Real estate mogul and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has essentially built his political career on bravado. He has promised to build "a great wall on our southern border" on Mexico’s dime. He’s insisted that, despite a lack of personal experience, he "will be so good at the military, your head will spin." He’s praised his Twitter account, which "has become so powerful that I can actually make enemies [e.g. Rosie O’Donnell] tell the truth."
But Trump has another superpower he’s downplayed until Monday night.
"In my book I predicted terrorism because I can feel it," he said during a rally at the Knoxville Convention Center in Tennessee. "I can feel it like I feel a good location…I really believe I have an instinct for this kind of thing."
Trump traces this ability back to his 2000 book, "The America We Deserve." In it, he warned about a potential terror attack orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. While that’s admittedly impressive, the same book also predicted the imminent use of weapons of mass destruction on American soil. Fifteen years out, the statute of limitations has probably expired on that forecast.
Still, in light of Friday’s terror attacks in Paris, Trump is hoping he can turn that one lucky guess into a political asset.
"I really believe I have an instinct for this kind of thing," he said.
If you’re wondering why, given his impressive aptitude, Trump failed to predict Friday’s events, he instead blamed the attacks on US President Barack Obama.
"They should have been stopped a long time ago," he said on Monday, referring to America’s inability to effectively combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group.
Terrorism aside, the billionaire has also used his powers to prophesize other aspects of our shared future. Some of these are accurate, some wrong, and some are, at best, debatable
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2014
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2013
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2015
