Donald Trump on Principles & Values 2016 Republican nominee for President; 2000 Reform Primary Challenger for President

Sub-sections under Principles & Values:
• Birtherism
• Business Principles
• Past Campaigns
• Personal Background
• Religion
• Scandals
• Other issues under Principles & Values

Judges should just interpret law, like religious liberty

OpEd: Replaces art of the compromise but the art of conflict

[On Trump's staff,] you defined yourself by your enemy's reaction. Conflict was the media bait -- hence, now, the political chum. The new politics was not the art of the compromise but the art of conflict.

Put American citizens first, to make America great again

Dying industries will come roaring back to life. Heroic veterans will get the care they so desperately need. Our military will be given the resources its brave warriors so richly deserve. Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced. Our terrible drug epidemic will slow down & ultimately, stop. And our neglected inner cities will see a rebirth of hope, safety, and opportunity.

We are transferring power from Washington to the people

For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished--but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered--but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

That all changes--starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now.

OpEd: Trump's rise analogous to Hitler's in 1930s Germany

First, the German establishment saw Hitler as the "lesser evil." The greater threat was the left, including the Social Democrats and especially the Communists. Trump is also rebranding himself as the "lesser evil," the only alternative to a continuation of the Obama betrayal of the US.

Second, the conservative establishment counted on parliamentary politicians to rein in Hitler. So, too, Republican congressional leaders in the US have convinced themselves that they can make deals with Trump.

Third, the Germans underestimated the anger of the public. And they also underestimated Hitler's charisma, mastery of the media and skill in speaking to the mainly rural "red state" Germans--Hitler gave voice to their humiliation about the collapse of the German nation and promised to eliminate those to blame [analogous to Trump].

Agrees with Hillary on marijuana, campaign finance, trade

• Tax Reform: Both would increase income taxes on the wealthy, although Trump would lower corporate taxes and estate taxes.
• Faith-based initiatives: Both support working with religious organizations for social services.
• Drug War: Both cautiously support state-based medical marijuana while postponing other aspects.
• Campaign Finance Reform: Both would reform the current finance system, although Hillary supports public financing (while Trump avoids the issue by self-financing).
• Free Trade: Both would reform our current trade deals, although for different goals: Hillary for better labor and environmental standards; Trump for a better overall deal.

Make America great again

Our flag represents equality, hope, fairness, & courage

The city of Palm Beach decided my flag was too big. They claimed it exceeded zoning regulations. When I politely informed them I had no intention of taking down my American flag, they began fining me $250 a day until I removed it. Those fines added up to $120,000 by the time we had worked out a deal with the city.

As we all know, the flag is much more than a red, white, and blue cloth rectangle. It is a symbol to me, to you, and to people around the world. It represents equality, hope, and fairness. It represents courage and sacrifice.

I give people what they need and don't get: The Truth

You listen to the politicians and it's as if they are speaking from a script titled "How Boring Can I Possibly Be?" They're so afraid of tripping on their own words, terrified that they're going to say something unscripted and go off message--that's the phrase they use, "go off message"--that they are verbally paralyzed. They'll do anything they can to avoid answering a question--and the media plays the game with them.

I will negotiate until American is great again

In NYC almost everyone is Democrat, but I'm Republican

TRUMP: I come from a place, New York City, which is virtually, I mean, it is almost exclusively Democrat. And I have really started to see some of the negatives--as an example, and I have a lot of liking for [Jeb Bush], but the last number of months of his brother's administration were a catastrophe. And unfortunately, those few months gave us President Obama. And you can't be happy about that.

5-point plan to return America to her former greatness

We can return America to her former greatness if we get tough and act smart.
1. It starts with China and OPEC. The hundreds of billions of dollars they steal from us each year must end right away. That one action alone will result in a windfall to help us pay down our debt and meet our commitments.
2. Next, we enforce a zero-tolerance policy for the kind of brainless government waste that we've all become far too accustomed to from Washington.
3. We go after the criminals and con artists who are defrauding taxpayers of $243 billion every year in Medicare fraud and billions more in other kinds of fraud, such as the disability racket.
4. We must save Social Security through economic success.
5. We need to put Americans back to work and kick the community organizer out of office so we can instill some fiscal sanity in Washington.

USA is the greatest force for freedom world has ever known

We need a leader who will get tough, get smart, and get America working again. I believe America is worth fighting for, I believe America has nothing to apologize for. I believe America can get back her greatness. But we need a tough leader for tough times--someone who isn't afraid to do hard things.

If I run & win, our country will be great again

If I decided to run, I will not be raising taxes, we'll be taking back hundreds of billions of dollars from other countries that are screwing us, we'll be creating vast numbers of productive jobs, and we'll rebuild our country so that we can be proud. Our country will be great again.

Greatest fear? I don't have any; I only have "concerns"

Do you fear owning a business? Translate that for yourself as asking: Are you concerned about owning a business yourself? Why specifically are those concerns?

It's much easier to break down a concern than it is a fear. Fear creates a block that will only hinder your creative thinking. Objectivity will remove that block & allow creative ideas to flow. If you can learn to deal with & solve problems, you'll have a much bigger margin for success.

