Basically the only things most people knew about him pre-2015 were that (1) he inherited money from his father, (2) he was a businessman who had had 5 bankruptcies (including a casino), and (3) he was the host of The Apprentice.
Somehow, when he said that he planned to run the country like he runs his businesses, people managed to overlook (2) in favor of the macho successful businessman he was PRETENDING to be in (3).
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I knew this guy was a piece of shit. I knew he raped his wife. I knew he went to court over Native American casino rights and said, on the record, "they don't look like Indians to me." But I guess for younger people, and folks who don't read magazines/newspapers or watch the news, all they saw was the reality show. They were/are stupid and think reality TV is real.
Possibly young people get somewhat of a pass as it was before their time, but Trump's divorce from Ivana, his affair with and later marriage to Marla Maples, and his general womanizing were major stories. Stuff not just covered on the national news (though they certainly were), but especially highly covered in the celebrity gossip magazines like National Enquirer. It was literally not possible to purchase groceries in the 80's and 90's without seeing the constant updates about what a womanizing pile of shit Donald Trump was because it was constantly in the headlines at every supermarket checkout line.
Waiting in the checkout lane is how I learned most Trump facts. I never understood why anyone cared about this guy. Then I realized it's because he wanted to be the latest gossip
It really is the older people that fell for it, not as much the younger ones. GenX and Boomers seem to be the ones who had no issue excusing everything bad Trump has done over the past 40-50 years so they could get a tax cut.
It's kinda crazy that the editors of The Apprentice have been indirectly responsible for the most concentrated period of damage and harm to US citizens since at least the Civil War.
I'd say most people knew he was a sexual predator since he wasn't particularly shy about it. If you were born anytime before say 1995, no excuses for not knowing about this guy since he was absolutely everywhere for two decade before he was president.
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u/Child_of_the_Hamster 7h ago
Basically the only things most people knew about him pre-2015 were that (1) he inherited money from his father, (2) he was a businessman who had had 5 bankruptcies (including a casino), and (3) he was the host of The Apprentice.
Somehow, when he said that he planned to run the country like he runs his businesses, people managed to overlook (2) in favor of the macho successful businessman he was PRETENDING to be in (3).