Trump University documents reveal high-pressure selling techniques

New documents paint a blunt and revealing picture of the marketing and sales techniques used by Trump University staffers.

On Tuesday, numerous testimonies and “playbooks” were made public after Southern California District Judge Gonzalo Curiel granted a request made by the Washington Post. The Post had submitted a request for these documents to be released in April, arguing “that the public had an interest in learning about a business run by a potential president.” Lawyers for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump fought the request by citing that the documents contained trade secrets. After weeks of delay, on Friday, Judge Curiel ruled that the records would be released.

Trump responded to the unsealing of the documents by criticizing the judge as biased and a “hater.”

Among the documents released, sample scripts shed light on staffers’ sales tactics.Trump University employees were given a directive of how to sell a cash-strapped buyer by encouraging them to pay for tuition by using credit cards and loans. The script read in part: “we teach the technique of using OPM… Other People’s Money.” During his show on Wednesday, Michael Smerconish reacted to the newly surfaced documents.

“Is it illegal? There’s nothing that I see in my hand under the ‘art of the set’ that’s illegal, but it’s dirty. It’s dirty,” Smerconish said. He also elaborated on the difficult task of vetting Donald Trump for his past business dealings due to the often complicated nature of the cases.

“He’s basically a con man,” said Boston Globe Columnist Michael Cohen said of Donald Trump on StandUP! with Pete on Wednesday. The two went on to discuss how the Trump University scandal is “the most important story about Trump.” Cohen cited Trump’s ability to win over the less-educated, lower-to-middle class sect of the population as “ironic” since those are the individuals Trump University attempts to win over.

Back in March, Michelangelo Signorile spoke with Robert Guillo, a former Trump University attendee who is currently in a lawsuit against the organization.

“It hurt me financially and it hurt me because I was embarrassed because as soon as I paid the money I got on the railroad and I was telling all my fellow commuters how I was going to make a lot of money,” Guillo said.

StandUP with Pete Dominick 9 am ET Daily on SiriusXM Insight (Ch. 121).

The Michael Smerconish Program 9 am ET Monday – Friday on SiriusXM POTUS (Ch. 124)

The Michelangelo Signorile Show 3 pm ET Monday – Friday on SiriusXM Progress (Ch. 127)

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