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{{Short description|American political campaign}}
{{redirect|Donald Trump presidential campaign|his 2000 presidential campaign|Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000}}
{{long|words=18,000|date=August 2024}}
<!--See ].-->
{{pp-pc1|expiry=05:50, 6 April 2016|small=yes}} {{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox U.S. federal election campaign {{Infobox U.S. federal election campaign
| committee = Donald J. Trump for President | committee = Donald Trump for President 2016
| logo = ] | logo = {{Switcher
|]
| campaign = ]
|General election logo|default=1
| candidate = ]
|]
| status = Announced: June 16, 2015
|Primary campaign logo}}
| cand_id = P80001571
| campaign = ]<br />]
| fec_date = 2015-12-31<ref name="receipts">{{cite web |url=http://www.fec.gov/fecviewer/CandidateCommitteeDetail.do |title=Candidate (P80001571) Summary Reports – 2016 Cycle |publisher=] |accessdate=October 16, 2015}}</ref>
| candidate = ''']'''<br />Chairman of ]<br />''(1971–2017)''<br />''']'''<br />50th ]<br />''(2013–2017)''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bradner|first1=Eric|last2=Bash|first2=Dana|last3=Lee|first3=MJ|title=Donald Trump selects Mike Pence as VP|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/14/politics/donald-trump-vice-presidential-choice/|website=]|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=July 14, 2016}}</ref>
| affiliation = ]
| status = {{unbulleted list
| headquarters = 725 ]<br>], ]
|Announced: June 16, 2015
| key_people = ], campaign manager <br> ], national spokesperson
|Presumptive nomination: May 3, 2016
| treasurer =
|Secured nomination: May 26, 2016
| receipts = 19,405,216
|Official nominee: July 19, 2016
| slogan = ]<br>]!<ref name="TrumpandReagan">Martosko, David (May 12, 2015). . Daily Mail.</ref>
|Won election: November 8, 2016
| homepage = {{official website|https://www.donaldjtrump.com/}}
|Inaugurated: January 20, 2017
}} }}
| cand_id = P80001571
{{Trump Series}}
| fec_date = December 31, 2016
| affiliation = ]
| headquarters = ],<br />], ]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/us/politics/new-york-primary.html |title=With the New York Presidential Primary, the Circus Is Coming Home |date=March 29, 2016 |newspaper=] |first1=Matt |last1=Flegenheimer |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |access-date=March 29, 2016}}</ref>
| key_people = ] (Chief executive)<br />] (Campaign manager)<br />] (Deputy campaign manager)<br />] (campaign manager)<br />] (Communications director)<br />] (National spokesperson)<br />] (Press secretary)<br />] (Director of social media)<br />] (VP Selection Committee Leader)<br />] (Chairman of National Security Committee)<br />] (Military Advisor)<br />] (Director of African American Outreach)<br />] (Pollster)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/17/trump-campaign-hires-veteran-gop-pollster-tony-fabrizio|title=Trump campaign hires veteran GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio
|newspaper=]|access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref><br />] (Senior Advisor)<br />] (Senior Advisor)<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/david-urban-joins-trump-222456|title=Prominent GOP lobbyist joins Trump forces in Pennsylvania|work=]|access-date=March 28, 2017}}</ref><br />] (White House Transition Chairman)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/11/chris-christie-dropped-trump-transition-team |title=Chris Christie dropped as head of Trump's White House transition team |date=November 11, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 11, 2016}}</ref><br />] (White House Transition Coordinator)<br />] (Special Counsel)<br />] (VP Vetter)<br />] (National Co-chair)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/30/usda-sam-clovis-influence-trump-241114|title=The Sam Clovis factor: Scientist? No. Skilled in the science of influencing Trump? Yes|newspaper=]}}</ref><br />] (Digital director) ] (Rapid Response Director)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-communications-team-225354 |title=Trump hires rapid response director from Ultimate Fighting Championship |date=July 11, 2016 |newspaper=]|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref><br />] (Debate Advisor)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/17/us/politics/donald-trump-roger-ailes.html |title=Roger Ailes Is Advising Donald Trump Ahead of Presidential Debates
|newspaper=]|date=August 16, 2016
|last1=Haberman
|first1=Maggie
|last2=Parker
|first2=Ashley
}}</ref><br />] (Senior Advisor)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/us/politics/boris-epshteyn-trump.html?_r=0|title=The Obscure Lawyer Who Became Donald Trump's TV Attack Dog
|newspaper=]|date=October 13, 2016
|last1=Meier
|first1=Barry
|last2=Craig
|first2=Susanne
}}</ref><br />] (Finance Committee)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/09/anthony-scaramucci-a-top-republican-fundraiser-signs-on-with-trump-campaign/|title= Anthony Scaramucci, a top Republican fundraiser, signs on with Trump campaign|newspaper=]}}</ref><br />] (Foreign Policy Advisor)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/03/21/meet-the-men-shaping-donald-trumps-foreign-policy-views/|title= One of Trump's foreign policy advisers is a 2009 college grad who lists Model UN as a credential|newspaper=]}}</ref><br />] (adviser)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jordanmichaelsmith/the-man-who-predicted-the-rise-of-donald-trump-in-1976 |title=The Man Who Predicted The Rise Of Donald Trump — In 1976 |date=February 7, 2017 |newspaper=]|access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency |title=The Reclusive Hedge-Fund Tycoon Behind the Trump Presidency |date=March 17, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dont-pay-any-attention-to-the-exit-polls-its-breaking-trumps-way---patrick-caddell-300365510.html |title="Don't pay any attention to the exit polls. It's breaking Trump's way." – Patrick Caddell|date=November 17, 2016|website=] |access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref><br />] (Campaign manager; left campaign on June 20, 2016)<br />] (Political adviser; left campaign on August 8, 2015)<br />] (Political adviser; left campaign on August 3, 2015)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/31/politics/trump-adviser-sam-nunberg-facebook-posts |title=Trump campaign fires staffer over Facebook posts |date=August 2, 2015 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref><br />] (Campaign chairman; left campaign on August 19, 2016)<br />] (Deputy Campaign Chairman; left campaign in August 2016)<br />] (Head of Communications; left campaign on June 20, 2016)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/michael-caputo-corey-lewandowski-donald-trump |title=Trump adviser resigns after mocking Lewandowski on Twitter |date=June 20, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref><br />] (Foreign Policy Advisor; left campaign on September 24, 2016)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/297599-trump-campaign-backs-away-from-adviser-suspected-of-ties-to-kremlin/|title=Trump camp backs away from adviser suspected of Kremlin ties|newspaper=]}}</ref>
| treasurer =
| receipts = 350,668,435.70<ref name="receipts">{{cite web |url=https://beta.fec.gov/data/candidate/P80001571/?tab=summary&cycle=2016&election_full=true |title=Candidate (P80001571) Summary Reports—2016 Cycle |publisher=] |date=December 31, 2016 |access-date=February 20, 2017}}</ref>
| slogan = ]<br />Lock ] Up<br />Build the ]<br />Make America One Again<br />Make America Proud Again<br />Make America Safe Again<br />Make America Strong Again<br />Make America Work Again<br />{{nowrap|Make Manufacturing Great Again}}<br />{{nowrap|The Silent Majority Stands with Trump}}<br />Trump Digs Coal
| themesong =
| chant = {{Unbulleted list|"]"|"I'm with You"|"Build That ]"|"]"|"]"|"Lock ] Up"|"] Sucks"|"]"|}}
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.donaldjtrump.com}}<br> ( 29 June 2015)
}}
{{Donald Trump series |expanded=Campaigns }}


The 2016 presidential campaign of ]<!-- No bolding: Per MOS:BOLDTITLE, only an exact copy of the page title is bolded --> was formally launched on June 16, 2015, at ] in ]. Trump was the ] nominee for ] in the ], having won the most ] at the ].<ref name="nominee">{{cite magazine |last1=Alberta |first1=Tim |title=Trump Clinches Nomination in Cleveland |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/438083/breaking-trump-clinches-nomination-cleveland |magazine=] |access-date=July 19, 2016 |date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> He chose ], the sitting ], as his vice presidential running mate. On November 8, 2016, Trump and Pence were elected ] and ] of the United States. Trump's ]<ref name=Kazin>{{cite news|last=Kazin|first=Michael|url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/magazine/how-can-donald-trump-and-bernie-sanders-both-be-populist.html|title=How Can Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Both Be 'Populist'?|magazine=]|date=March 22, 2016|access-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Becker |first=Bernie |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-working-class-voters-219231 |access-date=4 October 2023 |title=Trump's 6 populist positions |work=] |date=February 13, 2016 }}</ref> positions in opposition to ] and various trade agreements, such as the ],<ref name = POLITICO915>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/trump-tea-party-populist-exposed-213111 |title=How Trump Exposed the Tea Party |work=] |quote=For years the Republican elite has gotten away with promoting policies about trade and entitlements that are the exact opposites of the policies favored by much of their electoral base. Populist conservatives who want to end illegal immigration, tax the rich, protect Social Security and Medicare, and fight fewer foreign wars have been there all along. It's just that mainstream pundits and journalists, searching for a libertarian right more to their liking (and comprehension), refused to see them before the Summer of Trump.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Liasson |first=Mara |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/09/04/437443401/populist-movement-reflected-in-campaigns-of-sanders-and-trump |title=Nativism and Economic Anxiety Fuel Trump's Populist Appeal |date=September 4, 2015 |website=].org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump and the Long Tradition of American Populism |url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-populism-365052 |work=]|author=Chris Lehmann |date=August 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Donald Trump doctrine: 'Assad is bad' but US must stop 'nation-building' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/13/donald-trump-foreign-policy-doctrine-nation-building |work=] |author=Ben Jacobs |date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> earned him support especially among voters who were male, ],<ref>{{cite news |last=McGill |first=Andrew |date=September 2016 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/dissecting-donald-trumps-support/499739/ |title=The Trump Bloc |work=] |access-date=September 20, 2016 }}</ref> ], ], and those without college degrees.<ref>{{cite news |last=Noah |first=Timothy |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/will-blue-collar-dems-run-to-trump-fuhgeddaboudit-213713/ |title=Will Blue-Collar Dems Run to Trump? Fuhgeddaboudit! |work=] |date=March 8, 2016 |quote=Donald Trump's strong primary showing among blue-collar voters is prompting speculation... }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/04/why-trumps-big-advantage-among-those-without-college-degrees-is-important/ |title=Why Donald Trump's big advantage among those without college degrees is important |author=Philip Bump |date=December 4, 2015 |newspaper=]}}</ref> Many voters in the ], who gave Trump the electoral votes needed to win the presidency, ] from supporting ] to Trump after ] won ].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Analysis {{!}} Did enough Bernie Sanders supporters vote for Trump to cost Clinton the election? |language=en-US |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/08/24/did-enough-bernie-sanders-supporters-vote-for-trump-to-cost-clinton-the-election/ |access-date=2022-08-15 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stein |first=Jeff |date=2017-08-24 |title=The Bernie voters who defected to Trump, explained by a political scientist |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/24/16194086/bernie-trump-voters-study |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=]|language=en}}</ref>
The '''2016 presidential campaign of Donald John Trump''', real estate magnate and television personality, formally launched on June 16, 2015.<ref name=Announcementspeech/> ] announced his candidacy for ] in the ] at the ] in ] with the slogan "]!"<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement |accessdate=June 16, 2015 |publisher=] |date=June 16, 2015|url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?326473-1/donald-trump-presidential-campaign-announcement}}</ref> His campaign manager is ].<ref name="BSchCMar">Ben Schreckinger and Cate Martel (July 22, 2015). ''Politico''. Retrieved July 23, 2015.</ref>


Many of Trump's remarks were controversial and helped his campaign garner ] by the ], ]s, and ].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4426705/donald-trump-treason-dictionary/ |title=Trump's Comments Make Dictionary Lookups for 'Treason' Spike |first=Katy |last=Steinmetz |magazine=] |date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/news-trend-watch/after-trump-called-on-russia-to-find-clintons-emails-a-surge-in-lookups-for-treason-20160727 |title=Trending: After Trump Called On Russia To Find Clinton's Emails, A Surge In Lookups For 'Treason' |work=merriam-webster.com |access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> Trump's campaign rallies attracted large crowds as well as public controversy. Some of the events were marked by incidents of violence between Trump supporters and protesters, mistreatment of some journalists, and disruption by a large group of protesters who effectively shut down a ]. Trump himself was accused<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004269364/trump-and-violence.html |title=Trump's History of Encouraging Violence |last=Tiefenthaler |first=Ainara |date=March 14, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref> of inciting violence at his rallies.<ref name=Nguyen>{{cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/03/donald-trump-protesters-rally-violence |title=Donald Trump's Rallies Are Becoming Increasingly Violent |work=] |date=March 11, 2016 |access-date=March 12, 2016 |author=Nguyen, Tina}}</ref><ref name=Jacobs>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/11/donald-trump-campaign-claims-violence-rallies |title=Trump campaign dogged by violent incidents at rallies |work=] |date=March 11, 2016 |access-date=March 12, 2016 |author=Jacobs, Ben}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://abc7.com/politics/injured-trump-supporter-details-frightening-attack-by-protesters/1316197/ |title=Injured Trump Supporter Details Frightening Attack by Protesters |work=ABC 7 |date=April 29, 2016 |access-date=May 18, 2016 |author=Frere, Eileen}}</ref>
<section begin=trump3/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->Trump's ] and ] politics<ref name="jonahgoldberg">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/422716/donald-trump-bernie-sanders-populism |title=Donald Trump & Bernie Sanders -- America's Populist Backlash - National Review Online |author=Jonah Goldberg |date=August 19, 2015 |work=National Review Online}}</ref><ref>See:
*{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/trump-tea-party-populist-exposed-213111 |title=How Trump Exposed the Tea Party |work=POLITICO Magazine}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/09/04/437443401/populist-movement-reflected-in-campaigns-of-sanders-and-trump |title=Nativism And Economic Anxiety Fuel Trump's Populist Appeal |date=September 4, 2015 |publisher=NPR}}
*{{cite web |title=Donald Trump and the Long Tradition of American Populism |url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-populism-365052 |work=Newsweek |author=Chris Lehmann |date=August 22, 2015}}</ref> brought him tremendous support among ] voters, including voters without ],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/04/why-trumps-big-advantage-among-those-without-college-degrees-is-important/ |title=Why Donald Trump's big advantage among those without college degrees is important |author=Philip Bump |date=December 4, 2015 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> amid heavy and frequent controversies in the news media.<ref>See:
*{{citation |title=Donald Trump Deflects Withering Fire on Muslim Plan |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-muslims.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 8, 2015}}
*{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/24/politics/donald-trump-fascism/ |title=Why some conservatives say Donald Trump's talk is fascist |author=M. J. Lee, CNN Politics Reporter |date=November 24, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> His proposed policies and his statements about the state of the country have propelled him to be the consistent Republican front-runner in public ].<ref name=":1">* {{cite web |url=http://www.wmur.com/politics/donald-trump-touts-poll-results-to-crowd-in-claremont/37285890 |title=Donald Trump touts poll results to crowd in Claremont |author=Adam Sexton |date=January 5, 2016 |work=WMUR}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/10/donald_trump_blasts_barack_obama_touts_poll_numbers |title=Donald Trump blasts Barack Obama, touts poll numbers |publisher=}}
* Jennifer Agiesta (July 26, 2015). . CNN.
* {{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html |title=RealClearPolitics - Election 2016 - 2016 Republican Presidential Nomination |publisher=}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/26/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0Q00MF20150726 |title=Trump tops CNN poll of 2016 Republicans, says he leads 'movement' |agency=Reuters |date=July 26, 2015}}</ref> A number of his remarks have been considered controversial by many political figures and notably many ] outlets, whose constant reporting of the events has arguably aided Trump's rise in the polls. Persistent media coverage partnered with his ability to effectively self-finance his entire campaign has allowed him to eschew the ] model, which he regularly criticizes along with ] who use the model for their own campaign fundraising.<ref name=":3">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Says Super PACs Should Give Money Back, Criticizes Opponents For Campaign Finance|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/donald-trump-says-super-pacs-should-give-money-back-criticizes-opponents-campaign-2154127|work=International Business Times|date=23 October 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Johnson23Oct">{{cite news |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/23/donald-trump-tells-super-pacs-supporting-his-candidacy-to-return-all-money-to-donors/ |title=Donald Trump tells super PACs supporting his candidacy to return all money to donors |first=Jenna |last=Johnson |date=October 23, 2015 |accessdate=October 23, 2015}}</ref> His abstention from ] has been a staple theme of his campaign, and proved to be popular among his supporters.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Trump to Megyn Kelly: I Don't Have Time For Political Correctness and Neither Does This Country|url = http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/08/06/trump_to_megyn_kelly_i_dont_have_time_for_political_correctness_and_neither_does_this_country.html|website = www.realclearpolitics.com|access-date = 2016-02-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Donald Trump says we’re all too politically correct. But is that also a way to limit speech?|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/12/09/donald-trump-says-were-all-too-politically-correct-but-is-that-also-a-way-to-limit-speech/|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2015-12-09|access-date = 2016-02-13|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Colby|last = Itkowitz}}</ref> Trump's most polarizing and widely reported statements have been on issues of immigration and border security, with Trump proposing deportation of all ], a substantial wall on the ], and a temporary ban on alien ] entering the U.S.,<ref name="Dec-7-15-statement">{{cite web |title=Donald J. Trump Statement On Preventing Muslim Immigration |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-statement-on-preventing-muslim-immigration |format=Press Release |publisher=donaldjtrump.com |date=December 7, 2015}}
*As quoted by {{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKBN0TQ2N320151207 |title=Donald Trump urges ban on Muslims entering U.S |date=December 7, 2015 |agency=Reuters}}</ref> while speaking extensively about perceived issues pertaining to illegal immigrants travelling over the Mexican border into the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump takes on Clinton, Bush and the Pope - CNNPolitics.com |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/donald-trump-chris-cuomo-cnn-interview/index.html |website=CNN|access-date = 2016-01-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mother of son killed by illegal immigrant thanks Donald Trump: ‘I felt heard’ |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/21/mother-son-killed-illegal-immigrant-thanks-donald-/ |website=The Washingtion Times|access-date = 2016-01-27 |first=The Washington Times |last=http://www.washingtontimes.com}}</ref><ref>See:
*{{cite web |url=http://national.suntimes.com/national-world-news/7/72/1424286/donald-trump-mexico-drugs-disease-rapists |title=Donald Trump's 900 words on Mexico's drugs, disease and rapists |date=July 7, 2015 |work=Sun-Times National}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/07/06/trumps_latest_us_a_dumping_ground_for_mexico.html |title=Trump's Latest: U.S. a "Dumping Ground" for Mexico |publisher=realclearpolitics.com}}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-connecting-mexican-immigrants-and-crime/ |title=Donald Trump’s false comments connecting Mexican immigrants and crime |author=Michelle Ye Hee Lee |date=July 8, 2015 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><section end=trump3/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->


