Aberrations like Trump litter the landscape of history. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Washington and the World. So far, though, Trump has failed in his efforts to have the lawsuits in California and New York thrown out. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. A three-week trip across the continent revealed a transatlantic relationship in tatters. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about the latest scandal, you can’t predict the next one. Woodrow Wilson Was Even Worse Than You Think. If the revelations about Trump University_ _don’t do any damage to Trump, it’s time to worry—or worry even more—about American democracy. Recounting his experience with one couple, which included a man who was on disability, he said, “After the hard-sell sales presentation, they were considering purchasing the $35,000 Elite program. In other words, Trump now has less than five weeks to vacate the White House. On my Twitter feed, some people reacted more skeptically, pointing out that many of Trump’s supporters appear oblivious to any criticisms of him, and that Clinton isn’t necessarily the ideal prosecutor. Trump University: It’s Worse Than You Think. Trump University: It’s Worse Than You Think - The New Yorker. Back in 2013, when the office of Eric Schneiderman, New York’s Attorney General, filed a civil lawsuit against Trump and some of his associates, the complaint, which is also worth reading in full, made perfectly clear what sort of organization it was targeting. Ivy League. One thing is clear, though. John Cassidy writes: Following the release, earlier this week, of testimony filed in a federal lawsuit against Trump University, the United States is facing a high-stakes social-science experiment. cnn.com – A judge has finalized a $25 million settlement for students … $28.. Will one of the world’s leading democracies elect as its President a businessman who founded and operated a for-profit learning annex that some of its own employees regarded as a giant ripoff, and that the highest legal officer in New York State has described as a classic bait-and-switch scheme? Trump is so out of the ordinary when it comes to negotiation, in fact, that the quarterly published by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, devoted its latest issue to him. Harvard people, which used to be the best Ivy League. Schnackenberg, who worked in Trump’s office at 40 Wall Street, testified that “while Trump University claimed it wanted to help consumers make money in real estate, in fact Trump University was only interested in selling every person the most expensive seminars they possibly could.” The affidavit concludes, “Based upon my personal experience and employment, I believe that Trump University was a fraudulent scheme, and that it preyed upon the elderly and uneducated to separate them from their money.”, In one sense, the latest revelations don’t break much new ground. John Cassidy on the recent revelations about Trump University, and how they may affect Donald Trump’s campaign for … The complaint explained. It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America tells us exactly how it is making America worse again. By John Cassid y. It’s Even Worse Than You Think The Trump Factor A single factor defines Donald Trump’s presidency, making it unlike the forty-four administrations before. The Trump administration's war on abortion rights is worse than you think The Trump administration has been executing a coordinated attack on what it sees as a critical public health issue. Save this story for later. Teflon Don: Revisiting Trump’s Early Fans. Another salesperson then “talked them into buying the $35,000 program after I refused to sell this program to them,” he testified. . To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The FBI is facing one of the greatest tests of its 110 years as politicians attack the bureau and Donald Trump calls it a "disgrace." The alleged scam didn’t stop there. Following the release, earlier this week, of testimony filed in a federal lawsuit against Trump University, the United States is facing a high-stakes social-science experiment. IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN YOU THINK What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America By David Cay Johnston 306 pp. "It's Even Worse Than You Think" is an intriguing examination of the first 100 days of Trump's presidency and the differences between his and past presidencies, … Hope Hicks, Trump’s campaign spokesperson, said that he was looking forward to his day in court. It is much worse than you thought. Schnackenberg’s testimony was one of the documents unsealed by a judge in the class-action suit, which was brought in California by some of Trump University’s disgruntled former attendees. What Will Decide the Presidential Election? When Donald Trump first