By Sal Bommarito
Dear Mr. Trump,
Congratulations are in order. You’ve defied the odds, the talking heads and the blathering political gurus by winning the Republican nomination for president, barring an earth shattering event between now and the Republican Convention. Frankly, I was a naysayer about your candidacy and thought you’re aspirations were a hoax.
There are a plethora of questions that are floating around that maybe you can clear up. Here are a few of them.
Did you really want to become president at the outset of the campaign, or was it really a publicity stunt? If it was a stunt, when did you decide to go all in?
Is the nomination worth all the hassles you’ve had to contend with regarding your finances, business ethics, relations with the opposite sex, etc.?
Why would you, at the ripe old age of 69, be willing to give up all the freedom associated with being a kingpin in the real estate industry, prince of reality TV and a super stud? Keep in mind you will have to give up much if you win in November.
And finally, do you trust those who would take control of your business empire (supposedly worth $10 billion) while you are busy managing the free world?
Being president is a totally new adventure for anyone, much less a person like you, that has no experience dealing with Congress, global megalomaniacs and a media that will surely drive you nuts during the next four to eight years. By the way, you will be in your upper seventies when your time in office ends, and probably much worse for the wear.
I’ve been wondering what your first speech to the United Nations General Assembly will concern. Will it be about global warming, or terrorism, or income inequality? Will you laud the power and success of America? Or, will you take it down a notch and try to endear yourself to the people of Mongolia, Paraguay, Yemen and Montenegro?
It’ll be different discussing important issues with Arabs regarding ISIS, oil prices and human rights than with your fellow real estate magnates. For one thing, the latter don’t possess nuclear weapons.
And what about Russia and its pugnacious leader, Vladimir Putin? Your predecessors attempted to befriend Vlad, but he wouldn’t have any part of it. He still dreams of the Soviet glory days when his country actually competed with the U.S. But, he certainly has been a nudge in recent years, annexing Crimea and jumping into the Syria/Iran/Iraq/U.S./refugee brouhaha. Are you going to tell Vlad to back off?
There’s another international issue that is looming large. If you’re elected president, are you going to immediately dispatch trucks to the Mexican border to pour concrete for the wall? By the way, will you initiate construction without congressional approval a la Obama? How long does it take to build a 2,000-mile barrier capable of stopping illegal immigration? If it’s anything like the 2nd Avenue subway, it could take a while.
One of the most interesting considerations is your potential cabinet appointments and other advisors. In case you haven’t thought of it, running the greatest country in the world is a tad more difficult that managing Trump Inc. You’re gonna need some pretty smart people to help you even with your degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
There’s one real perquisite to being president that should be mentioned aside from flying around in Air Force One. You don’t have to borrow money from banks. Nor will you need to threaten them if you are unhappy with their terms. You can borrow as much as you want at the lowest rate in the world without any covenants. It’ll be a gas. You can just dial up the Secretary of the Treasury and tell him to draw down $10 or $20 billion on a moment’s notice.
But, the more important thing is whom will you hire to help you be an effective leader of the free world. You’ll need one guy who’s a foreign affairs expert. I think Mr. Kissenger would be a great choice. He would give you an edge when you try and fail to make peace between Israel and Palestine like every president since WWII. But maybe, Kissenger is a little too long of the tooth.
You’ll need someone to handle cash. You’re an expert in this area, I realize. But remember, you can no longer resort to bankruptcy if times get tough; the U.S. will not go Chapter XI under any circumstances. I would recommend a Wall Street person. These guys know what they’re doing. The only problem is that Congress would never confirm any of them.
You’ll find the job of hiring people a great challenge. You won’t believe it, but some people may not want to work for you. You’ve pissed off a lot of them during the campaign and your career.
You’ll find being president will also necessitate a few attitude adjustments. The president represents all Americans including some that you have disparaged regularly, such as Democrats, women, the Republican establishment, the Bush family, the Cruz family, Mexicans, Muslims and anyone who disagrees with you. A night in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House could work wonders. It did for Bill and Hillary Clinton.
In any case, if you become president, I’ll be rooting for you. But, I’m going to wait and see what Paul Ryan does before I decide whether I’m going to vote for you.
Sincerely,
SB