* Sneed…
In early March, Donald Trump — who now seems to be en route to the Republican presidential nomination — didn’t even know Rauner.
“Rauner? Who? Don’t know him,” Trump told Sneed.
“Why? What’s up,” Trump asked.
“The state of Illinois is in a budget nightmare,” I said. “Broke.”
“Well, don’t know him.”
*** UPDATE *** From John Gregory…
Hey Rich
Thought I’d pass this along from my archive. Attached is Trump’s answer about whether he’s met or worked with Rauner, from the Trump City Club appearance last year. He seemed to at least know *OF* the Gov then.
The clip…
Transcript…
“Well, he’s got a hard job. Because you owe a lot of money. The state owes a lot of money. And he’s gonna have to handle that somehow. I do not know him. I hear very good things about him. But I do not.”
So, maybe some commenters are right and Trump is now trying to distance himself from Rauner.
/snark
- Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 8:48 am:
The obvious question being asked and worked on by the Rauner (now limited) braintrust:
“Is this a good thing? Bad thing? What?”
Good thing, though: Sneed beat Rauner to the punch. Rauner, I’m sure, was about to say — at one of his off-the-cuff moments of genius: “Donald? Yeah, I’ve called him several times. We’re pretty close.”
Rauner, thank Sneed.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 8:49 am:
Dear Rauner Crew,
Please. Please take this and RUN with it. Use this to distance yourself (as Rauner the Governor and Rauner the head of the ILGOP) from Trump, even if its just a continued passive acknowledgement of Trump… and that’s IT.
Realize how “great” this is, and pivot off it by doing nothing to garner “acknowledgement or approval” from Trump.
Sincerely,
OW
- Get a Job!! - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 8:54 am:
That’s as much an indictment on Trump as it is Rauner.
- burbanite - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 8:54 am:
Maybe someone needs to brief Trump on who the Republican Governors are.
- LizPhairTax - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 8:56 am:
The first rule of Wine Club is: you do not talk about Wine Club
- G'Kar - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 8:58 am:
Hmmm, I see that Trump is already beginning to distance himself from Rauner./s
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:01 am:
===The first rule of Wine Club is: you do not talk about Wine Club===
Leader In The Clubhouse. Restaurant-Quality.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:03 am:
Rauner does not have enough money to run in Trump’s circles. His wealth did not even qualify him to be in the top 150 wealthiest people in Illi nois. We are a very poor state though.
- Stones - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:04 am:
Trump doesn’t hang out with peasants.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:06 am:
Liz Phair well done
- A Modest Proposal - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:08 am:
Nice job Liz! Comment of the day has already been won!
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:09 am:
“But… but we met at the Griffin wedding at Versailles… Trump remembers me… he has to… ” - Bruce Rauner’s Ego(?)
- Earnest - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:09 am:
“Rauner? Who? Don’t know him,”
Looks like he got the same memo the IL House and Senate Republicans got.
- Old and In the Way - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:10 am:
Anon.
It’s that damn 3.5% flat income tax! Scared all but 230,000 millionaires out of Illinois! /s
- Saluki - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:10 am:
That statement alone should be enough to push some independents to vote for Trump.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:12 am:
Trump Rauner 2016! You can use the leftover bumper stickers to wax your back!
- Beaner - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:13 am:
Interestingly enough, not knowing the sitting Governor did not seem to hurt Trump in the Illinois Primary, which he won.
October 2016: Munger: “Rauner? Rauner who? Never met him, I have no idea what you are talking about. No I have never met this Bruce Rauner whom you speak.”
- Honeybear - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:14 am:
I think it will be impossible to delink the two. There are too parties trying to hold them together. Now that Rauners enemy list is quite long, it will be a constant refrain Trump/Rauner Rauner/Trump. In reading a Michael Gecan book recently, it has a chapter titled “Merit means (almost) nothing”. Basically arguing that merits of an argument/candidate are (almost) irrelevant. It is only the usage and manipulation of power that holds currency. Trump is the supreme example of this principle. Thus it probably won’t matter that Trump didn’t know who Rauner was. They will be linked by powerful forces bent on manipulating perception. (thank you very much)
- Homer J. Quinn - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:17 am:
et tu, Donald?
- Anon - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:22 am:
Fredo Corleone on Johnny Ola: “No, don’t know him”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:25 am:
===Fredo Corleone on Johnny Ola: “No, don’t know him”===
Not bad, not bad at all… I see it as…
Rauner is Fredo as Fredo meets Johnny Ola… lol
- Wensicia - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:25 am:
Well, a lot of people in this state voted in the current governor not knowing the real Rauner.
- LizPhairTax - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:25 am:
Thanks. Going to be easy pickins for a while, friends.
Trump had some strong late February/early March amnesia going.
Good to see he remembered as much about our Governor as he did about David Duke.
- Mr. Smith - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:25 am:
I think maybe the Donald is distancing himself from the Bruce….after all Trump makes fantastic deals…Rauner not so much.
- olddog - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:29 am:
Meh. Trump doesn’t know anything about David Duke and white supremist groups, either.
- A Jack - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:29 am:
Well darn, there goes my hope of getting rid of Rauner through election as Vice President.
But maybe Rauner could be appointed to a cabinet post. Something related to human services perhaps?
- Paddyrollingstone - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:31 am:
I don’t blame Mr Trump, I’d deny knowing him too.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:31 am:
“You mean the guy in the leather with all the patches? I thought he was one of the Village People.”
- justacitizen - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:32 am:
I’ll never forgot good ol’ what’s-his-name?
