Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt has caused an online stir by claiming that Donald Trump is not a self-made millionaire but a “con man.” The remarks add to the debate around the former President’s start in business and whether he was propped up or made his way to the top through his own efforts. Mr. Trump’s defenders, however, insist his journey was of his own making.
The former President’s father, Fred Trump, owned a real estate business in New York, and when Donald decided to follow a similar path, he borrowed a million dollars from his father. Trump Sr. also helped his son to secure around $100 million in bank loans, which he used to buy properties in Manhattan before eventually expanding and purchasing “golf courses, luxury resorts, and dozens of other industries.”
Gordon-Levitt described Trump as a con man during an online meeting of the “White Dudes for Harris” group, which has recently formed to support the Vice President. The Zoom call reportedly raised $4 million for the Harris campaign and included a number of Hollywood actors, including Jeff Bridges, Mark Ruffalo, and Star Wars star Mark Hamill. More than 190,000 men joined the call, along with high-profile Democrats such as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
On the same day that Harris won the endorsement of tens of thousands of white males, she also spoke at a rally of 10,000 people in Georgia. The Vice President was greeted on stage by roaring crowds and proceeded to challenge Donald Trump to debate her as scheduled in New York in September. “If you got something to say, say it to my face,” Harris said, delighting her audience.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump appeared in Chicago with the National Association of Black Journalists, where he was asked why black Americans should trust him and whether he believes Kamala Harris is a “DEI hire.” Trump responded by stating that Harris has only recently begun identifying as a black woman and asked, “Is she Indian or is she black?” Several commentators, including conservatives, said the interview was disastrous for Trump and could heavily impact his increasingly troubled campaign.
