Author | Linx
At some point, Americans have to start paying attention to a person’s history instead of just listening to what that person says about themselves. Donald Trump spent years presenting himself as this incredible businessman and master dealmaker, but his business record was already out there for everybody to see. Multiple companies connected to Trump went through bankruptcy proceedings, including casino businesses in Atlantic City. That doesn’t mean Trump personally filed for bankruptcy, but it does mean voters had plenty of information available to examine before deciding whether his business record matched the image he was selling.
That’s the part that gets me. How do you build your entire political brand around being the person who supposedly knows how to make the best deals when businesses carrying your name repeatedly ended up in Chapter 11? Three Trump Atlantic City casino properties—Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Castle, and Trump Plaza—went through bankruptcy proceedings in the early 1990s, and Trump casino companies later went through additional Chapter 11 restructurings. People can argue all day about whether using bankruptcy law was smart business strategy or evidence of bad management, but Americans should at least be willing to look at the complete record instead of pretending that history never happened.
Then we act surprised when people become disappointed with political leadership. Why? The warning signs weren’t exactly hidden. When somebody repeatedly tells you that they’re the greatest businessman, the greatest negotiator, and the person who can fix everything, there is nothing wrong with checking the receipts. Americans should be doing that with every politician, regardless of party. Don’t just listen to speeches, campaign rallies, slogans, or social-media posts. Look at what the person actually did before asking for your vote.
I also think we have become way too comfortable treating politicians like celebrities. People defend politicians as if they’re defending members of their own families. Meanwhile, these politicians have enormous power over taxes, government programs, immigration, healthcare, the economy, foreign policy, and decisions that can affect our everyday lives. We should be questioning them, researching their records, and holding them accountable—not treating them like they can do no wrong.
Whether someone loves Donald Trump or can’t stand him, his business history was public information long before many Americans voted for him. People were free to decide that the bankruptcies didn’t matter or that his overall business career outweighed them, but nobody can really say there wasn’t information available to evaluate.
Maybe that’s the bigger lesson here. Stop voting based entirely on personality. Stop believing everything politicians say about themselves. Stop assuming someone is automatically qualified because they’re wealthy, famous, charismatic, or good at getting attention. Research their history, look at their decisions, and decide whether their actual record matches what they’re promising you.
Because once we hand somebody political power, complaining afterward doesn’t change the fact that we had an opportunity to investigate them beforehand.
So my question is simple: What did Americans really expect?
