I think his whole digression into Celebrity Apprentice was a well calculated move. He could see how Clinton and his saxaphone and TV appearances gave him national recognition, and decided to do that 5 time better with his own show.
I was a hobby and to gain recognition.
It had the effect of turning someone people had only heard of into someone people "knew". Thanks to people inviting him into their living rooms on a weekly basis he became a "trusted friend" and a regular "dinner guest" who viewed what he did as something they would do if they were sitting in his seat. So when he decided to run for POTUS and hit the campaign trail he didn't have to explain to everyone who he was. Folks already knew that. What he did was reflect us and what we were already thinking, which has us responding, "my friend is running for President and he thinks like me!"
At least we know he's not a gay Muslim.