Do not allow fear to settle into place in any part of your life. It is a defeating attitude. Recognize and zap it immediately. Replace it with a problem-solving attitude, faith in yourself, and hard work. Put that formula into working order for yourself and you'll be dealing from a position of power, not fear. That's winning.

I'm more humble than people might think

In this commercial, called "Rooftop," I am shown on the top of Trump Tower holding my Visa card when a gust of wind blows it out of my hand and down many scores of floors to the street below, which happens to be Fifth Avenue. Then I'm seeing rummaging through a Dumpster in search of my lost card, and when a well-dressed passerby on Fifth Avenue sees me emerge from the bottom of the Dumpster, she indignantly remarks, "and I thought he was doing so well!"

Here's my point: Go for having a good time because in the process of a lot of other people just might have a good time, too. My theory is: Take your work seriously, take yourself less seriously.

3 principles: One term, two-fisted policies, zero excuses

Non-politicians are the wave of the future

I'm a clean-hands freak; and dislike shaking hands

To me the only good thing about the act of shaking hands prior to eating is that I tend to eat less. For example, there is no way, after shaking someone's hand, that I would eat bread. Even walking down the street, as people rush up to shake my hand, I often wonder to myself, why? Why risk catching a cold?

Prefers short, formal bows to shaking hands

I'm too honest & too controversial to be a politician

People who inherit don't know how to earn back losses

In order to come back, you need confidence. It's hard to think of yourself as a winner when you go through the family fortune in a few years and never sample even a morsel of success.

Toughness is equally strength, intelligence, & self-respect

The opposite of toughness-weakness-makes me mad and sometimes turns my stomach. I’m not referring here to the kind of weakness that comes from being poor, sick, or disadvantaged. I’m talking about those people who can take a strong stand but just don’t.

Toughness is pride, drive, commitment, and the courage to follow through on things you believe in, even when they are under attack. It is solving problems instead of letting them fester. It is being who you really are, even when society wants you to be somebody else. Toughness is walking away from things you want because, for one reason or another, acquiring them doesn’t make sense. In business, toughness means playing by the rules but also putting those rules to work for you. It is looking at an adversary across the desk and saying, simply, No.

I did a good job getting Obama to produce birth certificate

TRUMP: [Hillary's 2008 campaign] sent a highly respected reporter at McClatchy, [a news agency], to Kenya to find out about it. She failed to get the birth certificate. When I got involved, I didn't fail. I got him to give the birth certificate. So I'm satisfied with it.

Q: The birth certificate was produced in 2011. You've continued to question the president's legitimacy as recently as January 2016. So what changed your mind?

TRUMP: Well, nobody was pressing it. I figured you'd ask the question tonight, of course. But I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate. And I think I did a good job.

CLINTON: Donald knew he was going to be asked this question, so he tried to put the whole racist birther lie to bed.

I got Obama to produce birth certificate, so I'm satisfied

TRUMP: Sidney Blumenthal works for [Hillary's] campaign and sent a highly respected reporter to Kenya to find out about it. They were pressing it very hard. She failed to get the birth certificate. When I got involved, I didn't fail. I got him to give the birth certificate. So I'm satisfied with it.

Q: The birth certificate was produced in 2011. You've continued to question the president's legitimacy as recently as Jan. 2016. What changed your mind?

TRUMP: Nobody was pressing it. But I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate. And I think I did a good job.

CLINTON: Donald started his political activity based on this racist lie that our first black president was not an American. There was absolutely no evidence for it, but he persisted.

2011: Obama's birth certificate is hiding something

Donald Trump followed his CPAC performance with a birther blitz on Fox News, telling the audience of Bill O' Reilly's nighttime program that he had once believed that Obama had been born in Hawaii but added, "I've seen too many things" and "come to have doubts." Under tough questioning from O' Reilly, who had dismissed the birther claims, Trump allowed that perhaps the president had a US birth certificate. But he added, "Now he may have one, but there is something on that birth certificate--maybe religion, maybe he says he's a Muslim, I don't know."

OpEd: Obama's grandmother never said he was born in Kenya

Already public, the tape in question was a recorded telephone interview with Obama's stepmother, Sarah, who was in Kenya. Sarah spoke Swahili. The interviewer was an English-speaking preacher named Ron McRae.

The interview finds McRae saying "Was he born in Mombasa?" In response the translator says, "No. Obama was not born in Mombasa. He was born in America." McRae pressed Sarah on the issue, and the translator, after asking the question and waiting for the answer, replied, "Hawaii. She says he was born in Hawaii."

Birtherism: demanded that Obama produce birth certificate

Stoked Tea Party suspicions about Obama's legitimacy

Obama is perceived by many Tea Partiers as a foreigner, an invader pretending to be an American, a 5th columnist. Obama's past as a community organizer is taken as evidence that he works on behalf of the undeserving poor and wishes to mobilize government resources on their behalf.

One hour to produce my birth certificate; Obama should too

OpEd: input on options from multiple advisers

[Trump wanted all three options, and each appealed to Trump in their own way]: Bannon offered a rousing fxxx-you show of force; Priebus offered flattery from the congressional leadership; Kushner offered the approval of blue-chip businessmen.

A businessman, not a lifelong politician

KAINE: But why won't he release his tax returns?

