Way back in 2015, when the rumors began to circulate about Donald Trump running for president, rumors we had heard for decades, I was shocked at how many “smart people” — those snobs I enjoy heckling as “#GOPSmartSet” — underestimated The Donald.

Shrugging off the idea Trump would actually run was fair enough. Like I said, he’d been flirting with the idea for decades. Even I would have bet it was a publicity stunt.

No, what surprised me was how #GOPSmartSet and the elite media laughed off Trump as a clown, a huckster, a carnival barker, and bankrupt loser. That, to me, was wholly ridiculous.

To begin with, Trump was in his fourth decade of pop culture relevance. Other than Oprah, how many Americans have remained relevant since the eighties, are more than a nostalgia act today?

On top of that, Trump was not only a potent brand, but with his skyscrapers, he had single-handedly altered the landscapes of some of the biggest cities in the world, he had come back from the brink of bankruptcy (no small thing), he had conquered the Manhattan real estate market (the most competitive and cutthroat in the world), he was in his 14th year — fourteen! — of The Apprentice, a primetime hit on a major broadcast network, and he was a bestselling author.

Unless you’re a fool, and let’s face it, most of America’s political and media “experts” are fools, you don’t write off a man like that.

What’s more, on the political front, Trump single-handedly muscled Barack Obama into producing his birth certificate. Trump bucked the media, bucked the political establishment, and forced Obama’s hand. I’ve never believed for a moment Obama was born anywhere but the U.S., but Trump’s effectiveness, his fearlessness and skill with this third rail, blew my mind. Trump also stripped the media and Democrats of the “birther” weapon, which is why they fought so bitterly against the simple production of that document. The left loved the birther weapon, and now — thanks to Trump’s political and media skills — it was gone.

Nevertheless…

Had you asked me in 2015 if Trump had a chance at winning the nomination, much less the presidency, I would have said no, and probably did on a number of occasions. My point is that even I underestimated the guy. But here we are in the fourth year of Trump’s objectively successful presidency, and he is still surprising our idiotic “experts,” he’s still underestimated, and he’s still doing what we are told is impossible.

So I thought the signing of the first phase of the China trade deal would be a good time to jump in the Wayback Machine and give our stupid and useless “experts” a face job — to look back at all the things our corrupt political and media “experts” assured and reassured us Trump could not or would not do … just before he went ahead and did.

If I’m missing any, feel free to complete the list in the comments…

Trump Won’t Run for President

All the experts laughed and chortled at the very idea of Trump running for president.

Trump then announced his run for president.

Trump Won’t File His Personal Financial Disclosure Forms

After Trump made his announcement, the “experts” said it was all a public relations move because Trump would never file the personal financial disclosure forms required to run.

Trump filed his personal financial disclosure forms with a statement laughing at the “experts” who swore he never would.

Trump Can’t Win the Republican Nomination

Even as Trump racked up one primary win after another, #GOPSmartSet continued to tell us Trump had no chance of winning the nomination. In fact, with every Trump victory, #GOPSmartSet kept telling us these wins were actually good news for #GOPSmartSet favorite Marco Rubio, who didn’t even win his home state of Florida.

Trump not only won the nomination, he entered the race in first place and never relinquished it. That’s just how useless our experts are.

Trump Can’t Win the Presidency

The idea that Trump had no chance of beating Hillary Clinton in the general election was not just a prediction, it was dogma. In fact, it was such a closely held dogma, when Mark Halperin tried to explain on Morning Joe why Trump had a chance, he was berated and shamed until he shut up.

Trump won the presidency.

Trump Can’t Win Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Michigan

The Democrat Big Blue Electoral Wall of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Michigan could never be breached, the experts told us.

Trump won all three of those states.

Trump’s Victory Will Crash the Stock Market

After Trump won the presidency, a whole host of hysterical economic “experts” told us Trump would crash the stock market, most especially the dumbest shit of all, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Krugman.

The market is not only soaring, it seems to hit a new high almost every week.

Trump Won’t Build a Border Wall

At first, the “experts” told us Trump was conning us rubes with the promise of a border wall. Then, after Congress and the courts did everything possible to block wall construction, the “experts” told us it was impossible for Trump to build the wall.

Trump is building the wall.

Trump Will Never Get Mexico to Pay for the Wall

The “experts” told us Trump was lying about Mexico paying for the wall.