Trump's disdain for ] was a staple theme of his campaign and proved popular among his supporters.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Donald Trump says we're all too politically correct. But is that also a way to limit speech? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/12/09/donald-trump-says-were-all-too-politically-correct-but-is-that-also-a-way-to-limit-speech/ |newspaper=] |date=December 9, 2015|access-date = February 13, 2016 |issn=0190-8286 |language=en-US |first=Colby |last=Itkowitz}}</ref> Many, including some mainstream commentators and some prominent Republicans, viewed him as appealing to ],<ref>For prominent Republicans, see {{cite news |work=] |title=Paul Ryan Calls Donald Trump's Attack on Judge 'Racist', but Still Backs Him |first1=Jennifer |last1=Steinhauer |first2=Jonathan |last2=Martin |first3=David |last3=Herszenhorn |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel.html |date=June 7, 2016}}
In the 2016 ], Trump ranked second out of all the Republican nominees, garnering 24% of the vote, behind ] with 28%.<ref>Flores, Reena (February 2, 2016). . ].</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Iowa caucus results: Ted Cruz wins, Hillary Clinton declares victory - CNNPolitics.com|url = http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/01/politics/iowa-caucuses-2016-highlights/index.html|website = CNN|access-date = 2016-02-03}}</ref> Trump later won the ] with slightly over 35% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|title = New Hampshire Primary 2016: Election Results - NBC News|url = http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/primaries/NH|website = NBC News|access-date = 2016-02-13}}</ref>
* For mainstream commentators, see {{cite news |work=The Week |title=Donald Trump is running the most explicitly racist campaign since 1968 |first=Paul |last=Waldman |url=https://theweek.com/articles/590711/donald-trump-running-most-explicitly-racist-campaign-since-1968 |date=November 25, 2015}}
* For mainstream commentators, see {{cite news |work=]|title=Is Donald Trump Racist? Here's What the Record Shows |first=Michael |last=D'Antonio |url=http://fortune.com/2016/06/07/donald-trump-racism-quotes/ |date=June 7, 2016}}
* For prominent Republicans, see {{cite news |work=]|title=Ryan to Trump: 'Anti-Semitic images' have no place in campaign |first=Nick |last=Gass |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/paul-ryan-trump-tweet-225099 |date=July 5, 2016}}
* For prominent Republicans, see {{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/10/politics/mitt-romney-donald-trump-racism/ |title=Mitt Romney says Donald Trump will change America with 'trickle-down racism' |last=Schleifer |first=Theodore |date=June 11, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 19, 2016}}
* For prominent Republicans, see {{cite news |work=] |title=Donald Trump's 'Star of David' Tweet About Hillary Clinton Posted Weeks Earlier on Racist Feed |first1=Elisha |last1=Fieldstadt |first2=Ali |last2=Vitali |date=July 4, 2016 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-s-star-david-tweet-about-hillary-clinton-posted-n603161 |quote=This is not the first time Trump has been forced to disavow or distance himself from anti-Semitic or white supremacist connections{{nbsp}}... Leaders of his own party were publicly appalled. Trump eventually tweeted an official disavowal and blamed a faulty earpiece for his initial response. But anti-Semitic and white nationalist rhetoric has continued to dog the candidate. Trump has been accused of knowingly whipping up racist sentiment among his supporters. He denies it but declines to explain how anti-Semitic memes keeping making their way into his own tweets.}}</ref> a charge that Trump repeatedly denied.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kristof |first1=Nicholas |title=Is Donald Trump a Racist? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/opinion/sunday/is-donald-trump-a-racist.html |access-date=September 26, 2016 |work=] |date=July 23, 2016}}</ref> Trump's most polarizing and widely reported proposals were about issues of immigration and border security, especially his proposed deportation of all illegal immigrants, the proposed construction of a substantial ] at Mexican expense, his characterizations of many illegal Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc",<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump takes on Clinton, Bush and the Pope |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/donald-trump-chris-cuomo-cnn-interview/index.html |work=]|access-date = January 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://time.com/4370608/donald-trump-military/ |title=What Does the Military Think of Trump? |first=Mark |last=Thompson |date=June 15, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ret-gen-john-allen-donald-trump-credibility/story?id=41021091 |title=Gen. Allen Says Trump Could Cause 'Civil Military Crisis' |date=August 1, 2016 |work=]}}</ref><ref>See:
* {{cite web |url=http://national.suntimes.com/national-world-news/7/72/1424286/donald-trump-mexico-drugs-disease-rapists |title=Donald Trump's 900 words on Mexico's drugs, disease and rapists |date=July 7, 2015 |work=Sun-Times National |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222074019/http://national.suntimes.com/national-world-news/7/72/1424286/donald-trump-mexico-drugs-disease-rapists |archive-date=December 22, 2015 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/07/06/trumps_latest_us_a_dumping_ground_for_mexico.html |title=Trump's Latest: U.S. a "Dumping Ground" for Mexico |publisher=realclearpolitics.com}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-connecting-mexican-immigrants-and-crime/ |title=Donald Trump's false comments connecting Mexican immigrants and crime |author=Michelle Ye Hee Lee |date=July 8, 2015 |newspaper=]}}</ref> and a temporary ] After considerable backlash, he later modified the "]" to apply to people originating from countries which he described as having a history of terrorism against the United States or its allies.<ref name="Dec-7-15-statement">{{cite web |date=December 7, 2015 |title=Donald J. Trump Statement On Preventing Muslim Immigration |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-statement-on-preventing-muslim-immigration |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508054010/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-statement-on-preventing-muslim-immigration |archive-date=May 8, 2017 |publisher=donaldjtrump.com |format=Press Release}}
* As quoted by {{cite news |date=December 7, 2015 |title=Donald Trump urges ban on Muslims entering U.S |work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKBN0TQ2N320151207}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Detrow |first=Scott |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/13/481910989/trump-expands-immigration-ban-to-countries-with-proven-history-of-terrorism |title=Trump Calls To Ban Immigration From Countries With 'Proven History Of Terrorism' |work=] |date=June 13, 2016 |quote='I will suspend immigration from areas of the world where there's a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies until we fully understand how to end these threats.' }}</ref> This was also criticized for excluding countries which the U.S. has significant financial ties with, ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-06-26 |title=Look Who's Not in Trump's Travel Ban |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-06-26/trump-travel-ban-doesn-t-cover-saudi-arabia-or-the-u-a-e |access-date=2022-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump's Immigration Ban Excludes Countries With Business Ties |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2017-trump-second-immigration-ban-conflict-of-interest/ |access-date=2022-08-15}}</ref>


Opposition to Trump grew during his campaign among both Republicans (who viewed Trump as irrevocably damaging to the party and its chances of winning elections during and after 2016, leading to the coalescence of the ]) and Democrats (who decried Trump's anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim policies, his behavior toward critics, his treatment of the media, and his support from the ethno-nationalist ]). Although some prominent Republican leaders declined to endorse Trump after he won the Republican nomination,<ref>{{cite web |title=Which Republicans Oppose Donald Trump? A Cheat Sheet |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/where-republicans-stand-on-donald-trump-a-cheat-sheet/481449/ |author=David A. Graham |periodical=] |publisher=The Atlantic Monthly Group |date=November 6, 2016 |access-date=May 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump facing revived criticism from GOP ranks, ahead of high-stakes address |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-facing-revived-criticism-from-gop-ranks-ahead-of-high-stakes-address/ |author=Adam Shaw |website=] |date=February 22, 2017 |access-date=May 12, 2017}}</ref> many Republican congress-members showed support for Trump and his policy positions despite major personal or political conflicts with him.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stop Trump movement goes to work on GOP leaders |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/stop-trump-movement-gop-222315 |author=Alex Isenstadt |website=] |date=April 22, 2016 |access-date=May 12, 2017}}</ref> Some such supporters of Trump's campaign were accused, by both conservatives and liberals, of prioritizing party loyalty and avoiding alienation of Trump supporters to ensure re-election, thereby refraining from condemning Trump's actions.<ref>{{cite news|last=Liptak|first=Kevin|date=October 13, 2016|title=Obama on Republicans disavowing Trump: Too little, too late|website=]|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/13/politics/barack-obama-republicans-donald-trump-criticism/index.html|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Detrow|first=Scott|date=August 1, 2016|title=GOP Criticism Mounts As Trump Continues Attacks On Khan Family|website=]|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/08/01/488213964/gop-criticism-mounts-as-trump-continues-attacks-on-khan-family|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|4}}


On January 6, 2017, the United States government's intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government ] in the ] against the campaign of Clinton and in support of Trump.<ref name="DeclassifiedRpt">{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Greg|last2=Entous|first2=Adam|date=January 6, 2017|title=Declassified report says Putin 'ordered' effort to undermine faith in U.S. election and help Trump|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-chiefs-expected-in-new-york-to-brief-trump-on-russian-hacking/2017/01/06/5f591416-d41a-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Jan2017Rpt">{{cite news|date=January 6, 2017|title=Intelligence Report on Russian Hacking|page=11|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/06/us/politics/document-russia-hacking-report-intelligence-agencies.html|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> As president, Trump repeatedly rejected the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence agencies.<ref name="GreenbergMeddle">{{Cite news|last=Greenberg|first=Jon|date=February 19, 2018|title=Donald Trump falsely says he never denied Russian meddling|work=]|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/feb/19/donald-trump/donald-trump-falsely-denies-he-denied-russian-medd/|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref><ref name="ToddMurrayDann">{{Cite news|last1=Todd|first1=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Todd|last2=Murray|first2=Mark|last3=Dann|first3=Carrie|date=July 2, 2018|title=Trump continues to deny Russia interfered in 2016. Here's why that's a problem.|work=]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/trump-continues-deny-russia-interfered-2016-here-s-why-s-n888206|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref>
==Background==
{{further|Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000}}


{{US 2016 presidential elections series}}
Since the ], Trump has been considered a potential candidate for President in nearly every election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Kyle |title=Stop pretending — Donald Trump is not running for president |url=http://nypost.com/2015/05/30/stop-pretending-donald-trump-is-not-running-for-president/ |work=New York Post |accessdate=June 16, 2015 |date=May 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>Madison, Lucy (October 4, 2010) , CBS News. Retrieved October 4, 2010.</ref><ref>Zwick, Jesse (October 4, 2010) , ''The Washington Independent''.</ref> In October 1999, Trump declared himself a potential candidate for the ]'s presidential nomination,<ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump Ran for President in 2000 in Several Reform Party Primaries |url=http://ballot-access.org/2011/12/25/donald-trump-ran-for-president-in-2000-in-several-reform-party-presidential-primaries/ |website=Ballot Access News |publisher=Richard Wagner |accessdate=June 17, 2015 |ref=December 25, 2011}}</ref> but withdrew on February 14, 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump: Reform Party 'A Total Mess' |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-02-14/news/0002150046_1_donald-trump-reform-party-new-party |accessdate=June 17, 2015 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=February 14, 2000}}</ref> In 2004, Donald Trump identified as a Democrat, openly supported Hillary Clinton, and donated a large sum of money to Democratic groups.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump in '04: 'I probably identify more as Democrat' |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/21/politics/donald-trump-election-democrat/ |accessdate=Feb 1, 2016 |work=CNN |date=July 22, 2015}}</ref> Trump rejoined the Republican Party in 2009. In early 2011, presidential speculation reached its highest point and Trump began to take a lead in polls among Republican candidates in the ]. However, Trump announced in May 2011 that he would not be a candidate for the office.<ref>{{cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |title=Donald Trump bows out of 2012 US presidential election race |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/16/donald-trump-us-presidential-race |accessdate=June 16, 2015 |work=The Guardian |date=May 16, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |title=Trump jumps in: The Donald's latest White House run is officially on |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/16/politics/donald-trump-2016-announcement-elections/ |accessdate=June 16, 2015 |publisher=CNN |date=June 16, 2015}}</ref>


== Background ==
At the 2011 ], Trump said he is "pro-life" and "against gun control".<ref>Gibson, David (February 11, 2011).{{dead link|date=February 2016}}. Politics Daily.</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=] |first=Dana |last=Milbank |authorlink=Dana Milbank |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/12/AR2011021200109.html |date=February 13, 2011 |title=The Donald trumps the pols at CPAC}}</ref><ref name=Ontheissues>{{cite web |publisher=Ontheissues.org |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm |title=Political Leaders: Donald Trump On the issues |accessdate=July 6, 2015}}</ref> He has spoken before ] supporters.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/04/12/cruz-and-paul-greeted-by-cheers-at-tea-partys-2016-warm-up/ |title=Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are the big draws at the Freedom Summit |author=Jaime Fuller |date=April 12, 2014 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?318743-2/donald-trump-freedom-summit |title=Donald Trump Freedom Summit - Video |publisher=C-SPAN.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/16/trump-bashes-boasts-and-curses-in-first-major-tea-party-speech/ |title=Trump bashes, boasts, and curses in first major Tea Party speech |publisher=CNN |date=April 16, 2011}}</ref> In December 2008, Trump emerged as an early supporter of the 2009 government backed rescue plan for the U.S. auto industry which by 2012 gained the support of 56% of Americans (63% support in Michigan), according to a Pew Research Center poll.<ref name=Koproski1>Gene J. Koprowski (December 10, 2008).. News Max.</ref><ref name=Reeve1>Elspeth Reeve (February 23, 2012).. Thewire.com.</ref> In May 2015, Trump said he was opposed to granting President ] fast track trade authority in a ].<ref>Burke, Cathy (May 6, 2015). . Newsmax.</ref> Instead, Trump expressed a desire for stronger negotiations with China on trade together with tariffs if necessary.<ref name=Kazin1>Kazin, Matthew (June 3, 2015). . FoxBusiness.</ref><ref>Fletcher, Ian (April 19, 2011).</ref><ref>Evans, Kelly (April 19, 2011).. '']''.</ref> Trump has called for a policy of leadership to deal with the ] (OPEC) which he has criticized for causing high oil prices.<ref>Learsy, Raymond J. (April 20, 2011).. ''The Huffington Post''.</ref><ref>Censky, Annalyn (February 10, 2011).. ].</ref>
{{See also|Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign}}


Since the ], Trump was discussed as a potential candidate for president in nearly every election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Madison |first=Lucy |date=October 4, 2010 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-for-president-in-2012/ |title=Donald Trump for President in 2012? |work=] |access-date=October 4, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006001839/https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20018405-503544.html |archive-date=6 October 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zwick |first=Jesse |date=October 4, 2010 |url=http://washingtonindependent.com/99472/donald-trump-for-president |title=Donald Trump for President? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008062443/http://washingtonindependent.com/99472/donald-trump-for-president |archive-date=October 8, 2010 |work=The Washington Independent }}</ref> In October 1999, Trump ] for the ]'s presidential nomination,<ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump Ran for President in 2000 in Several Reform Party Primaries |url=http://ballot-access.org/2011/12/25/donald-trump-ran-for-president-in-2000-in-several-reform-party-presidential-primaries/ |website=Ballot Access News |date=December 25, 2011 |publisher=Richard Wagner |access-date=June 17, 2015 |ref=December 25, 2011}}</ref> but withdrew on February 14, 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump: Reform Party 'A Total Mess' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-02-14-0002150046-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 17, 2015 |work=] |date=February 14, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617191838/https://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-02-14/news/0002150046_1_donald-trump-reform-party-new-party |archive-date=2015-06-17 }}</ref> In 2004, Trump said that he identified as a Democrat.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump in '04: 'I probably identify more as Democrat' |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/21/politics/donald-trump-election-democrat/ |access-date=February 1, 2016 |work=]|date=July 22, 2015}}</ref> Trump rejoined the Republican Party in September 2009, chose no party affiliation in December 2011, and again rejoined the GOP in April 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump (NY-R-I-D-R-NP-R) Has Twice Dumped The GOP, But Remains A Republican At Press Time |url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/donald-trump/donald-trump-voter-history-567920 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |publisher=The Smoking Gun |date=June 16, 2015}}</ref>
In 2011, polls had Trump among the leading candidates. A ''Wall Street Journal''/NBC News poll from March 2011 showed Trump in the lead for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.<ref>Haberman, Maggie (March 7, 2011).. WNBC.</ref> A February 2011 ''Newsweek'' poll placed Trump within a few points of President Obama in a potential 2012 presidential contest, with many voters undecided.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-21/obama-hits-50-percent-approval-rating-according-to-new-newsweekdaily-beast-poll/ |title=Obama Hits 50&nbsp;Percent Approval Rating, According to New Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll |work=Newsweek / Daily Beast Company LLC |first=Douglas |last=Schoen |date=February 21, 2011 |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref> A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine-point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for President of the United States while he was still actively considering a run.<ref>Shadid, Aliyah (April 15, 2011).. '']'' (New York). Retrieved April 17, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_US_0510925.pdf |title=Public Policy Polling |format=PDF |accessdate=September 25, 2011}}</ref> In December 2011, Trump placed sixth in the "ten most admired men and women living of 2011" USA Today/Gallup telephone survey.<ref>. ''The Huffington Post'', December 28, 2011.</ref> Trump has been a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).<ref name="CPAC1">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump to address CPAC |url=http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/donald-trump-address-cpac-205409450--politics.html |publisher=] |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref> In 2013, Trump researched a possible run for President of the United States in 2016.<ref name="NYPost2016">. ''New York Post''. May 27, 2013.</ref> In October 2013, New York Republicans suggested Trump should run for governor of the state in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spector |first=Joseph |title=N.Y. Republicans want Donald Trump to run for governor |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/14/trump-new-york-governor/2979589/ |work=] |date=October 14, 2013 |accessdate=October 31, 2013}}</ref> In February 2015, Trump did not renew his television contract for '']'', which raised speculation of his candidacy for president of the United States in 2016.<ref>Feely, Paul (February 27, 2015). . '']''.</ref>
<!-- In early 2011, presidential speculation reached its highest point and Trump began to take a lead in polls among Republican candidates in the ].{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} -->At the 2011 ], Trump said he is "pro-life" and "against gun control".<ref>{{cite news |last=Gibson |first=David |date=February 11, 2011 |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/11/donald-trump-family-values-conservative-believe-it-or-not/ |title=Donald Trump, Family Values Conservative—Believe It or Not |work=Politics Daily |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701161806/http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/11/donald-trump-family-values-conservative-believe-it-or-not/ |archive-date=July 1, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=] |first=Dana |last=Milbank |author-link=Dana Milbank |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/12/AR2011021200109.html |date=February 13, 2011 |title=The Donald trumps the pols at CPAC}}</ref><ref name=Ontheissues>{{cite web |publisher=Ontheissues.org |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm |title=Political Leaders: Donald Trump On the issues |access-date=July 6, 2015}}</ref> He also spoke before ] supporters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/04/12/cruz-and-paul-greeted-by-cheers-at-tea-partys-2016-warm-up/ |title=Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are the big draws at the Freedom Summit |author=Jaime Fuller |date=April 12, 2014 |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?318743-2/donald-trump-freedom-summit |title=Donald Trump Freedom Summit—Video |publisher=C-SPAN.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/16/trump-bashes-boasts-and-curses-in-first-major-tea-party-speech/ |title=Trump bashes, boasts, and curses in first major Tea Party speech |work=] |date=April 16, 2011 |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224044334/https://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/16/trump-bashes-boasts-and-curses-in-first-major-tea-party-speech/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Early polls for the 2012 election had Trump among the leading candidates.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |date=March 7, 2011 |url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/Trump_tops_Romney__Pawlenty-117496043.html |title=Trump tops Romney, Pawlenty |work=WNBC }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-21/obama-hits-50-percent-approval-rating-according-to-new-newsweekdaily-beast-poll/ |title=Obama Hits 50&nbsp;Percent Approval Rating, According to New Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll |work=] / Daily Beast Company LLC |first=Douglas |last=Schoen |date=February 21, 2011 |access-date=June 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shadid |first=Aliyah |date=April 15, 2011 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/04/15/2011-04-15_donald_trump_takes_lead_in_gop_primary_poll_beats_romney_huckabee_palin_gingrich.html |title=Donald Trump takes lead in GOP primary poll, beats Romney, Huckabee, Palin, Gingrich, Bachmann, Paul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418235941/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/04/15/2011-04-15_donald_trump_takes_lead_in_gop_primary_poll_beats_romney_huckabee_palin_gingrich.html |archive-date=April 18, 2011 |work=] |location=New York |access-date=April 17, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_US_0510925.pdf |website=Public Policy Polling |title=Republicans to Trump: You're fired |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170116060436/http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_US_0510925.pdf |archive-date = January 16, 2017 |access-date = July 23, 2021}}</ref> In December 2011, Trump placed sixth in the "ten most admired men and women living of 2011" telephone survey conducted jointly by '']'' and ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/donald-trump-sixth-gallup-most-admired-list_n_1172416.html |title=Donald Trump Places Sixth On Gallup's 'Most Admired' List |work=] |date=December 28, 2011 }}</ref> However, Trump announced in May 2011 that after what he termed "several months unofficially campaigning", he would not be a candidate for the office.<ref>{{cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |title=Donald Trump bows out of 2012 US presidential election race |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/16/donald-trump-us-presidential-race |access-date=June 16, 2015 |work=] |date=May 16, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |title=Trump jumps in: The Donald's latest White House run is officially on |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/16/politics/donald-trump-2016-announcement-elections/ |access-date=June 16, 2015 |work=]|date=June 16, 2015}}</ref>


