Why Trump is Really So Mad at the Media

His attitude to the press is chilling when you consider that this man is one of two candidates remaining for POTUS. For those who think President Peter Thiel would be a disaster, just remember on press freedom there is very little daylight between the two: they both want it curbed.

Hillary called Trump out yesterday: this was a stunt by Trump and he only paid after being shamed by the media.

"Hillary Clinton dismissed her Republican opponent’s “stunt” to raise money for veterans in a Tuesday CNN interview, saying it proves “the difference between what Donald Trump says and what Donald Trump does.”

“He's bragged for months about raising $6 million for veterans and donating a million dollars himself,” Clinton told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “But it took a reporter to shame him into actually making his contribution and getting the money to veterans. So look, I'm glad he finally did but I don't know that he should get much credit for that.”

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/clinton-took-reporter-shame-trump-delivering-funds-veterans

Tom Brown pointed me to this Jennifer Rubin who argues that the real reason Trump is so miffed is that he had to actually cough up the money. There's probably a lot of truth in this-after all, despite all his talk there is no proof that he has done much charitable giving. His idea of giving seems to be to set up a private gulf course in your neighborhood.

"On reason he may have freaked out was that he was caught lying and using vets for his own political ends. Recall that he staged a veterans fundraiser on Jan. 28, widely interpreted as an excuse to get out of a moderated Fox News debate. He claimed to have raised $6 million but for months could not substantiate whether the money was actually given over. “More than a week ago, Trump’s campaign manager said that Trump had already given out his $1 million in personal gifts,” The Post reports. “As it turned out, he had not. Trump made his $1 million donation the evening of May 23, after a day of inquiries on Twitter — Trump’s preferred social-media platform — by The Washington Post.”

"The Associated Press reports: “Phone calls to all 41 of the groups by The Associated Press brought more than two-dozen responses Tuesday. About half reported checks from Trump within the past week, typically dated May 24, the day The Washington Post published a story questioning whether he had distributed all of the money.”

"If The Post had not caught Trump, would he ever have given the money? We won’t know, but we did learn (or re-learn) several things about Trump."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2016/06/01/what-trump-temper-tantrums-tell-us/

Sorry if this seems like a rush to judgment but I think I know the answer to that.

"For starters, we know that Trump will distort and out-and-out lie about his finances. It behooves the press and his opponents to continue to insist that he release tax returns. If they don’t succeed, it is up to the delegates at the Republican convention in July to force the issue."

Trump should be bashed over his tax returns every day until

1. He releases them

2. The election in November.

If it's 2, then this gives Dems and other Trump haters something to bash him over with until then.

Trump haters of the world unite!

"If the vet charity incident is any guide, the returns will show that things are not as Trump portrays them. Maybe, given that The Post was not bird-dogging him at the time, he did not give very much (anything?) in charity over the years. (We’ve noted other possibilities, including avoidance of any tax liabilities, or less income than advertised or disclosed to financial institutions and foreign entanglements.) It cannot be said too many times that the most unreliable indicator of Trump’s business record and finances is Trump. (The New York Times reports that a deal with Hong Kong money men portrayed as a big win for Trump was actually a losing proposition following prolonged litigation.)"

Smells like a brilliant dealmaker to me. Also a Master Persuader. His persuasive skills seem to often fail him in court like when he slurred the Trump U judge as a Mexican and this led to the records being unsealed.

"The next lesson is that Trump has a rotten poker face. When something gets under his skin — a press inquiry or an announcement of a potential third candidate — he attacks. And because he is so thin-skinned, many things and people get under his skin (e.g. British Prime Minister David Cameron, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, recalcitrant Republicans). He regularly attacks a lot of people. That should tell critics when they score a hit. Moreover, it should concern voters that in negotiations with far more at stake than a building, he would likely let his emotions get the best of him and reveal his weak points. We’ve already seen how mild criticism (from Cameron) or generic praise (Vladimir Putin) can dramatically affect his thinking. It is always all about him."

"Finally, what kind of billionaire promises to give money to vets and doesn’t?! I mean, really."

It can't be said enough: America faces an extinction like event. We are going to be tested as never before this time as our very system of government is on the ballot.

At this point I live by this adage: the enemy of Donald Trump is my friend. Scott Sumner, Jennifer Rubin, Glenn Beck.

If they are hitting Trump they have my respect. If they are doing something else, they don't.