With a host of potential Republican candidates descending on the Granite State this weekend, Donald Trump will probably stir up lots of attention at the First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua. As a TV personality and real estate tycoon, “The Donald” has an edge over his Republican rivals in name recognition and media savvy. There has been lots of speculation about whether he will actually make a run for president this time. He tested the water in 2012 and then backed out. At present, Donald Trump has the largest staff of workers in New Hampshire, he has good poll results in this state, and he sure sounds like a candidate. An actual declaration of Trump’s candidacy would be made in June.
Trump blasts the Bush and Obama administrations as having fools and amateurs doing our trade and diplomatic negotiations. He blames both for our current predicament with ISIS. “The war in Iraq cost us $2 trillion. What do we have to show for it?” The conflict cost us thousands of lives and caused so many wounded, and now ISIS and Iran will take over the area. The decline of American prestige on the world scene is a major reason for his contemplating a run for the presidency. Trump would bring back American jobs by making new trade deals with China, Japan, and Mexico. He points to the actual unemployment rate of 19-21% and a 0% growth of the US economy in the last quarter as serious indicators of just how bad we are doing economically. Trump also laid into the current field of Republican candidates. He feels that they haven’t connected with the American people because they haven’t shown how they will turn the US economy around. There is no question that Donald Trump’s presence in the field will make things very interesting.