In 2013, Trump was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference.<ref name="CPAC1">{{cite news |last=Moody |first=Chris |date=March 5, 2013 |title=Donald Trump to address CPAC |url=https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/donald-trump-address-cpac-205409450--politics.html |publisher=] |access-date=June 16, 2015}}</ref> In May 2013, it was reported that Trump had spent 1 million dollars on researching a presidential run in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaggaris |first=Steve |date=2013-05-27 |title=Trump thinking - again - about running for president - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-thinking-again-about-running-for-president/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2013, some New York Republicans, including ] and ] (who later served as New York State Co-chairmen for the presidential campaign),<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Freedlander |first1=David |title=How the New York State Republicans Could Have Derailed Trump's White House Run |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/how-the-new-york-gop-could-have-derailed-trump.html |magazine=] |access-date=January 7, 2016}}</ref> suggested Trump should instead run for governor of the state in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spector |first=Joseph |title=N.Y. Republicans want Donald Trump to run for governor |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/14/trump-new-york-governor/2979589/ |work=] |date=October 14, 2013 |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref> John Gauger, a former employee of ], told '']'' in January 2019 that Trump's "fixer" ] hired him to manipulate the ] and ] online polls in favor of Trump in 2014 and 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/us/trump-falwell-endorsement-michael-cohen.html|title=The Evangelical, the 'Pool Boy,' the Comedian and Michael Cohen|first1=Frances|last1=Robles|first2=Jim|last2=Rutenberg|newspaper=]|date=June 18, 2019}}</ref> In February 2015, Trump did not renew his television contract for '']'', which raised speculation of his candidacy for President of the United States in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last=Feely |first=Paul |date=February 27, 2015 |url=http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150227/NEWS0605/150229334/1010/Art |title=Trump won't renew 'Apprentice' so that he might focus on a presidential run |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710152015/http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20150227%2FNEWS0605%2F150229334%2F1010%2FArt |archive-date=July 10, 2015 |work=] }}</ref> According to an April 7, 2015, memo released by ], ]'s campaign instructed the ] to focus on "Pied Piper candidates" Donald Trump, ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Derespina |first=Cody |title=7 biggest revelations from WikiLeaks release of Podesta emails |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/7-biggest-revelations-from-wikileaks-release-of-podesta-emails |website=] |access-date=August 12, 2019 |date=October 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Democratic National Committee Re: 2016 GOP presidential candidates |url=https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/fileid/1120/251 |website=WikiLeaks |access-date=August 12, 2019 |format=PDF |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209180404/https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/fileid/1120/251 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Announcement==
] (CPAC)]]


== Announcement ==
<section begin=trump2a/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->Trump formally announced his candidacy for the presidency in the ] on June 16, 2015.<ref name=Announcementspeech>. ''The Washington Post'', June 16, 2015.</ref><ref name=Epstein1>Reid J. Epstein (June 16, 2015).. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref name=Santucci1>John Santucci and Veronica Stracqualursi (June 16, 2015). . ABC News.</ref> His announcement came at a campaign rally at ] in ].<ref name=Epstein1/><ref name=Santucci1/><ref name=Page1>Susan Page (June 16, 2015).. USA Today.</ref><section end=trump2a/><!--transclusion on the main ] article--> Trump said, "We are going to make our country great again" and also announced that he would be the "greatest jobs president that God ever created."<ref name=Santucci1/> His 45-minute presidential campaign announcement speech, the longest of the ] candidates to date, included a pledge to restore the "American dream ... bigger and better and stronger than ever before."<ref name=Page1/><ref name=Announcement1>. Fox News Channel, June 16, 2015</ref> Trump said he would keep ] from acquiring ]s, and criticized ]'s Iranian ]. He also criticized Kerry's overall judgment, in breaking<ref name="NPR_May31_2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/31/410952252/john-kerry-flown-to-swiss-hospital-after-bicycle-accident |title=John Kerry Breaks Leg In Bicycle Accident Outside Geneva |date=May 31, 2015 |publisher=NPR}}</ref> his leg (at age 71) riding his bicycle; Trump made a ] "never be in a bicycle race."<ref name=20150616politico>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066.html |title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech |author=Adam B. Lerner |date=June 16, 2015 |work=Politico}}</ref> <section begin=trump2b/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->In the speech, Trump also pledged he would fund ], renegotiate U.S. trade agreements, oppose federal ] education standards, and complete the ] fence and make Mexico pay for it.<ref name=Announcementspeech/><ref name=20150616politico /><ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump Says He's Running For President |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-says-hes-running-president-n376331 |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref> Trump said he would ] his presidential campaign, and would not need to use money from donors and lobbyists.<ref name=20150616politico /><section end=trump2b/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->
]


Trump ] on June 16, 2015, with a campaign rally and a speech at ] in ]. In the moments before his announcement, he came down a golden escalator at Trump Tower, which has since become a metonym for Trump's announcement.<ref>{{cite news|author=Michael Kruse|title=The Escalator Ride That Changed America|work=] |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/06/14/donald-trump-campaign-announcement-tower-escalator-oral-history-227148/|date=June 14, 2019}}</ref> In his speech, Trump drew attention to ] such as ], ] of American jobs, the ], and ]. The campaign slogan was announced as "]".{{refn|<ref name=Announcementspeech>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/06/16/full-text-donald-trump-announces-a-presidential-bid/ |title=Full text: Donald Trump announces a presidential bid |newspaper=] |date=June 16, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=Epstein1>{{cite news |first=Reid J. |last=Epstein |date=June 16, 2015 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-to-unveil-plans-for-2016-presidential-race-1434448982 |title=Donald Trump Enters 2016 Presidential Race |newspaper=] }}</ref><ref name=Santucci1>{{cite news |first1=John |last1=Santucci |first2=Veronica |last2=Stracqualursi |date=June 16, 2015 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-announces-2016-presidential-campaign-make-country/story?id=31799741 |title=Donald Trump Announces 2016 Presidential Campaign: 'We Are Going Make our Country Great Again' |work=] }}</ref><ref name=Page1>{{cite news |first=Susan |last=Page |date=June 16, 2015 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/06/16/donald-trump-announcement-president/28782433/ |title=This time, Donald Trump says he's running |newspaper=] }}</ref>}} Trump declared that he would ] his presidential campaign, and would refuse any money from donors and lobbyists.<ref name=20150616politico>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066.html |title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech |author=Adam B. Lerner |date=June 16, 2015 |work=]}}</ref> ] offered 150/1 odds of Trump winning the presidency.<ref name="dickinson20161230">{{Cite news |url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/the_year_the_bookies_were_confounded_150_1_on_trump_becoming_us_president_and_100_1_on_alan_partridge_becoming_the_mayor_of_east_anglia_1_4832435 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231074641/http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/the_year_the_bookies_were_confounded_150_1_on_trump_becoming_us_president_and_100_1_on_alan_partridge_becoming_the_mayor_of_east_anglia_1_4832435 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 31, 2016 |title=The year the bookies were confounded—150/1 on Trump becoming US President and 100/1 on Alan Partridge becoming the Mayor of East Anglia |last=Dickinson |first=Annabelle |date=December 30, 2016 |newspaper=Eastern Daily Press }}</ref> The campaign hired a casting company to supply paid actors to attend the event.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Couch|first1=Aaron|last2=McDermott|first2=Emmet|title=Donald Trump Campaign Offered Actors $50 to Cheer for Him at Presidential Announcement|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donald-trump-campaign-offered-actors-803161|newspaper=]|date=June 17, 2015|access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref><ref name="BI actors 2021">{{cite news |last1=Samuelsohn |first1=Darren |last2=Rojas |first2=Warren |last3=Gaudiano |first3=Nicole |last4=LoBianco |first4=Tom |last5=Wren |first5=Adam |last6=Seddiq |first6=Oma |title=Former Trump aide says campaign paid actors to appear at his 2016 presidential announcement |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-aide-says-paid-actors-for-2016-campaign-announcement-2021-7 |access-date=July 20, 2021 |work=] |date=July 19, 2021}}</ref>
Most attention focused on Trump's comment on ] where he stated in part "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best... They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with . They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."<ref name="Wire">{{cite news |editor=Epstein, Reid J. |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/06/16/donald-trump-transcript-our-country-needs-a-truly-great-leader/ |title=Donald Trump Transcript: ‘Our Country Needs a Truly Great Leader’ - Washington Wire - WSJ |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=June 16, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT Leibovich 2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/magazine/donald-trump-is-not-going-anywhere.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur |title=Donald Trump Is Not Going Anywhere Where does his political adventure end? "I have no idea. But I’m here now. And it’s beautiful." |publisher=New York Times Magazine |date=September 29, 2015 |accessdate=September 29, 2015 |author=Leibovich, Mark}}</ref>


