Do You Think Donald Trump is a libertarian?

I have been watching the Trump Presidency very closely ever since he announced his campaign in 2015 and I have been wondering if maybe he might be a libertarian in reality. I know many leftists and media outlets like CNN and MSNBC, would like people to believe that Trump is some kind of fascist or a secret white supremasist or a secret nazi, but I have yet to find evidence to seggest any validity of such statements. If you look at Trumps statements/actions on his posititions during and after the election, it seems to me that he is much more of a moderate libertarian republican. For example, during the campaign, he was the first presidential candidate to hold the LBGT flag, he also has very loose views of drug use and drug redistribution. So I pose the question to all of you.

Do you think Trump is a libertarian or a moderate republican? Why or Why not.

 

He is definitely NOT a libertarian.

He has some instincts that occasionally line up with libertarian positions.

For example, Trump wants to leave Syria. So do most libertarians.

This isn't because Trump believes in the non-aggression principle, but because he wants to focus more on domestic issues.

 

But, don't you think based on a lot of his actions and positions that he has incredibly strong libertarian leanings? It appears to me that he does.

 

I think Donald Trump is whatever he thinks will be most beneficial to him. He became a conservative when he realized that was his easiest path to the presidency.

 

Why do think that? Do you have any strong evidence to suggest any validity to your statement?

 

Trump sometimes says things and does things that libertarians agree with but then he does things like his trade policies (tariffs) and military building that are not at all libertarian. I'd tag him as a pragmatist that will do whatever he thinks should be done regardless of what any of the parties' positions are. That said he does seem to agree with the general libertarian idea that there is too much regulation and too much government. Given that republicans are supposed to be for smaller government, maybe he should be classed as a paleo-conservative.

 

Yes, some of his instincts align with the position of libertarians, but that does not make him a libertarian.

 

I can understand that point of view.

 

That's fair. Another post answering my question called him a pragmitist. What is you take on that statement?

 

Generally accurate, insofar as Trump operates largely according to his own instincts.

 

ok, I appreciate your honest and intellectually interesting answers.

 

Libertarians would cut government, spending, and infringements on liberty

 

You extremist!

 

I would call Trump a "classical liberal pragmatist," what many Americans become over the years as they age, gain experience and become wiser.

"Yeah, government is a necessary evil, but we are going to have to put up with far more of it than we need generally in the reality of a two party system, a system in which one of the parties and politicians (and often both parties) in and out of power from time-to-time are literally the handmaidens of immoral, illicit government growth and overreach, so we must do the best with what we have."

 

I don’t have proof that he has changed his political stance to support his goals (though I think anyone paying attention would know that’s exactly what he does), but his party affiliation changes have been well documented.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Donald_Trump

 

Donald Trump is a pragmatist.

 

Absofuckinglutely not.

He is used the.monopoly of force of government to infringe upon the rights of otherwise peaceful people's.

 

Exactly.

Trump has ZERO "Political Ideology" beyond figuring out the easiest way to con the gullible with Demagoguery.

 

Everyone is a little bit.

Trump is on various issues, but is far, far from it on the whole.

 

Don't we all respond to our own instincts and beliefs concerning various data?

 

He is a NY democrat.

 

He is 100% pure narcissist

Look up “word salad” and narcissism then have a good long think

 

I nearly responded
He is a centrist in that he likes being the centre of attention

 

I would call Trump a problem solver. He defines problems that are detrimental to our country and devises a solution. Then he has the guts to implement his plan. He didn't get where he is by being average, a democrat, a republican, a politician, or affirmative action, or help from the media -- he is probably one of our most unique presidents. He has the courage, and smarts, of a lion. What is sad is how he is helping our country but the Trump-haters only focus on his personality.