Publisher's Synopsis
This book by Paul Vincent Blair is non-fiction and based on recent history. It includes a healthy dose of Mr. Blair's opinion. Biggest Political Blunders of 2020, documents the incredible good fortune of the Trump Family. But it also documents President Trump's biggest political mistake.
Friedrich Trump, Donald's grandfather, emigrated to the U.S. from Germany. A barber by trade, Friedrich decided to head west just in time for the Yukon Gold Rush. Friedrich chose to mine the gold miners rather than prospect for gold in the hills. He operated restaurants, hotels, and boarding houses. Friedrich provided what the miners wanted, and that included prostitutes. Friedrich wasn't averse to taking some risks, but somehow he always came out on top. Fred Trump, Donald's father, developed a keen interest in the construction trades. He started building homes, apartment buildings, and low-income housing units in the New York area. He built many homes for the returning World War II soldiers using federal funds. In early 1954, President Eisenhower and other federal leaders began denouncing real-estate profiteers. On June 11, The New York Times included Trump on a list of 35 city builders accused of profiteering from government contracts. The Trump family has a long history with The New York Times. Fred and others were investigated by a U.S. Senate Banking Committee for windfall gains. Trump and his partner William Tomasello were cited as examples of how profits were made by builders using the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Other than bad publicity, nothing ever became of the investigation. In 1963-1964, Fred built Trump Village, an apartment complex in Coney Island, for $70 million. He constructed more than 27,000 low-income apartments and row houses in the New York area. This project led to more accusations of Fred Trump's excessive profiteering. In 1966, Trump was again investigated for windfall profiteering, this time by New York's State Investigation Commission. Once again, nothing came of the investigation, and Fred became even more wealthy. Around 1968, Donald Trump joined the firm, which was then known as the Trump Management Company. Donald rose to become the company president in 1971. In the mid-1970s, Donald received loans from his father that allowed him to enter the real-estate business in Manhattan. Fred stuck to Brooklyn and Queens. Fred Trump's son Robert also worked for the company, becoming a top executive before his retirement. Donald Trump was very effective at using other people's money to leverage his business ventures. His Atlantic City casinos are a prime example. Most of his critics like to say he lost his shirt in Atlantic City. Donald will tell you he made a lot of money with his casinos. Blair also describes Donald's media career, including books, acting, talk radio, and television. Blair covers Trump's entry into politics, his successful presidential bid in 2016, and his accomplishments as President. Before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived on the scene, most observers believed Trump would easily win a second term. But, the pandemic, and how Trump handled it, changed everything for the 2020 election. Blair opines that the COVID-19 may be the political demise of Donald J. Trump. But the Democrats may have overplayed their hand with the Summer of Riots. They may have snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. Finally, Blair opines on the effects of a Trump versus Biden victory in November. You will find "Biggest Blunders" an easy read and quite informative. Most readers learn for the first time about the Trump Family history and their uncanny ability to pull out a win when things look terrible. Can Donald do it again?