Paul Krugman: GOP voters naturally love Trump because he's 'a belligerent, loudmouth racist'

Economist Paul Krugman offered a blunt assessment of Donald Trump's appeal to Republican voters in an interview with Bloomberg TV host Joe Weisenthal on Monday.

"He's a belligerent, loudmouth racist with not an ounce of compassion for less fortunate people," Krugman said. "In other words, he's exactly the kind of person the Republican base consists of and identifies with. It's clear that the very things that Upper West Side New Yorkers find detestable about him are exactly what endear him to the Republican base, which is basically people who see in him everything -- even the big red face and the yelling -- that makes him their kind of guy."

"So when conservatives say, 'He's not really one of us,' you don't buy it," Weisenthal replied.

Krugman argued that the GOP establishment had lost the ability to limit their field of presidential contenders to people who could put a "smoother face" on their platform, for at least part of the primary process.

A similar thing happened in 2012, he added, when several "loudmouthed, angry ludicrous candidates" enjoyed brief success in early polling -- much like the kind Trump has been enjoying recently.

"In the end, they nominated Mitt Romney, who on substance was not that different the others," Krugman recalled. "And probably, the same thing will happen this time around, with Jeb Bush playing that role."

Watch Krugman's take on Trump, as aired on Monday, below.