The comment on illegal immigrants entering the United States through Mexico led several businesses and organizations—including ], ], ], and ] (along with sponsor ])—to cut ties with Trump in the following days.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://adage.com/article/al-ries/a-marketing-lesson-learned-donald-trump/299484/ |title=Is There a Marketing Lesson to Be Learned From Donald Trump? |publisher=Ad Age |date=15 July 2015 |accessdate=January 18, 2016 |author=Ries, Al}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-i-didnt-expect-business-backlash-to-be-quite-this-severe/ |title=Donald Trump: I didn't expect business backlash to be "quite this severe" |date=July 4, 2015 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref name=20150705cbs /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/nascar-distances-itself-donald-trump-immigrant-rapist-remarks-223104617.html |title=NASCAR Distances Itself From Donald Trump After Immigrant "Rapist" Remarks |date=July 3, 2015 |publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/06/30/700000-protesters-beseech-macys-to-get-rid-of-donald-j-trump-clothing-and-merchandise/ |title=Macy's will end business relationship with Donald Trump |last=Givhan |first=Robin |work=The Washington Post |date=July 1, 2015 |accessdate=July 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/25/media/univision-donald-trump-mexicans/ |title=Univision dumps Trump, cancels Miss USA over his comments about Mexicans |last=Stelter |first=Brian |publisher=CNN |date=June 25, 2015 |accessdate=July 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b6ed3296a74497d87f8c782c12f0b84/nbc-severing-business-relationship-donald-trump |title=NBC to Donald Trump: You're fired; Televisa drops pageant |last=Bauder |first=David |work=Associated Press |date=June 29, 2015 |accessdate=July 24, 2015}}</ref> Reactions from other presidential candidates were mixed, with some Republican candidates disagreeing with the tone of Trump's remarks yet supporting the core idea that illegal immigration is an important campaign issue, other Republican candidates preferring to avoid intra-party feuds with other Republican candidates and concentrate on putting forth their own positions, and several Republican candidates criticizing both Trump's remarks and his policy-stances (as did leading Democratic party candidates).{{efn | Following the announcement, most of the media's attention focused on Trump's comment on ]: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best{{nbsp}}... They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with . They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."<ref name="Wire">{{cite news |editor=Epstein, Reid J. |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/06/16/donald-trump-transcript-our-country-needs-a-truly-great-leader/ |title=Donald Trump Transcript: 'Our Country Needs a Truly Great Leader'—Washington Wire |work=] |date=June 16, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT Leibovich 2015">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/magazine/donald-trump-is-not-going-anywhere.html |title=Donald Trump Is Not Going Anywhere Where does his political adventure end? "I have no idea. But I'm here now. And it's beautiful." |magazine=] |date=September 29, 2015 |access-date=September 29, 2015 |author=Leibovich, Mark}}</ref> The comment was interpreted and reported various ways.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Martinez |first1=Alberto |title=The media needs to stop telling this lie about Donald Trump. I'm a Sanders supporter -- and value honesty |url=https://www.salon.com/2015/12/21/the_media_needs_to_stop_telling_this_lie_about_donald_trump_im_a_sanders_supporter_and_value_honesty/ |website=Salon.com |date=December 21, 2015 |publisher=Salon.com LLC |access-date=20 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221193518/https://www.salon.com/2015/12/21/the_media_needs_to_stop_telling_this_lie_about_donald_trump_im_a_sanders_supporter_and_value_honesty/ |archive-date=21 December 2015}}</ref> Trump's statement was controversial and led several businesses and organizations—including ], ], ], and ]—to cut ties with Trump.{{refn|<ref name="20150702huffpo">{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/12/donald-trump-immigration_n_7781140.html |title=Donald Trump: It's 'Okay' To Call Undocumented Immigrants 'Rapists' |work=] |date=July 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/06/17/trumps-mexican-rapists-will-keep-the-republican-party-out-of-the-white-house/ |title=Donald Trump's 'Mexican rapists' rhetoric will keep the Republican Party out of the White House |author=Jonathan Capehart |date=June 17, 2015 |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/nbc-donald-trump-2015-6 |title=NBC dumps Donald Trump—Business Insider |date=June 29, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/06/mexico-donald-trump-immigration-debate |title=Divided Mexico unites against Trump: 'He has no respect for human beings' |author=Jo Tuckman |work=]|date=July 6, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/17/opinions/kohn-donald-trump-announcement/index.html |title=Kohn: Trump's outrageous Mexico remarks |author-link=Sally Kohn |last=Kohn |first=Sally |date=June 17, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/politics/trump-immigration-rapists-mexicans-clinton/index.html |title=Donald Trump digs in on immigration |author=Chris Moody |date=July 7, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-stands-by-statements-on-mexican-illegal-immigrants-surprised-by-backlash/ |title=Trump stands by statements on Mexican illegal immigrants, surprised by backlash |work=] |date=July 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-epic-statement-on-mexico-2015-7 |title=Donald Trump's epic statement on Mexico |date=July 6, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://adage.com/article/al-ries/a-marketing-lesson-learned-donald-trump/299484/ |title=Is There a Marketing Lesson to Be Learned From Donald Trump? |work=Advertising Age |date=July 15, 2015 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |author=Ries, Al}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-i-didnt-expect-business-backlash-to-be-quite-this-severe/ |title=Donald Trump: I didn't expect business backlash to be "quite this severe" |date=July 4, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref name=20150705cbs>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/santorum-trump-focused-on-an-important-issue-with-immigration/ |title=Santorum praises Trump's focus on immigration |date=July 5, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/nascar-distances-itself-donald-trump-immigrant-rapist-remarks-223104617.html |title=NASCAR Distances Itself From Donald Trump After Immigrant "Rapist" Remarks |date=July 3, 2015 |publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/06/30/700000-protesters-beseech-macys-to-get-rid-of-donald-j-trump-clothing-and-merchandise/ |title=Macy's will end business relationship with Donald Trump |last=Givhan |first=Robin |newspaper=] |date=July 1, 2015 |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/06/25/media/univision-donald-trump-mexicans/ |title=Univision dumps Trump, cancels Miss USA over his comments about Mexicans |last=Stelter |first=Brian |work=]|date=June 25, 2015 |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b6ed3296a74497d87f8c782c12f0b84/nbc-severing-business-relationship-donald-trump |title=NBC to Donald Trump: You're fired; Televisa drops pageant |last=Bauder |first=David |agency=] |date=June 29, 2015 |access-date=July 24, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726023506/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b6ed3296a74497d87f8c782c12f0b84/nbc-severing-business-relationship-donald-trump |archive-date=July 26, 2015 }}</ref>}} Reactions from other presidential candidates were mixed, with some Republican candidates disagreeing with the tone of Trump's remarks yet supporting the core idea that illegal immigration is an important campaign issue, while other Republican candidates, along with the leading Democratic candidates, condemning Trump's remarks and his policy stances as offensive or inflammatory.{{refn|<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/04/jeb-bush-donald-trump-immigration_n_7728474.html |title=Jeb Bush: Donald Trump's Immigration Remarks Offensive |work=] |date=July 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://screen.yahoo.com/donald-trump-2016/scott-walker-tell-donald-trump-181308401.html |title=What Scott Walker Would Tell Donald Trump On a Debate Stage |date=July 13, 2015 |work=Yahoo! Screen |access-date=August 9, 2015 |archive-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160515140633/https://screen.yahoo.com/donald-trump-2016/scott-walker-tell-donald-trump-181308401.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Abreland1">{{cite web |author=Ali Breland |date=July 3, 2015 |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/ted-cruz-defends-donald-trump-slams-washington-on-immigration-119726.html |work=]|title=Cruz announces $51 million fundraising haul}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/bernie-sanders-trumps-immigration-comments-outrage-n391231 |title=Bernie Sanders: Trump's Immigration Comments 'An Outrage' |author=Andrew Rafferty |work=]|date=July 13, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=20150713abc />}}
* ], the only African-American candidate from either major party in the 2016 race, said that Trump's wording was "perhaps a little inflammatory" but that this was more a consequence of Trump's incendiary style, and that Trump's core message about the problems with illegal immigration was correct.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ben-carson-illegals-sanctuary-donald-trump/2015/07/08/id/653954/ |title=Ben Carson: Trump's Right on Illegals, So 'No Sanctuary Cities' |work=Newsmax}}</ref> Carson also said that the uproar over Trump's comments was driven by ], under which crimes committed by illegal immigrants was a taboo topic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dailycaller.com/2015/07/06/ben-carson-on-the-trump-uproar-its-the-pc-police-out-in-force/ |title=Ben Carson On The Trump Uproar: 'It's The P.C. Police Out In Force' |work=The Daily Caller}}</ref>
* ] said he disagreed with Trump's specific comments, but that the economic impact of immigration (both legal as well as illegal) was an important issue.<ref name=20150705cbs>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/santorum-trump-focused-on-an-important-issue-with-immigration/ |title=Santorum praises Trump's focus on immigration |date=July 5, 2015 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref> }}{{efn |
* ], a Republican candidate whose father was from Cuba, said the need to address illegal immigration should no longer be ignored, and although Trump had a "bold... brash... colorful way of speaking," Cruz did not intend to attack Trump over his specific phrasing, furthermore suggesting that the "Washington media" was interested in encouraging such Republican in-fighting.<ref name="Abreland1">{{cite web |author=Ali Breland |date=July 3, 2015 |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/ted-cruz-defends-donald-trump-slams-washington-on-immigration-119726.html |work=Politico |title=Cruz announces $51 million fundraising haul}}</ref>
* ] has said he does not wish to "lock horns"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/scott-walker-defends-immigration-shift-knocks-hillary-clinton-during-first/article_f6ee9fa7-20c0-538f-8d9a-98c917bc235e.html |title=Scott Walker casts himself as 'aggressively normal' in first debate, stays clear of GOP squabbling |author=Mark Sommerhauser - Wisconsin State Journal |publisher=madison.com}}</ref> with other Republican candidates; when asked about Trump's remarks specifically, Walker said other candidates would have to speak for themselves, and that although Trump may have some appeal to votes for speaking out boldly, Walker respectfully disagreed with Trump's stances, and said he supports securing the border and enforcing existing laws (but that he no longer supports amnesty and that a path to citizenship should have a "high bar").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/07/14/abc_news_interviews_scott_walker_on_immigration_isis_gay_marriage.html |title=ABC News Interviews Scott Walker On Immigration, ISIS, Gay Marriage |publisher=realclearpolitics.com}}</ref>
* ] also said he tries to stick to laying out his own immigration plan, rather than commenting on other candidates, but that "most people come to this country in the search of the American dream... doesn't mean you can have a lawless border though... we do need to have security at our border."<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emz-GqWgINc#t=0m16s |title=Rand Paul Responds to Donald Trump's Immigration Comments |date=July 13, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref>
* ] says he focuses on putting forward his own views on immigration, but that he "say some things very differently... thank God I’m in a country people are trying to break into, rather than one they’re trying to break out of... some of the most conservative, family-oriented and faith-based people... I would never besmirch all the people who come here because ... how many people are coming... if they want to come and share our flag, our interests, our language, assimilate into our culture because they believe in what we stand for."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/mike-huckabee-splits-with-trump-on-immigration-119742.html |title=Mike Huckabee splits with Trump on immigration |author=Eliza Collins |date=July 5, 2015 |work=POLITICO}}</ref> }}{{efn |
* ], whose wife is from Mexico, said that "we should control our borders... these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments not reflective of the Republican Party,"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/04/jeb-bush-donald-trump-immigration_n_7728474.html |title=Jeb Bush: Donald Trump's Immigration Remarks Offensive |work=The Huffington Post |date=July 4, 2015}}</ref> and that such comments are meant to inflame and incite.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screen.yahoo.com/donald-trump-2016/scott-walker-tell-donald-trump-181308401.html |title=What Scott Walker Would Tell Donald Trump On a Debate Stage |date=July 13, 2015 |work=Yahoo Screen}}</ref>
* ], the other Republican candidate whose parents are from Cuba, said that Trump's comments were "not just offensive and inaccurate, but also divisive."<ref name="Abreland1" />
* ] said Trump was a "wrecking ball for the future of the Republican Party with the Hispanic community"<ref name=20150702huffpo /> }}{{efn |
* Democratic candidate ] said Trump's remarks were "throwing slurs... totally unacceptable... an outrage."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/bernie-sanders-trumps-immigration-comments-outrage-n391231 |title=Bernie Sanders: Trump's Immigration Comments 'An Outrage' |author=Andrew Rafferty |publisher=NBC News}}</ref>
* Democratic candidate ] said "Basta! Enough!... appalling... people and business everywhere rejected his hateful comments... shameful" and that if elected in 2016, said she would create a path to citizenship, preserve ]'s executive orders related to immigration, and do "everything possible under the law to go even further " despite the likelihood of a Republican-controlled Senate and House.<ref name=20150713abc />
}} Beyond the candidates, journalistic response to Trump's statement ranged from negative<ref name="20150702huffpo">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/12/donald-trump-immigration_n_7781140.html |title=Donald Trump: It's 'Okay' To Call Undocumented Immigrants 'Rapists' |work=The Huffington Post |date=July 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/06/17/trumps-mexican-rapists-will-keep-the-republican-party-out-of-the-white-house/ |title=Donald Trump’s ‘Mexican rapists’ rhetoric will keep the Republican Party out of the White House |author=Jonathan Capehart |date=June 17, 2015 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/nbc-donald-trump-2015-6 |title=NBC dumps Donald Trump - Business Insider |date=June 29, 2015 |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/06/mexico-donald-trump-immigration-debate |title=Divided Mexico unites against Trump: 'He has no respect for human beings' |author=Jo Tuckman |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/17/opinions/kohn-donald-trump-announcement/index.html |title=Kohn: Trump's outrageous Mexico remarks - CNN |author=Sally Kohn, CNN Political Commentator |date=June 17, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="newsmax.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/donald-trump-illegal-aliens-rape/2015/07/01/id/653166/ |title=Trump on Illegals: 'Somebody's Doing the Raping' |work=Newsmax}}</ref> to neutral or positive.<ref name="newsmax.com"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/politics/trump-immigration-rapists-mexicans-clinton/index.html |title=Donald Trump digs in on immigration |author=Chris Moody, CNN Senior Digital Correspondent |date=July 7, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/04/trump-stands-by-views-dangerous-mexican-illegal-immigrants-admits-surprised-by/ |title=Trump stands by statements on Mexican illegal immigrants, surprised by backlash |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=July 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-epic-statement-on-mexico-2015-7 |title=Donald Trump's epic statement on Mexico - Business Insider |date=July 6, 2015 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> Fact-checking the comment, '']'' wrote that the allegation of a correlation between illegal immigration and crime was false and gave the statement four pinocchios.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-connecting-mexican-immigrants-and-crime/ |title=Donald Trump’s false comments connecting Mexican immigrants and crime |author=Michelle Ye Hee Lee |date=July 8, 2015 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> Republican politician ] said he admired Trump's response to the backlash, saying that Trump "delivers more facts to support statement" and that on the subject of illegal immigration Trump is more accurate than not.<ref name="Hensch1">Mark Hensch (July 1, 2015).. The Hill.</ref> ], who ], said Trump's statement could have been better stated, and that most illegal immigrants are good people who come to the country to work, but that an insecure border does also let in "terrorists, drug dealers, rapists, murderers, all of whom I've prosecuted."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/07/we-have-failed-rudy-giuliani-responds-to-trumps-illegal-immigration-comments-with-a-message-about-terrorists-drug-dealers-rapists-and-murderers/ |title=Rudy Giuliani Responds to Trump’s Illegal Immigration Comments and Reveals Where He Believes America Has ‘Failed’ |author=Billy Hallowell |work=The Blaze}}</ref> Various families of the victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants have come forth in support of Trump.<ref name=FoxNewsVideo07/04/2015>. Fox News Channel, video, July 4, 2015.</ref> For his part, Trump has defended his comments,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-2016-donald-trump-doubles-down-on-mexican-immigrant-remarks/ |title=Election 2016: Donald Trump doubles down on Mexican immigrant remarks |publisher=CBS News |date=July 6, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> claimed that "Democrats and enemies"<ref name="20150702huffpo"/> picked a relatively small portion of his announcement speech to criticize, cited news articles to back up his claims<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/01/donald-trump-immigrants_n_7709798.html |title=Donald Trump Goes After Immigrants Again, Claiming To Have Facts |work=The Huffington Post |date=July 1, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> and made illegal immigration a major issue in his campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-donald-trump-move-the-needle-on-the-immigration-debate/ |title=Will Donald Trump move the needle on the immigration debate? |publisher=CBS News |date=July 10, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Trump later said that he intended his comments to be aimed solely at the ], specifically for using the insecure border as a means of transferring criminals out of their own country, and says he did not intend his comments to refer to immigrants themselves in general.<ref name=20150713abc>{{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-basta/story?id=32426306 |title=Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump: 'Basta! Enough!' |publisher=ABC News}}</ref>


After the public backlash, Trump stood by his comments, citing news articles to back his claims. Trump said that he intended his comments to be aimed solely at the ], specifically for using the insecure border as a means of transferring criminals into the United States and said he did not intend his comments to refer to immigrants themselves.{{refn|<ref name="20150702huffpo" /><ref name=20150713abc>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-basta/story?id=32426306 |title=Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump: 'Basta! Enough!' |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-2016-donald-trump-doubles-down-on-mexican-immigrant-remarks/ |title=Election 2016: Donald Trump doubles down on Mexican immigrant remarks |work=] |date=July 6, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/01/donald-trump-immigrants_n_7709798.html |title=Donald Trump Goes After Immigrants Again, Claiming To Have Facts |work=] |date=July 1, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-donald-trump-move-the-needle-on-the-immigration-debate/ |title=Will Donald Trump move the needle on the immigration debate? |work=] |date=July 10, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref>}}
Trump's announcement generated the highest Google search volume of any of the presidential candidates to date.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zaretsky |first=Robert |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-google-search-119161.html |title=Donald Trump is dominating Google search - Nick Gass |publisher=Politico |date=June 18, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> According to '']'', the speech was "discursive, pugnacious... bizarre... most entertaining."<ref name=20150616politico /> Trump's announcement speech included the song "]", causing ], the author of this song, to distance himself from Trump; Young supports ] candidate ].<ref>{{dead link|date=February 2016}}. MSN. June 16, 2015.</ref> Despite a casting company having sent emails (some of which have leaked) to background actors explicitly asking them to cheer Trump for money, Trump's campaign manager denied that Trump paid any actors to cheer him at the event.<ref name=Walker1>Hunter Walker (June 19, 2015).. Business Insider.</ref><ref name="hp-extra">{{cite news |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donald-trump-campaign-offered-actors-803161 |title=Donald Trump Campaign Offered Actors $50 to Cheer for Him at Presidential Announcement |work=The Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/paid-actors-at-donald-trump-announcement-2015-6 |title=Donald Trump reportedly paid actors $50 to cheer for him at his 2016 announcement |work=] |date=June 17, 2015 |accessdate=June 18, 2015 |author=Walker, Hunter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump Hired Paid Actors |url=https://medium.com/@GoAngelo/donald-trump-hired-paid-actors-to-attend-presidential-launch-event-7c65e8fadea0 |publisher=Medium.com |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/report-donald-trump-hired_n_7607706.html |title=Report: Donald Trump Hired Actors For Presidential Announcement |work=The Huffington Post |accessdate=July 17, 2015 |date=June 17, 2015}}</ref> An early supporter of ] for president, Trump ] the campaign slogan from the 1980 election, "Make America Great Again."<ref name="TrumpandReagan"/>


== Early campaign ==
==Campaign==
] candidate,{{efn | Recent ] examples: ]/]/], ]/], ]/], ], ], and ], see also ].}} if he failed to clinch the nomination.]]
{{see also|Nationwide opinion polling for the Republican Party 2016 presidential primaries|Nationwide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016}}
]
Immediately after his announcement in New York, Trump traveled to Iowa to campaign in the state ahead of the first-in-the-nation ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/06/16/trump-iowa-debut-rally-des-moines/28846637/ |title=Trump riffs on policy, slams Hillary Clinton in Iowa |publisher=Desmoinesregister.com |date=June 17, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Trump has also campaigned extensively in New Hampshire, site of the first Republican ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/01/suddenly-groundswell-support-for-trump/vV7U4okZgUopdK2zt158FP/story.html# |title=Is Donald Trump for real in his campaign for president? New Hampshire thinks so - Metro |work=Boston Globe |date=July 2, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Brandon Gunnoe |url=http://www.whdh.com/story/29347501/donald-trump-kicks-off-campaign-in-new-hampshire |title=Donald Trump kicks off campaign in New Hampshire - 7News Boston WHDH-TV |publisher=Whdh.com |date=June 17, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Trump's campaign cancelled events in ], in light of the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bush, Trump call off SC campaign events after shooting; candidates offer 'prayers' for victims' families |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/18/jeb-bush-cancels-charleston-campaign-event-after-shooting/ |accessdate=June 18, 2015 |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=June 18, 2015}}</ref> Trump kicked off a western swing in early July 2015, giving rallies and speeches in Las Vegas<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/11/campaigning-las-vegas-trump-doubles-down-immigrati/ |title=Campaigning in Las Vegas, Trump doubles down on immigration stance - Las Vegas Sun News |publisher=Lasvegassun.com |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> and Los Angeles.<ref> {{Dead link|date=July 2015}}</ref>


Following his June 2015 announcement, Trump traveled to several early primary states, including ] and ], to campaign ahead of the ].{{refn|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/06/16/trump-iowa-debut-rally-des-moines/28846637/ |title=Trump riffs on policy, slams Hillary Clinton in Iowa |publisher=Desmoinesregister.com |date=June 17, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/01/suddenly-groundswell-support-for-trump/vV7U4okZgUopdK2zt158FP/story.html# |title=Is Donald Trump for real in his campaign for president? New Hampshire thinks so—Metro |work=] |date=July 2, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Brandon Gunnoe |url=http://www.whdh.com/story/29347501/donald-trump-kicks-off-campaign-in-new-hampshire |title=Donald Trump kicks off campaign in New Hampshire—7News Boston WHDH-TV |publisher=Whdh.com |date=June 17, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713022440/http://www.whdh.com/story/29347501/donald-trump-kicks-off-campaign-in-new-hampshire |archive-date=July 13, 2015 }}</ref>}} By early July 2015, Trump was campaigning in ], giving rallies and speeches in ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/11/campaigning-las-vegas-trump-doubles-down-immigrati/ |title=Campaigning in Las Vegas, Trump doubles down on immigration stance—Las Vegas Sun News |date=July 11, 2015 |publisher=Lasvegassun.com |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref> On July 23, he visited the Mexican border and planned to meet with border guards. The meeting did not take place due to the intervention of the ] of the ] guards.<ref name="Yahoo News">{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/trump-travels-border-republicans-try-woo-hispanics-130321617.html |title=Border agents cancel meeting with Trump and he's not happy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131021220/http://news.yahoo.com/trump-travels-border-republicans-try-woo-hispanics-130321617.html |archive-date=January 31, 2016 }}</ref>
On July 22, the Federal election regulators released new details of Trump's wealth and financial holdings that he submitted when he became a Republican presidential candidate. Trump's campaign released a statement claiming his net worth to be over {{USD|link=yes}}10 billion, but '']'' estimates that it is {{USD}}4 billion.<ref name="Bloomberg Business">{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-10-billion-financial-disclosure-report-2015-7/ |publisher=] |title=The government just released a document detailing Donald Trump's alleged $10 billion fortune}}</ref> On July 23, he visited the Mexican border to highlight his stance with regards to opposition towards illegal immigration. The border patrol union pulled out of the planned event.<ref name="Yahoo News">{{cite news |url=http://news.yahoo.com/trump-travels-border-republicans-try-woo-hispanics-130321617.html |title=Border agents cancel meeting with Trump and he's not happy}}</ref>


In July, the ] released details of Trump's wealth and financial holdings, which he had submitted to them when he became a Republican presidential candidate. The report showed assets above $1.4&nbsp;billion and outstanding debts of at least $265&nbsp;million.<ref name="Yahoo News FEC">{{cite news |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-wealth-details-released-federal-regulators-165854286--finance.html/ |publisher=] |title=Donald Trump wealth details released by federal regulators |access-date=August 9, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801033902/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-wealth-details-released-federal-regulators-165854286--finance.html |archive-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name="images.businessweek.com">{{cite news |url=http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2015-07-22/7-22-15-Report.pdf |title=Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (U.S. OGE Form 278e) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075146/http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2015-07-22/7-22-15-Report.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |work=] |date=July 15, 2015 }}</ref> Shortly afterwards, Trump's campaign released a statement stating that ] is over $10 billion,<ref name="Bloomberg Business">{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-10-billion-financial-disclosure-report-2015-7/ |publisher=] |title=The government just released a document detailing Donald Trump's alleged $10 billion fortune}}</ref> although '']'' estimated it to be $4.5 billion.<ref name="Epic Fantasy">{{cite magazine |last=Lane |first=Randall |date=October 19, 2015 |title=Inside The Epic Fantasy That's Driven Donald Trump For 33 Years |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2015/09/29/inside-the-epic-fantasy-thats-driven-donald-trump-for-33-years/ |magazine=] |access-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name="2015 Forbes 400">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2015/09/29/2015-forbes-400-full-list-of-americas-richest-people/ |title=2015 Forbes 400: Full List Of America's Richest People |last=Peterson-Withorn |first=Chase |date=September 29, 2015 |website=] |access-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> On August 6, 2015, the first ] took place on ]. During the debate, Trump refused to rule out a ] candidacy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sparks fly at opening of GOP debate as Trump won't pledge no independent run |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/06/sparks-fly-at-opening-gop-debate-as-trump-wont-pledge-no-independent-run/?intcmp=hpbt1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110084501/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/07/sparks-fly-at-opening-gop-debate-as-trump-wont-pledge-no-independent-run/?intcmp=hpbt1|url-status=dead |access-date=August 7, 2015 |work=] |date=August 6, 2015|archive-date = November 10, 2015}}</ref> Eventually, in September 2015, Trump signed a pledge promising his allegiance to the Republican Party.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump calls GOP's bluff, The front-runner says he was promised nothing in return for signing the loyalty pledge. |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/trump-will-sign-gop-loyalty-pledge-213302 |access-date=September 14, 2015 |work=] |date=September 3, 2015 |first1=Mike |last1=Allen |first2=Ben |last2=Schreckinger |first3=Annie |last3=Karni}}</ref>
], Trump's senior counsel, was criticized for claiming that "you cannot rape your spouse" in response to a '']'' article about Trump's divorce proceedings. The article related how ] had accused her ex-husband of raping her, a claim she has since retracted. Cohen subsequently apologized for his comments.<ref name="rapegaffe">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/29/politics/donald-trump-rape-comments-controversy/ |title=Will Trump campaign's rape comments hurt GOP? |publisher=CNN}}</ref>


