Trump: Putting Harriet Tubman On $20 Bill ‘Pure Political Correctness’

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said in a Thursday morning interview he would be “so presidential” when the time comes, citizens will be “so bored.”

Trump also chalked up the announcement that famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill to “pure political correctness.”

Asked about his ability to draw back his outsized campaign tactics, Trump said he had to hit back “very hard” when all the other Republicans early in the race were attacking him.

“You’re being hit pretty hard. I felt I had to hit back very hard,” he said in a “Today Show” town hall. “If I didn’t, if I acted very presidential, I wouldn’t be sitting up here today, somebody else might be. It wouldn’t be me.”

The billionaire continued: “It’s easier for me to be presidential than for me to be doing what I’ve been doing for the last, really, nine months. But at the right time, I will be so presidential, you will be so bored. You will say, can’t he have a little bit more energy? But I know when to be presidential.

Later on in the interview, the GOP frontrunner said while Tubman “is fantastic,” he would prefer her likeness go on another denomination, like the $2 bill, echoing remarks from surrogate Ben Carson on Wednesday.

“Andrew Jackson had a great history. I think it’s very rough when you take somebody off the bill,” Trump said. “Yes, I think it’s pure political correctness.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Lord, this buffoon is predictable. I was thinking last night, while watching video of “the frontrunner” waving his tiny hands hands, that the Donald would send a message to his racist followers concerning “the blacks” on the money.

  2. Donnie’s reasoning for why it would be ill-advised at the moment for him to act “Presidential”—or as most of us call it, like an adult—always sounds to me like a slacker teen’s reasons why now is always the wrong time to mow the lawn.

  3. “Andrew Jackson had a great history. I think it’s very rough when you take somebody off the bill,” Trump said. “Yes, I think it’s pure political correctness.”

    Trump couldn't recite 3 basic facts about the Jackson presidency with a gun to his head.
  4. In an alternate universe where ths buffoon gets elected I’d like to be a fly on the wall when he gets his 1st intelligence briefing to see his change of expression when he learns the nation’s secrets. And whoever it is who sits him down and ‘splains’ why Presidents behave the way they do. Of course he will still be the buffoon he is in this universe.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

66 more replies

Participants

Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for kendyzdad Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for sysprog Avatar for ncsteve Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for artemisia Avatar for jep07 Avatar for mjv135 Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for krusher Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for msinformed Avatar for mantan Avatar for sniffit Avatar for norma Avatar for maxaroo Avatar for hoagie Avatar for darrtown Avatar for beattycat Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for igbert Avatar for spencersmom Avatar for delmar

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: