The First Presidential Debate Showed Us All We Needed to Know About Trump | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

The First Presidential Debate Showed Us All We Needed to Know About Trump

Trump's performance in the first debate displayed some alarming characteristics that we've known about all along.

11
The First Presidential Debate Showed Us All We Needed to Know About Trump
Wikimedia Commons

The first presidential debate, broadcast from Hofstra University in New York, showed us an incredible juxtaposition: cool, calm Hillary Clinton showed us that she is more than capable of being president, while Donald Trump seemed angry, like a petulant child. This debate showed us all we need to know about Trump, and why he can never be president. I've broken down the debate into what I find the three most alarming things Trump showed us in the first debate (terrible policies aside).

Trump will not be held responsible for his actions.

Hillary has inundated the media with commercials featuring clips of Trump saying some of the most degrading things toward women, African-Americans, and more. There is footage of him calling himself a Chauvanist and insulting women. There is evidence of him refusing to pay contractors who worked for his company (and he's proud of that!). Any time Hillary brought these issues up, issues clearly central to his past and his campaign for president, Trump would interrupt with a simple "wrong!" As much as he tries to keep up his charade of innocence, there is evidence implicating him in these more than shady actions. Hillary, on the other hand, finally owned up and took responsibility for her email scandal, admitting it was a mistake and it was her fault. Accountability is essential in presidents, and Trump showed us he will be held accountable to no one but himself.

He has no emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is key if not essential to being POTUS. This means the ability to control one's emotions and put them aside when in the face of conflict. Richard Nixon was a prime example of a lack of emotional intelligence. When Nixon was in the face of conflict, or in the wake of one of his mistakes, rather than owning up and grasping the situation he would double down on his errors in order to maintain his personality, clearly letting his emotions get the best of him. Donald Trump showed us this same negative trait when in the face of Hillary's factual attacks, he would double down and just say she's wrong. The issue is, we know what the facts are. Making up lies for not showing his tax returns won't cut it. This is a clear lack of emotional intelligence and someone whose emotions would certainly get the best of them in a serious conflict. Hillary, on the other hand, stood smiling and even laughing the whole time, despite whatever claims Trump would try to make against her.

He does not respect the spirit of the laws of this nation.

Trump has yet to release his tax returns and everyone knows why. He does not pay the taxes a man of his income should be paying and continues to lie about why he's not releasing them. He touts this as an ability to 'take advantage' of national laws. He was very clear that he does not break any laws, but rather takes advantage of the existing laws in place. This is not a quality we should admire in a presidential candidate. This is evidence of a man constantly trying to subvert the laws for his own gain. Should he be elected president, where would that stop? Will he try to subvert Congress and get his policies enacted? Would he try to subvert international organizations to project America's ideals where we have no place being? This is not a risk that can be taken, especially with the nuclear launch codes in hand. On that topic, he was reported to have asked multiple times during national security briefings "why can't we just use our nuclear weapons?" Everyone seems to understand the consequence of nuclear war and mutual assured destruction except Mr. Trump. That is not a safe choice for commander-in-chief.

This was by no means a comprehensive assault on Trump's candidacy, for me to write that I would need my own newspaper. This is what stood out to me when watching the first debate. I was no Hillary supporter until Bernie dropped out, but she is who we need to protect this country. If this isn't alarming enough his policies should be, because Trump is no savior and he will not make America any greater than it already is. We have a lot of problems to deal with as a nation, but Trump will bring nothing except more divisiveness and potential danger.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

4382
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

303117
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments