In 1989, Trump could buy hotels and football teams, but he couldn’t buy respect. That’s the basis for a February 1989 AP article by Jerry Schwartz that perfectly describes how Donald Trump is–today.

It’s interesting to compare and contrast and see how he was almost exactly the same insecure narcissist as he is today.

Some excerpts:
In 1989, everyone was “jealous” of Trump

The 43-year-old billionaire does not believe he deserves this tidal wave of derision, which rises along with his success and prominence. But Trump–who declined to be interviewed–thinks he understands it.
…
“My guess is that they dislike me out of jealousy.”

And any magazine that criticized him was closing soon

In September, Trump claimed Spy was in dire straits and would be out of business within a year; now each issue contains a countdown of “our death foretold.” Last week an outraged Trump claimed that the father of a Spy executive had suggested Spy would ease up on Trump if the Trump Shuttle offered the magazine to passengers; Spy said that was a joke.

Spy would end up publishing its final issue in 1998, 9 years after Trump predicted its downfall.

Today Trump still thinks every editor is jealous and that their outlet is going out of business:

Donald Trump pushed back on Wednesday at the New York Daily News’ latest attack, telling Fox News the newspaper would be closing soon and that the publisher is “jealous as hell” of him.

Trump critics also offered the perfect description of him that still applies today:

“He’s … sort of a polyester guy in a 100 percent cotton world,” frothers Editor E. Graydon Carter. “He represents a sort of mass-market, fake sophistication. In a city that invented real sophistication, his kind is driving the real stuff out.”

Read the full article here: “Donald Trump can’t buy respect,” Google Newspaper Archives