Rave’n DaJon Coleman
Philadelphia, Pa.

After the first Republican presidential debate on Aug. 6, Donald Trump is still the talk of the nation. He didn’t sink or rise. Trump was his usual self onstage: controversial, somewhat serious, and hilarious. When Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly questioned Trump about his past comments describing women as “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals,” he interrupted her by saying, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.” The crowd loved it.

Going into the debate I believed that Trump was a legitimate candidate. Now I have a bolder statement to make: Trump will win the Republican presidential nomination.

Trump is a household name. He is best known for his reality TV series “The Apprentice,” a platform for celebrities to work out business plans. “You’re fired,” was Trump’s famous line when he booted a contestant off the show each week. The show ran for 14 seasons and had tens of millions of viewers.

More than just an entertainer, Trump is also known as a businessman who runs an international company, the Trump Organization. Through this organization he supplies thousands of people with jobs and he manages his company’s finances. If he is elected president, Trump could use his business experience to improve America’s economy.

Trump Organization and “The Apprentice” have made him very wealthy. But there has also been controversy about his business record and his net worth. Trump has put his own net worth at $10 billion, and though many argue about his actual worth, Forbes has estimated that it is around $4 billion. In the debate, Fox’s moderators challenged Trump on various companies of his declaring bankruptcy four times, but Trump argued that declaring bankruptcy is part of doing business. Either way, Trump’s personal worth is considerable and will help him finance an expensive national campaign — a luxury that many of his opponents don’t have.

There are many voters out there who like what Trump has to say — especially Republicans. Trump has attacked China in recent comments, an issue that other candidates haven’t mentioned very much. “When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let’s say, China in a trade deal?” Trump said. “They kill us. I beat China all the time.” Trump has also excited Republican voters on the issue of immigration. “I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me — and I’ll build them very inexpensively,” Trump said. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”

The polls show that Trump is leading in the Republican field by a comfortable margin. According to Real Clear Politics’ polling average, Trump has a 12-percentage point lead over the number two candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Trump’s celebrity status and bombastic personality has allowed him to get a lot of media attention. By comparison, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Bush, former New York Gov. George Pataki, and the rest of his opponents seem uptight and stiff. If they try to catch up to Trump by copying his moves and acting smart-alecky and controversial, it won’t work because they’re naturally boring people.

If Trump continues to be that “oddball” of the group, but one who knows his limits, he will continue to do well. However, when the early primary contests start, Trump may not be able to coast off of his fame. To win in Iowa and New Hampshire, Trump will need to do more than entertain. He will have to build a serious ground game. If Trump is really serious about being president, I think he has the business acumen to do it.