>>> DONALD TRUMP’S OBSESSION EVEN WHEN HE ROLLS OUT A NEW
IMMIGRATION PLAN HE WAS MICRO
MANAGING THE DESIGN OF THE WALL.
HE SAID MEXICO WOULD PAY.
THAT’S NOT HAPPENING.
HE WANTS TIPS POINTED, NOT
ROUND.
ROUND. HE DESCRIBED THE POTENTIAL
INJURIES TO PEOPLE WHO CROSS
OVER HIS PLAN FOR THE WALL AND
DEMANDED THAT IT BE PAINTED,
QUOTE, FLAT BLACK TO ABSORB HEAT
SO IT WOULD BE SCORCHING TO THE
TOUCH.
TOUCH. AT THE SAME TIME, TRUMP IS ALSO
ALLEGEDLY PREOCCUPIED WITH HOW
THE FENCE APPEARS.
IT’S GOT TO BE BEAUTIFUL, TALL.
HE PUSHED BACK AGAINST ALLEGEDLY
CONFUSED ENGINEERS WHO SAID SOME
OF THE REQUESTS WERE
FUNCTIONALLY IMPRACTICAL.
FUNCTIONALLY IMPRACTICAL. FORMER TRUMP ORG EXECUTIVE WHO
HELPED BUILD TRUMP TOWER,
WITNESSED TRUMP’S APPROACH TO
BUSINESS, PETTINESS AND
OBSESSION WITH STYLE OVER
SUBSTANCE FIRST HAND.
>> AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC SPACES
WERE CONCERNED IT WAS TOPNOTCH
STUFF, BUT IN THE APARTMENTS
THERE WAS A LOT OF CRAP.
THE FLOOR WAS THE CHEAPEST WOOD
FLOOR YOU COULD GET.
IT’S FUNNY.
IT’S FUNNY. I HELPED WRITE THE PLAN THAT
TALKED ABOUT MARKETRY.
IT WAS NONSENSE.
CHEAP TILES GLUED DOWN.
THE KITCHENS WERE GARBAGE.
>> GARBAGE.
>> GARBAGE. I’M JOINED BY BARBARA, AUTHOR OF
"ALL ALONE ON THE 68th FLOOR."
SHE’S BEEN INSIDE THE
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. WE RELY ON YOU FOR YOUR VALUABLE
INSIGHTS.
INSIGHTS. THANKS FOR BEING ON THE SHOW.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> GARBAGE YOU SAID IN THE CLIP.
>> IT’S TRUE.
>> WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE WAY
HE’S APPROACHING THE WALL?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S BASICALLY
SIMILAR TO THE WAY HE APPROACHED
OTHER THINGS.
OTHER THINGS. HE HAS THE NOTION THAT HE’LL BE
JUDGED BASED ON THE APPEARANCE
OF THINGS.
OF THINGS. THAT’S HIS WALL SO IT’S GOT TO
BE PERFECT IN HIS MIND.
HE DOES THINK OF THINGS LIKE
COLOR AND QUALITY.
ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. AT THE SAME TIME, BY THE WAY,
WANTS IT ALL FOR NEXT TO
NOTHING.
NOTHING. HE WANTS THE BEST HE CAN GET AND
WANTS NOT TO PAY FOR ANYTHING.
>> WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT COMES
FROM?
FROM? WHEN YOU’RE BUILDING A BUILDING
KEEPING COSTS LOW WITHIN REASON
IS CONSIDERED GOOD BUSINESS.
WHAT YOU’RE DESCRIBING IS A
FIXATION ON THE LOOK, PENNY
PINCHING BUT HE WASN’T PENNY
PINCHING AS THE "NEW YORK TIMES"
HAS DONE REPORTING WHEN HE WAS
BUYING UP THE PLAZA FOR AN
INFLATED SUM, WHEN HE WAS
RUNNING AN AIRLINE COMPANY INTO
THE GROUND.
THE GROUND. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME
DISTINCTION OR CONTRAST THERE.
WHAT IS THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, IN TERMS OF
PENNY PINCHING WITH THE PLAZA
AND THE AIR LINE, HE’S NOT A
GREAT BUSINESSMAN.
GREAT BUSINESSMAN. HE DIDN’T DO A GOOD JOB IN
BUYING THOSE.
BUYING THOSE. AS FAR AS PENNY PINCHING WITH
THE FINISHES, IT’S JUST THE
OPPOSITE.
OPPOSITE. HE DECREES, WELL, I DON’T WANT
TO PAY FOR THIS.
YOU STUMBLE AROUND TRYING TO DO
THE BEST YOU CAN.
IT’S NOT LIKE HE’S MAKING THE
DECISION OR MAKING RELATIVELY
INEXPENSIVE THINGS HAPPEN.
HE’S DIRECTING SOMEONE WHO CAN
DO IT BUT ON HIS OWN HE DOESN’T
MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
HE DOESN’T SAVE MONEY.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER "THE
SIMPSONS"
SIMPSONS" SIMPSONS"?
SIMPSONS"? >> SURE.
>> SURE. >> IT FEELS LIKE A "THE
SIMPSONS" EPISODE.
SIMPSONS" EPISODE. DONALD TRUMP HAS BECOME
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. IT SAYS HE BASICALLY WAS
SUMMONING THE HEAD OF THE U.S.
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, SERIOUS
JOB, AND KEPT DEMANDING THE
STRUCTURE BE BOTH PHYSICALLY
IMPOSING BUT ALSO AESTHETICALLY
PLEASING.
PLEASING. ISN’T THAT RIDICULOUS?
IF IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SCARY
WALL, WHY SHOULD IT BE PLEASING?
>> HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE
NUANCES OF ONE VERSUS THE OTHER,
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AT LEAST IN MY OPINION.
I DON’T THINK -- YOU KNOW, HE
HAS THIS NOTION THAT IT HAS TO
BE BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT’S
SOMETHING THAT HE’S CREATING.
HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND IT CAN’T
BE ONE THING AND THEN ANOTHER.
AS FAR AS THE ARCHITECT,
ENGINEER OR ANOTHER
PROFESSIONAL, HE DOESN’T LISTEN.
IF THEY DON’T AGREE WITH HIM,
THEY DON’T KNOW.
>> I HAVE ONLY 20 SECONDS LEFT.
SINCE YOU GET TO THE HEART OF
IT, WHY ARE PEOPLE OBSESSED WITH
APPEARANCE?
APPEARANCE? >> WHY IS HE?
>> WHY ARE PEOPLE?
HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE.
>> YOU KNOW, WHAT CAME FIRST --
THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?
THIS IS OUR SOCIETY.
OUR MEDIA.
OUR MEDIA. >> I’LL TELL YOU WHAT CAME
FIRST.
FIRST. THE CHICKEN.
THE CHICKEN. IT LAYS THE EGG.
>> AT ANY RATE.
>> WELL, BARBARA, I TRUST WE’LL
HAVE YOU BACK.
>> I HOPE SO.
>> I FIND IT CALMING TALKING TO