PENCE: His tax returns showed he went through a very difficult time, but he used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used. And he did it brilliantly.

KAINE: How do you know that? You haven't seen his tax returns.

PENCE: Because he's created a business that's worth billions of dollars today. This whole riff about people saying he didn't pay taxes for years--Donald Trump has created tens of thousands of jobs. And he's paid payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes...

Bought Plaza hotel for cultural value, not profit

To trumpet his 1988 purchase, he made a startling confession about his deal for the 19-story landmark hotel he called his Mona Lisa. "I can never justify the price I paid, no matter how successful the Plaza becomes, he wrote under the title, "Why I Bought the Plaza."

The price--$407 million--was not the point, Trump suggested. The hotel was etched into American culture. Scenes in The Great Gatsby were set in the Plaza. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright lived in a 2nd-floor suite while he designed the Guggenheim Museum. The Plaza was the home of Eloise, the fictional 6-year-old who carried out escapades while living with her nanny on the "tippy-top floor."

The Plaza's financial underpinnings, never sturdy, weakened. Trump's purchase--a record price for a US hotel--was tens of millions of dollars more than the next-highest bid.

OpEd: Trump empire based on Trump brand, not Trump buildings

By licensing his name without putting up money, he could often make significant profits, even when the ventures failed. The new model let Trump weather even worldwide economic collapse.

Trump's crucial insight was to turn away from building one business at a time and expand his ambition to create an empire--a series of entities that bore his name, but didn't rely on his cash. His business was the brand. It was like owning a casino--when run properly, the house wins. The gamblers would be those who paid him for the rights to his name. Trump couldn't lose.

Donate to political candidates, regardless of party

I never forgive people who deceive me

People want positive inspiration

I believe in the toot-your-own-horn theory

That got me thinking about the toot-your-own-horn theory, which is something I believe in. This poor rich guy is a perfect example of why I believe in it. The power of a name can be incredible. It can open doors like nothing else.

Until you have a "household name" you might do well to tell people who you are and what you've done. It's a start. It's also a way of networking to find out if you might have common interests.

Having an ego and acknowledging it is a healthy choice. Think about it: If you can't say great things about yourself, who do you think will? So don't be afraid to toot your own horn when you've done something worth tooting about.

Build your reputation as "responsible, professional & loyal"

When someone crosses you, get even!

A: When someone crosses you, my advice is "Get even!" That is not typical advice, but it is real-life advice. If you do not get even, you are just a schmuck! When people wrong you, go after those people, because it is a good feeling and because other people will see you doing it. I love getting even. I get screwed all the time. I go after people, and you know what? People do not play around with me as much as they do with others. They know that if they do, they are in for a big fight. Always get even. Go after people that go after you. Don't let people push you around. Always fight back and always get even. It's a

Never forgive someone who is bad; always strike back

• When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.
• Forgive good people, but never forgive someone who is bad.
• When someone attacks you publicly, always strike back.
• If you want to stop a bully, hit them right between the eyes. They will think twice about doing it again.
• Even some of the toughest top athletes are schmucks who let people steal from them and are afraid to get even.
• Always have a good reason to get even.
• Go for the jugular so that people watching will not want to mess with you.
• If someone knows they made a mistake and they apologize, forgive them and move on, but never trust them again.

The harder I work, the luckier I get

Get used to hearing the word "no" and ignoring it

Never give up; look at the solution, not the problem

1. Never give up! Do not settle for remaining in your comfort zone..
2. Be passionate! If you love what you're doing, it will never seem like work.
3. Be focused! Ask yourself: What should I be thinking about right now? Shut out interference.
4. Keep your momentum! Listen, apply and move forward. Do not procrastinate.
5. See yourself as victorious! That will focus you in the right direction.
6. Be tenacious! Being stubborn can work wonders.
7. Be lucky! The old saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get" is absolutely right on.
8. Believe in yourself! If you don't, no one else will either.
9. Ask yourself: What am I pretending not to see? There may be some great opportunities right around you. Great adversity can turn into great victory.
10. Look at the solution, not the problem. And never give up! Never never never give up. This thought deserves to be said (and remembered and applied) many times. It's that important.

To negotiate well, prepare and know as much as possible

• Know what you're doing. Sounds simple, but I've seen a lot of instances where I couldn't believe how much the other side didn't know. I immediately knew I could have a grand slam and fast, just based on their apparent lack of preparation.
• Remember, it takes a lot of smarts to play dumb. This is a good way to see how much your negotiating partners don't know. It's also a good way to see if they are bulldozing you.
• Keep them a bit off balance. What they don't know won't hurt you, and that may help you down the line. Knowledge is power, so keep as much of it to yourself as possible.
• Trust your instincts. There are a lot of situations that will not be black and white in negotiating, so go with your gut. Combine this with your homework and you'll be ahead of the game.

In the best negotiations, everyone wins

• Don't be confined by expectations. There are no exact rules, and sometimes I've changed course in the middle of negotiations when something new has occurred to me.
• Know when to say no. This has become instinct for me by now, but I think we all know when that buzzer goes off inside. Pay attention to that signal.
• To speed up negotiations, be indifferent. That way you'll find out if the other side if eager to proceed.
• Remember that in the best negotiations, everyone wins. This is the ideal situation to strive for. You will also be laying the groundwork for future business deals with people who know what integrity is.

