In the years before the economic crisis, Donald Trump was actively rooting for the housing crash that left nearly 9 million Americans unemployed and pushed millions of families out of their homes. Donald Trump said in a Trump University audiobook that “I sort of hope” that the housing market crashes “because then people like me would go in and buy” and “you can make a lot of money.” Last night, Trump doubled down and even defended the remarks, saying that as a businessman “that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Since CNN first reported on the comments, elected officials across the country have spoken out against Trump’s record of putting his own profits above the interests of hardworking families. As Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said, “It’s very clear to me that Donald Trump is only out for himself at the expense of working families here in Tampa, Florida, and across America.”