In his effort to give his presidential campaign the strength it needs, Donald Trump told The Associated Press recently that Americans should look at his corporate record for evidence of how well he’d run the country. His problem is that many Republican corporate executives have already concluded that his record disqualifies him for the presidency.
This is not unexpected, given the familiar argument that corporate presidential experience presumably qualifies one to be president of the country. Nothing could be further from the truth, as even a cursory review of the respective responsibilities proves.
There is also a historical rebuttal to Trump’s claim. In 2000, when Trump was idly considering a run for the presidency, William F. Buckley Jr., founder of the conservative – and anti-Trump – magazine National Review, was unimpressed. He took down Trump in an essay (published by Cigar Aficionado) that is pertinent even today. Buckley opposed demagoguery. But more to the point, he urged voters to “look for the narcissist.” He continued:
“The most obvious target in today’s lineup is, of course, Donald Trump. When he looks at a glass, he is mesmerized by its reflection. But the demagogue has to say something. So what does Trump say? That he is [the] successful businessman America needs in the Oval Office.
“There is some plausibility in this, though not much. The greatest deeds of American Presidents – midwifing the new republic; freeing the slaves; harnessing the energies and vision needed to win the Cold War – had little to do with a bottom line.”