Michael Moore: Trump a performance artist, not a politician

 

Liberal documentarian Michael Moore says Republican presidential front-runner Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpConservatives express concern over House GOP immigration bill Poll: McSally holds 14-point lead in Arizona GOP Senate primary Trump defends Nielsen amid criticism over family separations MORE is less of a politician than a “performance artist.”

 

The filmmaker said in an interview with the Associated Press published Saturday that despite the businessman's position at the top of the polls, Trump is not long for the presidential race.

 

“I know people are worried about Donald Trump, but what you have to understand about Trump, first of all, is that he’s a performance artist,” Moore said. “There will come a point here, this year, where people go: OK, we’ve had enough of this performance art.”

 

The Academy Award-winning director said conservatives react so viscerally to his films because of his broad appeal among middle-class Americans.

 

“That drives them crazy because the left is supposed to be out there on the left wing of the limb on the tree,” he said. “And I don’t live out there, I live here. I reach millions and millions of people, and that’s a threat to them.”

 

Moore also called Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as a “decent soul” with a “great sense of humor.”

 

In contrast, he called Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is also running for the Democratic nomination, a “bit of a crank.”

 

Moore made the comments about Clinton and Sanders during a Q&A session after the debut of his latest film, “Where to Invade Next,” at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday. 

 

In the documentary, Moore travels to — or “invades” — various European countries in search of ideas to revitalize the U.S.

 

Moore’s previous films include “Bowling for Columbine,” “Fahrenheit 911” and “Capitalism: A Love Story.”