How many outrageous statements has Not-My-President Donald Trump tweeted, then later changed his mind once he “won” the White House? Let me count the ways.
And unlike most people in politics, the man in the Oval Office is utterly shameless about his hypocrisy and neither apologizes nor explains. For starters let’s take a look at some of the things Donald Trump tweeted a few years ago, while Barack Obama served as president.
1. Donald Trump tweeted Obama would bomb a country to boost his poll numbers.
THEN: During the 2012 election, Donald Trump accused then-President Barack Obama as being “desperate” enough to bomb another country to boost his sagging poll numbers.
Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2012
At the time, Gallup had GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney’s approval rating at 50 percent to Obama’s 46 percent.
NOW: Since not winning the election, Donald Trump has had the lowest approval ratings of any president in recent history. But Quartz reports that after the bombing Syria with 59 Tomahawk missiles on April 6, he got a small boost in Gallup’s polls from 35 percent to a slightly less abysmal 41 percent.
2. Donald Trump urged the White House not to attack Syria.
THEN: Speaking of bombing Syria, remember how Donald Trump urged Barack Obama not to retaliate against Bashir al-Assad’s chemical gas back in 2013?
AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA – IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013
President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your "powder" for another (and more important) day!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2013
NOW: The GOP’s president had no such scruples the next poison gas attacks came.
3. In 2013, Donald Trump tweeted the president “must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria.”
THEN: Seriously. He did.
The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013
What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013
NOW: We don’t need no stinkin’ approval from Congress. At $1.59 million per missile x 59 missiles, this cost the Pentagon — and U.S. taxpayers — $93.8 million. So much for “rebuilding America.”
4. Donald Trump tweeted the electoral college is a “disaster” for Democracy.
THEN: In November 2012, Donald Trump called the Electoral College a “disaster for a democracy.” This was likely because Obama got to stay in the White House instead of going “back” to Kenya, where Donald Trump thinks he was born.
The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
NOW: Donald Trump’s perfectly happy with the Electoral College, since that pack of corrupt, amoral partisans put him in the White House. Yet, deep down, he knows his victory is illegitimate and that he doesn’t have the support of the American people. Why else does he repeatedly make false claims that he also won the popular vote?
Remember: Donald Trump is a minority president who lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by a whopping 2.8 million.
5. Donald Trump accused Barack Obama of hiding his records.
THEN: In 2012, Donald Trump accused Barack Obama of hiding his records and called him the “least transparent president ever.” The Hill suspects this had to do with a right-wing group’s bogus requests for Michelle Obama’s vacation expenses.
Why is @BarackObama spending millions to try and hide his records? He is the least transparent President–ever–and he ran on transparency.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2012
NOW: The GOP’s president refuses to release his tax returns, has reversed Obama’s policy of sharing all White House visitor logs, and is now keeping these lists secret. What does he have to hide?
6. Donald Trump tweeted Barack Obama should “get out of Afghanistan.”
In 2011 and in 2013, Donald Trump chided Barack Obama for wasting taxpayers’ money in Afghanistan and says we should “rebuild the USA” instead.
When will we stop wasting our money on rebuilding Afghanistan? We must rebuild our country first.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2011
Let’s get out of Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the USA.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2013
That sounds like a great plan.
Alas, Donald Trump decided to drop the Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) on Afghanistan instead, for a total cost of $16 million. Never mind that we never fully left Afghanistan and this likely puts our remaining troops in danger and that this move will likely prolong our time there.
For all those applauding the MOAB strike on 36 ISIS militants, here's a reminder of when we ended terrorism 14 years ago: pic.twitter.com/hrpDS0pwKW
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) April 14, 2017
7. Donald Trump disparaged Time Magazine…Until they featured him as “Person of the Year.”
Every year it seemed like clockwork. Time magazine would name they’re person of the year…And then Donald Trump would disparage them.
