Donald Trump brutally exposed

DONALD Trump entered today’s presidential debate with all the momentum. He left it battered and bruised.

Trump spent his two hours on stage defending himself against relentless attacks from his rivals for the Republican nomination, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. He was also ruthlessly interrogated by Fox News moderators Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace and Bret Baier. By the end of the debate, he looked tired and shaken.

On issue after issue, Trump was brutally exposed. These were the most important of them.

1. Trump University

Marco Rubio hammered Trump on the subject of his “university” — a self-help school he founded that former students are now suing, claiming it was a scam.

“We (Trump University) have a 98 per cent approval rating from the people who took the course. We have an “A” from the Better Business Bureau. And people like it,” Trump said in response. Rubio disputed those facts, and moderator Megyn Kelly stepped in with some of her own.

“With respect, we went back and looked at this. The rating from the Better Business Bureau was a D-minus. That’s the last publicly available rating, in 2010,” Kelly said.

“There was Trump University, which was a business that you started, and it was marketed to many people, and now there is a class-action of over 5,000 plaintiffs against you, Mr. Trump. And, it involves veterans, and it involves teachers, and it involves so-called little guys, working class, and lower-working class and middle class who say that they were fleeced, who say that it was a scam.

“The class has been certified, and in that case you counter-sued the lead plaintiff alleging that you were being defamed,” Kelly, a former lawyer, continued, before referring to the judgement in that counter-suit.

“The court threw out your counter-suit, and made you pay almost $800,000 dollars in legal fees of hers, and you made the same argument about 98 per cent of the people being happy with Trump University.

“This is what the Court of Appeals found. They said that the plaintiffs against you are like the (Bernie) Madoff victims ... They found that victims of con artists often sing the praises of their victimisers until they realise they have been fleeced.”

Trump was left to protest meekly: “Let’s see what happens in court.”

3. Immigration

Trump has delighted in cultivating his reputation as a hardliner on illegal immigration, particularly when it comes to people crossing the US border with Mexico. He repeats the same mantra, over and over: “We’re going to build a wall, and Mexico’s going to pay for it.” On top of that, there’s his promise to deport every illegal immigrant currently in the country.

However, earlier this week, Buzzfeed revealed that the New York Times has an audio recording of Trump from an off-the-record chat. In it, the candidate supposedly admits his views on immigration are a lot more flexible than his supporters believe.

The Times will only release the audio with Trump’s permission, and Cruz repeatedly urged him to make it happen during the debate.

“If you didn’t tell them that, the tapes will prove you’re innocent,” Cruz said. “But if, in fact, you went to Manhattan and said I’m lying to the American people, then the voters have a right to know.”

Trump showed no signs he’s willing to authorise the tape’s release. Instead, he defended his “flexible” approach to policy.

“I have a very strong core. But I’ve never seen a successful person who wasn’t flexible, who didn’t have a certain degree of flexibility. You have to have a certain degree of flexibility,” Trump said.

That’s not a bad point, but Trump’s credibility on one of his core issues took a beating.

4. The military

Trump says he will order the US military to assassinate terrorists’ wives and children. If such a policy sounds extreme to you, that’s because it’s a war crime. The third moderator, Bret Baier, asked Trump what he would do if the military refused to follow his unlawful orders.

“Experts have said that when you ask the US military to carry out some of your campaign promises, specifically targeting terrorists’ families, and also the use of interrogation methods more extreme than waterboarding, the military will refuse because they’ve been trained to turn down and refuse illegal orders,” Baier said.

“So, what would you do as commander-in-chief if the US military refused to carry out those orders?”

“They won’t refuse,” Trump replied. “They’re not going to refuse me. Believe me.

“I’m a leader. I’ve always been a leader. I’ve never had any problem leading people. If I say do it, they’re going to do it. That’s what leadership is all about.”

Trump proceeded to argue in favour of waterboarding — and worse — to the sound of applause from his fans in the crowd.

“Can you imagine these people, these animals over in the Middle East, that chop off heads, sitting around talking and seeing that we’re having a hard problem with waterboarding? We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding.”

Finally, pressed on his idea to target terrorists’ families, he doubled down.

“I have no problem with it,” Trump said. Social media reacted with disgust.

Sources: http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/donald-trump-brutally-exposed-in-republican-debate/news-story/41315d488cb01fbc75826de4db632b87