Is Donald Trump Really a Great Businessman?

Of course, he’ll say so.  But one can fairly question that assessment.  A good businessman knows his business.  Because he does his homework and has the experience necessary to the exercise of sound judgment.  These become habits of life:  be prepared and think before acting.

The fact that Trump has not displayed either attribute during his campaign would belie the belief that he employs them in his activities (or would be guided by such qualities as president).

Donald Trump, foremost, is a real estate developer.  The essence of that business is speculation.   Buy property, develop it by building shopping centers, office buildings, houses, etc.  A successful businessman sells the result for more than the investment of time and money costs.  The unsuccessful project owner often ends up in bankruptcy which has been Donald Trump’s lot on four separate occasions. 

The Sensible Conservative’s observations:  It is disingenuous for Trump to defend this record by noting that his companies filed for bankruptcy, not him personally.  That’s a distinction of legal liability, not business responsibility.  Trump does business through corporate entities to avoid personal liability for a business’s debts.  That is a sound practice commonly used by most commercial enterprises.  There is nothing wrong or unethical in Trump having done so.  But that doesn’t change the fact that at least four businesses headed by Donald Trump were failures.  That record hardly recommends him for the presidency.