On August 21, 2015, the Federal Election Commission released a list of filings from ]s backing candidates in the 2016 presidential race, which revealed Trump to be the only major presidential candidate among the Republican candidates who appeared not to have a super PAC supporting his candidacy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wells |first=Nicholas |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/21/did-time-magazine-just-doom-the-donald.html |title=Did Time Magazine Just Doom the Donald? |work=]|date=August 21, 2015 |access-date=August 22, 2015 }}</ref> Two months later, the Make America Great Again PAC, which had collected $1.74&nbsp;million and spent around $500,000 on polling, consulting, and other activities,<ref name=Gold4Feb /> was shut down after '']'' revealed multiple connections to the Trump campaign.<ref name=Gold18Oct /><ref name=Gold20Oct />
In response to a question asking candidates during the first primary debate, the main Fox News debate held on August 6, 2015, whether they would pledge to support the Republican party in the general election, Trump refused to rule out a third-party candidacy. When pressed, he also refused to say he would endorse the eventual Republican nominee.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sparks fly at opening of GOP debate as Trump won’t pledge no independent run |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/06/sparks-fly-at-opening-gop-debate-as-trump-wont-pledge-no-independent-run/?intcmp=hpbt1 |accessdate=August 7, 2015 |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> After meeting with ] (chairman of the ]) in New York, during a news conference at Trump Tower on September 3, Trump announced he had signed the loyalty pledge.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump calls GOP's bluff, The front-runner says he was promised nothing in return for signing the loyalty pledge. |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/trump-will-sign-gop-loyalty-pledge-213302 |accessdate=September 14, 2015 |publisher=Politico |date=September 3, 2015 |first1=Mike |last1=Allen |first2=Ben |last2=Schreckinger |first3=Annie |last3=Karni}}</ref>


=== Border wall and illegal immigration ===
On August 21, 2015, the ] released the list of filings from ]'s backing candidates in the 2016 presidential race, which revealed that Trump is the only major presidential candidate among the GOP candidates who does not have a Super PAC supporting his candidacy.<ref>Wells, Nicholas - , CNBC, August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.</ref>
{{Further|Immigration policy of Donald Trump|Mexico–United States barrier}}


In his announcement speech, Trump promised that he would build "a great, great wall" on the ], and emphasized that proposal throughout his campaign, further stating that the construction of the ] would be paid for by Mexico.<ref name="Wire" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/28/donald-trump-mexico-going-to-pay-for-wall.html |title=Donald Trump: Mexico going to pay for wall |publisher=]|date=October 28, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> Trump proposed a broader crackdown on illegal immigration, and, in a July{{nbsp}}6 statement, claimed that the Mexican government is "forcing their most unwanted people into the United States"—"in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc."<ref name="BI_July6_2015">{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-epic-statement-on-mexico-2015-7?r=US&IR=T |title=Donald Trump just released an epic statement raging against Mexican immigrants and 'disease' |work=] |date=July 6, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> In his first town hall meeting in ] on August 19, 2015, Trump stated: "Day{{nbsp}}1 of my presidency, they're getting out and getting out fast."<ref name="CBC_August29_2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/donald-trump-emphasizes-plans-to-build-real-wall-at-mexico-border-1.3196807 |date=August 19, 2015 |access-date=September 29, 2015 |title=Donald Trump emphasizes plans to build 'real' wall at Mexico border |publisher=]}}</ref> Trump's Republican rival ] stated that "Trump is wrong on this" and "to make these extraordinarily kind of ugly comments is not reflective of the Republican Party".<ref name="reuters12jul">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0PL0DA20150711 |title=White House contenders Trump, Bush in virtual dead heat: Reuters/Ipsos poll |work=]|date=July 11, 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2017 |archive-date=October 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010140057/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/11/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0PL0DA20150711 |url-status=live }}</ref> While Trump acknowledged that Republican National Committee Chairman ] asked him to tone down his rhetoric on immigration reform, he stated that his conversations with the Republican National Committee on the matter were also "congratulatory".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/08/politics/donald-trump-reince-priebus-immigrants-rnc/index.html |title=Trump: RNC call was 'congratulatory' |work=]|date=July 9, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref>
On December 21, 2015, Trump attacked Hillary Clinton saying that her bathroom break during the last Democratic debate was just too "disgusting" to talk about and then stating she "got schlonged" by Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump: Hillary Clinton 'got schlonged' in 2008 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/21/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-disgusting/index.html |publisher=CNN |accessdate=December 22, 2015}}</ref> Trump responded to critical coverage of these statements by saying the mainstream media is "dishonest", that the term "schlonged" was not vulgar, and citing a 1984 NPR report in which the term was used to mean "beaten badly".<ref>{{cite news |author=Maxwell Tani |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/22/politics/donald-trump-schlonged-is-not-vulgar/ |title=Trump: 'Schlonged' is not vulgar |publisher=CNN |date=December 23, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=David Jackson |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2015/12/23/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-2016-campaign-schlonged/77800506/ |title=Trump: 'Schlonged' is not vulgar |publisher=USA Today |date=December 23, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Danielle Kurtzleben |url=http://www.npr.org/2015/12/22/460687663/trump-clinton-was-schlonged-in-2008-nomination-race |title=Trump: Clinton Was 'Schlonged' In 2008 Nomination Race |publisher=NPR |date=December 22, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref>
] in January 2016. Multiple supporters hold up signs, which read "The silent majority stands with Trump".]] ], in January 2016]]


At a July 2015 rally in ], Trump was welcomed by the ] Sheriff ], turning over the lectern for part of his speech to a supporter whose child was killed in Los Angeles in 2008 by a Mexican-born gang member.<ref name="Lee1">{{cite news |first1=M. J. |last1=Lee |first2=Pat |last2=St. Claire |date=July 12, 2012 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/11/politics/donald-trump-phoenix-rally/index.html |title=Trump draws thousands in Phoenix, continues immigration theme |work=]}}</ref> The brother of ], who was murdered in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant, criticized Trump for politicizing his sister's death,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/07/15/kate-steinle-killed-trump-response-steinle-intv-ac.cnn |title=Brother: Trump is sensationalizing sister's death |work=]|date=July 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Meg |last=Wagner |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kate-steinle-brother-trump-sensationalizing-murder-article-1.2292732 |title=Kate Steinle's brother slams Donald Trump for 'sensationalizing' San Francisco murder |work=] |location=New York |date=July 15, 2015 }}</ref> while a ] related to her death produced by a Trump supporter independent of the campaign gave Trump an advantage during the primaries.<ref name="Gonzo/video">{{cite magazine |last1=Warren |first1=Michael |title=Donald Trump Loses His Perfect Foil—Jeb Bush |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/donald-trump-loses-his-perfect-foil-jeb-bush/article/2001189 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222091013/http://www.weeklystandard.com/donald-trump-loses-his-perfect-foil-jeb-bush/article/2001189 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 22, 2016 |access-date=February 25, 2016 |magazine=] |date=February 20, 2016}}</ref><ref name="WeinbergTrumpVideo">{{cite news |last1=Weinberg |first1=Ali |title=Kate Steinle Lawsuit Has Political Reverberations in Washington Over Illegal Immigration |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/kate-steinle-lawsuit-political-reverberations-washington-illegal-immigration/story?id=33461835 |access-date=February 25, 2016 |work=] |date=September 1, 2015}}</ref>
===Rallies and crowds===
Trump regularly holds crowds with more people in attendance than any other 2016 presidential candidate.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Trump gets biggest crowd of any 2016 candidate so far|url = http://nypost.com/2015/08/22/trump-gets-biggest-crowd-of-any-2016-candidate-so-far/|website = New York Post|access-date = 2016-02-16|first = Beckie|last = Strum|first2 = Alyssa|last2 = Newton}}</ref> More than 9,000 people registered to attend Trump's rally on July 11, 2015 at the ].<ref name=Leeper1>David Leeper (July 11, 2015). . Western Free Press.</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Zeke J. Miller |url=http://time.com/3954739/donald-trump-phoenix/ |title=Donald Trump Outdoes Himself In Defiant Phoenix Speech |work=Time |date=July 11, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Trump was introduced by Maricopa County Sheriff ]. During his speech, Trump invoked ]'s "]" speech, saying, "the silent majority is back."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/us/politics/donald-trump-defiantly-rallies-a-new-silent-majority-in-a-visit-to-arizona.html |title=Donald Trump Defiantly Rallies a New ‘Silent Majority’ in a Visit to Arizona |newspaper=] |accessdate=July 17, 2015 |first=Nicholas |last=Fandos |date=July 11, 2015}}</ref>


] announced it would no longer carry broadcasts of the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/06/25/media/univision-donald-trump-mexicans/index.html |title=Univision dumps Trump, cancels Miss USA over his comments about Mexicans |work=]|date=June 25, 2015 |access-date=June 29, 2015 |first=Brian |last=Stelter}}</ref> In response, Trump indicated the matter would be handled by legal action, and followed through by filing a $500&nbsp;million lawsuit against Univision. The complaint asserted that Univision was attempting to suppress Trump's ] rights by putting pressure on his business ventures.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/donald-trump-univision-miss-usa-lawsuit-1201531845/ |title=Donald Trump Files $500 Million Lawsuit Against Univision Over Miss USA Contract |website=]|date=June 30, 2015 |access-date=July 2, 2015 |first=Cynthia |last=Littleton}}</ref> ] announced it would not air the ] or Miss USA pageant.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/nbc-cuts-business-ties-donald-trump-over-immigration-remarks-n383856 |title=NBC Cuts Business Ties with Donald Trump Over Immigration Remarks |work=] |date=June 29, 2015 |access-date=June 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-nbc-idUSKCN0P92HD20150630 |title=NBC fires Trump, drops pageants over candidate's insults to Mexicans |date=June 30, 2015 |work=]|access-date=July 1, 2017 |archive-date=October 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002045203/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/30/us-trump-nbc-idUSKCN0P92HD20150630 |url-status=live }}</ref> Afterwards, the multinational media company ] severed ties with Trump,<ref>{{cite news |title=Televisa Cuts Ties to Donald Trump Following NBC, Univision |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-06-30/televisa-cuts-ties-to-donald-trump-following-nbc-univision |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=July 1, 2015 |first=Gerry |last=Smith |date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> as did ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Carlos Slim y Televisa cancelan proyectos con Donald Trump |date=June 30, 2015 |url=http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/06/150630_slim_televisa_cancelan_proyectos_trump_ng |publisher=BBC Mundo |access-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> a television network partly owned by Mexican billionaire ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/doliaestevez/2015/06/30/carlos-slims-ora-tv-severs-ties-with-donald-trump-calling-his-remarks-about-immigrants-racist/ |title=Carlos Slim's Ora TV Severs Ties With Donald Trump, Calling His Remarks About Immigrants "Racist" |work=] |date=June 30, 2015 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |first=Dolia |last=Estevez}}</ref>
On July 24, the '']'' announced that it had been denied press credentials to cover a Trump campaign family picnic in ], due to an editorial the previous week which called on Trump to drop out of the race.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump barring Des Moines Register from campaign event |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/07/24/trump-barring-des-moines-register-campaign-event/30645343/ |accessdate=September 27, 2015 |date=July 24, 2015 |website=] |last=Noble |first=Jason}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Editorial: Trump should pull the plug on his bloviating side show |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/caucus/2015/07/20/donald-trump-end-campaign/30439253/ |accessdate=September 27, 2015 |date=July 21, 2015 |website=]}}</ref>


] announced it would phase out its Trump-branded merchandise.<ref>{{cite web |title=Macy's Cuts Ties with Trump: 'No Tolerance for Discrimination' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/macys-cuts-ties-trump-n385131 |work=] |date=July 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> ], a mattress manufacturer, also decided to drop their business relationship with Trump.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/serta-mattress-maker-latest-dump-trump-n385851 |title=Serta Mattress Maker Latest to Dump Trump |work=]|date=July 2, 2015 }}</ref> ] ended its sponsorship with Trump by announcing it would not hold its post-season awards banquet at the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=NASCAR Distances Itself From Donald Trump After Remarks |agency=] |work=] |date=July 3, 2015 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nascar-distances-itself-donald-trump-after-remarks-n386551 |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>
Trump and supporters attend a rally in ] in January 2016. Multiple supporters hold up signs, which read "The silent majority stands with Trump".


Among the American public, reactions to Trump's border-wall proposal were polarized by party, with a large majority of Republicans supporting the proposal and a large majority of Democrats against it; overall, a September 2015 poll showed 48 percent of U.S. adults supporting Trump's proposal, while a March 2016 poll showed 34 percent of U.S. adults supporting it.<ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Banks |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-10/trump-s-plan-for-wall-on-mexico-border-divides-public-poll |title=Trump's Plan for Wall on Mexico Border Divides Public: Poll |work=Bloomberg Politics |date=September 10, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Bradley |last=Jones |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/15/americans-views-of-immigrants-marked-by-widening-partisan-generational-divides/ |title=Americans' views of immigrants marked by widening partisan, generational divides |work=] |date=April 15, 2016 }}</ref>
On August 21, Trump held a campaign rally at the ] in ], with approximately 30,000 people in attendance.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/21/politics/donald-trump-rally-mobile-alabama/index.html |title=30,000 turn out for Donald Trump's Alabama pep rally |publisher=CNN}}</ref>


===Temporary Muslim ban proposal===
During an August 25 press conference, Trump's chief of security Keith Schiller forcibly ejected ] anchor ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Schleifer |first=Theodore |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/politics/donald-trump-megyn-kelly-iowa-rally/ |title=Trump ejects Univision anchor from press conference |publisher=CNN |date=2015-08-26 |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Jorge Ramos’s Long Game |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/magazine/jorge-ramoss-long-game.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2015-09-25|access-date = 2015-09-27 |issn=0362-4331 |first=Marcela |last=Valdes}}</ref> On September 3, Schiller was filmed punching a protester.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nakamura |first=David |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-security-detail-makes-headlines-just-like-the-candidate/2015/09/04/1b2333ce-5335-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html |title=Trump security detail makes headlines, just like the candidate |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref>
{{See also|Immigration policy of Donald Trump#Proposed Muslim immigration ban|Executive Order 13769}}


In remarks made following the ], Trump stated that he would support a database for tracking Muslims in the United States and expanded surveillance of ]s.<ref name="MSNBC_Nov11_2015">{{cite web |last1=Hillyard |first1=Vaughn |title=Trump's plan for a Muslim database draws comparison to Nazi Germany |date=November 20, 2015 |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trump-would-certainly-implement-muslim-database |publisher=MSNBC |access-date=November 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Calls for Surveillance of 'Certain Mosques' and a Syrian Refugee Database |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/us/politics/donald-trump-syrian-muslims-surveillance.html |newspaper=] |date=November 22, 2015 |access-date=November 23, 2015|last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie }}</ref> Trump's support for an American Muslim database "drew sharp rebukes from his Republican presidential rivals and disbelief from legal experts."<ref name="CarrollNov22">{{cite news |first=Lauren |last=Carroll |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/22/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-claim-thousands-new-jersey-ch/ |title=Fact-checking Trump's claim that thousands in New Jersey cheered when World Trade Center tumbled |work=]|date=November 22, 2015 }}</ref>
On January 2, 2016, Trump's campaign rally in ], set a record for most people ever attending a political function in the history of the state.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jeff Poor2 Jan 20160 |url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/02/trump-pummels-media-opponents-before-record-crowd-in-mississippi/ |title=Trump Pummels Media, Opponents Before Record Crowd in Mississippi |publisher=Breitbart |date=January 1, 2016 |accessdate=January 6, 2016}}</ref> At the Biloxi rally, the ] duo ] riled up the crowd, urging Democrats and independents in the audience to "ditch and switch", ''i.e.'' to register as Republicans and vote for Trump if they really wanted to show their support.<ref name="nyt">, New York Times, January 7, 2016.</ref> It is believed that this could be an important strategy for the Trump campaign as it might be relying on people who do not tend to vote and trying to persuade some Democrats and independents to change parties so that they can vote in states that allow only registered Republicans to participate.<ref name="nyt"/>


On December 7, 2015, in response to the ], Trump further called for a temporary ban on any Muslims entering the country. He issued a written statement saying, "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," which he repeated at subsequent political rallies.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Jenna |title=Trump calls for 'total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/07/donald-trump-calls-for-total-and-complete-shutdown-of-muslims-entering-the-united-states/ |newspaper=] |date=December 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Melber |first=Ari |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/experts-trump-s-muslim-ban-would-cripple-immigration-system-nearly-n621921 |title=Experts Say Trump's Muslim Ban Would Cripple Immigration System |work=] |date=August 3, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Herb |first=Jeremy |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/donald-trump-muslim-ban-226082 |title=Trump: Shift on Muslim ban an 'expansion' |work=]|date=July 24, 2016 }}</ref>
Trump's campaign, scheduled for a January 7, 2016, appearance in the traditionally liberal city of ], came under scrutiny for releasing approximately 20,000 tickets for a 1,400-person venue. The Burlington mayor and police chief both expressed concern for a public-safety risk from crowds of people, likely including many protesters, to be turned away from entry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2016/01/06/police-raise-concerns-over-trump-event/78302990/ |title=Burlington raises concerns over Trump event |date=January 6, 2016 |work=Burlington Free Press}}</ref>


The next day, December 8, 2015, the ] issued a statement of concern, stating Trump's remarks could strengthen the resolve of the ] (ISIL).<ref name="BBC8Dec">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35047105 |title=Trump's Muslim ban call 'endangers US security' |date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |work=]}}</ref> The ], ], and the ], ], both issued statements in response to Trump's press release condemning him.<ref>{{cite news |title=David Cameron criticises Donald Trump 'Muslim ban' call |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-35037553 |work=] |access-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump's Plan to Bar Muslims Is Widely Condemned Abroad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/donald-trumps-call-to-bar-muslims-reverberates-abroad.html |newspaper=] |date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=January 31, 2016|last1=Bilefsky |first1=Dan }}</ref> Trump was also criticized by leading Republican Party figures, including ] chairman ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/08/politics/donald-trump-muslim-republicans-2016/ |title=Is GOP ready to unite against Trump for his Muslim ban? |author=Nia-Malika Henderson |date=December 8, 2015 |work=]}}</ref>
===John McCain===
] Senator ] was not supportive of Trump's position on illegal immigration, and in an interview with '']'' said, "what he did was he fired up the crazies."<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Lizza |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/john-mccain-has-a-few-things-to-say-about-donald-trump?intcid=mod-latest |title=John McCain Has a Few Things to Say About Donald Trump |work=The New Yorker |date=July 16, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kruse |first=Michael |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-storms-phoenix-119989.html |title=Donald Trump storms Phoenix - Ben Schreckinger |work=Politico |date=July 12, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Trump later asked McCain for an apology.<ref name=Campbell2>John Campbell (July 19, 2015).. Business Insider.</ref> McCain did not apologize, saying "crazies" was "a term of endearment", and "a term of affection".<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Lizza |url=http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/mark-finkelstein/2015/07/20/mccain-wont-apologize-term-endearment-call-trump-supporters#.a4syvzs:tmog |title=McCain Won't Apologize: 'Term of Endearment' To Call Trump Supporters 'Crazies' |publisher=NewsBusters |date=July 20, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref>


