Soon this most painful of all presidential elections will mercifully end. That alone will be cause for celebration and, if current polling prevails, it will likely end the electoral life of Donald Trump.

So who is the Donald Trump America has come to know this last year?

Trump is not the kind of guy who can take any criticism from any source, ever. At least not without returning a childish tweet. As his opponent once said quite accurately, Trump is a man “you can bait with a tweet.” So we know his temperament; emotional, irrational, uneven and angry.

Donald is not someone who has much interest in learning. When he entered the presidential race last year he knew little about policy.

Today he still knows little about policy, though he tells his fans he knows more than our generals about military policy, more than tax experts about taxes, and more than anyone in Washington about business.

But then we also know that Trump’s business “knowledge” includes six bankruptcies, a near billion dollar loss in one year, and thousands of vendors who had to sue Trump to be paid for their services. We also know how “smart” Mr. Trump is for not paying taxes for 20 years.

Yes, the country that Trump wishes to lead, a country supported by your tax dollars, your potential president is proud to say he does not pay taxes.

The Trump we have come to know, is not so much a team builder as a divider. Trump has managed to have 25percent of the Republicans elected as governors, Congresswomen, and senators disclaim support for his candidacy. This is not only difficult to accomplish, Trump is the only presidential candidate to do so in the last 50 years.

Still, Trump has little patience for relationship building, not only with other Republicans, but with the opposite sex. Shortly after his marriage to his third wife, Donald bragged to Billy Bush on tape how he could simply walk up and sexually assault women, even by grabbing them by the genitals. When asked in debate if he actually did this, Trump said he did not. Within three days following Trump’s denial of assault, four women came forward affirming that Trump did indeed assault them without their consent in exactly the fashion Trump self described to Bush.

But then that leads to the tenuous relationship Mr. Trump has always had with the truth. Trump is on video in 2002 supporting the war in Iraq, but has denied he made the statement over and over, in spite of the recorded Trump making the statement. Politifact reports that 70 percent of the claims Trump has made that they have investigated have turned out to be false. After mocking a disabled report, also on video, Trump has denied doing so.

While Trump believes he knows more about almost anything than anyone, he may not know anything at all about our constitution, a document he would be sworn to uphold if elected. Trump threatened to expand libel laws when the press displeased him, and promised to investigate and jail his rival if elected. Trump has threatened to create a religious rule against Muslims entry in the US, only to be told the constitution would not permit such a rule.

Donald Trump, America knows you, for you have made us see you for your true character. Now, in the final days of an election you seem to be losing, you promise to burn down the very electoral system in your defeat by claiming in advance the election will be rigged, and by campaigning so viciously that you hope to deter people from wanting to vote.

We know you Donald Trump.

 

Jim Crawford is a retired educator and political enthusiast living here in the Tri-State.