Why did failing A.G. Eric Schneiderman, after years of looking, file his pathetic lawsuit on a SATURDAY afternoon (unheard of)? No case!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
Two years ago, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office started investigating a number of for-profit colleges, suspecting they were exaggerating the ability of their graduates to get jobs, downplaying the cost of attendance, and over-hyping the generally crappy quality of their instruction. Last week, the A.G.’s office got a $10.25 million settlement out of one of those schools, an august learning institution called Career Education Corporation. We thought the next target on the AG’s list would likely be Trump University, now called Trump Entrepreneur Initiative, which is where you go to learn the secrets of business from a man who’s filed for bankruptcy four times.
Sure enough, on Saturday, Schneiderman sued Trump, Trump University, and the school’s former president, Michael Sexton, for $40 million, accusing them of engaging in “persistent fraudulent, illegal and deceptive conduct” while operating the online-only “school.” (Trump University changed its name to Trump Entrepreneur Initiative after the state’s Education Department told them the word “university” was extremely misleading.)
“Between 2005 through 2011, Trump University operated as an unlicensed educational institute that promised to teach Donald Trump’s real estate investing techniques to consumers nationwide,” the AG’s press release read, “but instead misled consumers into paying for a series of expensive courses that did not deliver on their promises.” The only thing Trump students got a lesson in, Schneiderman quipped, was “bait-and-switch.” He also accused Trump of having “used his celebrity status and personally appeared in commercials making false promises to convince people to spend tens of thousands of dollars they couldn’t afford for lessons they never got.”
The AG also said his investigation revealed that Trump “did not handpick even a single instructor at these seminars and had little or no role in developing any of the Trump University curricula, or seminar content.” He also went after Trump for the whole “university” thing, saying they illegally used that term “even though they lacked the charter necessary under New York law to call themselves a University. They were also unlicensed under New York State Education Law, evading an array of legal protections designed to protect New Yorkers from fraud.”
Trump naturally reacted to the news with the kind of calm, sure-handed wisdom that’s made him such a leader in business. Just kidding. While failing to respond to requests for comment from multiple news outlets, he threw an absolute shit-fit on Twitter, calling Schneiderman a “lightweight” and “very stupid & ineffective,” and accusing him of soliciting Trump for political donations during the investigation. He also implied that it was no coincidence that Schneiderman “met with President Obama in Syracuse on Thursday” before suing him. In between, he re-tweeted messages from his supporters (“your an awesome person”).
Trump also tweeted indignantly that Schneiderman hadn’t mention the “98 percent approval rating” from former Trump University students. Then he unleashed upon the world 98percentapproval.com, a bare-bones website dedicated to extremely convincing testimonials from former students: “This opened my eyes to real estate opportunities.”
After two solid hours of outraged tweeting, Trump followed up this morning with an announcement that he’d be appearing today on Fox and Friends. We won’t be watching, but only because we’d like to maintain our will to live. Instead, here’s his whole meltdown, for posterity. And because it’s hilarious.
Lightweight NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is trying to extort me with a civil law suit.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2013
“@MattEChase: @realDonaldTrump extortion was the first thing that came to mind when i saw the report for the lawsuit. You can sue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@JoeSantos5150: @realDonaldTrump Wipe the floor with him Mr Trump !”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@StevanScheer: @realDonaldTrump attended Tax Lien Tax Seminar Trump University. Changed my life!!! Able to open my own company Scheer Group
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@dszippit: “Trump University” Liberal Witch Hunt I hope they lose,and get counter sued.@realDonaldTrump”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@abimlebt: Eric Schneiderman trying to get himself an image as a strong man is suing @realDonaldTrump. Bad choice, Trump will eat him alive
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
Lightweight A.G. Eric Schneiderman, who has been a total failure in office, failed to report the 98% approval rating of students for courses
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
Why did failing A.G. Eric Schneiderman, after years of looking, file his pathetic lawsuit on a SATURDAY afternoon (unheard of)? No case!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
Why is it that Eric Schneiderman is considered a lightweight by so many and has failed to go after Jon Corzine and big abusers for billions?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
Why did lightweight A.G. Eric Schneiderman come to my office on numerous occasions begging for campaign contributions? Also, recent asks?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
How can an Attorney General ask for campaign contributions during his evaluation of a case – a total sleazebag!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
After years of long stops then starts, why did dopey Eric Scheiderman tell people in The Trump Org. “this case is going away,we have no case
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
What did our very stupid & ineffective A.G. Eric Schneidean, during his trips to MY office, tell me about President Obama & Governor Cuomo?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@anthonyjmyers: @realDonaldTrump as for #TrumpUniversity I have ONLY ever heard GREAT things from former students. Don’t sweat it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@heavyhauler19: @realDonaldTrump Just swat that nat out of the air and roll on Donald” Sadly, he’s abusing the system!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@Chowes247: @realDonaldTrump Corzine is a evil schemer who stole 1.4 billion. Trump starts a University to help people get rich & he’s bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@SusanSkeldon: @realDonaldTrump I wish there were more people in the world like you. Thanks for all you do. Your an awesome person.” Thanks
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@Doanertouque: @realDonaldTrump the last ag was publicity oriented too…client #9.” But much smarter than Schneiderman!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@robertlbuchsr: @realDonaldTrump ,Mr.Trump I just wanted u 2 know I agree w/ u.Respect you 2.”Thanks.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@Makingpeoplemad: @realDonaldTrump win the lawsuit than countersue for slander and damages. #kickhisass”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@bahia6085: @realDonaldTrump @Chowes247 Lawsuit against Trump University is without a doubt —political.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@HughPhartud: Schneidean is in trouble. History shows that @realDonaldTrump will publicly lambaste this guy to the point of surrender.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@TomNocera: @realDonaldTrump You are asking some really good questions. The truthful answers will come in time – they always do.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
Wow, l just found out that A.G. Schneiderman met with President Obama in Syracuse on Thursday — and sued me on Saturday! Same as IRS etc.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
“@Sammycarguru: @realDonaldTrump Since the Art of the Deal you have been an inspiration to me!” Thanks.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013