By Haddon Libby
With the surprise election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States, the Republican Party now controls the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Oval Office. This most likely means that Obamacare will be repealed, a wall will be built along the Mexican border, trade deals will be renegotiated, the Supreme Court will become more conservative and much more.
As we need time to see how a Trump Presidency will develop, let’s take a breather and get to know a few things about him that did not receive much attention during the Presidential Campaign.
You probably know that his parent’s sent him to military school at the age of thirteen as they felt he needed more discipline. You may not know that he also graduated from one of the world’s best business schools, the Wharton School of Business, where he earned a degree in economics.
It is not widely known that Donald Trump does not drink alcohol as a result of his brother dying of alcohol poisoning in 1982.
Like comedian Howie Mandel, Trump is a germaphobe.
Trump’s sister, Maryanne Barry, is a senior U.S. Circuit Court judge. She was nominated to the position by President Bill Clinton in 1999. Trump has stated that she got the seat because he gave a lot of money to the Clinton campaign.
If you think that Trump is a bit egocentric, that trait is shared by many Presidents. As an example, did you know that our sixth President, John Quincy Adams became President while heading the Adams Party? He also used to like to take nude swims in the Potomac River while President.
It is also fair to say that the words that come from Trump’s mouth are not always appropriate. He is not the first to have trouble controlling his tongue. Did you know that our seventh President, Andrew Jackson of the Jacksonian Party used to enjoy teaching his pet parrot how to swear? At Jackson’s funeral, the parrot had to be removed as it was cursing a blue streak.
Many were upset with Trump for off color remarks that he made related to his daughter Ivanka’s attractiveness. Did you know that our twenty-second President, Grover Cleveland, married a girl whom he served as guardian for from her age of eleven years old? They married ten years later when she was twenty-one and he was President.
Our Vice President-Elect, Mike Pence, is known to be a spiritual and religious man. What would he think of our fourteen President, Franklin Pearce, who would not use a bible for the swearing in ceremony? Pearce used a law book instead.
People have talked about the bankruptcies of a few of Trump’s business. He is not the first President to have had failures in business. Our 33rd President, Harry Truman, owned a men’s clothing store that failed in 1921.
A lot of people think that Trump lacks class. I wonder how they would feel about Lyndon Johnson who would have people follow him into the bathroom so that he could continue conversations while relieving himself.
I know that many believe that Trump does not have the background, experience or temperament to be President. Let’s take a moment to look at some past Presidents and their backgrounds and behaviors.
Our thirtieth President, Calvin Coolidge, had an odd morning ritual. While eating breakfast in bed, he would have someone rub vaseline on his head.
Gerald Ford was a fashion model while George W. Bush was a cheerleader. Ronald Reagan did stand-up comedy in 1954 while Benjamin Harrison was afraid of electricity.
Donald Trump may become a great, mediocre or poor President. Only time will tell. For now, let us all unite and join him in his stated intent of making America great again.
Haddon Libby is an Investment Advisor and Managing Director at Winslow Drake and can be reached at 760.449.6349 or HLibby@WinslowDrake.com.
