a jest....

Don't want to pile on the misfortunes but it would be more accurate if people start admitting that they were conned instead of putting Trump on a pedestal and fooling themselves into thinking that somehow their irresponsibility can be shifted.

DougM, are you a business owner? What are the stats, 9 out of 10 fail? You are a moron.

That is business. You win, you lose. The thing is when you do win, it out weighs the losses, that is why he is rich.

Loser.

Donald Trump is very good at doing what politicians do; increase thier bank balance with other peoples money. Running for President generates huge amounts of money for the candidates from contributors through their campaign funding business.

If he runs and is not elected he can still profit from another loss.

These unfortunate homeowners did not at all deserve what they got, and shame on people for saying so. They were not buying the property because of Trump's celebrity status, but because the Trump name used to stand for luxury and quality--the best you could get. It's the same idea behind buying a Toyota or a Honda: you buy one because it has a reputation for safety and reliability.

Now imagine that you bought a Toyota at a premium price and it broke down as soon as you drove it off the lot. You take it to the repair shop and the mechanic tells you that it's not really a Toyota, but a Chrysler. Chrysler just bought a bunch of plastic 'Toyota' tags and glued them to their cars so they could charge a higher price. So you take the car back to the dealership and demand your money back. But the dealership claims it's not obligated to give your money back because you wouldn't have bought the car in the first place if you didn't like it or didn't think you were getting a good deal. That's essentially what these developers did: they bought a sign with Trump's name on it and stuck it to the side of their buildings and then advertised that they were selling Trump property. If that was not disclosed in the buyer's paperwork, then it's fraud, clear and simple. I hope Trump and these developers get their own heads handed to them.

@A. Kelsey,

the problem was even if they bought a real Toyota is was still a POS, they should have bought a Ford if they wanted a well made American car. that's the problem with the Tea Party and Republicans, complain about outsourcing and money flight to other countries and then go down and buy a Jap car???.....Typical Tea party platform complain about a problem they have made by unwise choices.

@marklepew,

What does my comment have to do with political ideology, or even with buying cars for that matter? I was simply using an analogy to illustrate how these homebuyers were cheated--a simple analogy that I thought people would readily understand. I'm not making any statement for or about outsourcing or the Tea Party.

BTW, I happen to own a Ford in addition to a Toyota.

@A.Kelsey,

sorry I agree with your post. I just couldn't resist giving the TP a jab with the Toyota comments. I'm glad to see you bought a Ford, you're 50% correct, now don't buy anymore foreign owned products and we will see recovery.

PS..............stay away from Trump products. He is an idiot and the leader of the Tea Party

Adulterers, religious cultists, homosexuals, pedophiles, and candidates with huge past ethical deficiencies

SAT time: Who can tell me which one of these doesn't belong?

@marklepew - I am a member of the Tea Party and I own a Ford. In fact I know a lot of people who do. You have no Idea what the tea party stands for. Do your research first, then post.

Clearly, he did his research. You prove that with most of your posts on the Vine!

ummmm..... otay!?

A fool and their money are soon parted is a reality with Donald. If he gets the Repub nod for President chit will hit the fan LOL. It will be a fool and his country are soon parted (a class war will erupt).

It will be a fool and his country are soon parted

a repeat of the 8-year calamity called Dumbya Bush!

FATAL error

I have never understood people puttung any value in, or on Donald Trump. The man has always stuck me as a "showman in search of suckers". Appears from the article, he found plenty. Those who got themselves mixed up with him deserve their deserts. The man is a mediocre shyster.

Does P.T. Barnum or Col. Tom Parker ring any bells. :-)

Must be nice to always go through life blaming the victim. You never have to take responsibility for anything that way. You can walk all over others who didn't have the advantages you had and never feel a thing about it. It's convenient for narcissists and used car salesmen.

Victim? Are you kidding me? These people had SUCKER written all over their face when they walked in the door. They are the same idiots that buy clothes with 'designer' names on them (that are really designed in a sweat shop in ShangHai) Anybody who bought anything because it had the DUMP name on it, deserve exactly what they got! Ha Ha Ha

If they had half a brain, they would have known that anything he touched, needed a vaccine attached to it

@ Hugh

Anybody who bought anything because it had the DUMP name on it, deserve exactly what they got!

So I guess that goes for the almighty braintrust of GOP voters too, right?

