Nixon Speechwriter Ben Stein Says Trump ‘Dangerously Misinformed,’ May Vote Democrat

Ben Stein, former presidential speechwriter and actor, famous for his role as the economics teacher in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, appeared on CNN yesterday, where he stated that Republican presidential nomination frontrunner Donald Trump is “dangerously misinformed.”

When asked who he was supporting in the 2016 presidential race, the 71-year-old life-long conservative spoke about how he attended Yale Law School with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and described the Democratic presidential nomination frontrunner as a “very nice young woman.”

Stein also spoke about junior United States Senator Bernie Sanders’ plan for a single-payer national health plan, and how, as a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon, he wrote the message that “set up Mr. Nixon’s proposal for a single-payer health plan.”

Despite voicing praise for the Democrats, Stein stated that he would prefer to see a Republican in the White House and pointed out that he has never voted for a Democrat before.

“Mr. Trump, I think, is dangerously misinformed,” Ben Stein stated with regard to the billionaire political outsider. “I like him, but he’s dangerously misinformed.”

With regard to Republican candidates currently trailing Donald Trump, Ben Stein stated that he “loves” junior United States Senator Marco Rubio, but feels that Donald Trump “definitely did disavow” the Ku Klux Klan, and that Rubio was “hanging an albatross” around Donald Trump’s neck that “doesn’t deserve to be there.”

With regard to junior United States Senator Ted Cruz, Stein stated that he “doesn’t know very much about economics” but that he likes him “very much.”

Pondering the question of who he would select as president if he could have anyone, Ben Stein said that his choice would be Marco Rubio, while pointing out again that he has been “disingenuous” with Donald Trump over recent days.

When asked about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s endorsement of Trump, the “befuddled” expression on the governor’s face in Palm Beach, Florida, on Super Tuesday, as reported by the Inquisitr, and if he “read anything” into his expression, Ben Stein replied, “no I don’t.”

Stein went on to say that Chris Christie is a “capable” governor, an “intelligent guy,” and an “extremely competent” lawyer. However, the Republican writer and actor stated that he thought that Christie had made a “mistake” endorsing Trump and hopes that it doesn’t “drag the party out to sea.”

On February 12, Stein appeared on Fox News where he was asked if he was concerned about Bernie Sanders’ popularity. He expressed the view that “socialism equals tyranny” and that, ultimately, it ends up removing people’s freedom.

It has been pointed out by The Atlantic that Bernie Sanders is not actually a socialist, but a social democrat, and that the United States is not a “strictly capitalist economy, but a mixed one.”

Stein also expressed a belief that the United States is heading for a default on its debt and that bigger government will only serve to speed this process up.

“He scares me to death,” Ben Stein stated about Sanders, then joked. “I like that fact that people like old Jewish men. I like that a lot.”

“I love Kasich,” Ben Stein said with regard to Ohio Governor John Kasich. Stein expressed the view that Kasich would make a “great” commander-in-chief and that he is a “solid, responsible” person.

Stein’s view on Donald Trump was no different three weeks ago than it was yesterday, stating that the billionaire “terrifies” him. He spoke about an article that he wrote for Barron’s entitled “The Art of The Dubious Deal,” which followed bonds that Donald Trump had issued around 1990 resulting in Trump being sued for “fraud.” Although he said he “may be wrong,” he suspected that Trump was involved in some “very serious misconduct.” Stein reiterated that Trump’s treatment of his bondholders has been “questionable.”

“I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him,” Ben Stein said with regard to Donald Trump.

Ben Stein elaborated that he does not agree that Donald Trump is an “impressive businessman” nor that he has brought “many jobs or prestige” to the United States. Further, Stein stated that he views him as a “manipulator.”

“He’s not running for the head of a casino business. He’s running for head of the United States government.”

Ben Stein listed “compassion” and “understanding complex machinery,” rather than the ability to turn a profit, as being key abilities of the president of the United States. Stein then referred to Donald Trump as a “bully” and a “strutting thug.”

[Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images]