Check yourself: A mandatory reading list for Donald Trump

If this week’s events are any indication of things to come, Fusion could play a hugely influential role in shaping the views and policies of 2016 presidential campaigns.

It’s a big responsibility, and one we take very seriously.

In a CNN interview earlier this week, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump suggested that much of what he knows about Mexico he learned from skimming a 2014 Fusion article, Erin Siegal McIntyre’s “Is rape the price to pay for pay for migrant women chasing the American Dream?”.

The piece, which looks at the dangers facing women migrating to the United States, gave Mr. Trump the confidence to speak out loudly and categorically about Mexicans, or, as he calls them, “rapists.”

“Somebody’s doing the raping, Don. I mean, you know, somebody’s doing it.” — Donald Trump to CNN’s Don Lemon

While we’re flattered that Mr. Trump decided to make us his source of news about issues in the Americas, we invite him to read the piece a little more closely. We suggest he do the same with a selection of Fusion stories on other topics, and have curated a reading list that may help him shape — and inform — his views. Who knows: Perhaps, with our help, The Donald could be deserving of becoming our next President.

Issue 1: LGBT discrimination laws

Mr. Trump: The good news is that your hotels can now host gay wedding parties, thanks to the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same sex marriage. But we still don’t have any federal laws to protect LGBT individuals from employment or housing discrimination.

To Do: This is your fight, gurl.
To Read:  “Gurl, it ain’t over: 10 LGBT fights the Supreme Court could hear next”

Issue 2: Privacy laws

Donald. (Can we call you Donald? Don? No? Ok.) Mr. Trump, you seem like a pretty private guy when you’re not all over the television, or Celebrity Apprentice, or cuddling up to beauty queens. It’d be awful for everyone if your ex-wife were to post a naughty picture of you on the internet.

To Do: Take a bold stance on revenge porn.
To Read: “Why did it take so long to ban revenge porn.”

(And while we’re on the topic of privacy, let’s protect people’s private data. Read: “Apple to Obama: Don’t let the FBI weaken phone encryption.”)

Issue 3: The environment

Mr Trump, we know you’re a fan of hot air, but it’s time to do something about climate change. Part of that means finding new sources of renewable energy. It’s time to change the course set by the Obama, a foreigner who, unlike yourself, has always hated America.
To Do: Close off federal land to coal miners.
To Read: “Obama has allowed more coal to be mined on federal land than Bush—and he may not be done”

Issue 4: Education

You’ve reminded us that a little bit of information is a dangerous thing. It’s time everyone had access to higher education.

To Do: Make community college free for everyone. And we need to do something about those student loans.
To Read: “More student borrowers are filing complaints about loan companies”

Issue 5: The militarization of police

Maybe you could do something about police departments not driving military tanks on city streets to quell protests? It’s not a good look. Oh, and also, that military equipment disappears like, often.

To Do: Crack down on the police state.
To Read: “How did America’s police departments lose loads of military-issued weapons?”

Issue 6: LGBT Immigration Detention

You’re right, Donald. Someone is doing the raping. A 2014 Fusion investigation found some 75 transgender prisoners are detained by ICE every night, less than one percent of the 34,000 people held in detention. Yet trans victims made up 1 out of 5 confirmed instances of sexual assault in immigration detention facilities.

To Do: Find alternatives to detaining vulnerable populations in immigration detention centers. You got this.
To Read: “Why did the U.S. lock up these women with men?” Also: “Molly Crabapple: Locking up immigrants for profit.”

Issue 7: Mexico

We’d be remiss if we didn’t give you one more thing to read about Mexico to help you round out your views on our neighbor to the south. Here’s a piece on how Mexican filmmakers and other immigrants are having huge success in Hollywood. (Just a word of warning. This article doesn’t mean all Mexicans are filmmakers. But someone is doing the filming, Mr. Trump.)

To Do: Educate yourself.
To Read: “Netflix starts search for Mexico’s next great filmmaker.”

@fusion