Failure is not permanent

I don't mean t sound like a faith leader, but there is something profound and yet simple about viewing failure as a lack of wholeness. I will also add, it's EFFECTIVE. Believing that a negative situation is temporary and wrong will give you the impetus to do something about it, to feel righteous and energetic about fixing it. Being unhappy and productive is simply not part of my game plan, and it shouldn't be part of yours, either.

Beauty and elegance are my signature and my brand

Beauty and elegance, whether in a woman, a building, or a work of art, is not just superficial or something pretty to see. Beauty and elegance are products of personal style that come from deep within.

My style is based on trying to make whatever I do breathtakingly beautiful. People react emotionally to my style; they want more of it. It's no accident that I'm so involved with beauty; it's my signature, my brand, and I think it's best to have it in spades.

Contact with beauty exposes successful people to an excellence from which they can learn, grow, and improve their lives. Beauty rewards people for all their hard work

Think on "Trump scale" and make a BIG statement

Although I'm the largest developer in Manhattan, I decided to go across the Hudson River to Jersey City because I saw incredible potential there. I am good at predicting trends, and I think Jersey City has a big future... or I wouldn't be there. Don't limit yourself. Think in what I call Trump Scale and make a BIG statement. Don't build a single- family house without first seeing how much more it would take to make it into a multiunit building or even a development. Explore how to make everything you tackle bigger, better, bolder, and more exciting. Although you may not be in a position to realize your dreams now, you could be laying the groundwork for terrific future projects.

Change isn't an admission that you were wrong

• Any new action can bring strength. Adaptation is an old theory but it's a solid one.
• Understand that life is unpredictable and that things will change. Realize that your methods and goals must change for you to keep pace and succeed.
• Keep abreast of what's happening around the globe. See how you can integrate recent development into your world. They can open the door to new interests and excitement.
• Be willing to move out of your comfort zone and try new things. Take some chances, be daring, and embrace the new.
• Always be open; listen attentively and be willing to change. Change isn't an admission that you were wrong or a sign of defeat; it's frequently a smart thing to do.

Look at people non-judgmentally, without right or wrong

Never presume that your way is the only way, whether you're talking about work, ethics, or politics. Be tolerant of diverse opinions, practices, and views. Be grateful for the diversity in our lives and for the benefits of being exposed to so many different backgrounds and beliefs. Take the time to try to understand other viewpoints--how and why those people feel and act as they do. Gather information, get the whole story, and don't jump to conclusions or judge. Results are what matter; the rest is style.

Give others a fair chance, but eliminate scoundrels

Passion overcomes many difficult impossibilities

DJT: Passion is the number one ingredient. It can overcome many difficulties and so- called impossibilities. Getting anything started requires passion. Your enthusiasm can convince others to go along and see things your way. Resistance can be good if it gets you to improve your idea. When someone can discourage you, you probably aren't determined enough. Be resolute. That's what it takes to get things done.

Many people are afraid to fail, so they don't try

Tell people you’re successful or they won’t know it

A lot has happened to us all since 1987. That’s the year The Art of the Deal became the bestselling business book of the decade. Business Rule #1: If you don’t tell people about your success, they probably won’t know about it.

Business Rule #2: Keep it short, fast, and direct. The following pages will be straightforward and succinct, but don’t let the brevity of these passages prevent you from savoring the profundity of the advice you are about to receive.

The Mother of All Advice: “Trust in God and be true to yourself.” -Mary Trump, My Mother. When I look back, that was great advice, concise and wise at once. I didn’t really get it at first, later I realized how comprehensive this is- how to keep your bases covered while thinking about the big picture.

Good management requires hiring good people

Good people equals good management and good management equals good people. They have to work together or they won’t work together for very long. I’ve seen excellent people get stuck in the mires of bad management. The good managers will eventually leave, followed by the good workers, & you will be left with a team that gets along because they’re all mediocre. Save yourself time by getting the best people you can. Sometimes this can mean choosing attitude over experience and credentials. Use your creativity to come up with a good mix.

Creative people rarely need to be motivated-they have their own inner drive that refuses to be bored. They refuse to be complacent. They live on the edge, which is precisely what is needed to be successful and remain successful.

Lessons: stay focused on big picture

In the 1980s, I was riding high. I’d become a major player in Manhattan, with many top-tier properties. I had a yacht, a plane, a bestselling book. In the late eighties, I lost focus. I’d fly off to Europe to attend fashion shows, and I wasn’t looking at the clothing. My lack of attention was killing my business.

That was a low point. Of the $9.2 billion I owed, I’d personally guaranteed a billion dollars. I was a schmuck, but I was a lucky schmuck, and I wound up dealing with some understanding bankers who worked out a fair deal. After being the king of the eighties, I survived the early nineties, and by the mid-to-late nineties, I was thriving again. But I learned my lesson. I work as hard today as I did when I was a young developer in the 1970s. Don’t make the mistake I did. Stay focused.