So biased: @TIME made 'The Protester' as the person of the year. @TIME celebrates OWS but vilified the Tea Party last year.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2011
The Time Magazine list of the 100 Most Influential People is a joke and stunt of a magazine that will, like Newsweek,soon be dead. Bad list!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2013
I told you @TIME Magazine would never pick me as person of the year despite being the big favorite They picked person who is ruining Germany
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2015
Apparently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel getting chosen in 2015 seemed to be just much for the Donald. In April, he revealed that this was all a massive case of sour grapes when he tweeted a fake Time cover with himself as Person of the Year.
"@gene70: @realDonaldTrump The Real Person Of The Year! https://t.co/3yFUZALNVn" Wow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2016
In 2016 Time finally took the hint.
Once he won Time‘s “Person of the Year” award, everything changed. Although Trump complained that he’d rather just be “Man of the Year,” he told Today’s Matt Lauer that Time is “a very important magazine. I’ve been lucky enough to be on the cover many times this year and last year.”
8. Donald Trump scoffs at Barack Obama’s complaints about Republicans blocking his agenda.
THEN: Not-My-POTUS declared that Barack Obama had no excuse for not getting his full agenda through, since the Democrats controlled the House and the Senate.
Obama's complaints about Republicans stopping his agenda are BS since he had full control for two years. He can never take responsibility.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2012
NOW: He’s got all kinds of excuses for the failure of his TrumpCare legislation. At least Obama managed to get a healthcare bill passed.
9. Donald Trump gloats as Hillary Clinton’s staffers seek immunity.
THEN: He sneered as Hillary Clinton staffers sought immunity amid Wikileaks’ release of over 50,000 hacked emails, claiming it proves they’ve got something to hide.
ATTN: @HillaryClinton – Why did five of your staffers need FBI IMMUNITY?! #BigLeagueTruth #Debates
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2016
NOW: Donald Trump called the Russia investigation a “witch hunt” and declared his disgraced ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn “should ask for immunity.” Alas for them, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee denied his request.
10. Donald Trump tweeted about Barack Obama’s fundraising, travel expenses, and occasional golfing.
THEN: The Lord of Mar-a-Lago constantly slammed Barack Obama’s fundraising and occasional vacations and golf games.
We pay for Obama's travel so he can fundraise millions so Democrats can run on lies. Then we pay for his golf.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2014
Historic Change! Obama has spent over $44M of our money on travel expenses, the most for any president http://t.co/cOu4hHarD4
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2014
Looking at Air Force One @ MIA. Why is he campaigning instead of creating jobs & fixing Obamacare? Get back to work for the American people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2016
NOW: The GOP’s president vacations and plays golf at Mar-a-Lago every weekend, to the tune of $3.6 million per trip, according to the non-partisan General Accounting Office (GAO).
NOTE: PolitiFact agrees Donald Trump’s trips are expensive but cautions the $3.6 million figure is based on the only two reports on presidential travel available: Barack Obama’s trips to Illinois and Florida in 2016, and Bill Clinton’s trip to Africa, Chile, and China in 1999.
11. Donald Trump accused Barack Obama of not reading his intelligence briefings.
THEN: In 2014, Donald Trump tweeted one of his many “alternative facts”: That Barack Obama doesn’t bother reading his intelligence briefings and getting “briefed in person by the CIA or DOD.”
Fact–Obama does not read his intelligence briefings nor does he get briefed in person by the CIA or DOD. Too busy I guess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2014
What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013
NOW: Donald Trump kept avoiding his intelligence briefings during his transition. But now — despite all evidence of having zero attention span — The Daily Caller claims he receives them every day.
12. Donald Trump hammered Hillary Clinton over her emails and national security.
On numerous occasions, Donald Trump complained that Hillary Clinton was careless with her emails and that her private server was a security risk.
