Over the past decade, Trump has battled with homeowners, elbowed his way through the planning process, shattered relationships with elected leaders and sued the Scottish government. On top of that, he has yet to fulfill the lofty promises he made. Trump has also reported to Scottish authorities that he lost millions of dollars on the project — even as he claims on U.S. presidential disclosure forms that the course has been highly profitable.

Second, the Trumps seem not that concerned about losing the general election. The Post reported recently:

[W]hat if a man who has built his brand on victory loses the general election? When does a scorched-earth presidential campaign become a liability for the family? The company? The country? It doesn’t, Don Jr. says. “I think we’re probably net neutral, and maybe internationally we’re ahead, because the name recognition is so powerful today,” he says. “DJT Jr.” is embroidered on the breast pocket of his pink button-down shirt. Eric agrees. “If we don’t win the last part of it, we’ll do what our family has always done and that’s build the greatest projects in the world,” he says, echoing his father.

Win the “last part of it”? Well, like Trump steaks, they just go on to the next sales job. Never has a candidate had so little to lose from, well, losing.

Third, Trump has yet to separate himself from his business ventures. Even if one imagined he would be willing to step away, can anyone imagine his children — who exercise substantial influence in his campaign and would no doubt be at his side if he’s elected — giving up control of the enterprises that bear their name? Not a chance. In fact, they are planning reportedly to expand their “brand” with a media company. This currently does and would in the future constitute a jaw-dropping conflict of interest that would put the Clinton duo to shame.

AD

AD

And fourth, despite Trump’s “threats” to self-fund (what’s next — a “threat” to run a grown-up campaign?), Trump either does not have ready access to funds or won’t touch the funds he has. “When Michael Bloomberg won a third term as New York’s mayor in 2009, he spent about $102 million, or $183 per vote,” writes Matt Bai. “At that rate, had Bloomberg decided to seek the presidency as an independent, he would have had to spend about $12 billion. And you know what? He would have, too. Because Bloomberg is not a man who plays around. He has cash and uses it.” By contrast, “What [Trump is] less enthused to have you know, perhaps, is that he really hasn’t earned much, either. His vast wealth exists on paper, his lifestyle sustained by credit. Kind of like the government.” In other words, he’s never going to have the resources to compete with Hillary Clinton — and he’ll never agree to turn over his tax returns. The former is impossible, the latter would shatter his decades-old illusion of success.

Put that all together, and you get the sense that Trump would not trade his business empire and illusion of success for the presidency. His self-worth is entirely tied to the former. He’s entirely ill-equipped to deal with the latter, and worse, the level of scrutiny and criticism to which he would be subjected would be unbearable. Congress, the polls, the press, the other party, his own party, foreign leaders — all would be berating him and pointing out one debacle after another.