First, Here we go again, stupid Wall Street bankers who fail to do their homework and research what it is they are buying (derivatives) now are crying like a pack little newborns who need a taxpayer bailout. Looks like there was significant deception if not outright fraud. But that's for the courts to rule on.

Second, "What's next, people are going to blame mortgage companies and banks becuase they bought homes they can;t afford and are now being foreclosed on??? Oh, wait, that's already happening." It looks like there was a lot of misrepresentation and illegal activities in the mortgage industry, too, leading up to the housing bust.

After the Savings & Loan disaster in the 1990's, there were many federal prosecutions and convictions of S&L executives. A lot of people are wondering why bank regulators aren't making more referrals to the Justice Dept. for similar prosecution.

Third, GEEZE! for that kind of money you should know enough to have an attorney review everything.

Desktop123, "that never had the advantages you did"...are you freaking kidding me? My dad was in the army for 33 years, I grew up around army bases, ya, real advantage there. The only advantage I have is I have common sense.

Jim in D,

What's the difference between someone looking for a house or condo [supposedly] manufactured.built by a product name (Trump is a product name) and you going to a store to buy a TV or PC and asking to see HP, LG, Dell, etc. ? Nothing

Whether it's a brand name on a small product (TV, PC, Stereo, etc) or a larger product (home) it refers to the manufacturer. One shouldn't have to be a lawyer to determine if it a coffee maker is produce by Mr. Coffee or a home manufactured by Trump. Look Around your neighborhood for new homes. You'll see that there's actually a name of the manufacturer on those sell signs. What trump did (and does) is pure deception..NO...actually lying. It shows a lack...oops...no integrity.

And before you give me your spill about growing up around Army bases and crying crocodile tears, I grew up around Navy bases (my farther is retired enlisted Navy) and am retire Army myself.

Julie, the difference is Donald Trump is one person and these people were hanging their hat on the name of one person as tho he were personally involved. Secondly, when you buy a brand name tv,the parts are not manufactured by that company, they are mass produced by some downstream company and then they slap the brand name on it. The same part might get slapped with a LG brand or a SONY brand. Granted, he should have been more proactive in how these builders were using his name, no doubt, I would certainly have been, but it is still up to the buyer to ascertain what they are buying. When Kathie Lee Gifford caught hell for her swaet shop operation in China, did anyone buying her line of clothes really believe Kathy was showing up at the factory everyday overseeing the operations? Celebrities loan their name on millions of products as promotion and they get a fee for doing so. When I buy a Ford, I'm not silly enough to think the parts that go into the car are all manufactured by Ford, they are manufactured in China or Mexico, partially built in mexico or canada and yet they are advertised as an american car.

Sounds very similar to the 'Bernie Madoff' brand name. All those investors that clamored to him because of his name and reputation, only to have their money 'madeoff' with...

Jim: I understand what you are saying, consumers are ultimately responsible for their choices, but that doesn't excuse people like Donald Trump for branding total crap for profit. His whole shtick is that he is all knowing and everything he does is golden, when, in reality, he'd label a turd candypop and sell it to a pre-schooler. And even that wouldn't matter as much if he wasn't implying that he might run for President. Even if those who are reasonable amongst us say that people get what they pay for (though Im an advocate of consumer protection), I don't think anyone in their right mind would put their faith in the american public to vote for a candidate based fully on facts.

I had the exact same thought about designer clothing labels and Trump licensing his name. But there's a huge difference. When you buy designer clothing, you are paying for the style you appreciate and the name, and I suppose, the status you feel when wearing it. You are the end user. You wear it until you're ready to move on to something else.

When you buy real estate, even if it's going to be your home, it is considered an investment. When you are done with it, the idea is to sell it for more than what you paid for it.

Because Trump made a name for himself in real estate development, it carries a lot of value. The assumption is that if the Trump name is on it, it's an opportunity for a piece of the type of success that the Don has experienced. There would be no reason for a company to pay the Don $4 million for the use of his name, if that were not the intent.

That's the very reason you license your name. Most companies who license their name (think Disney) carefully guard their brand. They would never put their name on a cheap toy or a substandard movie. That's why people trust the Disney brand. Even if Disney didn't directly make it, they trust that it's up to the standards of Disney quality.

Trump took that trust that people have in an established brand, and used it for his own short-term benefit. Quick money. Now he tarnished his brand, which was really bad business decision.

I watch the Apprentice, and think the Don is kind of adorable as a person or a character. He is who he is and he does what he does. But he's not a person I'd want as President. His thinking is too much of board room mentality. You can't run the country like a Fortune 500 company.

Renee, the reason Disney has control over its' end product is because the movies are a Disney made product through the Disney Studios. As for clothing, you forgot to include that when you buy designer name, one might expect it to be a step above in quality, which is not always the case. I'm not sure but I doubt these properties were marketed as being built by the Donald Trump Real Estate Construction Co or whatever his companies names are. Secondly, there is the school of thought that you buy your home as a home, not an investment and while you may realize a profit when you sell, buy it because you like it not because it's an investment, save that thought for rental properties. There are millions of people who have come to the realization that their "investment" in their homes has been a loss not a gain and it has nothign to do with whoever the builder may have been. In this case, the builder went bankrupt, if I recall, and that can happen to any builder, good or bad. There are thousands of developments across the nation that start up, get contracts before the project is done and wham, the builder goes under becuase they can't get additional financing. I know many builders that have lines of credit approved for them, they start their projects and halfway through the process their lender goes belly up and their line of credit is gone and another bank won;t step in halfway thru the process becuase of legal reasons...it happens.

That is so true people! stop blaming others in your own stupid mistakes and failure. I failed my realstate investment but i'm not blaming my broker or anyone else, it's me myself and I. I like Trump, He is one of the most popular business man, He survived his up's & down in business.. that's too bad the media and the losers are trying to scrutinized his image.

Victim? Are you kidding me? These people had SUCKER written all over their face when they walked in the door.

much like those that would vote the guy for president.

actually, they are the same bunch.

Jim in D, You're correct that a TV might have parts from "downstream company" or that " parts that go into the car are all manufactured by Ford."

However that Sony or LG TV that has some of the same parts or that Ford vehicle which has parts from different manufactures break or need maintenance who/what company is held responsible? You're not going to take you Ford truck to Mexico to service the part that was made there or take your TV to Korea for the part that's made there. You're going to take your TV to Sony or LG and your vehicle to your local Ford dealership. Why? Because they are responsible.

Now the technically with this POS (trump) is that he lease/rented out his name and bury it legal documents that even a lawyer stated was hard to find/comprehend. This is pure deception. You even stated to Renee:

I'm not sure but I doubt these properties were marketed as being built by the Donald Trump Real Estate Construction Co or whatever his companies names are..

but what about:

...a waterfront property that Mr. Trump described in marketing materials as “my latest development”...

His "latest development"? That's a bold face lie. Please explain to all of us how this statement isn't a lie? Because in was taken out of context of the multi-page lease/buying documentation where he hides his 'disclaimer'? That is called deceptive practices.

As for me, I'm not going to buy anything based upon someone's name or their endorsement. I buy based upon the product.

@queentc..

You're showing your ignorance here..he is being scrutinized BECAUSE HE"S TALKING ABOUT BECOMING POTUS!!! I bet you think President Obama is not an American...candidates, and potential candidates, are VETTED BY EVERYONE including FBI, CIA and very thoroughly, I might add. When Trump is vetted closely, he will not be able to run for dog catcher!!! lmao...please educate yourself before eschewing your miserable diatribe..

It's always easy to excuse a burglar's behavior by telling the victim "you should have had a better lock on your door."

Still, the reason something was burglarized is THE GODDAM BURGLAR!

Wake up people...

bob--I have not heard this before but thanks for a great quote. Perfect.

bob, That quote sure sums it up ,,,!

If it looks like a rat, smells like a rat, talkes like a rat, you can bet it's a rat.

You know i always laugh at people who dont have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out seems to take the side of the people (namley republicans) who dont give a d**n about the regular people tell you in not so many words that if you are not a part of the 1% that controles 99% of the wealth you dont matter. People in their own minds vote for them thinking that if i go along with this now it will benefit me when i become part of the one percent but what they dont tell you is if you are in your mid thirties you have abosultly no chance at becoming a part of that one 1%. Woman voter hit it right on the nose with her comment. Hard on the rocks is just like all other republicans when they talk you must listen not to mention the fact that most of the things they say are 100% false. I am a democrate and dont get me wrong they are a party that sometimes get it wrong and i dont agree with all they do but at least 99 % of the time they are trying to do something right for the little guy. Which in my opinion is just about everyone who is commenting on this page. people don't want to say it but all this beef about your Democratic President and he is all of our PRESIDENT is not because he is a democratic but because he is a black democrat. He is trying to do for all americans and the republicans are not trying to do for anyone who doesn't have a 20 million dollar portfolio and that is the bottom line. Sooner or later you guys are going to wake up and smell the coffee Trump is only seeking publicity you all know he is not running for president and if all he got to talk about is the president's birth certificate (which until he decided that his show wasnt doing that good in the ratings anymore and he needed a ratings boost and that he was running for president) was a dead issue so keep putting your trust in republicans like trump and the rest of them. The financial suituation that this country is in is only going to get worse because they have no intention of changing anything. The United States used to be the beacon for all other countries to want to emulate now because of the republican party we are the biggest joke out there. and that is just my opinion and it is just like a a**hole everybody has one.

AMEN, to that.......

He's nothing but a con man in an expensive suit. If he hadn't been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he would probably have ended up being the worst kind of used car salesman. Anyone who would vote for him needs to have their IQ tested to make sure that they are legally literate... or sane.

Like they used to say about W:

He was born on third base and thought he hit a triple.

No more of a scam than the Democrats.

Well I cetrtainly agree ,,,,,that both parties are a scam.

Any one who thinks otherwise is naieve ( spl?).

HILARIOUS considering the huge corporate bailout that came courtesy of the current DEMOCRATIC president!!!!!

this is the main problem with politics of today, arguments such as:"yeah but the dems did this, followed by, but the repubs did this". does not make it right, as the middle class American taxpayer bears the brunt of all this greed. time to put the greedy elected officials in prison. nuff said.

@ mmcguire1, if I do remember your facts are wrong I believed President Bush signed the Tarp program with Paulson as Treasury Secretary. Ahh I forgot President Obama is always wrong and GOP'ers always right. The whole blame to Democrats from Republicans mistakes is a game Republicans always play. Good lord, give me a break.

I would call Trump the white obama but that would not be fair to Trump. At least Trump has worked most of his life and has business experience.

I think President Bush started the GM bailout in December 2008 and Obama continued it.

Look at GM today.

It's time to give BOTH presidents the credit they deserve for saving GM. Those who called on the "market" to allow GM to die look like idiots. Even George Bush was smart enough to listen to those telling him not to allow GM to die.

The GM bailout is clearly a success story. To imply otherwise shows you have an agenda that relies on mis-truths to succeed.

Yep, and when you buy something from somebody that had no experience, you get NOTHING.

John Lee Davis, No President has experience until he sits in the "Hot Seat". Obama was smart enough to keep us from going into a" Damn Depression", had he let all businesses collase at once, America would be in the same shape as in the 30's. Let's all be realistic, Obama is "Black" so he'll never be a good president in the eyes of "America", there is just to much racial hatred for a black man; We all knew George W. Bush was an idiot ,and that Chenney.ran the country, but we accepted this closed mouths, for eight long years. Our economy worsted because Bush gave big tax cuts to the wealthy, and landed us in two wars without raising taxes for a safety net. Freddie Mac, etc didn't created this economy bubble, they just added to the it.... Georgie Boy was the President, so why didn't he tell all Americans where we stood, and what we had to do, in order cut the hemmoraging of our economy.... I guess that is what he was telling those people overseas when that man threw two shoes at his head; I was glad it missed both times, because that poor boy's brain was already in grave condition... But you were right...... America bought from someone with no experience and it got NOTHING.....

Is a game called politics of the wrong. Mary Robertson you are right in your statement but you got to be aware that Republicans always had amnesia when the time comes to recognize when they had screw up. Under the Republican presidents, the policies are made for this country to be less sensitive to the middle class by sending the whole economy to the toilet. Sadly the core principle of the of the capitalism concept is to help via government freebies to the wealthy to became richer with the use of the middle class as a cattle. This is the reason why Republicans are pushing their agenda, many believe in that. One gold rule of the capitalism is to bring poverty to the mass by favoring the wealthy to make money during the crisis.

Yeah imagine that. Looks like Trump has learned well from the democrats om how to run a campaign. The only claim they haven't made yet is how Mrs Trump grew up cleaning restrooms to pay for her Harvard education..

LOL.... Unfortunately some of these gullable fools are still playing the partisan game eh rashinal?

"Oh wait, he doesn't have a show on Fox News"

YET.......

Fox should start a show with Trump and Al Davis from the Oakland Raiders. They can banter back in forth in their New York accents about who is the smarter business man. Just for kicks they can take turns firing Lane Kiffen.

good lord! don't give FOX any more stupid ideas - please!

this...i don't know - can't call anything like that a real man - is greed incarnate.

as everyone knows, there are 7 deadly sins according to christian faith.