"@AnnieClarkCole: How can anyone vote for Hillary when she careless with emails that jeopardize our security. She is not to be trusted."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2015
How can Hillary run the economy when she can't even send emails without putting entire nation at risk?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2016
Hillary Clinton’s emails proved to be her downfall. Yet Donald Trump’s lack of security precautions are even more egregious. For starters, Donald Trump tweeting with an old, unsecured Android phone creates some major security vulnerabilities.
And speaking of emails, it somehow got out that Donald Trump’s email is tied to the account of Dan Scavino, his head of social media. Somehow, someone got a screenshot of the recovery screen below (assuming it’s the real deal).
Alex Wall, who has handled social media for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, tweeted out the error.
FLAGGING: @POTUS is now tied to @DanScavino's gmail. This is insanely irresponsible. Praying you put two-factor on. cc @Bernstein pic.twitter.com/sgm1df4e44
— Alex Wall (@AlexBWall) January 26, 2017
And then there’s the idiot Trump crony Richard DeAgazio who posted photos of himself at Mar-a-Lago with the aide-de-camp who carries the “nuclear football” (a satchel with the codes for the president to authorize a nuclear attack).
This is Rick. He carries NUCLEAR FOOTBALL. He took photos at Mar-A-Lago. ARE THEY KIDDING??!! @robreiner @JoyAnnReid pic.twitter.com/lfkmI2HHQB
— Susan D'Agostino (@susandagostino6) February 15, 2017
The same evening, photos were taken with Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talking about confidential matters of national security like North Korea’s missile tests and other foreign policy…Because they were visible from Mar-a-Lago’s main dining room.
ICYMI: officials telling Trump about NK missile test at dinner at the Mar-a-Lago. Shinzo Abe next to Trump. https://t.co/4tX5Jl4GA2. Wild. pic.twitter.com/GUp6kwrxLD
— Paul Colgan (@Colgo) February 13, 2017
More recently, Donald Trump ordered the strikes against Syria from this makeshift “situation room” at Mar-a-Lago…
Inside Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago 'situation room' during Syria strikes https://t.co/FpF16pNhQH #Politics pic.twitter.com/LWuNPiUGm3
— UK Politics News (@Newsminster) April 8, 2017
…And then had dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Tomahawk missiles on the menu at Mar-a-Lago: What's the message for China? https://t.co/ogmmKO4jlC pic.twitter.com/4T9cGisjJw
— PRI's The World (@pritheworld) April 8, 2017
Let’s hope he didn’t use that old Android to type the coordinates.
13. Remember when Donald Trump vowed to drain the swamp?
He kept going on about how corrupt his former friend Hillary Clinton is and kept promising that he’d “drain the swamp” in Washington while his fans shouted, “LOCK HER UP!”
After decades of lies and scandal, Crooked Hillary's corruption is closing in. #DrainTheSwamp! pic.twitter.com/YivCacmkKq
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2016
But once Donald Trump got to Washington, he filled the swamp with alligators. These include the lobbyists, donors, corporate chieftains, and Wall Street banksters Trump’s supporters wanted gone.
Will Trump Cabinet Secretaries Resign in 2017? https://t.co/QEsf45yubH tnx @BitcoinRTs | #Bitcoin #Betting pic.twitter.com/GexISEivwz
— Bitcoin Bets (@BitcoinAndBets) April 2, 2017
And is their anyone on Team Trump who’s doesn’t have ties to Russia?
Trump is so good at "extreme vetting," he chose foreign agents for most of his top advisers. He should now vet himself and resign. #Dems pic.twitter.com/ZJbFTtVU97
— Dario Navarro (@darionavarro111) April 13, 2017
14. Donald Trump promised his supporters better healthcare and to take care of them.
We will immediately repeal and replace ObamaCare – and nobody can do that like me. We will save $'s and have much better healthcare!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2016
Now they may wind up with worse — or no — health coverage, plus the devastating effects of Paul Ryan’s brutal tax cuts.
Featured image: Gage Skidmore 2016 via Flickr (with Twitter birds added).