Part of the revolt of the base of the GOP seems to an anti-intellectualism and a rejection of leadership based on Great Minds and Professional knowledge. This strain of anti-intellectualism has always been present within the conservative movement, but it seems to have taken a dominant position in recent years, as evidenced by the many anti-science religious fundies being chosen to run the US Congress Science Committee and the knee jerk rejection of mainstream science of everything from g****l w*****g to evolution. So, I doubt that appealing to the notion that they need to keep these Great Minds around in order for great ideas to flow will be greated with much positive embrace.

"Will the ideas come from Trump, Hannity, O'Reilly, Breitbart, Alex Jones?"
I don't think there is any question as to whether a profuse number of ideas will flow from those minds. Whether the ideas are "great" or "fantastically nutbag looney" is another matter.

The homes are worth more than that, considerably more than that, and they had equity, but they also owed mortgage payments.

Their condition was temporary, as they both had excellent prospects, and was proved by the rest of the year.

Still, all in all, it's difficult to not to call someone $500,000 (at a minimum) underwater 'broke' or at least bruised.

You probably underestimate the lifetime earnings of an average person; the average wage in now about $54,000 per year, multiplied by, say, a 40 year working life. You can do the math.

Anyway, at the time they left the White House, January 20, 2,000, it is reasonable or at least arguable that they were 'broke.'