Jerry Springer: Donald Trump ‘took my show and brought it to the White House’

Jerry Springer wants royalties from President Trump.

One of the biggest names in so-called “trash TV” talk shows of the 1990s, Mr. Springer said Mr. Trump, also a reality-TV star before becoming president, had basically stolen his act and put it to political ends.

“The thing that annoys me about Trump is that he took my show and brought it to the White House,” the 75-year-old Mr. Springer told Build Series about today’s heated political climate in which Mr. Trump seems to thrive.

“I’m annoyed. I should get paid for that, shouldn’t I? Hey, get your own show!” he said in an interview promoting his new courtroom show “Judge Jerry,” which premieres next week.

Mr. Springer, who was mayor of Cincinnati before striking gold as purveyor of daytime weirdness, said he isn’t a fan of Mr. Trump even apart from brand infringement.

The “very liberal” host told Build that he’s satisfied with the Democratic field, most particularly Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California, but would “vote for a ham sandwich” over Mr. Trump.

He added that a Democratic win in the 2020 presidential race will require keeping Mr. Trump as the central issue.

“From a pure political point of view, I think we have to be a little careful,” he said. “I think as long as Trump is the issue, the Democrats can win. But if we pick a candidate who all of a sudden takes the spotlight off of Trump and ’is this person too far left?’ and suddenly the debate moves in that direction, then I think we could lose the election again.”