Following Trump's controversial comments on Muslim immigration, a petition<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump didn't get banned from UK, but he was called a 'wazzock' |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0119/Donald-Trump-didn-t-get-banned-from-UK-but-he-was-called-a-wazzock |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date = January 19, 2016 |issn=0882-7729 |first=Jason |last=Thomson}}</ref> was begun on the ]'s ], calling on the UK government's ] to bar him from entering the country. The total number of signatures exceeded the required half-million threshold to trigger a parliamentary debate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12044983/Donald-Trump-muslims-New-Hampshire-Muhammad-Ali-UK-petition-latest-news-live.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12044983/Donald-Trump-muslims-New-Hampshire-Muhammad-Ali-UK-petition-latest-news-live.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Donald Trump wins more support in US as petition to ban him from the UK passes half million signatures |date=December 11, 2015 |work=]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35052505 |title=Trump UK ban petition passes 370,000 signatures |work=] |date=December 10, 2015 |access-date=January 19, 2016}}</ref> On January 18, the UK's ] debated whether to ban Trump from the country; however, while some in the House condemned Trump's remarks and described them as "crazy" and "offensive", most were opposed to intervening in the electoral process of another country, and a vote was not taken.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump called a racist and buffoon as Parliament debates banning him from Britain |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-parliament-trump-britain-20160118-story.html |website=]|date=January 18, 2016 |access-date = January 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35345279 |title=Donald Trump debate: Ban risks making tycoon a 'martyr' |work=] |access-date=January 19, 2016}}</ref>
Trump received criticism for saying of McCain: "He’s not a war hero" and "He was a war hero because ]. I like people who weren’t captured."<ref name="McCain">{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/trump-attacks-mccain-i-like-people-who-werent-captured-120317.html |title=Trump attacks McCain: 'I like people who weren't captured'}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cde31d2fa3a244d29de77b31a59b799a/gop-candidate-trump-goes-after-sen-john-mccains-war-record |title=Trump on John McCain: 'I like people who weren't captured' |date=July 18, 2015 |work=Associated Press}}</ref> Trump acknowledged, "If somebody’s a prisoner, I consider them a war hero"; however, he criticized "politicians like John McCain" for having "totally failed" on veterans issues and on securing the border.<ref name=Powers1/> Trump declared his support for veterans and pledged to "build the finest and most modern veterans hospitals in the world."<ref name=Powers1>Brian Powers (July 19, 2015).. Des Moines Register.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/19/us/politics/trump-belittles-mccains-war-record.html |title=Donald Trump Says John McCain Is No War Hero, Setting Off Another |date=July 18, 2015 |work=The New York Times |first1=Jonathan |last1=Martin |first2=Alan |last2=Rappeport}}</ref>


Trump later appeared to modify his position on Muslims. In May he stated that his proposed ban was "just a suggestion". In June he stated that the temporary ban would apply to people originating from countries with a proven history of terrorism against the United States or its allies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Detrow |first=Scott |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/13/481910989/trump-expands-immigration-ban-to-countries-with-proven-history-of-terrorism |title=Trump Calls To Ban Immigration From Countries With 'Proven History Of Terrorism' |work=] |date=June 13, 2016 }}</ref> He also commented that it "wouldn't bother me" if ] entered the United States.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-shifts-muslim-ban-focus-terrorist-nations/story?id=40132071 |title=Trump Shifts Muslim Ban to Focus on Only 'Terrorist' Nations |last=Faulders |first=Katherine |date=June 25, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>
Asked whether Trump should apologize to him for the remarks, McCain said on MSNBC: “I don’t think so. I think he may owe an apology to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who have undergone the prison experience in serving their country.”<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/mccain--trump-doesnt-owe-me-an-apology-487422019695 |title=MMcCain: Trump doesn't owe me an apology |publisher=MSNBC |date=July 20, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Sam Frizell |url=hhttp://time.com/3964229/donald-trump-john-mccain-war-hero-apology/ |title=John McCain Says Donald Trump Owes Veterans an Apology |publisher=Time Magazine |date=July 20, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref> Trump later stated that he did not owe the Senator an apology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gma.yahoo.com/donald-trump-says-does-not-owe-john-mccain-141510116.html |title=Donald Trump Says He Does Not Owe John McCain Apology |date=July 20, 2015 |publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-evades-specifics-on-his-draft-deferment-120330.html |title=Donald Trump evades specifics on his draft deferment |author=David Rogers |date=July 19, 2015 |work=POLITICO}}</ref><ref>. "cbsnews.com". Retrieved July 17, 2015.</ref> Investigative journalist ] detailed how the ''Washington Post'' had taken Trump's remarks on McCain out of context; she stated in part, "In fact, Trump’s actual quote is the opposite of what is presented in the Post’s first sentence."<ref name=Attkisson1>Sharyl Attkisson (July 18, 2015). . SharylAttkisson.com.</ref> ] rated Trump's claim that the quote was taken out of context as "mostly false".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jul/19/donald-trump/trump-i-called-mccain-hero-four-times/ |title=Trump: I called McCain a 'hero' four times |work=@politifact}}</ref> Trump's comments generated disagreement among the other Republican presidential candidates, including ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Two candidates, ] and ], openly called on Trump to withdraw from the race over his comments. Conversely, two other candidates came to Trump's defense: ] and Ted Cruz, with Carson commenting that all differing opinions should be heard, and with Cruz opining that the party should stop its infighting altogether in order to unite.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/gopers-denounce-donald-trump-amid-fiery-feud-john-mccain |title=GOPers denounce Donald Trump amid fiery feud with John McCain |author=Benjy Sarlin |publisher=MSNBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/01/politics/donald-trump-george-pataki-immigration-letter/ |title=Pataki seeks to pressure GOP field over Trump comments |author=Theodore Schleifer and Ashley Killough, CNN |date=July 2, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> Before the first voting in Iowa, all the candidates who criticized Trump had either withdrawn or were in single-digit popularity polling.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html |title=2016 Republican Presidential Nomination |publisher=Real Clear Politics |date=January 19, 2016}}</ref>


Trump caused further controversy when he recounted an apocryphal story about how U.S. general ] shot Muslim rebels with pig's blood-dipped bullets in order to deter them during the ]. His comments were strongly denounced by the ].<ref>{{cite news |first1=Jenna |last1=Johnson |first2=Jose A. |last2=DelReal |title=Trump tells story about killing terrorists with bullets dipped in pigs' blood, though there's no proof of it |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/20/trumps-story-about-killing-terrorists-with-bullets-dipped-in-pigs-blood-is-likely-not-true/ |access-date=February 28, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=February 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Liam |last1=Stack |title=Trump's Remarks on Pigs' Blood Elicit Challenge From Sister of Chapel Hill Victim |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/us/politics/trump-pigs-blood-sister-chapel-hill-victim-barakat.html |access-date=February 28, 2016 |work=] |date=February 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Jeremy |last1=Diamond |title=Trump cites story of general who dipped bullets in pigs' blood to deter Muslims |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/19/politics/donald-trump-south-carolina-john-pershing/ |access-date=February 28, 2016 |work=]|date=February 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first1=Tessa |last1=Berenson |title=The Real Story Behind Donald Trump's Pig's Blood Slander |url=https://time.com/4235405/donald-trump-pig-blood-muslims-story/ |access-date=February 28, 2016 |magazine=] |date=February 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/donald-trump-tweet-fake-history-libel-war-crime/ |work=] |access-date=4 October 2023 |title=In One Tweet, Donald Trump Just Spread Fake History, Libeled a Hero, and Admired an Alleged War Crime |date=17 August 2017 |first=David |last=French |author-link=David French (political commentator)}}</ref>
===Lindsey Graham===
On July 21, Trump publicly gave out Senator ]'s phone number during a speech in ] as a response to Graham calling him a "jackass".<ref name=phonenumber>{{cite news |last1=Struyk |first1=Ryan |last2=Dukakis |first2=Ali |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-lindsey-grahams-cell-phone-number/story?id=32595139 |title=Donald Trump Reads Out Lindsey Graham's Cell Phone Number |publisher=] |date=July 21, 2015 |accessdate=July 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Brody |first=Ben |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-21/donald-trump-reads-out-phone-number-he-says-belongs-to-lindsey-graham |title=Donald Trump Reads Out Lindsey Graham's Phone Number at a Campaign Stop |publisher=] |date=July 21, 2015 |accessdate=July 21, 2015}}</ref> Graham released a statement on ] that he would "probably getting a new phone"<ref name=phonenumber/> and later released a video in which he destroyed his phone.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Jake |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lindsey-graham-offers-tutorial-on-how-to-destroy-a-cell-phone/ |title=Lindsey Graham offers tutorial on how to destroy a cell phone |publisher=] |date=July 22, 2015 |accessdate=July 26, 2015}}</ref> ] subsequently released a phone number belonging to Trump,<ref>{{cite web |author=Daniel Strauss |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/gawker-publishes-donald-trumps-cell-phone-number-120946 |title=Gawker publishes Donald Trump's cellphone number |publisher=NewsBusters |date=August 3, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref> and he responded by setting the phone number to play a campaign message. Trump's response was described as "brilliant" and Time Magazine said, "You can't out-troll the Donald."<ref>{{cite news |author=Tanya Basu |url=http://time.com/3983939/donald-trump-gawker-cell-phone/ |title=Donald Trump Just Gave Out His Own Cell Phone Number |publisher=Time Magazine |date=August 4, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Maxwell Tani |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-response-to-gawker-phone-number-voicemail-2015-8 |title=Donald Trump had a brilliant response to Gawker giving out his cellphone number |publisher=Business Insider |date=August 4, 2015 |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref>


== Primary front-runner ==
===Jeb Bush===
Trump had high poll numbers during the primaries.<ref name=":1">* {{cite web |url=http://www.wmur.com/politics/donald-trump-touts-poll-results-to-crowd-in-claremont/37285890 |title=Donald Trump touts poll results to crowd in Claremont |author=Adam Sexton |date=January 5, 2016 |publisher=WMUR}}
The ]–Trump dynamic became one of the most fiery relationships among the Republican contenders.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stevenson|first1=Peter|title=The remarkably personal feud between Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, in 1 video|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/12/the-remarkably-personal-feud-between-donald-trump-and-jeb-bush-in-1-video/|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=12 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Allen|first1=Cooper|title=Trump: Jeb Bush 'had to bring in mommy to take a slap at me'|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/06/jeb-bush-donald-trump/79922352/|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=6 February 2016}}</ref> Bush's campaign spent millions of dollars on anti-Trump ads,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Scherer|first1=Michael|title=Jeb Bush Attacks Trump Hard in Two-Minute Ad|url=http://time.com/4205547/jeb-bush-ad-donald-trump/|publisher=Time Magazine|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=2 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|title=Jeb Bush Supporters Run Brutal Ad Against Donald Trump|url=http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/12/jeb-bush-supporters-run-brutal-ad-against-donald-trump/|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=12 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=DelReal|first1=Jose|title=With S.C. approaching, the target on Trump grows larger|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-sc-approaching-the-target-on-trump-grows-larger/2016/02/12/114fd70a-d1b9-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=12 February 2016}}</ref> while in response Trump mocked Jeb Bush with the lasting epithet that he was "low energy".<ref>{{cite web|last1=LoGiurato|first1=Brett|title=TRUMP: Here's the backstory on my 'low-energy' takedown of Jeb Bush|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-jeb-bush-low-energy-2015-11|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=19 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Hunt|first1=Albert|title=The Rise and Fall of the Bush Campaign|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/us/politics/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-bush-campaign.html?_r=0|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=31 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|title=George W. Bush, 'taken aback' by Trump's rise, to stump with Jeb|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-george-w-bush-jeb-bush-south-carolina-20160212-story.html|publisher=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=12 February 2016}}</ref> During an exchange with ] in the ninth GOP Debate in South Carolina, the audience (most favoring Bush) repeatedly ] Trump.<ref name=voxbooing>{{cite web|last1=Lopez|first1=German|title=The Republican establishment packed the debate audience with Donald Trump haters|url=http://www.vox.com/2016/2/13/10987776/republican-debate-audience-booing|publisher=Vox|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=13 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |user=GoogleTrends |number=698699868429295617 |date=13 February 2016 |title=+1,400% spike in searches for "why are people booing?" #GOPDebate }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Sobel|first1=Robert|title=Donald Trump Shocks Gop Debate Stage, Blames Iraq War Mess On George W. Bush|url=http://us.blastingnews.com/news/2016/02/donald-trump-shocks-gop-debate-stage-blames-iraq-war-mess-on-george-w-bush-00787079.html|publisher=blastingnews|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=13 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=d'Amora|first1=Delphine|title=Donald Trump Blames George W. Bush for 9/11|url=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/donald-trump-blames-george-w-bush-911|publisher=Mother Jones|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=13 February 2016}}</ref> Trump scoffed that the audience was made up of "Jeb's special interests and ]".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Swoyer|first1=Alex|title=EXCLUSIVE: CBS News GOP Debate Ticket Breakdown|url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/13/exclusive-cbs-news-gop-debate-ticket-breakdown/|publisher=Breitbart}}</ref><ref name="voxbooing" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Healy|first1=Patrick|title=In Republican Debate, Jeb Bush Attacks Donald Trump|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/us/politics/republican-debate.html|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=13 February 2016}}</ref> When asked whether he remained in favor of impeachment for ] for starting the ], Trump said, "They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none. And they knew there were none. There were no weapons of mass destruction."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Terkel|first1=Amanda|title=Donald Trump Accuses George W. Bush Of Lying To Invade Iraq|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-george-bush-iraq-invasion_us_56bfe8cbe4b0b40245c6f94b|publisher=Huffington Post|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=13 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kaplan|first1=Rebecca|title=Donald Trump clears up his Bush-9/11 debate remarks|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-i-am-not-blaming-george-bush-for-9-11/|publisher=CBS|accessdate=14 February 2016|date=14 February 2016}}</ref>
* {{cite web |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/10/13/donald-trump-blasts-barack-obama-touts-poll-numbers/ |url-status=live |title=Donald Trump blasts Barack Obama, touts poll numbers |work=Boston Herald |access-date=5 October 2023 |first=Chris |last=Villani |date=October 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127143804/https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/10/13/donald-trump-blasts-barack-obama-touts-poll-numbers/ |archive-date=2020-11-27 }}
* {{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Agiesta |date=July 26, 2015 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/26/politics/cnn-poll-presidential-race/ |title=CNN/ORC poll: Trump elbows his way to the top |work=] }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html |title=RealClearPolitics—Election 2016—2016 Republican Presidential Nomination}}</ref><ref name=AOL>{{cite web |last=Johns |first=Gibson |url=https://www.aol.com/article/2015/08/20/hillary-clinton-just-got-more-awful-poll-news-and-theres-now/21225211/ |title=Hillary Clinton just got more awful poll news—and there's now an opening for Joe Biden |website=AOL.com |date=August 20, 2016 |access-date=December 27, 2017}}</ref> A survey conducted by '']''/] released July 9, 2015, was the first major nationwide poll to show Trump as the 2016 Republican presidential front-runner.<ref name=Cambell1>{{cite news |first=Colin |last=Campbell |date=July 9, 2015 |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/polls-donald-trump-in-first-place-2015-7 |title=Donald Trump has surged to the top of 2 new 2016 polls |work=] }}</ref> A Suffolk/''USA Today'' poll released on July 14, 2015, showed Trump with 17 percent support among Republican voters, with ] at 14 percent.<ref name=Suffolk14jul>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-leads-gop-field-poll-120106.html |title=Donald Trump leads GOP field in latest poll |work=] |date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> A ''The Washington Post''/ABC News poll taken on July 16–19, showed Trump had 24 percent Republican support, over ] at 13 percent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-trump-surges-to-big-lead-in-gop-presidential-race/2015/07/20/efd2e0d0-2ef8-11e5-8f36-18d1d501920d_story.html |title=Poll: Trump surges to big lead in GOP presidential race |date=July 20, 2015 |newspaper=] |first=Dan |last=Balz}}</ref> A ]/] poll showed Trump in the lead at 18 percent support among Republican voters, over Jeb Bush at 15 percent,<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0Q00MF20150726 |title=Trump tops CNN poll of 2016 Republicans, says he leads 'movement' |work=]|date=July 26, 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2017 |archive-date=November 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114223447/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/26/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0Q00MF20150726 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/26/politics/cnn-poll-presidential-race/ |title=CNN/ORC poll: Trump elbows his way to the top |author=Jennifer Agiesta |date=July 26, 2015 |work=]}}</ref> and a CBS News poll from August{{nbsp}}4 showed Trump with 24 percent support, Bush second at 13 percent, and Walker third at 10 percent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-news-poll-donald-trump-leads-gop-field-in-2016-presidential-race/ |title=Election 2016: CBS News poll—Donald Trump leads GOP field in race for the presidency |date=August 4, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><section end=/><!-- transclusion on the main ] article -->


A CNN/ORC poll taken August 13–16, 2015, in the ] of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania showed Trump ahead of, or narrowly trailing ] in direct match-ups in those states.<ref name=CNN0819>{{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Agiesta |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/2016-poll-hillary-clinton-joe-biden-bernie-sanders/ |title=CNN/ORC Poll: Donald Trump now Competitive in General Election |work=] |date=August 19, 2015 |access-date=August 21, 2015 }}</ref> In Florida, Trump led by two points, and in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, he was within five points of Clinton.<ref name=AOL/>
===Fox News===
Trump was one of ten candidates in the main ] debate on August 6, 2015. At the beginning of the debate, ] asked the candidates in case they do not win the Republican nomination if they would pledge not to run as an independent candidate and would support the eventual nominee. Trump was the only candidate who refused to pledge at that time. Baier questioned Trump about ],<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zFRjExsfTk |title=Is Donald Trump for single-payer health care? - Fox News Republican Debate |date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> ] asked him about Mexican illegal immigrants,<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAs3Xpq9QBs |title=Donald Trump: 'We need to keep illegals out' - Fox News Republican Debate |date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> and ] asked about how he would respond to a ] saying that he was waging a "]".<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOqtra7j6UM |title=Is Donald Trump part of the 'war on women'? - Fox News Republican Debate |date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Trump replied, "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/06/annotated-transcript-the-aug-6-gop-debate/ |title=Annotated transcript: The Aug. 6 GOP debate |publisher=The Washington Post |date=August 6, 2015}}</ref>


