‘ Bold, provocative and interesting’

The unlikely rise of Donald Trump has taken the establishment by surprise.

Trump is a larger- than- life figure with the charisma of a Ronald Reagan or Jack Kennedy. He is unscripted, unrehearsed and unhandled. He isn’t politically correct. He’s bold, provocative and interesting. Voters are loving it.

Voters are as sour as I have seen in my 35 years in politics. They are fed up with big government, big media, career politicians and the status quo. They see Trump as tough enough to shake up the system. He doesn’t need special interest money and can’t be bought or bullied.

Trump is a populist conservative who staunchly defends Social Security, Medicare and health care for the poor. America is reacting to his size, optimism, straight talk and humor. He’s the anti- politician. The outsider. He will run as the candidate of real reform.

Trump has proved he can get everyone’s attention. There are two things he can do to win.

Trump can play a critical role in the next several weeks as the Senate considers President Obama’s nuclear deal. He can provide the national leadership to kill the deal. Even if the deal is approved in Congress, Trump will have defined his issue for November.

Trump will also grab the economic growth mantle with the release of his tax reform plan that will eliminate some taxes and cut others.

Trump need not be a purist. His plan to make hedge funders pay more, coupled with tax cuts for average taxpayers, appeals to his middle class, populist base. His voters, like Reagan’s, are from Main Street, not Wall Street.

It is on taxes, business and job- creation that Trump has his greatest advantage. He’s the toughest negotiator in business. He’ll get a better deal for America. He made himself very rich. Now he must convince us he can make our families rich.

Trump has boldly claimed he will do very well with Hispanic voters despite his hard- line immigration policies, because he plans to offer Latino voters, and indeed all voters, jobs, opportunity and prosperity. This is the key to the election of the Donald and the key to making America Great Again.