Trumplications

Donald Trump’s ascension to the presumed GOP nominee has been met with mixed reactions, and within 48 hours of securing that top spot he made headlines for a few less-than-wise choices, shifting on some policies and waffling on others. Then again, he has built and run his entire campaign upon being inconsistent and unpredictable from one day to the next.

Recognizing that he would need close to $1 billion in a general election matchup against Hillary Clinton, Trump stated on Wednesday he would no longer solely be self-funding his campaign. While the billionaire businessman will be putting in some of his own fortune, he decided to set up a joint fundraising committee and accept outside donations — something for which he has criticized both his Republican and Democratic rivals.

What’s more, following the announcement that he would no longer be self-funding, he hired Steve Mnuchin as his finance chairman — an announcement that rocked the Republican world. Mnuchin was a longtime partner at Goldman Sachs — 17 years to be exact. During the primary season, Trump attacked rival Sen. Ted Cruz because his wife worked for the company, and he has also hit Clinton for her ties to Sachs. Mnuchin also worked at the Soros Fund Management, spearheaded by well-known liberal donor and longtime Clinton supporter George Soros.

But it doesn’t end there. On Wednesday Trump flip-flopped on the issue of minimum wage, saying on CNN that he’s open to discussing the matter. “I’m looking at that. I’m very different from most Republicans,” Trump said. “You have to have something you can live on. But what I’m really looking to do is get people great jobs so they make much more money than that, much more money than the $15.” However, back in November Trump whistled a different tune on the debate stage, standing opposed to increasing the minimum wage. “I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is,” Trump said then.

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Traditionally, Republicans have been staunchly opposed to the idea of a federally mandated minimum wage increase, while Democrats like Clinton and Sanders, beholden to Big Labor, are supportive of it.

Trump has also recently stated support for increasing taxes on the wealthy — something contradictory to his tax plan and, of course, the views of the Republican Party. He was asked on CNBC on Thursday how he would position himself as a populist who will take on America’s wealthiest individuals while proposing tax cuts for them. That’s when Trump flipped. “I am not necessarily a huge fan of that,” Trump said. “I am so much more into the middle class who have just been absolutely forgotten in our country.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has alluded to backing away from his tax plan. Before the New York primary, in an interview with “The Today Show,” he said he supported raising taxes on the wealthy.

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However, many think Trump’s inconsistencies can be balanced with a solid vice presidential pick. Former GOP candidate Dr. Ben Carson, who has been a surrogate for Trump, has now been put in charge of leading his search for a vice president. When Carson was asked Thursday if Democrats and independents are on the list, he simply said yes. Of course, this statement has raised the eyebrows of many conservatives in the GOP — particularly those who have just come to terms with Trump as the nominee.

Trump’s ability to flip-flop and cast aside conservative viewpoints is making those within the party — even his supporters — skeptical of how he will weather an onslaught from a well-oiled Clinton machine in the general election.