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1-Page Summary of The Making of Donald Trump
Overview
David Cay Johnston’s book, The Making of Donald Trump, is an examination of Donald Trump’s character and actions. It focuses on his financial dealings, frauds he has committed, and the criminals that he associates with.
Donald Trump’s grandfather left Germany to avoid the draft. He went to Alaska, where he set up a bar that was frequented by prostitutes. Fred Trump, Donald’s father, made his fortune through real estate and war profiteering. He set up a trust fund for Donald when he was still young so that he could focus on business rather than schoolwork.
Donald Trump was influenced by his family and Roy Cohn, a lawyer who worked with Joseph McCarthy. The latter’s connections to the Mafia and mob-controlled unions helped Trump in his real estate dealings. For example, he hired undocumented Polish immigrants to subvert union rules about site safety and worker pay.
Trump has been involved in a lot of fraudulent business dealings. He withheld information on his application to run a casino, but he got away with it because of his wealth and influence. His Trump University real estate education business provided its students with no useful information and engaged in high-pressure sales tactics to extract more money from enrollees. In many instances, he licensed his name to other developers without telling the purchasers that he was not actually involved with the projects.
Trump has claimed that revenge is the principle guiding his actions. He’s vindictive as a point of pride and principle when he feels insulted, and he will use lawsuits to retaliate against those who have offended him or treated him unfairly in the press.
Trump is a poor manager who lies to his employees and doesn’t treat them well. He’s also a cruel person, so voters should take that into account when deciding whether or not they want him as president.
Key Takeaways
Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, was known for dishonest business tactics. Donald Trump followed his father’s example and used similar methods to build his fortune. He had a mentor named Roy Cohn who taught him even more about shady deals. Donald Trump has close connections with organized crime and knows many criminals personally. Donald Trump is not as wealthy as he claims to be because he lies about how much money he makes in order to look good in the eyes of others.
Donald Trump uses lawsuits and threats of litigation to prevent criticism of himself. He also believes strongly in revenge. These character traits are not consistent with being a Christian, which is what he claims to be. His character raises serious questions about his fitness for the presidency.
Key Takeaway 1: Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, was known for dishonest business tactics. Donald Trump followed his father’s example.
Donald Trump’s father was a real estate developer and landlord. He used cheap materials to maximize profits, which made him unpopular among his tenants. Fred Trump also partnered with organized crime figures who provided him with cash and ensured he had no trouble with unions.
Fred Trump had a scheme to defraud the government. First, he delayed paying back a loan until after he had gathered an additional $1.7 million in rents, about $15 million in 2016 dollars. He was able to do this because Clyde Powell took bribes but there’s no evidence that Fred Trump bribed him during this case. Secondly, Fred Trump padded his profits by overestimating construction costs and then jacking up rents based on those costs.
Fred Trump was involved in other scandals. For example, he donated to a politician running for mayor of New York City. That donation looked like it might be illegal and the politician had to give back the money that Trump gave him.
