Many who voted for President Trump and who continue to support him, believe that a businessman would prove more effective in government than a career politician. It’s a reasonable assumption and one worthy of consideration. Could this president balance the budget? Could a successful businessman get the military to stop overspending for their hammers and toilet seats and aircraft carriers? Could we really get a better version of health care for every citizen and at a lower cost. Electing a successful businessman seemed like a good bet to many, and who among us will confess that they never suspected that someone’s success in business could translate to success in government leadership? Especially when the person in question brags that he never loses.

The correlative associated with this line of thinking is that career politicians are not nearly as concerned with their constituents as they are with lining their own pockets, that they find lying as easy – and essential – as breathing. Sadly, the evidence exists that such a position is also worthy of consideration for some – hopefully not most – politicians. But an examination of the 2016 political season along with some historical observations shows that we made a mistake selecting Donald Trump to be that businessman who would end waste in government, balance the budget, end corruption, and tell us the truth.

Trump’s proposed budget would increase the deficit dramatically, and it supports the opposite of what he promised the American voter. This biggest tax break ever does allow for tax cuts to the middle class, but it eliminates deductions that the middle class relies on. His health care plan does the opposite of what he promised the American voter. The buzz word for supporters of Trumpcare is “access.” Citizens will have a right to purchase heath care. That’s not much of a plan. It’s like the old days when those who were not insured got free health care coverage by showing up at the emergency room, causing the rest of us to experience higher premiums. I seem to remember Trump promising “better health care at a fraction of the cost.”

This successful businessman has continued his involvement with his business interests according to his sons who claim they meet regularly with Trump to discuss such matters. This continued involvement has created more than conflicts of interest; they have encouraged dictators around the globe where he has financial dealings or wants to build Trump Towers. Is that what Trump voters thought they would get when they elected a businessman to our highest office?

In hindsight, there are some notable politicians we should never have trusted because of their flaws. Andrew Johnson, a racist who stood tall among other racists. Richard Nixon because of his abuse of power, lying, and willingness to allow his flunkies to commit crimes to further his own ends. Huey Long because of his abuse of power and dealings with shady characters. Joseph McCarthy who created a national paranoia about communism and fifth columnists among us by openly lying about those accused (sound familiar?). Warren G. Harding because of his corruption and that of his cabinet officials (see Teapot Dome scandal).

Also of note are those presidents who engaged in illicit affairs while in office. Had their character flaws been widely substantiated during their campaigns, it is doubtful any would have remained in the race let alone been elected. However, their flaw of adultery did not necessarily indicate an inability to govern. In looking at their accomplishments, one can see that their goals as president went beyond successfully seducing women. Bill Clinton balanced the budget and got the economy growing at a fast clip. John Kennedy was a wonderful ambassador for US interests around the world and manned up to the USSR, keeping ICBMs out of Cuba. However, they were also responsible for hurting the United States.

Bill Clinton’s lack of morals continues to overshadow the economic success he enjoyed. John Kennedy’s own inexperience led to the grave Russian threat that led to him having to stand up to Moscow. Kennedy also bears some responsibility for the build up of our military involvement in Viet Nam. Knowing what I now know, I might not have voted for such men either because trust is an issue of importance for me. If such men feel no compunction about screwing their wives by screwing their girlfriends, they would have no compunction about screwing me, too. As they do with their sexual conquests, they use sweet-talk and persuasion to get us to believe their lies putting voters exactly where they want them. But sometimes we must weigh one flawed candidate against another flawed candidate. Such was the case for many in 2016 as many saw Trump as the blemished candidate who nonetheless was somehow an improvement over his opponent. I disagree that her was an improvement over Hillary Clinton, but that’s a topic for another essay.

There are also examples of extremely wealthy politicians working hard on behalf of the common citizen. Franklin Roosevelt is an obvious example as is his cousin Teddy Roosevelt. Between just those two they are credited with making conservation a national priority, creating the first national parks, standing up to monopolies and breaking them, creating the Social Security system, establishing a national minimum wage, making it illegal to discriminate in the workplace, supporting the cause of labor unions, and other positions supporting vast majority of Americans. These wealthy politicians worked against their own personal interests to secure a better life for those who needed it most. And they fought against wealthy businessmen who opposed their attempts to make things easier for the little guy.

With the profit motive being paramount for CEOs, concern for the middle or poorer classes is sometimes nonexistent. Child labor laws were first enacted in the 1830s, but they were mild and had little effect. In fact, it wasn’t until 1938, when FDR was president, that federal law set minimum wages and limits for the number of hours children could be forced to work. Such laws would hardly be necessary except for unscrupulous businessmen, the kind who used strikebreakers to bloody workers who dared support work stoppages for fairer wages and safety in the workplace. Today we have a businessman as president who underpays his subcontractors so he can put a few more dollars in his pockets and places executives from Goldman-Sachs in cabinet posts. Far from “draining the swamp,” Trump is pumping in more refuse.

Businessmen and industrialists opposed Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. They opposed child labor laws. They opposed – some continue to oppose – equal pay for equal work. They opposed Social Security. They seem to oppose anything that will stop them from maximizing their profits and their control over those who work for them. So, no, I am not one who thinks we need a businessman in the White House, at least not one who is  unscrupulous.

The objective for businessmen is to make a profit. That is what business leaders desire first and last. That the vast majority want to create a good product is laudable, but the bottom line – profit or loss – is what counts. It isn’t strange that we vilify politicians for that same selfish goal because politicians should be concerned with the general welfare of the entire nation. So why then are we convinced that a businessman could do the job of politician better than those who’ve been a part of government at multiple levels? Why do we hold in contempt those who are interested in their communities and continue to take that interest to the halls of Congress? Why do we hope that a person whose only goal is to make money can conduct the ship of state better than a person who learned the craft while being raised in a political family? Sure, it would be nice if Trump came in and made America richer, but the only ones getting richer are millionaires and billionaires. I guess businessmen are only good at getting profits for themselves, not everyone else. After all, there is a finite amount of money in the country, and the administration is shifting hundreds of millions from one group of people (the poor and middle class) to another group of people (the billionaires club).

Most important, why on earth would we think Donald Trump is the one businessman who can do the job? His business history is literally riddled with thousands of lawsuits (4,095 in thirty years according to USA Today) with dozens filed after becoming president. He followed racist policies as a landlord and wound up being sued by the federal government. According to an article in The Washington Post (1/23/16), Trump was forced to correct his practices. Despite settling out of court, despite admitting no guilt, (His countersuit against Washington was dismissed), Trump was forced to “. . . place ads informing minorities they had an equal opportunity to seek housing at their properties.” They were required to “. . . thoroughly acquaint themselves with the Fair Housing Act.” So while paying a settlement, being forced to publicly state minorities were welcome to rent at Trump tenements, and being forced to become familiar with federal law, Trump still believes he was victorious because he didn’t admit guilt. He didn’t have to admit guilt when that guilt is apparent in the penalties he faced.

He cheated students out of their tuitions who wanted nothing more than to be successful in business like Trump, and in January, 2017 paid a 25 million dollar settlement in damages. He may not have admitted guilt this time either, but that technicality is irrelevant to any thinking, rational person. These aren’t examples of someone who cares about the little guy. The only evidence we have of his being even a little concerned about the American citizens are his many promises while on the campaign trail. Promises he’s already broken on taxes and health care.

Donald Trump lies and then he lies again.

Politicians lie, too. Politicians make promises they know they either can’t or won’t keep. Politicians lie in an effort to keep the electorate from learning about their flaws. In that way, I suppose Trump fits right in. But Donald Trump, after being caught in a lie or a failure, will shout that others are lying. He will claim that he really said something else. He will attack the character, motivations, or credibility of those who oppose him. He will attack the physical appearance of his detractors as if such a non sequitur will somehow make others agree with him. His distractions and outright lies seem to be ignored by some sections of the public, and I simply do not understand why this is so. But Donald Trump also lies to prove his horrid behavior should be seen as acceptable, even desirable. He did this with the racist Birther controversy lying enthusiastically as he described the “amazing information” his investigators were uncovering in Hawaii; he lied about the nature of his comments when he admitted to groping women; he lies to paint the truth fiction and to make fiction a reality in the minds of his followers, and this is dangerous for the country.

I don’t understand why my friends would vote for a guy who arranges for his friends to get massive financial rewards from the government while simultaneously ignoring the rest of us. A lying businessman this corrupt should never be in charge of anything more complicated than the remote control on his TV. I am not opposed to the idea that a successful businessman could use his talents to help the government balance its budget or find new ways to generate income or simply manage its financial reserves better. I am opposed to a businessman who has cheated and lied his way to success employing his particular talents to continue promoting his personal finances at the expense of America’s poor and middle class.

If you’ve been a Trump supporter, please look into some of the claims against him, learn more about the way he runs his businesses, and reconsider the support you offer. If you do, you may find that you wouldn’t want to work for a boss like that. And if you wouldn’t want to work for such a person, you probably wouldn’t want him to be in charge of the country where you reside.