Where did Donald Trump come from? It's a question Republicans have been asking themselves as the billionaire mogul dominates the party's presidential race.
The Daily Show's Trevor Noah has a simple answer: Trump is the candidate the party created. While they may not realize it, Trump is the perfect match for much of what Republicans have been preaching over the years.
"You can deny it all you want, but you can't mess with destiny," Noah said. "My advice, Republicans: Get a convention room, take ahold of Trump's tiny little hand, and then, when the time is right, put on some Fox News and chill."
Noah pointed to statements Republican leaders have made over the years:
- Trump and Republicans agree the country is in terrible shape: Trump loves to say things like, "We have to rebuild our country. … We're like a third-world country." But so do other Republicans. On the campaign trail, Marco Rubio warned, "There may be no turning back for America." Jeb Bush said, "Our country's on a very bad course." House Speaker Paul Ryan argued, "President Obama has placed us on a path to decline."
- Trump is a political outsider, as Republicans have asked of their candidates: Trump isn't from Washington, DC, and Republicans have consistently said that the party needs someone who isn't a political insider. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) said, "We need someone who's truly going to be outside Washington." Texas Gov. Rick Perry claimed, "You need an outsider that will walk into Washington, DC." Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker argued, "We need people from outside of Washington."
- Trump is a businessman, which Republicans want: Republicans have always praised the idea of a president who's a former business leader — like, well, Trump. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) said, "Washington needs to be run like a business." Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal argued, "We got a president today who's never run a business."
- Trump and Republicans frequently share anti-immigrant sentiments: Trump has called Mexican immigrants drug traffickers, rapists, and criminals, and called for banning Muslims from coming into the US. Well, Rep. Steven King (R-IA) once said, "They weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert." Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) claimed, "Drug and human smuggling, home invasions, murder. Complete the dang fence." Rep. Peter King (R-NY) argued, "You have to be monitoring Muslim communities. That's where the threat is going to come from."
- Trump and Republicans hate political correctness: Trump loves to say that "political correctness is killing this country." Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) similarly said, "I think we've had too much political correctness." Walker also said, "Now more than ever in America we need a commander in chief who will tell it like it is."
"The more you look at it, the more it feels like Trump and the Republicans are in one of those romantic comedies," Noah said, "where they still don't realize that they're the perfect match for each other."
He added, "Why can't the GOP see this? I don't understand. Even though Republicans think Trump's all wrong for them, they're a match made in heaven. They both think America's crashing. They share a love of outsiders and businessmen. They can practically finish each other's xenophobic sentences."
This is, of course, a fine bit of trolling by Noah. But there's a lot of truth in it: For all the hand-wringing about Trump, he sure seems like the kind of candidate the party has been leading its conservative base into supporting for years.