launched Trump University in 2005, he said that the program’s aim was altruistic. This bait and switch was laid out in the Trump University Playbook (“Playbook”), which provided step-to-step directions to Trump University instructors on what to tell students during the seminars. ... and affiliate professor of history at American University and a political analyst for CBS News. For the first time in the Negotiation Journal’s 35-year history, it’s used a whole issue to talk about a U.S. president. That was the bait—or, rather, the initial bait. Schnackenberg, who worked in Trump’s office at 40 Wall Street, testified that “while Trump University claimed it wanted to help consumers make money in real estate, in fact Trump University was only interested in selling every person the most expensive seminars they possibly could.” The affidavit concludes, “Based upon my personal experience and employment, I believe that Trump University was a fraudulent scheme, and that it preyed upon the elderly and uneducated to separate them from their money.”. Trump University instructors and staff were given detailed guidance as to how to build rapport and approach consumers one-on-one to encourage further purchases. So will Trump University be the thing that brings Trump down? And now he’s ready to share—with Americans like you—the Trump process for investing in today’s once-in-a-lifetime real estate market.” The ad said that Trump had “hand-picked” Trump University’s instructors, and it ended with a quote from him: “I can turn anyone into a successful real estate investor, including you.”. I did not feel it was an appropriate program for them because of their precarious financial condition.” Far from being commended by his bosses for his honesty, Schnackenberg said that he was reprimanded. “I was disgusted by this conduct and decided to resign.”. Trump’s lawyers also told the Times that other testimony in the California case had discredited the charges made by former employees. Just called it Ivy League, it's all over. “I think many Republicans who held their nose and voted for Trump in 2016 thought he would at least be surrounded by seasoned staffers and career Republicans who would provide the policy road map for the administration,” said Jennifer Pierotti Lim, the co-founder of Republican Women for Progress, who endorsed Hillary Clinton at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. on our Facebook page. . Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. Donald Trump, the most perplexing candidate for the GOP presidential nomination this cycle, doesn’t think the federal government should profit from federal student loans. At least Donald Trump’s “smoking gun” tape is simpler than Richard Nixon’s. On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton offered a preview of what is to come, calling Trump a “fraud” who is “trying to scam America the way he scammed all those people at Trump University.”, The Clinton campaign is clearly hoping that Trump University will be to Trump as Bain Capital was to Mitt Romney—a way to portray him as just another selfish rich guy who is out to profit at the expense of ordinary folk. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. When it began, Trump University offered online classes, but it quickly switched its focus to live classes and seminars, the first of which was free to attend. Be they great, middling, or corrupt, the presidents past all shared a trait missing in the Trump presidency. It is also worth recalling that, in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, another populist businessman, served as Prime Minister four times despite a list of allegations against him that included bribery, tax evasion, sexual misconduct, and having ties to the mafia. Newyorker – Trump University its worse than you think. TRUMP UNIVERSITY: IT’S WORSE THAN YOU THINK. . Commenting on Twitter, Clinton’s press secretary, Brian Fallon, wrote, “Trump U is devastating because it’s metaphor for his whole campaign: promising hardworking Americans way to get ahead, but all based on lies.”. People buy emotionally and justify it logically.”, One of Schnackenberg’s contributions, in his testimony, was to illustrate how these tactics worked with individuals. Protesters Return To Trump Tower For Second Night After…, Collapse of US democracy: More than 60% think both Clinton…, Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Talk Border…, Ron Paul on Trump, deep state, the war against Terror, Donald Trump, After Blasting Iraq War, Picks Top Iraq Hawk…, © Unless otherwise stated, Copyright 2016 DefendDemocracy.Press. David Remnick, Amy Davidson, Kelefa Sanneh, and Nate Silver discuss the problem of Trumpism. Schnackenberg’s testimony was one of the documents unsealed by a judge in the class-action suit, which was brought in California by some of Trump University’s disgruntled former