FLASHBACK: Trump Insists That Third-Parties Be Included in Debates

Trump Sounded Different Sixteen Years Ago

by Josh Guckert

In a video from 2000, Donald Trump, states that third-parties must be permitted to debate. He called their exclusion “disgraceful” and said that it is “amazing that they can get away with it.”

He goes on to describe Republicans and Democrats as “concerned” and “extremely nervous” about the prospects of a third-party. The billionaire suggests that perhaps the criteria could change, as he found it “inconceivable” that such an “unfair” metric was used.

Trump was seeking the Reform Party nomination for President at the time. He appears alongside then-Governor of Minnesota and Reform Party member Jesse Ventura.

Striking about the video is that since becoming the Republican nominee, his opinion seemingly changed. Earlier this month, he was asked about the prospect of having Gary Johnson or Jill Stein debate. He responded, “I’d rather have head to head and right now they’re not getting any numbers. She’s doing better than he is, but right now in some polls she’s actually not doing badly.”

Additionally, recently Ventura stated that he believes his friend Trump is intentionally burning down the Republican Party as retribution for the Reform Party. He had previously endorsed Gary Johnson.

This video easily conforms to what most people see the Republican nominee as: an opportunist. When he was a third-party candidate, he thought the process was unfair. However, once in power in a major party, the system is just fine. It is unlikely that Trump will again sound the same alarms about the debate process.

Watch the video below: