It seems that some folks are still scratching their heads about Donald Trump’s popularity. Well, it’s quite simple when you think about it. For many in places like Ohio, Trump was a breath of fresh air in a world where politicians often sound like they all downloaded the same script. Imagine tuning into the first debate and seeing a billionaire like Trump bellowing at the top of his lungs that the whole system is rigged. Picture that for a moment. There’s Hillary Clinton, there’s Barack Obama, and there’s Trump just throwing it all out there, unscripted.

When asked for proof of the rigging, he pulled a classic move. He didn’t dodge, duck, dip, or dodge again. Nope, he just came right out and said he knows it’s rigged because, well, he uses it. Now, you’d think that would be political suicide—admitting to playing the game. But nope, not for Donald. For his supporters, that was just saying out loud what everyone suspected. It was like watching a movie where the plot twist isn’t the butler, but the guy wearing the really expensive suit telling everyone he’s been sneaking cookies from the cookie jar.

And then there was the taxes zinger. Hillary dusted off her folder of attack lines, aiming right where she thought she’d hit a home run: Trump doesn’t pay his taxes, she accused. But Trump’s stash of comebacks seems to have no bottom. What makes me smart, he shot back. It’s like saying, “Yeah, you’re calling me out for playing the game well.” And then with a flourish that surely caused some groaning on the other side, he invited her to change the rules, if she could. After all, she had been a U.S. senator. She had the chance. So why didn’t she change it?

And this is where the magic happened for his fans. He hit on a reality that resonates with many Americans. They see the system as a tangled, imbalanced mess—something that favors insiders and those with powerful allies. Trump just highlighted that point and, instead of trying to hide from the bad optics, he embraced it, turning liability into credibility among those tired of political pretenses. Those who got a bad feeling every time they saw polished politicians talking about change but never quite doing anything about it found a champion of sorts in his candor.

So, love him or not, Trump carved out a place in political history—or perhaps, reality TV of a new genre? His unconventional style isn’t for everyone, but for those who tuned in hoping to see someone toss the rulebook out the window, he delivered the spectacle they were waiting for. And in politics, just like in reality TV, you just can’t beat a good plot twist.