Michael Moore Thinks Donald Trump ‘Would’ve Been Dealt With’ If He Lived Outside New York City

Filmmaker Michael Moore recently appeared on Rolling Stone’s Useful Idiots podcast and spoke about the rise of Donald Trump, according to a report by Newsweek.

According to Moore, much of the fame that Trump garnered before the 2016 election he went on to win was only possible because he lived in New York City. Moore suggested that if Trump lived outside of the Big Apple, he might not have gained the level of fame he currently has.

“If that guy, with the way he is, was from Detroit or Pittsburgh or Milwaukee or any of a number of other places I could state, he never would have been foisted on the rest of you–the rest of the country. He would’ve been dealt with.”

The Fahrenheit 11/9 director also touched on Trump’s appearance in New York tabloid entertainment.

“All he was was tabloid entertainment to the people of New York. He was a punchline: The Donald,” Moore said.

Writing in his blog, Moore previously predicted that Trump would win the 2016 presidential election. The 65-year-old filmmaker outlined the attention he believed Trump would place on Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — states Trump went on to win — as well as the unpopularity of Hillary Clinton. In particular, Moore noted that almost 70 percent of voters believe Clinton is “untrustworthy and dishonest.”

Moore also suggested that some would vote for Trump to lash out against the political process, claiming that many people view themselves as “closet anarchists” — something Moore believed would work in favor of electing Trump. Moore himself has admitted he agrees with Trump that the political system is “rigged,” although he took aim at the president for failing to use his power to fix it.

In a piece for The New Yorker, Patrick Radden Keefe outlines the role that Mark Burnett, who created The Apprentice, had on recreating Trump’s image.

“The Apprentice mythologized him anew, and on a much bigger scale, turning him into an icon of American success,” the piece reads.

Tony Schwartz, who wrote The Art of the Deal — a book that was marketed as being written by Trump — also claims that he feels responsible for the creation of Trump. Although Schwartz suggests that Burnett’s “influence was vastly greater,” noting the role The Apprentice played in thrusting Trump into the “national spotlight,” he nevertheless has described the president as “the monster I helped to create.” As for Burnett, he has not spoken publicly about his relationship with Trump and his role in shaping American history.