When Donald Trump, the real estate developer and host of reality TV show “The Apprentice,” announced that he was running for the 2016 presidential election, voters initially regarded it as nothing more than a publicity stunt.
But despite controversial remarks during the campaign, he has soared in the polls in a crowded field of over a dozen candidates to win more than 20 percent support in less than two months.
Trump’s rise and his comments have caught the attention of both American and Korean citizens as some of his words have been directed at South Korea.
Donald Trump, born June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York City, amassed his wealth through real estate. He started work at his father’s real estate company Elizabeth Trump and Son Co., and then participated in several development projects in the 1970s raising profits. Trump currently has assets of about $4 billion.
Since announcing his candidacy, Trump has gained attention and popularity through his controversial remarks. He described Mexican immigrants as “rapists” just after his announcement in the presidential race, and said in an NBC’s “Meet the Press” program that illegal immigrants “have to go,” adding “we have to make a whole new set of standards” for American immigration.
His harsh words brought much criticism, but they are also the drive behind his immense popularity. As news outlets report his insensitive remarks day after day, Trump is successfully promoting himself to voters, and experts noted that some who are weary of ingrained Washington politicians find his words liberating.
Trump’s election campaign has affected several people, largely the competing Republican presidential candidates, Democrat presidential candidates and high-profile supporters.
Trump currently sits the highest in the polls for the Republican nomination at 23 percent, 10 percentage points in front of Ted Cruz, according to a poll by NBC news after the Republican Party Presidential Debate.
His popularity has affected the poll numbers of fellow Republican candidates. Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, initially considered major candidates in their party, saw their numbers drop from around 10 percent to 7 percent after Trump stole the show during debate.
On the other hand, Republican candidate Carly Fiorina rose in popularity as she quickly defended presidential debate moderator Megyn Kelly after Trump made disparaging comments about her.
Although Trump has not been chosen as the nominee yet, Democrats seeking their party’s own nomination have also made comments against him. Former secretary of state and leading Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton criticized Trump for his remarks against women, describing him as a “showman.”
But Trump has found supporters in fellow billionaires. Carl Icahn, founder of Icahn Enterprises with assets of $21.4 billion, supported Trump by agreeing to be his Treasury secretary should Trump win the White House.
Additionally, NBA Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said in an interview with Business Insider that he would consider running for vice president under Trump, saying he admired Trump challenging the “conventional wisdom” of only professional politicians running for president.
“The Donald is changing all of that. He has changed the game and for that he deserves a lot of credit,” he said, using a common nickname for the boisterous mogul-turned-candidate.
Warren Buffett, while not announcing particular support for Trump, predicted in media interviews that Trump would maintain “quite a solid base for some time,” which would not be deterred by his controversial comments.
Trump’s rise in popularity also garnered attention in South Korea after his remarks on the security of the two Koreas and the American military involvement.
Initially, South Korean media covered Trump’s remarks against women and immigrants as noteworthy international headlines, speculating that Trump’s popularity was American conservatives’ reaction against Obama’s more liberal policies, such as the Affordable Care Act and marriage equality.
However, Korean interest in Trump increased after he suggested that South Korea gives nothing back in exchange for U.S. military protection.
“(Whenever) they’re in trouble, our military takes care. You know what we get? Nothing,” he said during a South Carolina rally last month.
His comments made in 2011 before the 2012 presidential election also resurfaced in hindsight, when he also said that the U.S. military protected South Korea, but “they don’t pay us.”
Trump made similar remarks on Korea again last Sunday, saying that South Korea makes “a fortune” from their exports. “Between Samsung, and LG, and Sharp, they all come from South Korea,” he said, misidentifying Japanese company Sharp as Korean.
“Why are we defending everybody? And these are rich nations. South Korea makes billions and billions. We get nothing. We are like the stupid people that go and defend everybody,” he added.
His remarks drew some ire from the public, and South Korean news outlets described Trump’s remarks as “misinformed” or “misguided,” citing that South Korea has long shared the cost of having a U.S. military presence in the country.
Korea currently has about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country to help defend against North Korea. Additionally, it is also seen as being in America’s interests to be within geographic proximity to China.
Last year, Korea renewed its agreement with the United States to pay 920 billion won ($770 million) toward the upkeep of U.S. troops here, a 5.8 percent increase from the previous year.
According to a poll taken by Fox News from Aug. 11 to 13, Trump is least likely to be nominated in the primaries despite the public’s attention and divisive popularity. However, there is no denying that his campaign has been effective in grabbing attention both within the United States and beyond.
By The Korea Herald Superrich Team (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)
Kwon Nam-keun, Hong Seung-wan, Sung Yeon-jin, Bae Ji-sook, Yoon Hyun-jong, Min Sang-seek, Kim Hyun-il, Sang Youn-joo
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