Faculty members endorse Trump

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Faculty members endorse Trump

Hillsdale College had the most names of any institution of higher education on a list of 156 “Scholars and Writers for America” who endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in September. The college had seven faculty members on the list.

After Francis Buckley, Foundation Professor at George Mason University School of Law, contacted several college faculty members about this list that he was organizing, President Larry Arnn, Vice President for External Affairs Douglas Jeffrey, politics department chairman Mickey Craig, and Professor of History Burt Folsom all agreed to participate.

“Issues cause me to support Trump over Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton,” Folsom said in an email. “Trump, as a businessman, recognizes the damage from the U.S. having the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Trump’s commitment to cut tax rates is likely to create more prosperity. On energy, Trump wants to unleash oil production through fracking.”

Associate Vice President for External Affairs Timothy Caspar, Professor of Politics Ronald Pestritto, and Professor of Politics Thomas West also joined the endorsement list. Edward Erler — distinguished visiting professor of politics from California State University, who is teaching courses on Aristotle and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Jefferson this semester — is also on the list.

Since the “Scholars and Writers for America” list went public, leaked 2005 audio of Trump making lewd comments about women has jolted the presidential race. Craig said this news has not caused him to withdraw support for Trump.

“To me, there’s nothing in there that says anything about Trump that you really should have known if you knew anything about Trump,” Craig said. “He’s been married three times, and he’s a celebrity, and he’s wealthy, and he’s lived a kind of a Playboy life. I don’t think there is anything surprising or new that you would say ‘Oh, I didn’t know about this.’”

Arnn said he still supports Trump. In the 2016 presidential race, no practical choice is without character flaws, he said.

But if a student said similar comments made by Trump in the video?

“I would regret it,” Arnn said. “If, however, one of our students becomes a real estate billionaire, I will be happy for us all. I do not dislike everything about Trump’s private life, just some things.”

Arnn said when asked about the comments Trump made during the second presidential debate on Oct. 9, he defended himself well. Jeffrey said in an email that it was “heroic.”

That is what Craig said he admires about the candidate.

“Going into this thing, I wanted a Republican,” Craig said. “Initially, I thought I was going to be for Scott Walker because he got elected governor, and they tried to recall him and tried to destroy him. He fought back, and I said ‘I want a fighter. One thing I’ll say about Trump is he fights back, and I admire that.”