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:
I'm Really Rich: Donald Trump and the Art of Having No Shame Donald Trump Could Be Losing as Much as $78.5 Million for Pissing Off Mexicans Wait, What Would Actually Happen if Donald Trump Became President
Ties for days. Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty
Donald Trump at the opening of his Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, April 1990. Photo by Gamblin Yann/Paris Match via Getty
Trump and MJ practice pointing. Photo by Donna Connor/FilmMagic via Getty
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.

Trump and Ivana. Photo by Time Life Pictures via Getty
Donald and Marla. Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage

Trump being Trump at the US Open in 1992. Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage via Getty
Trump shaves WWE owner Vince McMahon after winning their 'Battle of the Billionaires' match in 2007. Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic via Getty
Blame it all on this guy (who appears to be a Hare Krishna in some kind of Game of Thrones costume). Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage via Getty