Well, to be perfectly fair, so far the experts are half right, but Mexico is indeed paying to protect our southern border with a human wall of 27,000 Mexican National Guard troops. If Trump had made a campaign promise Mexico would agree to that, the “experts” would have laughed just as hard.

Trump Can’t Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to America

In a classic Barack “Manage the American Decline” Obama moment, the former and failed president told the American people Trump would need a “magic wand” to bring back manufacturing jobs. Naturally, all of our stupid and useless “experts” agreed.

Meanwhile, Trump is bringing back American manufacturing jobs.

Trump Will Never Get Mexico and Canada to Replace NAFTA

Trump not only replaced NAFTA, Democrats in Congress have ratified the new trade deal and the Senate is about to make it the law of the land.

This is a massive accomplishment for Trump. I remember Trump railing against NAFTA back in ’93 when it was first passed.

Trump’s Tariffs Will Destroy the Economy

To force the world’s trade cheaters, like China, to come to the table, Trump defied every “expert” by imposing tariffs.

For decades we have been told tariffs will destroy the American economy with higher prices, inflation, etc.; that there was no way to win a trade war with tariffs, that the damage to our economy made such a war futile.

Trump defied this thinking, defied the entire world, imposed his tariffs, and lo and behold, the tariffs hardly had any effect on anything. Our economy is robust and growing.

It was also the threat of tariffs that forced Mexico to pay for that human wall I mentioned above.

Trump Can’t Win a Trade War with China

The experts told us the tariffs on China would destroy the economy, China would never come to the table, China held all the cards.

That was the conventional wisdom across the fruited plain, and once again Trump defied the world. He blistered China with tariffs and as our economy grew and grew and grew, China’s economy took a hellacious beating. Finally, on Wednesday, the first phase of a trade deal with China was signed, a deal that mostly benefits the United States.

Yes, the Chinese are notorious cheaters. Yes, there needs to be enforcement, not just a victory lap. Yes, this is just the first phase.

But Trump did it when everyone said there was no way anything with China was possible. And if he wins reelection, I suspect enforcement and a final deal are more than possible.

Trump Can’t Remove Troops from Syria

Our stupid and corrupt “experts,” especially among the wretched neocons in #GOPSmartSet, assured us Trump’s decision to remove our troops from Syria would 1) cause World War III, 2) result in a Kurdish holocaust, and 3) bring back the military draft.

And then Trump ended up solving a Turkey-Syria border dispute older than Bernie Sanders.

Trump Will Never Move the American Embassy to Jerusalem

Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem.

Trump’s Move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem Will Be an International Catastrophe

Our stupid and corrupt “experts” told us the embassy move would 1) cause World War III, 2) result in another Jewish holocaust, and 3) bring back the military draft.

The actual result was that no one cared, not even the infamous “Arab Street.”

Trump Will Never Make America Energy Independent

Trump’s de-regulation, the fracking miracle he protects against the enviro-nuts, and the opening of once stupidly sacred places like the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve, have made America energy independent, an energy exporter.

Trump Can’t Tame North Korea

The experts assured us Trump’s approach to North Korea, a mix of flattery and saber rattling, was the work of a rank amateur and destined to fail. And then…

Trump got our hostages back, the remains of American soldiers were finally returned, and North Korea has stopped threatening its neighbors and firing off missiles.

What’s more, Trump accomplished all of this without the appeasement of sanction relief.

Trump Can’t Lower the Unemployment Rate

The “experts” told us America was at “full employment” under their Precious Barry Obama.

Then Trump’s economy proved that a lie with record low unemployment rates, including for blacks and Hispanics.

Trump Can’t Boost the GDP

To justify their Precious Barry’s dismal economic “recovery,” the “experts” told us 1.5 percent GDP growth was the new normal.

Ahem.

Trump Can’t Increase Working Class Wages

Ahem.

Trump Will Never Get NATO to Pay Its Fair Share

Ahem.

23. Trump Will Never Pull Out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal

Ahem.

Trump’s Droning of Iran Terror Master Soleimani Will Result in Disaster

After Trump killed Iran’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, with a drone strike, all of America’s “experts” told us this would 1) cause World War III, 2) result in some kind of holocaust somewhere, and 3) bring back the military draft.

Instead, at least so far, after one increasingly aggressive move after another, Iran has de-escalated its attacks.

Meanwhile, Trump increased sanctions on the terrorist regime.

And finally, my favorite…

Trump Will Resign and Not Run for Reelection

Good grief, “Experts” — have a little dignity, and you might start with a healthy serving of STFU.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.