Surround yourself with people you can trust

My phones are so busy that I require two executive assistants, and they never stop. They alone handle, on the average, more than 1,250 calls a week. They are not only efficient and fast, but also very pleasant and beautiful young women. You don’t have to be beautiful to work for me-just be good at your job. I’ve been accused of admiring beautiful women. I plead guilty. But when it comes to the workplace, anyone who is beautiful had better have brains, too. You need competent people with an inherent work ethic. I’m not a complacent person and I can’t have a complacent staff. I move forward quickly and so must they.

In business & politics, stands for getting things done

Appealing to middle Americans leery of political elite

Learned about myself, from adversity in hard times

My wish is that this book will provide inspiration. I learned a lot about myself during these hard times; I learned about handling pressure. I was able to home in, buckle down, get back to the basics, and make things work. I worked much harder, I focused, and I got myself out of a box. Don't get me wrong--there were moments of doubt, but I never thought in negative terms. I believe in positive thought and positive thinking. I learned a lot about loyalty--who was and who wasn't. There were people that I would have guaranteed would have stuck by me who didn't, and, on the other hand, people who I made who, when it came time to help me, didn't lift a finger.

Feeling cocky & invincible can be destructive

I began to socialize more, probably too much. Frankly, I was bored. I really felt I could do no wrong. Sort of like a baseball player who keeps hitting home runs or a golfer who keeps winning tournaments--you just get a feeling of invincibility. Ultimately, this invincible feeling, while positive at times, can be destructive. You let down your guard. You don't work as hard. Then things start to go in the wrong direction. And that's what happened to me--and I never thought it could. In 1990, the market was so horrendous that prices, for even the best buildings in town, were plummeting. Apartments were being bought at prices you never thought possible. It was a complete disaster.

For bad investment advice, you get blame; if good, no credit

Measure success in happiness, not just in dollars

I decided that rather than going the safe route, the route that everybody else was taking, I would head in the exact opposite direction.

You can't con people for long; you have to deliver the goods

I think of Jimmy Carter. As poorly qualified as he was for the job, Jimmy Carter had the nerve to ask for something extraordinary. That ability above all helped him get elected president. But then, of course, the American people caught on that Carter couldn't do the job, and he lost in a landslide when he ran for reelection.

I see the same thing in my business, which is full of people who talk a good game but don't deliver. When Trump Tower became successful, a lot of developers got the idea of imitating our atrium. But they saw that it all added up to many millions, and these people with great ambitions would decide [against it].

The dollar always talks in the end. I promoted the hell out of Trump Tower, but I also had a great product to promote.

Rules for surviving the perils of success

It’s great to have good natural instincts, but even if you do, you may find that’s not enough. Over the years I’ve come up with certain rules for myself that are important for surviving the perils of success.
1. Be disciplined. This is the first and most important rule. Long vacations, drinking, drugs-all of those things are bad for discipline because they interrupt your momentum.
2. Be honest. Despite a brash and occasionally arrogant approach, I go by the book.
3. Don’t think you’re so smart that you can go it alone. I surround myself with good people, and then I give myself the luxury of trusting them.
4. Be reachable. Although you run the risk of wasting a lot of time, the vast majority of people [writing] are nice people, and they deserve a response.
5. Stay close to home. What got you to the top is usually what will keep you there.
6. Be flexible. I keep white space on my calendar to allow myself to come up with ideas.

Electing Hillary means four more years of Obama

Get a special prosecutor for email scandal to jail Hillary

Clinton: It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.

Trump: Because you'd be in jail.

Hillary does not have the stamina to be president

TRUMP: She doesn't have the look. She doesn't have the stamina. I said she doesn't have the stamina. And I don't believe she does have the stamina. To be president of this country, you need tremendous stamina. You have to be able to negotiate our trade deals. You have so many different things you have to be able to do, and I don't believe that Hillary has the stamina.

CLINTON: Well, as soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, a cease-fire, a release of dissidents, an opening of new opportunities in nations around the world, or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina.

I beat 16 very talented people in the primary

A: Sure, I regret. But in the meantime, I beat 16 people and here I am. I would have liked to have done it in a nicer manner. But I had 16 very talented people that I had to go through. That was a record in the history of Republican politics. I was able to get more votes than anybody ever has gotten in the history of Republican politics.

1997: Bill Clinton's vocal backer during Monicagate

One month later, reports surfaced that Clinton had had a secret sexual relationship with an intern named Monica Lewinsky. Trump was unperturbed, becoming one of Clinton's most vocal backers. "The best thing he has going is the fact that the economy's doing great," Trump said in August 1998, days after Clinton finally admitted a relationship with Lewinsky. "They talked about the eighties were good. The nineties are better." When a former Arkansas state employee, Paula Jones, sued Clinton, alleging sexual harassment, Trump called her "a loser." Trump suggested that if her were a candidate, he would face similar controversy: "Can you imagine how controversial that'd be? You think about him with women. How about me with the women?"

OpEd: Obama doesn't have the psychology of a winner

In two instances when he spoke on the record, Trump veered from a general discussion of "success" to an evaluation of the president. In the first case he said Obama lacked the qualities of a winner and "has had so many losses and people don't even want to watch him on television." In the second he said the president was not psychologically tough. "It's all psychology. If Obama had that psychology, Russia's Vladimir Putin wouldn't be eating his lunch. He doesn't have that psychology and he never will because it's not in his DNA."

