March 16--Conan O'Brien's sidekick Andy Richter said Donald Trump has become the Republican presidential front-runner because he's running a reality show, not a campaign.
"I felt early on in Trump's campaign that the reason he seemed to be getting so much traction is that he wasn't running for president, he was producing a television show about a guy running for president," Richter, who grew up in Yorkville, told The Hollywood Reporter in a story posted online Tuesday.
"People running for president (in years past) have tried to run their campaign like a television show, making it interesting. And (Trump) came in and said 'Why are you running it like a TV show? It is a TV show! Just say whatever you want. Don't worry about issues. Most people don't even give a (expletive) about issues. Just say what they want to hear, be the most interesting guy, pick fights -- everyone loves a fight. ' This is all well within his wheelhouse."
Trump hosted "The Apprentice" and the NBC show's celebrity edition from 2004-15. He easily won Illinois' presidential primary Tuesday.
Richter, who attended Columbia College and trained at the iO Theater, predicted that Trump's campaign will not end well.
"Trump will crash and burn, I think. There's just not enough savvy in terms of keeping things together in him. He has a lot of savvy in stirring (expletive) up. But eventually, he's going to have to keep things together, and I don't think he has that kind of savvy," said Richter, who said he supports Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Tuesday's Illinois primary winner.
