Greatest dealmaker in history is getting "crushed" -- and his fans are starting to notice

Is the public finally learning that Trump's "art of the deal" was always hot air? Right now he's trapped and alone

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON

JANUARY 18, 2019 1:00PM (UTC)

If you look at polling during the Trump era, it becomes clear that researchers have discovered that many voters are misinformed about the president. Many actually believe that Donald Trump is a massively successful self-made billionaire. His lifelong penchant for hype and the exposure he got from the scripted reality show "The Apprentice" convinced many people that he was a tremendously gifted businessman.

As the New York Times reported in its massive exposé of the Trump family business going back to the 1960s, Trump was a millionaire before he was out of diapers -- and his repeated failures in business were all because of his lack of business acumen. Researchers discovered that had voters known about this, it would have changed the minds of a meaningful percentage of those who voted for Trump.

He gets a 5 percent boost in public approval when people believe he came from humble roots because they conclude he must have empathy toward people like them. When people learn that isn't true, there's a big shift:



Perceptions of Trump's business acumen, which are fairly high among voters of both parties, are also subject to a significant shift. When they find out that his daddy bailed him out his whole life, Republicans reduce their admiration for his skills by 9 points and Democrats by 6. These are small differences, but considering how close the election was in 2016, it's something worth thinking about
for 2020.

more
https://www.salon.com/2019/01/18/greatest-dealmaker-in-history-is-getting-crushed-and-his-fans-are-starting-to-notice/