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Trump's new book Crippled America – live read | Trump's new book Crippled America – live read |
(35 minutes later) | |
5.07pm GMT17:07 | |
Interlude | |
I’ve just nipped up the road to Trump Tower to witness Donald giving a press conference about his book.It is a good book, he says. “We did this quickly and we think we did it effectively. It’s been a great experience.”“America is crippled,” according to Trump.There were about seven or eight Trump staffers applauding off to the side when the business mogul/author stepped up to his podium. And about 50 members of the public standing up above, taking photos from the ballustrades.Trump says there are a lot of people lining up outside to have their books signed. (I’d say there were about 100.)“Some have been in line now for 12-14 hours!” he says. This may or may not be true.I ask Trump why he doesn’t believe in climate change. He writes this in Crippled America but doesn’t explain it. He doesn’t explain it here either.“OK, what else,” he says, and turns briskly to another journalist. Oh well. | |
4.45pm GMT16:45 | |
Chapter 2. Our 'unbiased' political media | |
Megyn Kelly, of the famously Republican-hating Fox News, takes a blasting right from the off. | |
She “was clearly out to get me” at the first GOP debate, Trump whines. It’s interesting he should bring up Kelly because surely it will remind a lot of people about when he said she was being mean to him because she was on her period. | |
Moving on: Donald Trump doesn’t wait to hear what a pollster has to say because he doesn’t use pollsters. | |
This is almost as rich as Donald Trump claims he is. His main campaign strategy has been telling people how well he is doing in the polls. | |
What else? Oh, Trump doesn’t speak from a script because he is a “very successful businessman”. Megyn Kelly is mentioned again. We lose to China, Mexico, Russia and Iran, he says. | |
Trump learned a long time ago that if you say outrageous things the media “love you”. Despite that he says the media are abusive to him. Some journalists “are horrible human beings, they are dishonest”. I know a lot of journalists and this is true enough. | |
There’s more about his golf courses. Oh and about NBC giving him the Apprentice gig. That ended well. | |
I like this bit a lot: | |
I have a wonderful and beautiful wife. I’ve got billions of dollars. | |
Because of this, he says, criticism doesn’t bother him, and it can’t hurt him. I guess that’s why he has devoted Chapter 2 of Crippled America to criticism of him. | |
There’s a reference to his campaign launch. You know, the one where he said Mexico was sending drug dealers and rapists to the US. | |
It turns out the media misquoted him. What he said was “that among all the illegal immigrants coming from Mexico were some pretty bad people, some of them are rapists, some of them are drug dealers”. | |
This is not what he said. What he said was: | |
They [Mexico] are sending us not the right people. The US has become a dumping ground for everyone else’s problems. | |
They’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing their problems. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some I assume are good people but I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting. | |
But, you know. Hispanics love him, as it turns out. “But that’s not what the media reported”. | |
He recalls being asked in an interview whether he knew the names of the world’s most prominent terrorists. (He didn’t.) It was “a ridiculous question” he says. After all: “We’re not playing Trivial Pursuit.” | |
More on Trump’s golf courses. Megyn Kelly is mentioned again. And despite that stuff earlier on about the media loving him because of those outrageous comments, it turns out they actually hate Trump: “Because they know I don’t need them.” | |
4.33pm GMT16:33 | 4.33pm GMT16:33 |
Chapter 1. Winning again | Chapter 1. Winning again |
The chapter title brings to mind something Charlie Sheen might tweet beneath a picture of him with an arm round a Playboy model. Good start. | The chapter title brings to mind something Charlie Sheen might tweet beneath a picture of him with an arm round a Playboy model. Good start. |
We have a president who tries to get tough but isn’t. We make concessions to other countries. That’s not winning! | We have a president who tries to get tough but isn’t. We make concessions to other countries. That’s not winning! |
“If I ran my business that way,” I’d fire myself, Trump says, which hardly sounds like a good way to run a business. | “If I ran my business that way,” I’d fire myself, Trump says, which hardly sounds like a good way to run a business. |
There’s some stuff about Iran. The Iranians can’t be trusted. We need a government that is “committed to winning and has experience in winning”, you see. The word winning appears six times in this chapter. | There’s some stuff about Iran. The Iranians can’t be trusted. We need a government that is “committed to winning and has experience in winning”, you see. The word winning appears six times in this chapter. |