My old liberal political views evolved like Reagan's did

TRUMP: Ronald Reagan himself was a Democrat at one point. And I worked with him, and he liked me a lot, and I liked [him] a lot. And he was a terrific guy, but he was a liberal Democrat, and he changed. And I have evolved very strongly in the same way. I'm a conservative and I have tremendous support, but I also have a lot of support among Democrats. You know, when you look at our polls, I have support from all over the place, and people are actually shocked by it: "Mr. Trump, you're leading in every poll."

I want to win as a Republican, but might run as Independent

TRUMP: I fully understand.

Q: And that experts say an independent run would almost certainly hand the race over to Democrats & likely another Clinton. You can't say tonight that you can make that pledge?

TRUMP: I cannot say. I have to respect the person that [is nominated], if it's not me, I can totally make that pledge. If I'm the nominee, I will pledge I will not run as an independent. We want to win; I want to win as the Republican; I want to run as the Republican nominee.

RAND PAUL: He's already hedging his bet. Maybe he supports Clinton, or maybe he runs as an independent.

Q: You're not gonna make the pledge tonight?

TRUMP: I will not make the pledge at this time.

No more morning in America; we'll be mourning FOR America

But it doesn't have to be this way. If we get tough and make the hard choices, we can make America a rich nation--and respected--once again.

Bad students (like Obama) shouldn't go to Harvard

"How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?" Trump said. "I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records." By charging that Obama was not admitted based on merit, Trump is suggesting that Obama was admitted because he is black. In GOP politics, attacking racial minorities as the underachieving beneficiaries of affirmative action is a very old move. Trump is blatantly attacking Obama's teenage qualifications for college--a topic so obscure, it was a non-issue in Obama's exhaustive, two-year-long presidential campaign.

Favorite movie: Citizen Kane, about risks of accumulation

He fancied himself a man of the people, more interested in the praise of cabdrivers and construction workers then in accolades from the rich and the powerful.

Father arrested in 1927 KKK riot, but didn't support Klan

A thousand Klansmen assembled at the intersection of Jamaica Ave. and 85th Street, and "combatants were knocked down, Klan banners were shredded." Fred Trump wound up in the thick of the melee, and he was arrested.

The charge against Trump was "refusing to disperse from a parade when ordered," but the charge was promptly dismissed. News accounts did not say whether Trump was for or against the Klan, or whether he was at the parade merely to see the spectacle.

Grade school mischief-maker: headstrong and determined

No matter the consequences, Donald's behavior did not change. "He was headstrong and determined," said a Kew-Forest teacher. "He would sit with his arms folded, with this look on his face--surly."

By his own account, Trump's primary focus in elementary school was "creating mischief because I liked to stir things up & test people. It wasn't malicious so much as it was aggressive." As a 2nd-grader, as Trump has described it, he punched his music teacher, giving him a "black eye" because "I didn't think he knew anything about music, and I almost got expelled. I'm not proud of that, but it's clear evidence that even early on I had a tendency to stand up and make my opinions known in a very forceful way."

Played varsity baseball at military academy

1990 Marla Maples headline: "Best sex I ever had"

February 1990 was a newsy month. Nelson Mandela was freed from prison. President George H. W. Bush welcomed the president of Czechoslovakia, as the collapse of the Soviet empire accelerated. But for weeks, one story dominated the front pages of the city's tabloids: Donald vs. Ivana. The obsession in the nation's media capital spread to serious national publications.

The sensational headlines reached their apex with the Post's February 16 front-page "Best Sex I've Ever Had", a statement supposedly uttered by Maples in reference to Donald. The headline would become a tabloid classic.

The Post's managing editor, Colasuonno. Did Marla really say what the Post was about to trumpet on page one? "Guys, this headline is libel-proof," he said. "Donald will never complain about this one."

After Ivana, never let wife run business again

As Trump's private life merged with his public identity, he came to see his marriages as something that either boosted his image and therefore his business's reputation, or as a hindrance. "My marriage, it seemed, was the only area of my life in which I was willing to accept something less than perfection," he said during divorce proceedings with Ivana.

Marla Maples would pose far less of a threat. She wasn't one to challenge him, except for continually pressing him to wed her. This time, there would be no talk of a marriage of equals.

OpEd: Apprentice turned Trump from blowhard to candidate

The Apprentice turned Trump from a blowhard Richie Rich who had just gone through his most difficult decade into an unlikely symbol of straight talk, an evangelist for the American gospel of success. Above all, Apprentice sold an image of the host-boss as supremely competent and confident, dispensing his authority and getting immediate results.

The show's creator came to believe that if Trump ever ran fro president, it wouldn't be a result of The Apprentice, but without The Apprentice there could be no candidacy.

At 58, met and married Melania, age 34, at Kit Kat Klub

Born Melanija Knavs in the former Yugoslavia. Feeling stifled under her country's socialist regime, Melania told high school friends that she wanted to escape and travel around the world. Modeling was her path. She worked as a fashion model in Milan, Paris, and New York.

One night in 1998, Melania found herself at the Kit Kat Klub because her modeling agency was hosting a party. Donald, who had recently split up with Marla Maples, was at the event with a date, a beautiful Norwegian heiress. But Trump noticed Melania and asked for her phone number. Melania resisted, aware that Trump had come to the party with another woman. But Trump was persistent and soon they began going out.

