Either way, Trump's fame—and, by extension, his 2016 candidacy—demonstrates the ways in which, at a certain point, power in America is interchangeable. If you are rich and famous enough in the United States, it doesn't necessarily matter how you got that rich and famous—you can trade on that wealth and celebrity in nearly every aspect of American life, including a presidential campaign.Now, as Trump tries to turn the presidency into another market he can bully his way into, it's natural to wonder how American politics arrived at this juncture. But first, we have to understand how Donald Trump became Donald Trump—and how we, as a country, helped him do it.More on Donald Trump:
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He also started to get a reputation, in certain circles, for being a first-class asshole. Blair tells a story of when Trump, upon seeing Hyatt founder Jay Pritzker with a beautiful woman at a party, decided he would steal said woman and arranged a meeting—but when he found out she was just a friend of Pritzker's and not his date, he lost interest.Of course, the Grand Hyatt wasn't enough for Trump—the Donald, as you are no doubt aware by now, is never satisfied, and anyway, the hotel didn't even have his name on it. According to a story published by the Times in 2000:Senior realty titans scoffed, believing that braggadocio was the sum and substance of the blond, blue-eyed, six-footer who wore maroon suits and matching loafers, frequented Elaine's and Regine's in the company of fashion models, and was not abashed to take his armed bodyguard-chauffeur into a meeting with an investment banker… "At 37, no one has done more than I in the last seven years," Mr. Trump asserted.
Trump grumbled that the name "Hyatt" covered what he called "my building," settling for a restaurant called "Trumpets" instead. But he fixed that slight with Trump Tower, the glitzy peach-colored Fifth Avenue confection where, as his architect joked, Trump's name was large enough for passengers flying into New York to see.