In a recent interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, presidential hopeful Donald Trump totally showed his ass when asked for his stances on trade, gay marriage, global warning, and global politics.
First and foremost, though, let’s hear it for Tapper, who routinely calls out Trump’s hypocrisy and inaccuracy throughout the segment—like when Trump, who appears fairly desperate to appear neutral and reasonable, voices his doubts on climate change:
Trump: I’m a huge believer in clean air. I’m not a huge believer in the global warming phenomenon.
Tapper: But the overwhelming majority of scientists say that it’s real and man-made and things are happening—
Trump: Well, there could be some man-made, too. I’m not saying that there’s zero, but not nearly to the extent—when Obama stands up and says it’s the number one problem of our country—and if it is, then why is it that we have to…clean up our factories now and China doesn’t have to do it for another 30 years…
Or when they discuss immigration:
Trump: I love the Mexican people. I do business with the Mexican people. But you have people coming through the border from all over and they’re bad. They’re really bad. I’ve spoken to border guards and I said, “How bad is it?” and they’ve said, “Mr. Trump, you have no idea how bad.” You have people coming in, and I’m not just saying Mexicans, I’m talking about people that are from all over who are killers and rapists and they’re coming into this country.
Tapper: Let me talk to you about that for one second—that the government of Mexico called those comments prejudicial and absurd. And I think that what they’re objecting to is the idea that of the 11 million undocumented workers, illegal immigrants, whatever you want to call them in this country, that you’re painting them with a very broad brush—rapists, criminals, when that’s probably a very small percentage.
Trump: Well, I don’t think it’s a small percentage. It’s a lot, but it’s not Mexicans necessarily. They’re coming from all over.
Tapper: You talked about building a wall and having Mexico pay for it.
Trump: Yeah.
Or ISIS:
Tapper: Can we talk about ISIS for one second? You said you want to bomb the oil fields in Iraq to take on ISIS?
Trump: Yeah, the only way we can beat them is that. You know why they’re rich? Because they have the oil. Now if you remember—
Tapper: They have the oil in Syria, though.
Trump: They have some oil in Iraq.
Tapper: There’s a refinery they’re fighting with the Iraqis over.
Trump: “Fighting with the Iraqis over.” They’re gonna get it! The Iraqis will throw up their arms, they’ll leave, it’s one of those—
Tapper: I don’t think Iraq—the government of Iraq—would want us to bomb their oil fields.
Trump: The government in Iraq? There is no government in Iraq.
How about their discussion on abortion:
Tapper: I know you’re opposed to abortion.
Trump: Right. I’m pro choice.
Tapper: You’re pro choice or pro life?
Trump: I’m pro life. I’m sorry.
And most satisfying of all, here’s Tapper calling Trump out on his view of traditional marriage:
Tapper: Let’s talk about same sex marriage. You said a few years ago that you were evolving on that issue. Where are you?
Trump: I’m traditional marriage. It is changing rapidly.
Tapper: But what do you say to a lesbian who’s married, or a gay man who is married, who says, “Donald Trump, what’s traditional about being married three times?”
Trump: They have a very good point, but I’ve been a very hard-working person, and I have a great marriage and a great wife now. My two wives were very good, but I was working—maybe like you—22 hours a day.
Tapper: I’m not asking you to explain your divorces.
Trump: I know—I blame myself. My business was just so powerful to me, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Tapper: But what would you say to a lesbian or a gay man who’s married?
Trump: I wouldn’t say anything. I’m just for traditional marriage.
Give him enough rope to hang himself with, as they say.