attendees. According to the Attorney General’s complaint, the free classes were merely a marketing device. At another point, the manual said, “Don’t ask people what they THINK about something you’ve said. An Erudite Analysis of the Trump Fiasco It's Even Worse Than You Think, What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America, written by David Cay Johnston, and narrated by Danny Campbell. Some of these methods, such as encouraging customers to max out their credit cards and playing psychological tricks on them, are familiar from the world of time-shares and other dodgy industries. If anyone still has any doubt about the troubling nature of Donald Trump’s record, he or she should be obliged to read the affidavit of Ronald Schnackenberg, a former salesman for Trump University. In It’s Even Worse Than You Think, Johnston exposes shocking details about the Mexican border wall, and how American consumers will end up paying for it, if it ever gets built; climate change, and all about Scott Pruitt who spent much of his career trying to destroy the agency he now heads; stocking—not draining—the swamp, despite his promise to do the opposite, Trump has filled his cabinet with … Why Trump is even worse than you think. By John Cassid y. June 2, 2016. Instead, always ask them how they FEEL about it. David Cay Johnson is an investigative journalist, a specialist in economics and tax issues, and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting. One of the company’s ads said of Trump, “He’s the most celebrated entrepreneur on earth. Editors' Blog ... Twitter Permanently Bans Trump . Following the release, earlier this week, of testimony filed in a federal lawsuit against Trump University, the United States is facing a high-stakes social-science experiment. © 2021 Condé Nast. Moreover, the complaint said, “no specific Donald Trump techniques or strategies were taught during the seminars, Donald Trump ‘never’ reviewed any of Trump University’s curricula or programming materials, nor did he review any of the content for the free seminars or the three day seminars.” So what were the attendees taught? Nov. 16, 2015. (In New York State, universities have to obtain a state charter.). Will one of the world’s leading democracies elect as its President a businessman who founded and operated a for-profit learning annex that some of its own employees regarded as a giant ripoff, and that the highest legal officer in New York State has described as a classic bait-and-switch scheme? From the time Trump University began operating, in 2005, the A.G.’s office repeatedly warned the company that it was breaking the law by calling itself a university. Trump's radical attempt to sabotage auto emissions rules: It's even worse than you think This is more than a damaging assault on pollution regulations — it's a stealth attempt to rewrite federal law The Sorry Legacy of the For-Profit College Boom. By Evan Osno s. Video. Think about that!” Trump’s tweeted thought experiment came after trading on the New York Stock Exchange was temporarily halted as stocks plunged more than 2,000 points, a 7 percent drop that triggered an automatic pause. David Cay Johnston discusses his book, "It's Even Worse Than You Think" at Politics and Prose on 1/24/18. Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Trump University: It’s Worse Than You Think. Part 2: “It’s Even Worse Than You Think”: David Cay Johnston on Trump’s First Year in Office Part 3: Trump Biographer: Trump is the “Most Racist” President in At Least 100 Years Even when students hesitated to purchase the expensive programs, Trump representatives were provided stock responses to encourage purchases, including encouraging students to go into debt to pay for the Elite programs. Citing surveys that he claims show that Trump University got high approval ratings from its customers, he has set up a Web site at 98percentapproval.com, which features testimonials from Trump University attendees and attacks on the Attorney General. Trump denies any wrongdoing. Save this story for later. Schoolchildren can easily grasp Trump’s high crime, in contrast to the complex, Machiavellian plot immortalized on the tape that led to Nixon’s downfall. Subscribe to John Cassidy’s newsletter to get the latest on politics, economics, and the news. And, whatever happens to the legal cases, the allegations will dog him all the way to November. David Cay Johnston has written about Donald Trump before in “The Making of Donald Trump” and as he states in this book, “It’s Even Worse Than You Think”, this is a sequel to that book. Trump University: It’s worse than you think. . “If they can afford the gold elite don’t allow them to think about doing anything besides the gold elite,” one of the playbooks advised the sales staff. They just named it. Despite Trump University’s claim that it offered “graduate