Real extract: | Real extract: |
Donald Trump builds businesses. Donald Trump builds buildings. Donald Trump develops magnificent golf courses. Donald Trump makes investments that create jobs. And Donald Trump creates jobs for legal immigrants and all Americans. | Donald Trump builds businesses. Donald Trump builds buildings. Donald Trump develops magnificent golf courses. Donald Trump makes investments that create jobs. And Donald Trump creates jobs for legal immigrants and all Americans. |
4.22pm GMT16:22 | 4.22pm GMT16:22 |
Preface | Preface |
There are 169 pages in Crippled America. It takes one page before Donald Trump raises the subject of illegal immigrants. | There are 169 pages in Crippled America. It takes one page before Donald Trump raises the subject of illegal immigrants. |
They are among a list of the “relentless and incompetent naysayers of the status quo” that Trump says knew would line up against him. | They are among a list of the “relentless and incompetent naysayers of the status quo” that Trump says knew would line up against him. |
The others include: members of the media (“no concept of the difference between ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’”). Congress (“deadlocked for years”). Politicians (“play like total losers when they actually try to govern”). | The others include: members of the media (“no concept of the difference between ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’”). Congress (“deadlocked for years”). Politicians (“play like total losers when they actually try to govern”). |
Trump reminds us, unnecessarily, that he has promised to build “a major wall that would be very high”. | Trump reminds us, unnecessarily, that he has promised to build “a major wall that would be very high”. |
He then admits to being surprised by the reaction – the positive reaction – to his campaign. | He then admits to being surprised by the reaction – the positive reaction – to his campaign. |
“I know I’m a great builder,” he says – what is this, Architecture Weekly? – “but I hadn’t fully exposed my political thoughts and ideas to restore America’s greatness.” True dat. | “I know I’m a great builder,” he says – what is this, Architecture Weekly? – “but I hadn’t fully exposed my political thoughts and ideas to restore America’s greatness.” True dat. |
He also says, in a tone reminiscent of a famous UK Ferrero Rocher advert, that he “knew that the Trump brand is one of the world’s great icons of quality and excellence”. | He also says, in a tone reminiscent of a famous UK Ferrero Rocher advert, that he “knew that the Trump brand is one of the world’s great icons of quality and excellence”. |
As Trump rose in the GOP polls, “the media, the politicians, and the so-called leaders of our country reacted in horror”, he says, which is accurate enough. | As Trump rose in the GOP polls, “the media, the politicians, and the so-called leaders of our country reacted in horror”, he says, which is accurate enough. |
Towards the end of the preface Trump set out his vision for America: “We need to outline commonsense policies and then knock some heads together if necessary to make them work.” | Towards the end of the preface Trump set out his vision for America: “We need to outline commonsense policies and then knock some heads together if necessary to make them work.” |
Amen brother ... | Amen brother ... |
4.17pm GMT16:17 | 4.17pm GMT16:17 |
Donald Trump’s latest book – Crippled America: How to make America Great Again – is released today. | Donald Trump’s latest book – Crippled America: How to make America Great Again – is released today. |
It sets out Trump’s vision for America, as well as giving us more information about his past. The revelations include that his father, Fred Trump, gave him a “small loan” of $1m when Trump wanted to invest in Manhattan. | It sets out Trump’s vision for America, as well as giving us more information about his past. The revelations include that his father, Fred Trump, gave him a “small loan” of $1m when Trump wanted to invest in Manhattan. |
The book also expands further Trump’s views on immigrants – beyond his opinion that Mexico is sending “rapists and drug dealers” to America. Mexico, according to Trump, has also “published pamphlets explaining how to illegally emigrate to the United States”. | The book also expands further Trump’s views on immigrants – beyond his opinion that Mexico is sending “rapists and drug dealers” to America. Mexico, according to Trump, has also “published pamphlets explaining how to illegally emigrate to the United States”. |
Trump will be signing copies of the book in New York City later on, and I will be reporting from the event. | Trump will be signing copies of the book in New York City later on, and I will be reporting from the event. |
I will also be live-reading Crippled America. So you don’t have to. Follow it here. | I will also be live-reading Crippled America. So you don’t have to. Follow it here. |