When Trump first announced his run for the Republican nomination, no one took him seriously, and they were happy to see him join in.

Because everyone thought this guy was just there to play along; he could bring some entertainment to the campaign process, like a clown, and boost viewership while drawing public attention to the Republicans.

But once Trump started building a lead, they couldn't sit still.

"Politics" was an elite game, and the "presidency" was the ultimate prize—how could they let a "clown" get it?

So the attacks began.

Mainstream media started flooding with negative news about Trump, whether from Republican-leaning or Democratic-leaning outlets.

Some called Trump America's Hitler, others Berlusconi—either way, he was portrayed as wanting to be a dictator or an oligarch.

Recently, there was even a report where a former CIA director told reporters that if Trump were elected president, the military might disobey orders, and the US could face a coup!

Why did such an absurd thinker, with bizarre statements and a hint of racism, receive so much support?

The main reason was that more and more ordinary citizens were getting involved in the election.

This could be seen from the level of presidential speeches in previous cycles.

Since the founding of the US, politicians' vocabulary had become increasingly simple.

The first US president, George Washington, in his 1796 farewell address, reached a graduate-level complexity (17.9 grade).

Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Gettysburg Address was at an 11th-grade level.

John Kennedy's famous line in his 1961 inaugural address, "Ask not what your country can do for you," was at 13.9 grade.

Now, most US domestic policy speeches, including Obama's, were only at an 8th-grade level.

US historian Jeff Shesol once wrote speeches for former President Bill Clinton.

In a 2014 interview with The Atlantic, he said: "This change is easily seen as a dumbing down of the White House, but it's actually a sign of democratization. In the early days, presidents could assume their audience was like them: educated landowners with civic consciousness. Back then, only those people had voting rights. But as time passed, more people gained the vote, and presidents had to consider a broader audience." Check latest chapters at novel·fire·net

"A leader's job isn't to educate the public," Jon Favreau, who wrote speeches for Obama, told The Boston Globe. "It's to inspire and persuade them."

A clear fact was: In this era of bombastic rhetoric and 140-character tweets, candidates had to use simple, powerful language to capture voters' attention.

The Boston Globe analyzed 19 US presidential candidates on the 20th and found that those using the most basic language performed best in polls, while those piling on complex vocabulary performed the worst.

Let's see who was the best and worst: According to The Boston Globe's analysis, Republican candidate Donald Trump's announcement speech used language at only a 4th-grade level.

Yet, he exceeded everyone's expectations, leading in polls almost from the moment he announced his candidacy.

The one reaching 10th-grade eloquence was Virginia's former governor, Republican candidate Jim Gilmore. Never heard of him?

Considering his lackluster speeches, it's no wonder.

Public policy polls showed this former governor's support rate was under 1%, so low he couldn't even make it into the Republican warm-up debates.

The elites, of course, didn't like Trump, but ordinary people did—and they were the majority.

That was why Trump could lead by a wide margin in the race.

Ivanka called Martin with the good news.

And thanked him for the idea he'd given her dad.

"Martin, you're amazing—how did you think of it?" Ivanka said excitedly.

"Simple data analysis: Compare the winners' speeches from previous presidential elections, systematize the similarities and differences, and you get the results. Actually, many people had sensed this trend early on; they just didn't take it seriously."

"Life's pace is getting faster; simpler language can help ease voters' anxiety. As world problems become more complex and dangerous than ever, Americans want a confident leader who can provide simple—or at least seemingly simple—solutions."

"Plus, in this fragmented information age, no one likes listening to esoteric ramblings. Ordinary people aren't idle scholars; they're busy with life. They prefer straightforward, concise statements they can grasp without thinking, and respond to..."

On the other end, Ivanka had the phone on speaker, and a group of Trump's aides sat around it like elementary school kids.

Trump pursed his lips and said seriously: "Listen up, everyone—hear this, learn from smart thinking."

Martin caught Trump's words and immediately understood the situation on the other side, so he said:

"Hey, guys, no need for that. The credit isn't all mine; I just provided a framework. It's you who turned it into results."

"You designed some great slogans for me—simple, crude, and impactful, like 'Make America Great Again,' 'I'm really rich,' 'Politicians are all talk and no action,' and so on. Very clever."

Trump grinned, and the aides around him smiled too.

Trump said: "Martin, what do you think of my idea to build a wall along the US-Mexico border? Isn't it brilliant?"

Martin: "..."

Trump continued: "Oh, and I debunked those idiot environmentalists' hype about wind and solar power—that stuff definitely can't solve problems. What green energy, what political correctness—it's all bullshit."

Trump's tone was utterly dismissive as he said: "Oil and natural gas are the mainstays. And why should we let OPEC set oil prices, and the US just follows? That's not right."

Martin nodded: "That's a good point; it fits public expectations."