Surveys taken in late 2015 showed Trump polling unfavorably among women and non-white voters, with 64 percent of women viewing Trump unfavorably and 74 percent of non-white voters having a negative view of the candidate, according to a November 2015 ABC News/''Washington Post'' poll.<ref name=Martin1Dec>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/us/politics/wary-of-donald-trump-gop-leaders-are-caught-in-a-standoff.html |title=Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff |work=] |first=Jonathan |last=Martin |date=December 1, 2015 |access-date=December 1, 2015}}</ref> A ] survey in November 2015 found that many of his supporters were working-class voters with negative feelings towards migrants (in addition to holding strong financial concerns).<ref>See {{cite web |title=Anxiety, Nostalgia, and Mistrust: Findings from the 2015 American Values Survey |url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2015/11/survey-anxiety-nostalgia-and-mistrust-findings-from-the-2015-american-values-survey/ |publisher=Public Religion Research Institute |date=November 17, 2015}}<br />As quoted by<br />{{cite web |quote=Half of all Americans now believe the country's best days are behind it, and this belief is particularly strong among white, evangelical Christians. This is one of the beliefs that Republican frontrunner Trump is capitalising on in his campaign and helps explain why he is doing so well. The pessimism about the state of the country is reflected in raised levels of concern about crime, racial tensions and immigration, the survey reports. |work=Christian Today |title=Pessimism of white evangelical Americans is boon for Donald Trump |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pessimism.of.white.evangelical.americans.is.boon.for.donald.trump/72551.htm |date=December 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-rides-a-blue-collar-wave-1447803248 |title=Trump Rides a Blue-Collar Wave |work=] |last=Galston |first=William A. |date=November 17, 2015}}</ref>
In a later interview with ] on '']'', Trump said that Kelly is a "lightweight" and had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her... wherever."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/08/politics/donald-trump-cnn-megyn-kelly-comment/index.html |title=Trump draws outrage after Megyn Kelly remarks |author=Holly Yan, CNN |date=August 8, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33833516 |title=Donald Trump axed from event over Megyn Kelly blood comment |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Trump tweeted that his remark referred to Kelly's nose but was interpreted by critics as a reference to ]. ] editor ] cancelled Trump's invitation to a RedState meeting, saying "there are just real lines of decency a person running for President should not cross."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/erick-erickson-the-republican-party-created-donald-trump/400847/ |title=Erick Erickson: 'The Republican Party Created Donald Trump' |work=The Atlantic}}</ref> The Trump campaign issued a statement calling Erickson "a total loser" and saying that anyone who thought Trump's comment was a reference to menstruation was "a deviant".<ref name="trumpinsults">{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/donald-trump-camp-in-crisis-121180.html?hp=t1_r |title=Trump camp in crisis}}</ref>


Trump's status as the consistent front-runner for the Republican nomination led to him being featured on the cover of '']'' magazine in August 2015, with the caption: "Deal with it."<ref>{{cite news|last=Laurent|first=Olivier|title=Behind Time's Cover Shoot with Donald Trump and an American Bald Eagle|url=https://time.com/4003904/donald-trump-bald-eagle/|magazine=]|date=August 20, 2015|access-date=August 21, 2015}}</ref>
Trump retained the first place after the debate, with an NBC News poll showing him at 23% support<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/new-nbc-news-survey-monkey-poll-donald-trump-still-lead-n406766 |title=Donald Trump Still in the Lead After Debates: New NBC News/Survey Monkey Poll |author=Shawna Thomas |publisher=NBC News}}</ref> and a Reuters/Ipsos poll at 24%,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/10/us-usa-election-poll-idUSKCN0QF1WL20150810 |title=Trump's Republican support holds strong post-debate - Reuters/Ipsos poll |agency=Reuters |date=August 10, 2015}}</ref> followed by Ted Cruz at 13% and Ben Carson at 11%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://politistick.com/breaking-ted-cruzs-support-more-than-doubles-following-gop-debate-surges-to-second-place-rinos-crash/ |title=Ted Cruz’s Support More Than Doubles Following GOP Debate; Surges To Second Place; RINOs Crash |publisher=Freedom Media Group, LLC |date=August 11, 2015}}</ref>


== Caucuses and primaries ==
=== Veterans for a Strong America event ===
{{Further|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries}}
{{Details|Veterans for a Strong America}}
]
[[File:Donald Trump 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries results.svg|thumb|340px|Percentage of vote received by Trump by state or territory.
{{legend|#c2caef|0.0–19.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#9aa7e5|20.0–29.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#7183da|30.0–39.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#4960cf|40.0–49.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#3047b6|50.0–59.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#25378e|60.0–69.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#1a2765|70.0–79.9%|border=0}}
{{legend|#10183d|80.0%+|border=0}}
]]
In the lead-up to the ], poll averages showed Trump as the front-runner with a roughly four percent lead.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ia/iowa_republican_presidential_caucus-3194.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202225618/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ia/iowa_republican_presidential_caucus-3194.html |title=RealClearPolitics—Election 2016—Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus |archive-date=February 2, 2016}}</ref> Ted Cruz came in first in the vote count, ahead of Trump. Cruz, who campaigned strongly among evangelical Christians,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ted-cruz-iowa-caucuses-218591 |title=How Ted Cruz won the 2016 Iowa caucuses |work=]|date=February 2016 }}</ref> was supported by church pastors that coordinated a volunteer campaign to ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/us/ted-cruz-wins-republican-caucus.html |title=Ted Cruz Wins Republican Caucuses in Iowa |date=February 2, 2016 |work=]}}</ref> Before the Iowa vote, an email from the Cruz campaign falsely implied that Ben Carson was about to quit the race, encouraging Carson's supporters to vote for Cruz instead.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/politics/ben-carson-holds-a-strange-press-conference-to-224601507.html |title=Ben Carson holds a strange press conference to discuss Cruz 'dirty tricks' |date=February 3, 2016 |author=Ward, Jon |publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4203730/ben-carson-ted-cruz-caucus-dirty-tricks/ |title=Iowa Caucuses: Ben Carson Accuses Ted Cruz of Dirty Tricks |author=Tessa Berenson |magazine=]}}</ref> Trump later posted on ], "Many people voted for Cruz over Carson because of this Cruz fraud", and wrote, "Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he stole it."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-cruz-idUSKCN0VC1Z6 |title=Trump accuses Cruz of stealing Iowa caucuses through 'fraud' |author=Amy Tennery |date=February 4, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>


Following his loss in Iowa, Trump rebounded in the ], coming in first place with 35 percent of the vote, the biggest victory in a New Hampshire Republican primary since at least 2000.<ref name="HealyMartin">{{cite news |first1=Patrick |last1=Healy |first2=Jonathan |last2=Martin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/us/politics/new-hampshire-primary.html |title=Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Win in New Hampshire Primary |work=] |date=February 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/new-hampshire |title=New Hampshire Primary Results |work=] |date=2016 }}</ref> Trump "tapped into a deep well of anxiety among Republicans and independents in New Hampshire, according to exit polling data", running strongest among voters who feared "illegal immigrants, incipient economic turmoil and the threat of a terrorist attack in the United States".<ref name="HealyMartin" /> Trump commented that in the run-up to the primary, his campaign had "learned a lot about ground games in a week".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/new-hampshire-primary-results/461919/ |title=Trump and Sanders Prevail in New Hampshire |last=Nora |first=Kelly |work=] |date=February 9, 2016 |access-date=February 15, 2016}}</ref>
The Veterans for a Strong America (VSA) organized an event for Trump on September 15, 2015.<ref name=AP-nonprofit>{{cite news |title=APNewsBreak: Vet Group Hosting Trump Lost Nonprofit Status |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOP_2016_TRUMP_FOREIGN_POLICY |work=Associated Press |first=Jeff |last=Horwitz |date=September 16, 2015 |accessdate=September 18, 2015}}</ref> According to the ], the IRS revoked the nonprofit status of the organization, and its endorsement of Trump raised campaign finance questions as corporations are restricted to donating up to {{USD}}2,700 to a campaign, but the event exceeded that amount.<ref name=AP-nonprofit/> Other concerns raised include reports that the VSA does not appear to have any members or relation with veterans.<ref>{{cite web |title=‘Veterans for a Strong America’ draws scrutiny |url=http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/veterans-strong-america-draws-scrutiny |publisher=MSNBC - The Maddow Blog |first=Steve |last=Benen |date=September 18, 2015 |accessdate=September 18, 2015}}</ref> According to '']'', the group "sounds like a charity", "touted having more than a half-million supporters", "is a political action group whose tax-exempt status was revoked" but is "appealing the decision", and CNN had "found scant evidence" the group has the number of supporters claimed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Veterans group that hosted Trump lost tax-exempt status |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/18/politics/donald-trump-veterans-group/index.html |publisher=CNN |first1=David |last1=Fitzpatrick |first2=Drew |last2=Griffin |date=September 18, 2015 |accessdate=September 18, 2015}}</ref> Regarding female veteran support, Trump has addressed the issue that VA hospitals do not permanently staff ] doctors; showing an utter lack of respect for female veterans. Trump continued on to express that "Under the Trump plan, every VA hospital in the country will be fully equipped with ObGyn and other women's health services."<ref> NBC News, October. 31, 2015 (accessed November 8, 2015).</ref>


This was followed by another wide victory in ], furthering his lead among the Republican candidates.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump wins South Carolina; Hillary Clinton takes Nevada |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/20/politics/republicans-south-carolina-primary-highlights/index.html |work=]|access-date = February 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Donald Trump Wins in South Carolina, Solidifying Lead in G.O.P. Race |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/us/politics/south-carolina-primary.html |newspaper=] |date=February 20, 2016|access-date = February 21, 2016 |issn=0362-4331 |first1=Jonathan |last1=Martin |first2=Alexander |last2=Burns}}</ref> He won the ] on February 24 with a ] 45.9 percent of the vote, his biggest victory yet; ] placed second with 23.9 percent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-35647126 |title=US election 2016: Donald Trump sweeps to victory in Nevada |work=] |date=February 24, 2016 |access-date=February 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=]|title=Trump Easily Wins Nevada Caucuses |url=https://time.com/4235035/nevada-caucus-results-donald-trump-ted-cruz-marco-rubio-win/}}</ref>
===Campaign support from family members===
Although Trump has called his wife ] "my pollster", and has said she strongly supports his presidential run, he held back early in the campaign from asking her to actively campaign for him, although "she will", he told CNN in September 2015.<ref name=Murphy1Sept>{{cite news |title=The Immigrant Who Sleeps Next to Trump |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/01/the-immigrant-who-sleeps-next-to-trump.html |date=September 1, 2015 |accessdate=September 4, 2015 |first=Patricia |last=Murphy |work=The Daily Beast}}</ref> She did appear both at her husband's June 2015 campaign announcement, and in the audience at the Fox News debate in Cleveland;<ref name=Murphy1Sept/> and in November 2015 did several televised interviews, and spoke briefly at a Trump campaign rally in South Carolina, also attended by a number of Trump's other family members.<ref>Tierney McAfee - ''People'', November 25, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-29</ref>


By May 2016, Trump held a commanding lead in the number of state contests won and in the delegate count. After Trump won the ] contest, Cruz dropped out of the race.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Shane Goldmacher |author2=Katie Glueck |title=Inside Cruz's Crumbling Campaign |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/ted-cruz-2016-drop-out-presidential-race-indiana-213868 |website=]|date=May 4, 2016 |access-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref> He had called Indiana a pivotal opportunity to stop Trump from clinching the nomination. Following Trump's Indiana win, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, among others, called Trump the party's ], though he noted that Trump still needed more delegates to clinch the nomination.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/04/politics/reince-priebus-donald-trump-gop-unity |title=GOP chairman Priebus: 'It will take some time' to unify behind Trump |publisher=] |date=May 4, 2016 |access-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref>
If Trump were to become President, his wife Melania (], and a ]) would become only the second ] in history to be born outside the United States (after ], wife of ]).<ref name=Greenhouse17Aug>{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-08-17/vitamins-and-caviar-getting-to-know-melania-trump |title=Vitamins & Caviar: Getting to Know Melania Trump |first=Emily |last=Greenhouse |work=Bloomberg Politics |date=August 17, 2015 |accessdate=September 4, 2015}}</ref>


After becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump said regarding the Republican primaries: "You've been hearing me say it's a rigged system, but now I don't say it anymore because I won. It's true. Now I don't care."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lovelace |first1=Ryan |title=Trump: GOP 'rigged,' but I don't care because I won |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-gop-rigged-but-i-dont-care-because-i-won |work=] |date=May 6, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2018}}</ref>
===Citizen Trump===
''Citizen Trump with Chris Matthews'', often abridged as ''Citizen Trump'', is an original documentary about Donald Trump's "career and path to politics, chronicling the events that have led to his Presidential run", originally airing on ] on December 22, 2015. The documentary marks the first in a series of shows profiling the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=MSNBC to Air 'Citizen Trump' Documentary |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/trackers/2015-12-19/msnbc-to-air-citizen-trump-documentary |publisher=Bloomberg |accessdate=December 22, 2015 |date=December 19, 2015 |first=Ben |last=Brody}}</ref>


=== False flag conspiracy theory === == Rallies and crowds ==
{{See also|List of rallies for the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign}}
A ] appearing in the '']'', '']'', '']'', ], '']'' and several other political news outlets, and which has been endorsed by several of Trump's opponents, posits that Trump is running a "] operation" for presumptive Democratic nominee ]. According to this theory, Trump intends to help her secure the presidency by obtaining the Republican nomination, or running as a third party candidate, which Trump was initially reluctant to rule out, but eventually did.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2015/12/08/jeb_bush_suggests_that_trumps_campaign_is_a_democratic_false_flag_conspiracy_after_the_donald_flirts_with_a_third_party_bid_again/ |title=Jeb Bush suggests that Trump’s campaign is a Democratic false flag conspiracy after The Donald flirts with a third party bid, again |author=Sophia Tesfaye}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jeb-hillary-trump-theory |title=Jeb Bush Floats Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton Conspiracy Theory |work=TPM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blackbag.gawker.com/is-donald-trump-running-a-false-flag-campaign-to-help-h-1723925057 |title=Is Donald Trump Running a False Flag Campaign to Help Hillary Clinton? |author=J.K. Trotter |work=Black Bag}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2015/07/12/donald-trump-a-false-flag-candidate/ |title=Donald Trump: A False Flag Candidate? |work=Antiwar.com Original}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/news/a37892/donald-trump-tonight-show-hillary-clinton-friendship-conspiracy/ |title=Donald Trump Fuels Hillary Clinton Conspiracy Theory on Tonight Show |author=Matt Patches |date=September 12, 2015 |work=Esquire}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/12/09/jeb-bush-jokes-of-trump-clinton-conspiracy-theory-heres-a-look-at-the-evidence/ |title=Jeb Bush tweets Trump-Clinton conspiracy theory. Here’s a look at the ‘evidence.’ |author=Justin Wm. Moyer |date=December 9, 2015 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bill-clinton-called-donald-trump-ahead-of-republicans-2016-launch/2015/08/05/e2b30bb8-3ae3-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html |title=Donald Trump talked politics with Bill Clinton weeks before launching 2016 bid |author=Robert Costa |date=August 5, 2015 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref>


Trump held large ] during his campaign,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/over-10-000-flock-to-florida-trump-rally-601668163735 |title=Over 10,000 flock to Florida Trump rally |publisher=MSNBC |work=] |date=January 14, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="CillizzaMar3">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/03/donald-trump-is-still-drawing-massive-crowds/ |title=Yes, Donald Trump is still drawing massive crowds |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=February 3, 2016 |newspaper=] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286|access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/05/this-crowd-shot-from-a-donald-trump-rally-is-absolutely-eye-popping/ |title=This crowd shot from Donald Trump's Massachusetts rally is absolutely mind-boggling |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=January 5, 2016 |newspaper=] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286|access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref> routinely packing arenas and high school gymnasiums with crowds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mashable.com/2016/02/07/donald-trump-crowds/ |title=Massive crowds turn out for Donald Trump rallies. So why didn't he win Iowa? |first=Emily |last=Cahn |website=Mashable|date=February 7, 2016 |access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref> A Trump rally on July 11, 2015, in ], Trump was introduced by Maricopa County Sheriff ]. During his speech, Trump invoked ]'s "]" speech, saying "The silent majority is back."<ref name=":4">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/us/politics/donald-trump-defiantly-rallies-a-new-silent-majority-in-a-visit-to-arizona.html |title=Donald Trump Defiantly Rallies a New 'Silent Majority' in a Visit to Arizona |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |date=July 11, 2015 |newspaper=] |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref> In the final month of his campaign, Donald Trump used the phrase "]" in his rallies, pledging his supporters to "make our government honest once again."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-drain-the-swamp-mean-was-dc-built-on-a-swamp-2016-11 |title=Here's what Trump means when he says 'drain the swamp'—even though it's not an accurate metaphor |date=November 11, 2016 |work=] |last1=Harrington |first1=Rebecca |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37699073 |title=How might Trump 'drain the swamp'? |date=October 18, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://fortune.com/2016/11/15/trump-drain-swamp-establishment/ |title=What Trump Can Learn From Jimmy Carter's Failure to 'Drain the Swamp' |date=November 15, 2016 |work=] |last1=Wallach |first1=Philip |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> Trump said he originally "hated" the phrase, but when people reacted positively to it, he began "saying it like I meant it".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Widmer |first1=Ted |title=Draining the Swamp |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/draining-the-swamp |magazine=] |date=January 19, 2017 |access-date=June 30, 2018}}</ref>
==Republican front-runner==
] for the ], he pledges to support whomever the nominee may be, and to not{{efn | Recent ] examples: ]/]/], ]/], ]/], ], ], and ], see also ].}} run as a ].]]


