Trump’s Rhetoric Has Changed Significantly Over the Years
In recent weeks, Donald Trump has surprisingly become one of the front-runners for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016. When listening to his stump speeches, it is difficult to distinguish Trump from any of the other Republican contenders, as he has recently adopted many of the policies espoused by the rest of the Party. However, it wasn’t always this way. Here are Trump’s top ten flip-flops.
1. War on Drugs
In 1990, Trump took an extremely libertarian perspective on the War on Drugs, stating, “You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.”
However, he has apparently had a change of heart in recent years. At CPAC earlier this year, in an interview with Sean Hannity, he stated that Colorado’s legalization of marijuana was “bad,” saying that he “feel[s] strongly about that,” and that Colorado has “got a lot of problems going on right now.” He did concede however, that he is in favor of medical marijuana.
2. Abortion
In 1999, Trump stated that though he “hate[d] the concept of abortion,” that he was “very pro-choice,” and that he would not even ban partial-birth abortions. Trump later stated that after consulting with doctors that he would be in favor of banning partial-birth abortions.
Today, Trump states that he is “pro-life,” with exceptions for rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger. His current stance became particularly muddled, however, when in the same interview, he responded that “it depends when” in the pregnancy a woman desires an abortion if it should be permissible.
3. Taxes
In 1999, Trump called for a one-time 14.25% tax on individuals and trusts of over $10 million in order to pay off the national debt. Trump’s rhetoric at the time was eerily similar to that of the Occupy movement, as he stated that, “By my calculations, 1 percent of Americans, who control 90 percent of the wealth in this country, would be affected by my plan. The other 99 percent of the people would get deep reductions in their federal income taxes.” In 2000, he indicated that he was opposed to a flat tax.
In 2011, he indicated support for the Bush Tax Cuts, stating that President Obama would be “taking away a lot of incentives from a lot of people that produce a lot of taxes” if he were to allow them to expire. A few months later, he proposed a four-bracket tax system which contained rates of 1%, 5%, 10% and 15% and eliminated the corporate income and estate taxes. Needless to say, this is a marked shift from his prior position.
4. Gun Control
In 2000, Trump indicated that while he “generally oppose[d]” gun control, he was in favor of bans on assault weapons, waiting periods and background checks. He also criticized Republicans on the topic, as he stated that they “walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions.”
Now, Trump states that he is staunchly against gun control, that “the Second Amendment is right, not a privilege,” and that he “do[es] not support expanding background checks.”
5. Health Care
In 1999 and 2000, Trump expressed a staunch desire for the US to adopt universal healthcare. Trump stated, “If you can’t take care of your sick in the country, forget it, it’s all over. . .So I’m very liberal when it comes to health care. . .I believe in universal health care. I believe in whatever it takes to make people well and better.” Trump continued on to say, “I think it is. . .an entitlement to this country, and too bad the world can’t be, you know, in this country. But the fact is, it’s an entitlement to this country if we’re going to have a great country.”
It is unclear what Trump’s current plan is, but he has made his staunch opposition to ObamaCare well-known. He has suggested a market approach, saying in 2011 that, “Even if we elect a real president who will get tough and repeal Obamacare, we still need a plan to bring down health-care costs and make health-care insurance more affordable for everyone. It starts with increasing competition between insurance companies. Competition makes everything better and more affordable.”
6. Social Security
In 2000, Trump favored privatization of Social Security, stating that, “Privatization would be good for all of us. Directing Social Security funds into personal accounts invested in real assets would swell national savings, pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into jobs and the economy. These investments would boost national investment, productivity, wages, and future economic growth.”
In 2011, Trump spoke out against any modifications of Social Security, saying that “We as a society must also make an ironclad commitment to providing a safety net for those who can’t make one for themselves. Social Security is here to stay. To be sure, we must reform it, root out the fraud, make it more efficient, and ensure that the program is solvent.”
7. Hillary Clinton/Jeb Bush
Trump has a long history with Hillary Clinton, donating to her campaigns in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007, as well as donating a six-digit sum to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton even attended Trump’s 2005 wedding, and Trump once called her a “fantastic Senator.” He had similar praise for Jeb Bush in 2000, saying “He’s exactly the kind of political leader this country needs now and will very much need in the future. . .He’s bright, tough, and principled. I like the Bush family very much. I believe we could get another president from the Bushes. He may be the one.”
Today, Trump calls Hillary Clinton “the worst Secretary of State in the history of our nation” and says that she would be “a terrible president.” On Jeb Bush, he referred to him as “pathetic” for his support of Common Core, and said that his immigration policy is “baby stuff.” He has also said that in regards to Bush facing Clinton, “Jeb Bush will never take us to the promised land. . .No matter what you do, it’s not going to happen.”