Editors’ Note

Donald Trump is the author of 10 best-selling books, including The Art of the Deal, Never Give Up, The Art of the Comeback, How to Get Rich, Think Like a Billionaire, Trump 101: The Way to Success, Why We Want You to be Rich, and The America We Deserve. He serves on the board of the Police Athletic League, on the advisory boards of Lenox Hill Hospital and United Cerebral Palsy, as Chairman of the Donald J. Trump Foundation, and as Co-Chairman of the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Trump is also the Co-Producer of The Apprentice, and in January 2007, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Company Brief

The Trump Organization (www.trump.com) encompasses global real estate development and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management, golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product licensing, and brand development. Holdings include the Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York, Chicago and Toronto, Trump SoHo, Trump World Tower at the United Nations Plaza, Trump Park Avenue and Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. Headquartered in Trump Tower in New York, the Trump Organization also owns twelve golf courses, with a links course opening in Scotland this spring. A recent acquisition is the iconic Doral Hotel & Country Club in Miami, which includes four championship golf courses. Their portfolio of golf courses is international and has won many accolades. Additionally, the organization owns the historic Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. The mega hit reality show, The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice, is now in its twelfth season and continues to receive high ratings. The Trump Organization also owns the Miss Universe Pageant and Trump Model Management, and the Donald J. Trump Signature Collection of tailored clothing is featured at Macy’s. In February of 2012, the Trump Organization was selected as the developer of the famous Old Post Office Building in Washington, D.C..

There is much debate about U.S. competitiveness in the global economy and the future strength of America. You address many of the major issues the U.S. is facing in your new book, Time To Get Tough. Would you highlight your reason for writing the book and the key messages that you wanted to convey?

I love America and to see what’s happening to our country is disturbing. We cannot afford four more years of this mess. Obama does not know what he’s doing and he’s been a huge disappointment. As a businessman, certain things are very clear to me and by writing this book I could make them clear to the public.

Key messages include the problem of China taking advantage of us on a large scale, OPEC doing the same thing, and Obama doing nothing about it. We are in an economic disaster and there are some things that can be done to help the situation and yet nothing is being done. We also need a tax system that is fair and smart – one that encourages growth, savings, and investment. It’s time to stop punishing hard work and entrepreneurship.

How concerned are you about the future position of the U.S. as a world leader?

Very concerned. We are perceived as weak and not too smart, and other countries know we’re in big trouble if we don’t get back on the right track. We have huge debts and our leadership is weak.

What needs to be done to spur entrepreneurship in the U.S. and with all of the regulations today, is it more challenging to build a company and to compete globally?

Entrepreneurs create jobs and their ability to do so has been hampered. We need an international deal maker in office and Obama is not one. It’s tougher to build a company in the U.S. and to take it global as there are too many roadblocks. Obama’s background in business is not strong and very obvious mistakes have been made. Considering the economy, he has not been a big help.

There are great concerns about jobs in the U.S. How can we make an impact on unemployment and what advice would you give to young people entering the job market today?

The Keystone Pipeline would create thousands of jobs, for one thing. Why isn’t that going through?

I would remind young people that there are always opportunities and to remain positive. When I started as a developer in New York City, everyone said it was a terrible time for real estate and everyone was negative. I went ahead anyway because it’s what I wanted to do and I found opportunities. It’s not easy but you have to be tenacious.

You speak often about a lack of leadership in Washington today. What makes an effective leader and are they needed to bring America back strongly?

Yes, I speak about it often because it is so obvious. An effective leader needs to know how to negotiate and a certain level of intelligence is required. The President needs to be smart enough to recognize the national security threat China poses in the new frontier of cyber warfare. He has to know what OPEC is doing, to see the benefits of the Keystone Pipeline, and not treat the Chinese like they are royalty. His budget funds the “Arab Spring” with $800 million and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt with $1.3 billion in military aid. A day after he released a trillion dollar budget deficit, he hosted China’s future leader Vice President Jinping at the Pentagon with a full honor ceremony. His choices don’t make sense.

Those leaders are out there, but they will be walking into a mess. A strong leader and someone with business experience and international knowledge is a must. He or she must have a very strong agenda and stick to it.

There is always a buzz about what you are going to do, whether it relates to politics, business, or television. How do you balance all of the areas in which you are involved and what gives you the most fulfillment?

Balancing the three areas gives me fulfillment. I greatly enjoy all of them, so the balance comes naturally. Of course, real estate was my first love and I have a golf course opening in Scotland this July, which has been a labor of love and is spectacular. It’s been a long haul getting it done, considering I spent five years looking for the right place, which I found in Aberdeen, Scotland. My mother is from Scotland so there’s a connection there that goes beyond the sport or the business. The so-called “one season wonder” known as The Apprentice has entered its 12th season, which is another amazing and very interesting business for me; it’s been fun as well as exciting. I’ve always been interested in politics and became more interested when I could see what was happening to this country. If I can do anything to help, that’s what I’ll do.•