The Dawning Realization: How I Identified Donald Trump as a Con Man

I first started to doubt Donald Trump's genuineness back in 2015, amidst the flurry of excitement and enthusiasm that surrounded his campaign. Many of my friends and neighbors hailed him as the person who would usher in a new era. However, as someone who had conducted a substantial amount of research on Trump, I found the prevailing news coverage to be overwhelmingly negative. This, coupled with my own experiences, led me to a critical point of realization: Trump was indeed a con man.

Initial Impressions and Analogy

Trying to convey my feelings to my friends was no easy task. I found a unique way to explain my perspective: I drew an analogy using everyday experiences, which I hoped would resonate with them. Given that almost all of my friends were born and raised on a farm, I compared Trump to the smell that often wafts by when traveling through the countryside with car windows down: manure. Just as I could identify different farm animal smells—pigs, chickens, cows, sheep—some evoking comfort and familiarity, others a sense of revulsion, I likened Trump to a consistent whiff of something unpalatable.

“Remember when we are driving through the country with the car windows down and we experience manure smells? I might say that smell might be pig, chicken, cow, sheep, or some other barn animal smell. Well, you must admit I’ve never been wrong. Now when it comes to Trump, I can only smell bull s.#8212; it,” I would say, emphasizing the consistent nature of Trump’s negative reputation.

Disillusionment and Political Perspective

However, it is important to note that all politicians are, to certain degrees, con men. The question is how much we are willing to engage with their narratives and beliefs. For me, what set Trump apart was the intensity and frequency of his deceitful tactics. He systematically misrepresented his intentions and values, aligning with some of my conservative views while failing to deliver on promises and engaging in politically devious behavior.

While I was dissatisfied with the status quo, I could not fully support Trump, as his policies, particularly on immigration and his tax policies, conflicted with my middle-class values. Jerry Brown, a Democratic governor, seemed to prioritize free handouts, which exacerbated my frustration. Given that I was paying 25% of each paycheck in taxes without receiving any substantial return, I found the disconnect troubling.

Acknowledging the Deceptive Persona

The turning point in my realization came when Trump unveiled the facade of his public persona. His claim of being an intelligent, normal person who cared about all Americans turned out to be merely a facade. Much like in the famous saying, 'As long as I live, I will never understand why this alone wasn’t the end of it,' this moment of truth revealed the deeper layers of deception. Trump's inability to genuinely connect with his constituents and his penchant for doing what was convenient left me in no doubt of his manipulation and deception.