Proverbs 6

16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

it's amazing that, not only do we adveritse PRIDE (what got us bombed in the first place), we worship greed. (wow, 2 sins at the same time!)

we are supposed to learn from our mistakes. too bad most of us never got out of preschool

after trump is finished with his presidential bid, and he pulls one foot out of his mouth and the other out of his a$$, he'll be ready for primetime fox, cause no one else will hire him

Yep, requirements for U.S. president is just be a community organizer. No knowledge of how business works is required!

If they gave him his own show on Faux, could they force him to do something with that hair?

That might make it worth putting up with.

And he's only not Bernard Madoff because he lacks the skills, not because he wouldn't have wanted to do the same.

Well put, Kraig

Completely agree with both points.

Innovative, hardworking capitalists made this country great, not sleazy money grubbing ones.

He's sleezy and his greed is matched only by his ego. He also employs thousands, pays taxes, and donates millions to charity.

Our system is set up so that even greedy, sleazy capitalists benefit society. Even if it's only because benefiting society is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get ridiculously rich.

You can be innovative and benevolent, with the goal of helping society, and also end up rich as a side effect you don't really care about.

You can also be scummy and greedy, with the goal of making as much money as possible, and end up helping society as a side effect you don't really care about.

Yeah -- kinda like the Pedophile Catholic Cult... what's tens of thousansd of raped and molested children, when you've got so many soup kitchens feeding the poor!

yeah, Donald's lying and thieving is OK -- because he pays taxes and gives to charity.

no wonder this country is in the sihtter. people too easily justify the filth here; because while they're screwing-over 50 people, they're doing someone nice for a couple people down the road.

as if that evens everything out... (sigh)

That's the whole point of capitalism. The open, public acknowledgement that lots of people are greedy and immoral, and these people lust for ever more money and power. Every society that has tried to fix or ignore this has certain problems. We decided not to fix or ignore it. We set up a system that uses them as economic fuel, like gasoline, to propel the country forward. Sure, they cause some pollution. But I do think that our capitalist system is the main reason the USA isn't a third world $hithole.

I guess the Mayans were onto something if that ever happens...

I might as well take up smoking again...

He's going to make this country rich? Well, I'm sure if elected president, he'll run the US like a business: He'll burn it to the ground and collect the insurance.

Make sure sure that you buy TRUMP approved BC Buds

Indeed, as soon they send America into cardiac arrest, her heart monitor will have a very straight line.

Trump/Palin 2012 Your Fired/I Quit

I hope with all my heart that you're being sarcastic, NoMass. Otherwise, I would be forced into tears of despair.

Your name says it all! I'm not sure if your comments smell like your cheese or Rush!

I'm convinced that half the "conservatives" are actually liberals deliberately parodying conservative idiocy.

At least it keeps me sane to think that. Because if I start thinking conservatives really think like that it makes me weep for humanity.

Well with a moniker like that, no wonder you're so confused. Immorality and greed is good, eh? I think you'll be staying in that parallel universe of yours for awhile.

limbaugher you better get your head examined! your either a rascist or a hard core repub that dont care what your party does or says. I for one am becoming ashamed of the repub party with all they are trying to do to hurt the American people who they work for! I'm ready to throw in the towel. Trying to be conservative is one thing but to outright blame hard working american people for all the budget problems.... If those oil subsidies don't get repealed my allegiance to the repubs is gone for good!!!

Does your name signify you are Rush's bun buddy?

limbaugher.......trump is on line 3; he has a bridge he wants you to invest in. You know you can trust him.

LIMPAUGHER, let me guess, your one of them Tax Evading American Party "patriots"

Better at what, Limbaugher?

Can I have free ladybugs instead of free bees? We still have plenty of bees around here.

bee populations are down 50% in the US.

Say What??????

I think that was satire.

Ditto.

Let's hope it's satire!

True, there have certainly been more than enough red flags around the Trump name to warn away anyone paying attention, but that doesn't excuse Trump for deliberately creating an illusion designed to make it appear he was doing anything more than just licensing his name.

Should they have known? Yes. Does that excuse him from culpability? Absolutely not.

What fool would want to follow this guy or buy anything with his name on it ? I wouldn't but when you have thousans of dollars to throw away on luxary items like this it makes me hard to feel sorry for you !!!! Just saying ......