OpEd: Lifelong dance of mutual manipulation with the press

Considering his lifelong dance of mutual manipulation with the press, Trump's complaints are more than a little ironic. Few have profited more from the tide of celebrity news that has swamped the public discourse. His analysis is also entirely self-referential. When the writer Timothy O`Brien said Trump wasn't as wealthy as he claimed, Trump sued. He lost, but considering the costs incurred, O`Brien's publisher lost too.

Sent to military academy because of childhood rebelliousness

Q: "So eighth grade on?"

A: "Yes."

Q: "Whose idea was this?"

A: "Well, I was very rebellious and my parents thought it would be a good idea. I was very rebellious."

Q: "How did it evidence itself?"

A: "I was a very rebellious kind of person. I don't like to talk about it, actually. But I was a very rebellious person and very set in my ways."

Q: "In eighth grade?"

A: "I loved to fight. I always loved to fight."

Q: "Physical fights?"

A: "All types of fights. Any kind of fight, I loved it, including physical, and I was always the best athlete. Something that nobody knew about me."

I've always been rebellious and very set in my ways

A germophobe: constantly washes hands; dislikes handshakes

Trump: Surviving at the Top was filled with firsthand reports on the bizarre behavior of fame-addled celebrities. Trump devoted a full page to Howard Hughes. Like Donald, Hughes was linked to many beautiful women and operated a gambling business. He was also famously germophobic, a trait that Trump confessed he too possessed. "I'm constantly washing my hands, and it wouldn't bother me if I never had to shake hands with a well- meaning stranger again."

Trump's seemingly frank statements about his contamination anxiety--gave the impression of a man who was willing to reveal himself. But all he copped to were a few missteps and quirks and forgivable sins such as working too hard.

Attended military academy & Wharton Business School

He said he "flirted briefly" with attending film school at the University of Southern California but decided that real estate was his calling. He spent two years at Fordham University in the Bronx before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and graduating in 1968. "Perhaps the most important thing I learned at Wharton was not to be overly impressed by academic credentials," he wrote in "The Art of the Deal."

Separated from Ivana after long less-than-perfect marriage

[The breakup] is by no means a snap judgment. I’ve discussed the situation with many people. I even thought, briefly, about approaching Ivana with the idea of an “open marriage.” But I realized there was something hypocritical and tawdry about such an arrangement that neither of us could live with-especially Ivana. She’s too much of a lady.

It didn’t matter that there was never a lot of yelling in the house-it was time to make the tough decisions and get on with the rest of our lives.

Fiercely defend religious freedom and terms like "Christmas"

Trump: In June 2016, Trump delivered a message to evangelicals that if he wins the White House in November, he will fiercely defend religious freedom. In August 2015, Trump said, "There's an assault on anything having to do with Christianity. They don't want to use the word 'Christmas' anymore at department stores." Trump also said, "There's always lawsuits and unfortunately a lot of those lawsuits are won by the other side. I will assault that. I will go so strongly against so many of the things, when they take away the word 'Christmas.' I go out of my way to use the word 'Christmas.'"

Clinton: Denounces legislative efforts in Indiana and Arkansas that supporters say protect religious expression and opponents say discriminate against gay people. Clinton called it "sad" that Indiana would approve the law, which like the 1993 version is called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

I go to communion and that's asking forgiveness

Trump: "First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, is where I went to church," he told Christian Broadcasting Network in 2012. "I'm a Protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion." He goes to church "when I can. Always on Christmas. Always on Easter. Always when there's a major occasion. I'm a Sunday church person." In 2015 Trump said in response to Anderson Cooper trying to get clarification on Trump's stand on asking for forgiveness, "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?" asked Trump. "I work hard, I'm an honorable person." In the same interview, he also said, "I go to communion and that's asking forgiveness, you know, it's a form of asking forgiveness." He then stressed that he "likes to work where he doesn't have to ask forgiveness."

Our media culture often mocks and demeans people of faith

There are no more decent, devoted, or selfless people than our Christians brothers and sisters here in the US. I've witnessed that incredible generosity all across this land. I saw it during my trip to Louisiana, where Christian volunteers raced to help their fellow citizens in need. It's that spirit of giving that we will need to rebuild Louisiana and to rebuild this country, which is in serious, serious trouble.

Yet, our media culture often mocks and demeans people of faith. And you understand that. All the time I hear from concerned parents how much harder it is for a Christian family to raise their children in today's media environment.

Cherish and defend our Christian heritage

I recently had a chance to visit a church in Detroit, Great Faith Ministries International. I spoke about how African American churches--and this is all across the country--for centuries have been the conscience of our nation. Their unbreakable faith and sprit overcame some of the most difficult periods in our history, leading us all to a better future. This is the power of faith. It's the power to heal. It's the power to unite. It's the power to make all of us live better lives--all of us.

Our nation today is divided. Nobody likes to say it, but we're living in a very, very divided nation. It will be our faith in God and his teachings, in each other, that will lead us back to unity.

