If he were a republican, they would… In fact, I would love some Democrat involved in a scandal (real or imagined) that the GOP loves to hate on just all of a sudden switch sides, and then chart how their narratives change over night. It would be really informative.
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“I’m just so already dramatically bored of hearing people’s opinions about it that I just don’t want to be another opinion adding to it.”
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Technically, that’s what Trump did. Although I don’t think he ever RAN as a Democrat, he was openly a Democratic supporter for more years than he’s been a Republican now.
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I don’t know why Wikipedia decided to start listing his political affiliation as of 1987. He was quite vocal in the 1980’s, and not as a Republican voter!
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He likely never registered to vote before 1987. (Edit - or the records aren’t preserved earlier than that)
But his working with dems was under daddy’s tutelage. By 1980 he was a Reagan guy.
Trump’s early involvement in politics came while working alongside his father and consisted mostly of contributing to and befriending the Democratic officeholders in New York City who held sway over the many rules, regulations, tax policies, and permits that govern real estate developers. His father, Fred Trump, associated with Brooklyn’s Democratic organization and became familiar with politicians including Abraham Beame, who became a New York City mayor, and Hugh Carey, who served as governor of New York.
Yet the younger Trump’s political shape-shifting was apparent early on. He supported Ronald Reagan for president in 1980 and was invited to the White House for functions. By 1987, he identified as a Republican, although in future years Trump would register or identify as a Democrat, independent, and Reform Party member.
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That squares with what I remember. Basically, he voted for the party that would give him what he wanted. The chosen party changed a few times, but his motivation never did.
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Given what we know about Fred Trump, it’s likely he was a holdover of the Democrat’s White Supremacist wing. That could cause some confusion in the ‘80s for a young Donald, who wanted his racist daddy to approve but heard lots of appealing dog whistles from Reagan.
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This guy’s story still unfinished.
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That was the stuff of my nightmares back then.
But in 1980, an appeals panel overturned the original sentences, saying the men had caused no serious bodily injury and therefore should have the chance for parole.
No concept that the psychological horror experienced for a lifetime was more cruel than merely killing them.
Makes me think of how much rapists get away with.
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Living in Wichita at the time, mine was more BTK.
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It turns out that his apathy, his defiance, and/or his bank account weren’t inexhaustible after all.
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