On the campaign trail this election cycle, Donald Trump has been touting the importance of leadership and having the right people around you. When someone lacks any type of record in politics and government, the best place to vet their leadership credentials can often be who and what they publicly support. In 2009, Trump stated President Obama was doing a great job and gave him a “solid B+” for his first hundred days as well as saying he would hire him. Not only did he support Obama, but he also agreed with his appointments – most notably the projected Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.

In 2010, Wolf Blitzer asked if Obama has “saved” us as a country and Donald noted that he indeed had. It was a totally different story in 2011 however, as Trump said that Obama had surpassed Jimmy Carter as the worst president in history. What changed Trump’s tune so drastically? Had Obama crossed him personally or in some other way? Or was it just that Mr. Trump was gearing up for a presidential bid of his own?

Whatever caused the change, Donald switched parties and became a Republican despite having been quoted as saying “the economy seems to do better under Democrats” and Mrs. Clinton, saying “he’s basically a Democrat.” Mr. Trump consistently touts his relationships with the Democrats and how he is best equipped to work with them, but is that just because he is still ideologically aligned with them or because of his “negotiating genius?”

That will be for the American people to judge.