We’ve heard quite a bit about #NeverTrump, both the organization and those who found themselves using that as a battle cry in this nightmare of an election.  As we finally, mercifully come to the end of this Presidential cycle, it seemed important to clarify my own personal definition of “Never Trump”.

Often people speak of Donald J. Trump’s foray into politics as “the moment he came down that escalator” referring to his now infamous announcement that he wasn’t running in 2012. Well to those I can only say, you must not have been paying attention earlier.

One of the main reasons I oppose a Trump presidency is specifically because he was a benefactor to the Clintons.  During the 1990’s, when Bill was President and Hillary was merely “co-president”, Donald Trump was one of their most vocal supporters.   His adoration for Bill Clinton may have overshadowed his fondness for Hillary but it was there, he practically paid her to attend his third wedding.  Who does that? Who even thinks like that? Donald Trump.

What I remember about Donald J Trump and 9/11 was how he rushed to every camera he could to make himself out to be the biggest Wall Street Trader in NYC, how he and his friends would save the DOW when it reopened.  History tells us that as the Dow crashed to historic lows post 9/11 more money was made from shorting the stocks than saving them.  Trump’s companies have been accused of “stealing 9/11 funds”, he may have had a legal right to that money, but I’m not seeing the moral value of the story.  This man has used every tool available to him, technology, media and even money to try to get people to believe he is a good person, the best in fact.   Yet nothing I’ve ever seen him do indicates that is anywhere near the truth.

Fast Forward to 2007 when Donald Trump became obsessed with the birther issue, Obama’s legal status, something we now know came directly from the Clinton primary team.  Trumps obsession only grew as Obama won the election not once, but twice.  The second time even after Trump had “won” his battle to see that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii.  Some have suggested this was what damaged his ego enough to run for president, including Ben Howe in his short film, “The Sociopath”. While I agree with Howe’s assessment of Trump’s personality, his issues began long before that. This is a man who by all accounts was rejected by New York’s high society at every turn. His money was always welcome, even if he was not.

Both Trump and Bill Clinton himself confirmed they discussed Trump’s run for the Presidency,  Clinton even encouraged him to run, as a Republican of course. Once again, Donald Trump’s money had been good enough for the Clintons but they didn’t want them in their party.

For as many successes as he’s had failures, Trump in the end is a sad old man surrounded by people who do what he wants, tell him the things he needs to hear, because he pays them to do it.  When the checks stop clearing, the “friends” disappear.

Trump has been useful to the Clintons for decades, and now if all goes as they’ve planned, he will give them the ultimate gift of the Presidency.  Or maybe you want to believe it was competition driving his will to be “as good as Bill Clinton”.  Either way these aren’t reasons for me to support the guy for leader of the free world.

These little factoids alone destroy the one argument that allows people to sleep at night, “But…Hillary.”  If you’ve done your research, they’re nearly the same person, except Trump paid for both of them to get where they are.

So I will no more pull the lever for Hillary Clinton than I will for the man who helped her get there. I may leave that line blank.  If that makes me #NeverTrump, I’m completely okay with it.

We’re looking at the worst two candidates that I hope to ever see on a ballot in my lifetime,  my hope is that lessons are learned and “Never Trump” expands to include all of those who will suffer from the outcome regardless, to a mantra we should all be able to unite behind, “Never Again”.