- Gordon Willis - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:38 am:
Those two mega egos could not occupy the same space….would corrupt the space time continuum and throw Earth off its axis.
- XDNR - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:41 am:
“No don’t know him, but I heard a rumor about some guy who rides his Harley around Illinois and thinks he’s the governor, is that him?”
- Quizzical - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:44 am:
That won’t stop the Dems from covering the State with Trump/Rauner/Kirk signs. And my November, we’ll all be sick of hearing about the Trump/Rauner/Kirk agenda.
- illinois manufacturer - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:45 am:
Lucky Trump..unlucky us…
- Biker - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:46 am:
Why admit to knowing what a microcosm of your potential billionaire presidency will look like? Beware the phrase “I have no social agenda.” It’s code for destroy all social services.
- cdog - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:48 am:
These have been great comments. Lifted the spirits a bit after that nasty spin in the GOP blender yesterday.
- Skeptic - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:48 am:
Darn, there goes my idea of having Rauner resign to be the VP candidate and then lose in a landslide.
- In a Minute - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:53 am:
Trump will lose in 2016. Hillary will be two years into a likely scandal ridden first term when Rauner runs for reelection and wins in 2018.
- The Captain - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:55 am:
Based on how things went for him in Illinois I don’t think he’s heard of Kent Gray either.
- Gern Blanston - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:59 am:
Trump - “This guy is perfect. He makes me look good.”
- Gruntled University Employee - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:01 am:
Please, someone inform The Donald that Illinois is tied with Pennsylvania for the 4th largest Electoral College vote count (20). And that picking Rauner as a VP would guarantee a blue state win.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:05 am:
Very possible to delink Rauner and Trump. Trump is a moderate democrat. He has expressed support for single payer health care, accused hedge fund managers of getting away with murder on their taxes and is appealing to disaffected Reagan Democrats through his America First agenda. He is taking tough about outsourcing jobs and the consequences for the companies that do so. Very little crossover between Trump and Rauner.
- Big Foot - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:19 am:
Trib head line.
Rauner to introduce Trump in Cleveland!
- Austin Blvd - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:24 am:
And yet, both are wildly successful at everything they do.
- Hedley Lamarr - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:24 am:
Maybe if he wore more flair.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:40 am:
===Trump is a moderate democrat.===
Rauner is a Raunerite, what your point? LOL
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:41 am:
–Very possible to delink Rauner and Trump. Trump is a moderate democrat.–
LOL, spin yourself silly.
Trump is the nominee for president of the Republican Party.
Republican voters had many choices, and they liked Trump best.
He is now the leader of the national Republican Party. Rauner is the leader of the Illinois Republican Party.
That’s how it works. The voters choose their leaders, not you.
- James Knell - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 10:52 am:
For the first time ever, I envy Donald Trump. My life would be full of cheer & hope if I had no idea of who Rauner is.
- siriusly - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 11:03 am:
They are so similar in their disdain for government and politics, but mostly in their style. Large name-calling events and messages with very little substance.
Rauner must be looking at Trump and thinking - if he did it - I could do it better.
why would someone seek to be in charge of an entity that they despise?
- Slick Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 11:05 am:
About the only time that I wish I was Trump…
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 11:10 am:
To the Update and Clip…
Hilarious.
Maybe the House and Senate GOP should take heed… Distance from Rauner(?)
“He’s too toxic”
Rauner on Trump?
Nope, Trump on Rauner? Maybe, lol
- Dan Psorian - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 11:14 am:
Someone please explain to me how a *Conservative* would support Government Bathroom Regulations.
On this issue, Donald Trump and Hilary Rodham Clinton are True Conservatives.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 11:20 am:
Take a look at the polling the majority of people support single gender locker rooms and changing facilities where everyone has the same equipment
- Thoughts Matter - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 11:58 am:
To the update:
Trumps flip-flop on knowing Rauner is no different than his various answers on any other topic. David Duke for example.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 12:04 pm:
“Take a look at the polling the majority of people support single gender locker rooms and changing facilities where everyone has the same equipment”
I don’t know what equipment people have in the bathroom. How do you propose to figure this out exactly?
- Westward - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 12:12 pm:
Overheard after the Indiana primary:
DT: “Ted Cruz? Never heard of her.”
- Mike Sinjovian - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 12:43 pm:
@arch:
Agreed. Not sure how the government or business would go about monitoring the *equipment*. I’ve yet to hear of any business owner that is interested in expending capital on this issue. Let alone in the name of *religious freedom*. So I dont know if that makes some candidates a Liberal or Conservative. Quite frankly those titles are not used to identify anyone but as a means of marginalizing. To Bruce’s credit he has never mentioned any interest in the issue.
- Mama - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 3:56 pm:
Trump please, PLEASE make Rauner your vice president.
- Mama - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 4:06 pm:
“He is now the leader of the national Republican Party. Rauner is the leader of the Illinois Republican Party.”
It is funny that neither one of them are a true Republican. However, they both won under the republican ticket. People have no way of knowing who they are voting for until after the election - - unless one reads Capitol Fax.
- Mama - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 4:11 pm:
==- Honeybear - Thursday, May 5, 16 @ 9:14 am: “Michael Gecan book recently, it has a chapter titled “Merit means (almost) nothing”. Basically arguing that merits of an argument/candidate are (almost) irrelevant. It is only the usage and manipulation of power that holds currency. Trump is the supreme example of this principle.”==
Honeybear, these are great points. Lord help us!