Donald Trump. Ultra rich buisness guru. TV star. And now, Republican candidate for President of the United States. A front runner in a crowded pack of contenders for the GOP nomination, Trump has obtained a surprisingly strong base of supporters who stand behind his stauchly conservative views. Although most of his support is based in the American Southeast, Trump has support pretty much everywhere; he leads most polls in most of the early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and North and South Carolina, among others. Critics claim that Trump is either a crazy, far right fanatic with dangerous determination of dealing with potential presidential duties, or claims that he is a “decoy” for the democrats in order to give them an edge in the 2016 election. But the most asked question about Donald Trump remains: “Is Donald Trump really conservative?”. To understand the information, it is ideal to conduct research, so we’ll take a look at this. According to louderwithcrowder.com, evidence suggests that Trump is NOT the conservative that most people believe he is. For example, Crowder writes that Trump has switched parties 5 times since the 80’s, and has donated at least half a million dollars to democratic campaigns, including the controversial Clinton Foundation. However, most conservatives point out that Ronald Reagan switched sides before becoming a Presidential candidate as well. Crowder continues that Trump has supported liberal policies in the past, such as gun laws, abortion, higher taxes and socialized heathcare- the same things that most current supporters of Trump oppose. (For the entire article, click here: http://louderwithcrowder.com/vetting-donald-trump-what-you-need-to-know/)

Anyone who tuned in to the Fox News GOP debate saw many interesting viewpoints and exchanges, but the most bizarre was when Trump -and only Trump- raised his hand when asked if he would possibly run as a 3rd party candidate if he did not win the GOP nomination. Yes, he later signed a pledge promising not to, but as observed in Crowder’s article, Trump has had a tendency to change his mind.

So, is Donald Trump really conservative? He may be. He could believe exactly what he speaks about in speeches to his far-right supporters. He could possibly have a legitimate plan to “Make America Great Again”. But, he could be playing political and completely disagree with the promises he is making on the campaign trail. He may still believe in the liberal policies he supported decades ago. But I’m not Donald Trump, you’re not Donald Trump, there is only one. And only he knows his true intentions.

**I have had the pleasure of writing political articles for the Pioneer for over a year, and my suggestion to you is to research the candidates, and figure out who will best support you. And as always, get out the vote! ~LRS