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Trump is the 'Anti-Establishment' Candidate Who Has Surrounded Himself with the 'Establishment'
Townhall.com ^ | February 27, 2016 | Justin Haskins

Posted on 02/27/2016 6:38:06 AM PST by Kaslin

Real estate mogul Donald Trump has climbed his way to the top of the Republican Party and is now only weeks away from wrapping up what could be a truly historic campaign season. If Trump wins the GOP nomination, it will be the first time in over 100 years a major U.S. party's presidential nominee could call himself or herself a true political outsider with no political experience, a claim Trump has consistently used to convince voters he's not going to be the same-old politician Republicans are all-too-familiar (and dissatisfied) with.

But if Trump is really the outsider he keeps saying he is, why has he surrounded himself with experienced Republican Party insiders that have supported some of the very same "establishment" Republicans Trump is always railing about?

Take Michael Glassner, for instance. He's Trump’s chief political advisor and one of the three individuals The Washington Post reports is nearly always by his side. Glassner is a former advisor to the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign and served Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) for more than 15 years in numerous roles, including as his senior political advisor.

Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski is a long-time political operative who has worked for several different well-known Republicans, including former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) and former Ohio Rep. Bob Ney (R). According to a report by NPR, Lewandowski "vouched for Ney's character" when the congressman faced corruption charges related to the notorious Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Ney was convicted of corruption and served more than two years in jail.

Then there's Timothy Jost, the Trump campaign's treasurer. Jost is the vice president and "team leader" of Red Curve Solutions, a "comprehensive treasury, budgeting, and FEC compliance" services company. Red Curve Solutions' leadership, including Jost, has had a long relationship with former Republican presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Jost started working for Romney in 2003, serving as the deputy finance directory for Romney for Governor. Jost also served as Romney's assistant treasurer during his run for president and has worked for various other congressional and gubernatorial campaigns.

Red Curve Solutions’ president, senior vice president, and another vice president (not Jost) all served for Romney at one time or another as well, which is now looking quite ironic considering the massive feud occurring on social media between Romney and Trump over Trump's tax returns.

In addition to Trump's connection to well-established Republican staffers, Trump has an extensive and well-documented history of financially supporting both Democrat and Republican politicians. Since the mid-1990s, Trump has donated thousands upon thousands of dollars to establishment politicians, including Hillary Clinton, former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), former Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd from Connecticut (of the hated Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act), Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer from New York (one of leaders behind the "Gang of Eight" amnesty bill), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), and former Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). Trump even donated money to Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in 2014 and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in 2013, both of whom Trump has been highly critical of in recent months.

When Trump won the Nevada Caucuses, political pundits across the nation pointed out Trump's incredible success with virtually every demographic, including demographics that don't normally support the same candidate in a Republican primary. For example, Trump won 44 percent of self-identified conservatives in CNN's exit polling, more than any other single candidate, as well as 55 percent of those who identify as "moderate or liberal." Trump won evangelical Christians and those who don't identify as evangelical Christians.

He was able to accomplish this incredible feat because the one thing the vast majority of his supporters agreed on was that they are angry at the "establishment." An incredible 70 percent of voters who said they think the GOP nominee should come from "outside the establishment" voted for Trump. But as the evidence clearly shows, Trump has consistently supported establishment candidates, has given thousands of dollars to entrenched politicians, and has surrounded himself with long-time Republican establishment operatives.

If Donald Trump is "anti-establishment," then what the heck does "establishment" look like?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 02/27/2016 6:38:06 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

2 posted on 02/27/2016 6:39:26 AM PST by Helicondelta
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To: Kaslin

In related news:

Inside the Republican Party’s Desperate Mission to Stop Donald Trump
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/us/politics/donald-trump-republican-party.html


3 posted on 02/27/2016 6:40:19 AM PST by VitacoreVision
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To: Kaslin

THIS! is what Trump is ‘surrounding’ himself with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1KlA95TfTE


4 posted on 02/27/2016 6:40:21 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: Kaslin
If Donald Trump is "anti-establishment," then what the heck does "establishment" look like?

Gee, this is a toughie.

Promoting amnesty. Pushing for increases in H-1B visas. Promoting bad trade deals. Calling anyone concerned about Islam a bigot.

Stuff like that. Stuff the RINO pimps do all the time.

5 posted on 02/27/2016 6:41:08 AM PST by dirtboy
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To: Kaslin

“Hi, I’m a Cuck.”


6 posted on 02/27/2016 6:42:18 AM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Helicondelta

Keep on dreaming, Trump bot.


7 posted on 02/27/2016 6:47:00 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: Kaslin

Justin,

A good candidate surrounds himself with talented people.

That’s what Trump has done. The establishment loathes his message.

Increasingly, they can’t deny his success.

He lacks political experience but he’s far better at the game than people who have spent their entire lives in politics.

And despite his lack of specifics, there is a sense Trump is channeling people’s anger into a desire to change Washington.

People in the Beltway are clueless about the mood of the country and what the rise of The Donald represents.


8 posted on 02/27/2016 6:47:04 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Kaslin

Winning.


9 posted on 02/27/2016 6:48:13 AM PST by patq
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To: Helicondelta

So Hillary can be the next president? Keep on dreaming Trump bot


10 posted on 02/27/2016 6:50:19 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: Kaslin


The face of the loony toons that write and post this nonsense.

You have a post just below this story that is entitled:

"Inside the Republican Party’s Desperate Mission to Stop Donald Trump"

So which one is it!?
11 posted on 02/27/2016 6:54:01 AM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: All
Just a cautionary note: whatever liberal thing Donald did in the past
and whatever liberal things he says now are not necessarily what he/ll do later.

Think: crossover votes.

12 posted on 02/27/2016 6:56:49 AM PST by Liz (SAFE PLACE? A liberal's mind. Nothing's there. Nothing can penetrate it.)
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To: Kaslin

What, no shout out to Sarah Huckabee Sanders ?


13 posted on 02/27/2016 6:57:09 AM PST by onona (I've held my nose so long I can't even remember what an election smells like !)
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To: Kaslin

“Trump is the ‘Anti-Establishment’ Candidate Who Has Surrounded Himself with the ‘Establishment’”

Reagan did the same.


14 posted on 02/27/2016 6:57:26 AM PST by BobL (At this point, any Republican / Conservative opposing Trump just enables Hillary to win)
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To: Kaslin

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”


15 posted on 02/27/2016 6:58:06 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Kaslin

Really? Seems to me that the establishment is trying to surround themselves trump. Will he take what they offer? Of course, and why shouldn’t he.


16 posted on 02/27/2016 6:58:08 AM PST by Robert DeLong (u)
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To: Kaslin

My biggest fear about Trump is that he does more damage to the conservative movement than he does to the establishment. Time will tell since he looks to be the likely nominee.


17 posted on 02/27/2016 7:00:55 AM PST by rwh
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To: VanDeKoik

You have entered the cognitive dissonance zone!! Just one step away from the twilight zone!! ;-)


18 posted on 02/27/2016 7:01:04 AM PST by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: VitacoreVision

Roger Stone lays this out in an InfoWars video on the street last night.

There’s $75 mm in play to put out the word to stop Trump.

If Rubio doesn’t capture FL, Mittens will come out of the bull pen.

The GOPe is planning on rewriting convention rules to get Mittens nominated - even without any delegates.


19 posted on 02/27/2016 7:01:34 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
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To: Kaslin

The media has their marching orders, we are aware of the news being told what to write, what to say...we are choosing not to listen, we don’t visits their online sites, we usually don’t read their lies, and we are turning off talk radio programs, and Cable t.v. because we are sick of the lies...

That’s what Freedom in America gives to us....enjoy being programed....


20 posted on 02/27/2016 7:03:10 AM PST by HarleyLady27 ("The Force Awakens"!!! TRUMP;TRUMP;TRUMP;TRUMP!!! 100%)
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