People are flocking to social media over comments about Donald Trump made by Playboy readers back in 1997.
By 1997, Donald Trump, then 51, had already acquired what is now known as the Trump Building and owned Miss Universe pageants. He had not yet embarked on his political journey, which began in 2000 when he first ran as a presidential candidate. Trump’s political career has since been marked by a variety of controversies, including charges of conspiring to defraud the US by attempting to overturn the 2020 election result and a shooting incident.
In 1997, however, some Playboy readers seemed to have a good grasp of Trump’s character following his interview with the magazine earlier that year.
A Reddit user named u/WiildCard shared a page from the November 1997 issue of Playboy on the thread r/interestingasf**k, noting: “Lots of crazy foresight from the commenters about Trump.”
Indeed, if you look closely, you can read the feedback from Playboy readers regarding the Trump interview.
One reader, Robert Lee Hefter from Wanamassa, New Jersey, stated: “The Trump interview confirms my suspicions about the man: incredibly shallow, a master of self-delusion and out of touch with 99.9 percent of human reality. Turning inherited money, borrowed money and stolen money (a more honest term than tax abatements) into fast food for the eyes isn’t success, it’s malignancy.
“Here, stripped of buzz words, is how the economy operates for such types: We buy the chips and they gamble with them.
“If they win, they get to keep everything. If they lose, we pay them back. Simple.”
Judith Shannon from Boonton, New Jersey, added: “How can someone whose father made $20,000,000 and who grew up in a 23-room house say he’s self-made?”
However, not all comments were negative.
“I enjoyed the Playboy Interview with Donald Trump in the March issue. His no-nonsense approach to life and business has earned my respect. I also thought it very special that Trump appears on your cover with one of my favorite Playmates, Brandi Brandt. And after careful consideration, I’ve reached the following conclusion: I would rather have Brandi’s assets in my portfolio than Trump’s holdings, substantial as they are,” commented Roger C. Ukele from Norton, Kansas.
Al Bannowsky from Vernal, Utah, stated: “Your Donald Trump interview changed me from a critic to a fan. Hell, if he ran for political office, I would vote for him. Maybe if he were in charge of the national budget, we might make some progress.”
Another reader from Colorado praised Trump’s ideas on the ‘art of the deal’ and said the interview gave them ‘a shot of adrenaline’.
Social media users quickly responded to these comments.
One Reddit user observed: “So half of the letters to the editor saw Trump as an incompetent, spoiled con man, while the rest saw him as an inspirational business figure.”
“You could tell which response would say which if you skipped to see what state they were from, too,” another added.
A third user remarked: “‘Turning inherited money, borrowed money and stolen money into fast food for the eyes isn’t success, it’s malignancy.’ Robert put it perfectly.”
And another user concluded: “Hefter, like Kyle Reese, you tried to warn the people.”