Donald Trump shouldn’t be taken seriously as a presidential candidate, but to the extent that he could affect the race it all, it will be to help Hillary Clinton. If Clinton is going to win, one of the ways that she’ll do so is to convey the image that she has more stature and gravitas than any of the Republicans.
As it is, with 15 expected candidates (not including Trump), the Republican field has already taken on the image of being a bit of a circus. Trump now adds to that perception, and because he has the highest name recognition of any Republican candidate, he’ll help define field for lower-information voters.
Next to Clinton, who is running without real competition, Republican candidates will look small fighting it out with a clown, who is likely to meet the polling threshold to participate in the debates. To Americans who consume mainly celebrity news, they may not know much about the Republican field beyond the fact that Trump is running.
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