My coffee with a Trump supporter
I finally found a Trump supporter 鈥� this morning when I went to buy coffee. Here's our brief chat.
Reporters shout questions at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign event at Trump International Hotel, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/ AP
I finally found a Trump supporter 鈥� this morning when I went to buy coffee. (I noticed a Trump bumper sticker on his car.)
鈥淗i,鈥� I said. 鈥淣oticed your Trump bumper sticker.鈥�
鈥淵up,鈥� he said, a bit defensively.
鈥淚 hope you don鈥檛 mind my asking, but I鈥檓 curious. Why are you supporting him?鈥�
鈥淚 know he鈥檚 a little bit much,鈥� said the Trump supporter. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 a successful businessman. And we need a successful businessman as president.鈥�
鈥淗ow do you know he鈥檚 a successful businessman?鈥� I asked.
鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 made a fortune.鈥�
鈥淗as he really?鈥� I asked.
鈥淥f course. Forbes magazine says he鈥檚 worth four and a half billion.鈥�
鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean he鈥檚 been a success,鈥� I said.
鈥淚n my book it does,鈥� said the Trump supporter.
鈥淵ou know, in 1976, when Trump was just starting his career, he said he was worth about $200 million,鈥� I said. 鈥淢ost of that was from his father.鈥�
鈥淭hat just proves my point,鈥� said the Trump supporter. 鈥淗e turned that $200 million into four and a half billion. Brilliant man.鈥�
鈥淏ut if he had just put that $200 million into an index fund and reinvested the dividends, he鈥檇 be worth twelve billion today,鈥� I said.
The Trump supporter went silent.
"And he got about $850 million in tax subsidies, just in New York alone,鈥� I said.
More silence.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not a businessman,鈥� I said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a con man. "Hope you enjoy your coffee.鈥�
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