programs, post graduate programs, doctorate programs,” it wasn’t a university at all. The Trump White House is bedlam. Trump University is Somehow Even Worse Than You Imagined Blog Post. One of his mistresses is also romantically involved with a notorious gangster. In It’s Even Worse Than You Think, Johnston exposes shocking details about the Mexican border wall, and how American consumers will end up paying for it, if it ever gets built; climate change, and all about Scott Pruitt who spent much of his career trying to destroy the agency he now heads; stocking—not draining—the swamp, despite his promise to do the opposite, Trump has filled his cabinet with … In fact, Trump hadn’t handpicked the instructors, and he didn’t attend the three-day seminars. There, Trump University’s instructors “engaged in a methodical, Systematic Series of misrepresentations” designed to convince students to sign up for a three-day seminar, where they would learn Trump’s personal techniques and strategies for investing, at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars. It is much, much worse. Trump University: It’s Worse Than You Think. By Alexander Holt. If you’re willing to defend almost-sorta-kinda collusion today, you’d better be willing to defend clear-as-day, quid-pro-quo collusion tomorrow. Simon & Schuster. Despite Trump University’s claim that it offered “graduate programs, post graduate programs, doctorate programs,” it wasn’t a university at all. Trump University instructors told people who attended the three-day seminars that this wasn’t enough time to learn how to succeed, and encouraged them to purchase additional “mentorship” programs, which cost up to thirty-five thousand dollars. These are really smart people saying this. January 18, 2019. . Trump University representatives were explicitly instructed to push the highest priced Elite programs. Johnston exposes how incredibly dangerous the Trump Administration is to the future of America! column about politics, economics, and more. If anyone still has any doubt about the troubling nature of Donald Trump’s record, he or she should be obliged to read the affidavit of Ronald Schnackenberg, a former salesman for Trump University. Daily Comment. Opinion: Donald Trump’s business disaster is worse than you think ... Trump was chairman of the board throughout the entire time, and CEO as well for about half of it. 20/11/2016. Ad Choices. On Nov. 7, 1876, Tilden received over 250,000 more votes than Hayes, but as the night wore on, he had secured just 184 of the 185 electoral votes he needed to win. He suffers from severe medical problems, which he and his staff are concealing from the press. If anyone still has any doubt about the troubling nature of Donald Trump’s record, he or she should be obliged to read the affidavit of Ronald Schnackenberg, a former salesman for Trump University. It was a company that purported to be selling Trump’s secret insights into how to make money in real estate. If anyone still has any doubt about the troubling nature of Donald Trump’s record, he or she should be obliged to read the affidavit of Ronald Schnackenberg, a former salesman for Trump University. All rights reserved. According to the complaint, “the contents and material presented by Trump University were developed in large part by a third-party company that creates and develops materials for an array of motivational speakers and Seminar and timeshare rental companies.” The closest that the attendees at the seminars got to Trump was when they were encouraged to have their picture taken with a life-size photo of him. The newly released documents, which included actual Trump University playbooks (one was also uncovered by Politico earlier this year), provide more detail about the sales tactics that its employees used. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. By News Sources, June 3, 2016. We invite you to join the dialogue Think the Trump tapes are worse than the Nixon tapes? Think again. This was the full Manchurian Candidate scenario, and several orders of magnitude worse than the standard "collusion" story. This is a school, Trump University. The best people are saying that my school is probably the number one Ivy League school in America. Even If Assange’s Death isn’t the Goal of the US and... Stop Trivializing The Term ‘Coup’: Notes From The Edge Of The... Pompeo Says Obama Risked US Lives by Complying With INF Treaty, Coronavirus Lessons That Vietnam Could Teach Americans and the World, New details about January 6 riot reveal need for full-scale investigation. Americans formally performed that onerous responsibility this Monday when its Electoral College voted 306-232 for Joe Biden as the incoming American president. In a post for _The _New Republic, Brian Beutler argued that it will be “devastating” to him. 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