Former media mogul Conrad Black says Donald Trumpās rise in the U.S. from political neophyte to Republican presidential nominee is an āamazing achievement.ā
Speaking on Ā鶹“«Ć½ Channel on Friday, Black said no one āhas ever run a campaign like this,ā referring to Trumpās rise from businessman and reality TV star to a serious candidate who could be elected U.S. president in November.
āWhatever the outcome, what Donaldās done, itās an amazing achievement,ā Black said.
Black says he is not a āstaunch supporter of Trumpā but a ādefender against excessive denigrationā of the Republican presidential nominee.
Trump was ācompletely reviled and ridiculed by virtually everyone as a candidate who had no chance,ā Black said.
Now, as the U.S. campaign enters its final three-month stretch, Trump is viewed as a serious threat to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintonās bid for the White House.
āTheyāre running even in the polls, there is no split in the Republican party and the Democrats opened their convention by firing their party chairman,ā Black said. āItās going to be a ding-dong battle, this election.ā
Black shrugged off former New York City Mayor Michael Bloombergās criticism of Trumpās business acumen in a speech at the Democratic National Convention earlier this week. In it, Bloomberg called Trumpās business plan a ādisaster in the making.ā
Black wouldnāt āattach much credenceā to Bloombergās assertion that Trump will āwreckā the U.S., he said. He says that if elected, Trump will produce āmore sensible economic policyā than what the U.S. has seen over the past decade.
Though he finds some of Trumpās āreflections garish and tasteless,ā Black says the presidential candidate is a ānice guy.ā
āI will say this, that in the problems I had, he was absolutely loyal, he volunteered to come and give evidence for me, he sent me encouraging letters at every stage,ā Black said. āWe all go through difficult times and we remember the people who were helpful.ā
However, Black said that he doesnāt āidentifyā with some of Trumpās comments and ādemonstrations of ill-temperance.ā
āItās not a person I recognize, knowing him as I do, heās not like that in person,ā Black said. āHeās a very nice guy, and a charming man.ā