Repeal LBJ law: let preachers talk politics, tax-exempt

All religious leaders should be able to freely express their thoughts and feelings on religious matters. And I will repeal the Johnson amendment if I am elected your president, I promise. So important. When did it happen? 1954 or so. Lyndon Johnson was having problems with churches. And he put in an amendment that basically stopped our great pastors and ministers and others from talking, under the penalty of losing their tax-exempt status.

I have a daughter and son-in-law who are Jewish

We fact-checked and found that Trump's daughter Ivanka, converted to Judaism in 2009 and is raising Donald's grandchildren under Jewish tradition. According to Vogue magazine (Feb. 25, 2015), Ivanka in 2007 met her future husband Jared Kushner, who is an Orthodox Jew and a real estate developer in New York. Ivanka converted to Judaism prior to their marriage in 2009, and they keep a kosher home and, Ivanak says, "we observe the Sabbath; from Friday to Saturday we don't make phone calls. It's an amazing thing when you're so connected-- for [our daughter] Arabella to know that she has me, undivided, one day a week We don't do anything except play with each other, hang out with one another, go on walks together. Pure family.

Who in the world is offended by "Merry Christmas"?

Now? Mary and the baby Jesus are seldom shown. Even the word "Christmas" has somehow become controversial. Who in the world could be offended by someone saying "Merry Christmas"?! That greeting isn't critical of any other religion, and it isn't being disrespectful to those who practice another religion. It's a wonderful tradition.

The same people who demand respect for their beliefs often don't show respect for the beliefs of others. It seems like every week there is a negative ruling on some issue having to do with Christianity. I think it's outrageous.

I love God, and I love having a relationship with Him

I think people are shocked when they find out that I am a Christian, that I am a religious person. They see me with all the surroundings of wealth so they sometimes don't associate that with being religious. That's not accurate. I go to church, I love God, and I love having a relationship with Him.

I've said it before--I think the Bible is the most important book ever written--not even close. I've had a good relationship with the church over the years--God is in my life every day. I don't go to church every Sunday, but I do go as often as I can.

Keep the word 'Christmas' in the holiday

Asked whether the Gospels would inform his public-policy choices in the White House, Trump said "deep down, maybe they do" influence his decision-making. For example, Trump said, he is offended that "the word Christmas is being taken out" of the holiday. "I see these stores like Macy's and so many others-- they're afraid to use the word 'Christmas' now," Trump said. "Maybe they can't use it, legally. What's going on is outrageous, and I will do things about it. The beliefs in the Bible had a lot to do with our country."

Debunked women fictionalized stories about sexual harassment

TRUMP: Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody. Those stories have been largely debunked. She mentions this, which is all fiction, all fictionalized, probably or possibly started by her and her very sleazy campaign. What isn't fictionalized are her e-mails, where she destroyed 33,000 e-mails criminally--criminally!--after getting a subpoena from Congress.

Hillary & Obama criminally paid people to start riots

I filed a 104-page disclosure form; I earned $609M last year

TRUMP: I'm under a routine audit. As soon as the audit's finished, it will be released. But you will learn more about Donald Trump by going down to the federal elections, where I filed a 104-page essentially financial statement. It shows income at $694 million for this past year.

Q: The IRS says you're perfectly free to release your taxes during an audit.

TRUMP: Look, I've been under audit almost for 15 years. I'm not even complaining. I don't mind it. It's almost become a way of life. I get audited by the IRS. But other people don't. I will say this: I will release my tax returns--against my lawyer's wishes--when she releases her 33,000 e-mails that have been deleted. As soon as she releases them, I will release.

Q: So it's negotiable?TRUMP: It's not negotiable, no.

Clinton's private email server was on purpose & no "mistake"

CLINTON: You know, I made a mistake using a private e- mail.

TRUMP: That's for sure.

CLINTON: And if I had to do it over again, I would, obviously, do it differently. But I'm not going to make any excuses. It was a mistake, and I take responsibility for that.

TRUMP: That was more than a mistake. That was done purposely. OK? When you have your staff taking the Fifth Amendment, taking the Fifth so they're not prosecuted, when you have the man that set up the illegal server taking the Fifth, I think it's disgraceful. And believe me, this country thinks it's disgraceful, also. As far as my tax returns, you don't learn that much from tax returns. That I can tell you. You learn a lot from financial disclosure.

Charitable donations of $165,000 to Wharton and U.Penn

One sizable gift came in 1994, when he gave enough to be listed as a "founder" of the Penn Club's new location in midtown Manhattan. The minimum gift for that category was $150,000. Two autumns later, Donald Trump Jr. arrived at the leafy campus. In all, three of the four older Trump children--including Ivanka (transferring after two years at Georgetown) and Tiffany--would attend Penn, making the school almost an inheritance, a family emblem.

Sued in 1,900 cases; defendant in 1,450 more cases

We should have impeached George W. Bush for Iraq War lies

TRUMP: Obviously, the war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake. The war in Iraq, we spent $2 trillion, thousands of lives, we don't even have it. Iran has taken over Iraq. Obviously, it was a mistake. George Bush made a mistake. We can make mistakes. But that one was a beauty. We should have never been in Iraq. We have destabilized the Middle East.

Q: So you still think he should be impeached?

TRUMP: You call it whatever you want. I want to tell you, they lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction, there were none. And they knew there were none.

Burned by press too often to be available any more