During the primaries, the Trump campaign sometimes required all attendants at its rallies to take an ]. Fellow candidate ] likened it pledging to a King.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gass |first=Nick |date=2016-03-08 |title=Trump defends loyalty oaths: 'We're having such a great time' |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/donald-trump-loyalty-oaths-220416 |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Donald Trump: Can I have a pledge? Raise your hand |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/3/6/donald-trump-can-i-have-a-pledge-raise-your-hand |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tani |first=Maxwell |title='Raise your right hand': Striking photo shows Donald Trump leading massive rally in pledge to vote for him |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-pledge-2016-3 |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-09 |title=Cruz Likens Trump Loyalty Oath to Pledging to a King |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/cruz-likens-trump-loyalty-oath-pledging-king-n534431 |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Trump: "Ridiculous" to compare voter pledge to Nazi salute {{!}} CNN |date=2016-03-08 |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/03/08/the-lead-jeff-dewit-trump.cnn |access-date=2023-10-20 |language=en}}</ref>
<section begin=trump1/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->Trump has consistently had high poll numbers during his candidacy.<ref name=":1">* {{cite web |url=http://www.wmur.com/politics/donald-trump-touts-poll-results-to-crowd-in-claremont/37285890 |title=Donald Trump touts poll results to crowd in Claremont |author=Adam Sexton |date=January 5, 2016 |work=WMUR}}
=== Violence, protests and expulsions ===
* {{cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/10/donald_trump_blasts_barack_obama_touts_poll_numbers |title=Donald Trump blasts Barack Obama, touts poll numbers |publisher=}}
{{See also|Protests against Donald Trump#2016 presidential campaign|2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest}}
* Jennifer Agiesta (July 26, 2015). . CNN.
] in ] on March 11, 2016, immediately after news of Trump's cancellation of attendance of the event]]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html |title=RealClearPolitics - Election 2016 - 2016 Republican Presidential Nomination |publisher=}}</ref><ref name=BusinessInsider0820>Brett LoGiurato&nbsp;– ''Business Insider'', August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.</ref> A survey conducted by '']''/] released July 9, 2015, was the first major nationwide poll to show Trump as the 2016 Republican presidential front-runner.<ref name=Cambell1>Colin Campbell (July 9, 2015).. Business Insider.</ref> A Suffolk/''USA Today'' poll released on July 14, 2015, showed Trump with 17% support among Republican voters, with ] at 14%.<ref name=Suffolk14jul>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-leads-gop-field-poll-120106.html |title=Donald Trump leads GOP field in latest poll |publisher=Politico |date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> A ''Washington Post''/ABC News poll taken on July 16–19, showed Trump had 24% Republican support, over ] at 13%.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-trump-surges-to-big-lead-in-gop-presidential-race/2015/07/20/efd2e0d0-2ef8-11e5-8f36-18d1d501920d_story.html |title=Poll: Trump surges to big lead in GOP presidential race |date=July 20, 2015 |work=The Washington Post |first=Dan |last=Balz}}</ref> A ]/] poll showed Trump in the lead at 18% support among Republican voters, over Jeb Bush at 15%,<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/26/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0Q00MF20150726 |title=Trump tops CNN poll of 2016 Republicans, says he leads 'movement' |agency=Reuters |date=July 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/26/politics/cnn-poll-presidential-race/ |title=CNN/ORC poll: Trump elbows his way to the top |author=Jennifer Agiesta, CNN Polling Director |date=July 26, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> and a CBS News poll from August 4 showed Trump with 24% support, Bush second at 13%, and Walker third at 10%.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-news-poll-donald-trump-leads-gop-field-in-2016-presidential-race/ |title=Election 2016: CBS News poll – Donald Trump leads GOP field in race for the presidency |date=August 4, 2015 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><section end=trump1/><!--transclusion on the main ] article-->
]


There were verbal and physical confrontations between Trump supporters and protesters at Trump's events, some committed by supporters and others by anti-Trump demonstrators. Some protesters were asked to leave, removed by security, or arrested for trespassing at Trump's events.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Doina |last1=Chiacu |first2=Bob |last2=Chiarito |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSMTZSAPEC3DZBTGD8 |title=Trump says of campaign protesters: 'I don't hear their voice' |work=] |date=March 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wehner |first=Peter |url=http://www.cbs46.com/story/31355813/student-protesters-asked-to-leave-trump-rally |title=Student protesters asked to leave Trump rally |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610043135/http://www.cbs46.com/story/31355813/student-protesters-asked-to-leave-trump-rally |archive-date=June 10, 2016 |work=CBS 46 |date=March 1, 2016 }}</ref> Additionally, there were incidents near Trump properties related to the campaign.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/trump-security-guard-hits-protester-face-video-article-1.2348516 |title=WATCH: Donald Trump security guard hits protester in face after taking banner |work=] |location=New York |date=September 4, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Horowitz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/09/03/guard-for-donald-trump-hits-protester/ |title=Guard for Donald Trump Hits Protester |newspaper=] |date=September 3, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="Flitter">{{cite news |first=Emily |last=Flitter |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-lawsuit-idUSKCN0R92QS20150909 |title=Trump security guards assaulted protesters on NY sidewalk, lawsuit claims |work=] |date=September 9, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="Parker">{{cite news |first=Ashley |last=Parker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/11/us/politics/riskiest-political-act-of-2016-protesting-at-rallies-for-donald-trump.html |title=Riskiest Political Act of 2016? Protesting at Rallies for Donald Trump |newspaper=] |date=March 10, 2016 }}</ref>
A CNN/ORC poll taken August 13–16, 2015, in the ] of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania showed Trump ahead of, or narrowly trailing ] in direct match-ups in those states.<ref name=CNN0819>Jennifer Agiesta - CNN, August 19, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015</ref> In Florida, Trump led by two points, and in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, he was within just five points of Clinton.<ref>Brett LoGiurato - ''Business Insider'', August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.</ref>


On several occasions in late 2015 and early 2016, Trump was accused of encouraging violence and escalating tension at campaign events.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Eli |last1=Stokols |first2=Kyle |last2=Cheney |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/marco-rubio-donald-trump-gop-nominee-support-220664 |title=Republicans blame Trump for climate of violence |work=] |date=March 12, 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Moyer>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/03/10/trump-protester-sucker-punched-at-north-carolina-rally-videos-show/ |title=Trump supporter charged after sucker-punching protester at North Carolina rally |newspaper=] |date=March 11, 2016 |author1=Justin Wm. Moyer |author2=Jenny Starrs |author3=Sarah Larimer }}</ref><ref name="West">{{cite news |last=West |first=Lindy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/11/opinion/campaign-stops/what-are-trump-fans-really-afraid-to-say.html |title=What Are Trump Fans Really 'Afraid' to Say? |newspaper=] |date=March 11, 2016 }}</ref> Prior to November he used to tell his rallies "Get 'em (protesters) out, but don't hurt 'em."<ref name="roughed">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/11/22/black-activist-punched-at-donald-trump-rally-in-birmingham/ |title=Trump on rally protester: 'Maybe he should have been roughed up' |date=November 22, 2015 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> But in November 2015, Trump said of a protester in Birmingham, Alabama, "Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing."<ref name = "roughed" /> On February{{nbsp}}1 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he told the crowd there might be tomato-throwing protesters, and urged his audience to "knock the crap out of 'em" if anyone should try. "I promise you, I will pay the legal fees", he added.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/iowa-caucus-2016-live-updates/2016/02/donald-trump-iowa-rally-tomatoes-218546|title=Trump urges crowd to 'knock the crap out of' anyone with tomatoes|website=]|date=February 2016 }}</ref> On February 23, 2016, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump reacted to a protester by saying "I love the old days—you know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks", adding "I'd like to punch him in the face."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/donald-trump-nevada-rally-punch/ |title=Donald Trump on protester: 'I'd like to punch him in the face' |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=February 23, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/23/donald-trump-on-protester-id-like-to-punch-him-in-the-face/ |title=Donald Trump on a protester: 'I'd like to punch him in the face' |last=Miller |first=Michael E. |date=February 23, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/23/donald-trump-on-protester-id-like-to-punch-him-in-the-face/ |title=Donald Trump on Protester: 'I'd Like to Punch Him in the Face' |date=February 23, 2016 |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> On March{{nbsp}}9 a Trump supporter was charged with assault after he sucker-punched a protester who was being led out of the event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/03/10/trump-protester-sucker-punched-at-north-carolina-rally-videos-show/ |title=Trump supporter charged after sucker-punching protester at North Carolina rally |date=March 11, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> When Trump was asked if he would pay the man's legal fees, Trump said he was "looking into it", although he "doesn't condone violence in any shape".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/272822-trump-im-looking-into-paying-legal-fees-of-supporter-who/ |title=Trump looking into paying legal fees in sucker punch incident |last=Savarinsky |first=Rebecca |date=March 13, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> The local sheriff's office considered filing charges against Trump for "inciting a riot" at that event, but concluded there was not sufficient evidence to charge him.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/after-punching-incident-nc-sheriff-ponders-inciting-a-riot-charge-against-trump/2016/03/14/2f300ec6-ea13-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html |title=N.C. sheriff's office won't file 'inciting a riot' charge against Trump |date=March 14, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>
Trump has had a persistently high popularity among Republican and leaning-Republican minority voters.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Black Republican Association Endorses Donald Trump for President |url=http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/01/national_black_republican_association_endorses_donald_trump_for_president.html |website=The Root|access-date = 2016-01-27 |first=Angela Bronner |last=Helm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Courts Black Pastors, Claiming 'Great Love' in Meeting |url=http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/11/30/donald-trumps-big-endorsement-event-quietly-becomes-a-private-meeting/ |website=The New York Times - First Draft |date=2015-11-30|access-date = 2016-01-27 |first=Michael |last=Barbaro |first2=John |last2=Corrales}}</ref><ref name="surveyusa1">{{cite web |title=SurveyUSA Election Poll #22490 |url=http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=d950cadf-05ce-4148-a125-35c0cdab26c6 |website=www.surveyusa.com|access-date = 2016-01-27}}</ref> Surveys taken in late 2015 showed Trump polling unfavorably among women and non-white voters, with 64% of women viewing Trump unfavorably and 74% of non-white voters having a negative view of the candidate, according to a November 2015 ABC News/Washington Post poll.<ref name=Martin1Dec/> A ] survey in November 2015 found that many of his supporters are working class voters with negative feelings towards migrants, as well as strong financial concerns.<ref>See {{cite web |title=Anxiety, Nostalgia, and Mistrust: Findings from the 2015 American Values Survey |url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2015/11/survey-anxiety-nostalgia-and-mistrust-findings-from-the-2015-american-values-survey/ |publisher=Public Religion Research Institute |date=November 17, 2015}}<br />As quoted by <br />{{cite web |quote=Half of all Americans now believe the country's best days are behind it, and this belief is particularly strong among white, evangelical Christians. This is one of the beliefs that Republican frontrunner Trump is capitalising on in his campaign and helps explain why he is doing so well. The pessimism about the state of the country is reflected in raised levels of concern about crime, racial tensions and immigration, the survey reports. |work=Christian Today |title=Pessimism of white evangelical Americans is boon for Donald Trump |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pessimism.of.white.evangelical.americans.is.boon.for.donald.trump/72551.htm |date=December 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-rides-a-blue-collar-wave-1447803248 |title=Trump Rides a Blue-Collar Wave |work=Wall Street Journal Column |last=Galston|first=William A. |date=November 17, 2015}}</ref> Many polls show Trump polling significantly favorably among minority and woman voters compared to past and present Republican presidential candidates, citing a September 2015 SurveyUSA poll. This poll also reports that Trump garners some support from voters outside of his party.<ref name="surveyusa1"/><ref>{{Cite news |title=CNN highlights some, well, interesting Donald Trump supporters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/08/12/cnn-highlights-some-well-interesting-donald-trump-supporters/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2015-08-12|access-date = 2016-01-27 |issn=0190-8286 |language=en-US |first=Justin W. |last=Moyer}}</ref>


== Presumptive nominee and party reaction ==
Trump's status as the consistent front-runner for the Republican nomination led to him being featured on the cover of ] in August 2015, with the caption: "Deal with it."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://time.com/4003904/donald-trump-bald-eagle/ |title=Behind Time’s Cover Shoot with Donald Trump and an American Bald Eagle |date=August 20, 2015 |work=Time |first=Olivier |last=Laurent}}</ref> Although some ] expressed concern by late 2015 about Trump's negative effect, were he to become the Republican nominee, on other Republican candidates running for Congressional or Gubernatorial positions in 2016, few leading donors seemed willing to sponsor a negative campaign against him.<ref name=Martin1Dec>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/us/politics/wary-of-donald-trump-gop-leaders-are-caught-in-a-standoff.html |title=Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff |work=The New York Times |first=Jonathan |last=Martin |date=December 1, 2015 |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> "A 'Stop Trump' effort wouldn't work, and it might help him", said Republican Senator ].<ref name=Martin1Dec/> While the ] circulated a confidential memo in September 2015 that did not dismiss the possibility of Trump winning the GOP nomination, it called him a "misguided missile" with "wacky ideas about women", and noted that he "is subject to farcical fits." The memo urged candidates to carve out platforms broadly consonant with Trump's anti-Washington messaging, and to "stake out turf in the same issue zone and offer your own ideas", while not getting "drawn into every Trump statement and every Trump dust-up."<ref name=Costa2Dec>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/private-memo-lays-out-how-the-gop-would-deal-with-trump-as-its-nominee/2015/12/02/78514cba-9909-11e5-94f0-9eeaff906ef3_story.html |title=Private memo lays out how the GOP would deal with Trump as its nominee |work=The Washington Post |first1=Robert |last1=Costa |first2=Philip |last2=Rucker |date=December 2, 2015 |accessdate=December 2, 2015}}</ref> Candidates were advised in particular not "to re-engage the 'war on women' fight" and were told they "shouldn't go near this ground other than to say that your wife or daughter is offended by what Trump said."<ref name=Costa2Dec/>
On May 3, Trump became the ] of the Republican Party after his victory in Indiana and the withdrawal of the last competitors, ] and ], from the race.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Jonathan |last1=Martin |first2=Patrick |last2=Healy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/us/politics/indiana-republican-democratic.html |title=Donald Trump All but Clinches G.O.P. Race With Indiana Win; Ted Cruz Quits |work=] |date=May 3, 2016 }}</ref>


Some Republicans declined to support Trump's candidacy, including former primary rival Jeb Bush (who announced that he would not vote for Trump) and Bush's father and brother, former presidents ] and ] (who announced that they would not endorse Trump).<ref name="BurnsUnityRejection">{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Burns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/us/politics/donald-trump-seeks-republican-unity-but-finds-rejection.html |title=Donald Trump Seeks Republican Unity but Finds Rejection |work=] |date=May 6, 2016 }}</ref> ] announced that he was "not ready" to endorse Trump for the presidency.<ref name="SteinhauerBurns">{{cite news |first1=Jennifer |last1=Steinhauer |first2=Alexander |last2=Burns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump.html |title=Paul Ryan Says He Is 'Not Ready' to Endorse Donald Trump |work=] |date=May 5, 2016 }}</ref> On May 8, Trump's campaign said that he would not rule out a bid to remove Ryan from his post as chairman of the ],<ref>{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Burns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/08/trump-wont-rule-out-effort-to-remove-ryan-as-convention-chairman/ |title=Donald Trump Won't Rule Out Effort to Remove Paul Ryan as Convention Chairman |work=] |date=8 May 2016 |access-date=May 8, 2016 }}</ref> and the following day, Ryan said that he would step down as convention chairman if asked by Trump to do so.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tal |last=Kopan |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/09/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-convention-chairman/index.html |title=Paul Ryan will skip chairing convention if Donald Trump asks |work=] |date=May 9, 2016 }}</ref> On June 2, Ryan announced that he would vote for Trump.<ref>{{cite news |first=Debbye Turner |last=Bell |url=https://www.yahoo.com/katiecouric/speaker-paul-ryan-endorses-donald-trump-205621411.html |title=Speaker Paul Ryan endorses Donald Trump |work=] |date=June 2, 2016 }}</ref>
===Early caucuses and primaries===
In the lead-up to the ], poll averages showed Trump as the front-runner with a roughly four percent lead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ia/iowa_republican_presidential_caucus-3194.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202225618/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ia/iowa_republican_presidential_caucus-3194.html|title=RealClearPolitics - Election 2016 - Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus|archivedate=February 2, 2016|publisher=}}</ref> Ted Cruz came in first in the vote count, ahead of Trump. Cruz, who campaigned strongly among evangelical Christians,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ted-cruz-iowa-caucuses-218591|title=How Ted Cruz won the 2016 Iowa caucuses - POLITICO|work=POLITICO}}</ref> was supported by church pastors that coordinated a volunteer campaign to ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/us/ted-cruz-wins-republican-caucus.html|title=Ted Cruz Wins Republican Caucuses in Iowa|date=February 2, 2016|work=The New York Times}}</ref> Before the Iowa vote, an email from the Cruz campaign falsely implied that Ben Carson was about to quit the race, encouraging Carson's supporters to vote for Cruz instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/politics/ben-carson-holds-a-strange-press-conference-to-224601507.html|title=Ben Carson holds a strange press conference to discuss Cruz ‘dirty tricks’|date=February 3, 2016|author=Ward, Jon|work=Yahoo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://time.com/4203730/ben-carson-ted-cruz-caucus-dirty-tricks/|title=Iowa Caucuses: Ben Carson Accuses Ted Cruz of Dirty Tricks|author=Tessa Berenson|work=TIME.com}}</ref> Trump later posted on Twitter, "Many people voted for Cruz over Carson because of this Cruz fraud", and wrote, "Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he stole it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-cruz-idUSKCN0VC1Z6|title=Trump accuses Cruz of stealing Iowa caucuses through 'fraud'|author=Amy Tennery|date=February 4, 2016|work=Reuters}}</ref>


Senator ] was the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump.<ref name="sensessions">{{cite web |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |title=Sen. Jeff Sessions endorses Donald Trump |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/28/politics/donald-trump-jeff-sessions-endorsement/ |website=] |access-date=July 11, 2016 |location=Madison, Alabama |date=February 29, 2016}}</ref> Other prominent Republicans, such as Senate Majority Leader ], governors ] and ], and former senator and Republican presidential nominee ], followed.<ref name="BurnsUnityRejection" /><ref>{{cite news |first=Alan |last=Rappeport |title=Bobby Jindal Decides to Vote for Donald Trump, the Lesser of Two Evils |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/09/bobby-jindal-decides-to-vote-for-donald-trump-the-lesser-of-two-evils/ |work=] |date=May 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jeremy |last=Diamond |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/06/politics/bob-dole-endorses-donald-trump/index.html |work=]|date=May 6, 2016 |access-date=5 October 2023 |title=Bob Dole endorses Donald Trump }}</ref> McConnell stated, "The right-of-center world needs to respect the fact that the primary voters have spoken."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosenthal |first1=Andrew |title=Why Republicans Won't Renounce Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/opinion/campaign-stops/why-republicans-wont-renounce-trump.html |website=] |access-date=July 11, 2016 |date=June 8, 2016}}</ref>
Following his under-performance in Iowa, Trump rebounded to a significant victory in the ], exceeding poll predictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-sanders-exceed-poll-predictions-in-n.h./article/2582952|title=Trump, Sanders exceed poll predictions in N.H.|work=The Washington Examiner|last=Kasperowicz|first=Pete|date=February 10, 2016|accessdate=February 15, 2016}}</ref> Trump commented that in the run-up to the primary, his campaign had "learned a lot about ground games in a week."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/new-hampshire-primary-results/461919/|title=Trump and Sanders Prevail in New Hampshire|last=Nora|first=Kelly|work=The Atlantic|date=February 9, 2016|accessdate=February 15, 2016}}</ref>


On May 26, Trump secured his 1,238th delegate, achieving a majority of the available delegates.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |last2=Rappeport |first2=Alan |title=Donald Trump Has Delegate Majority for Republican Nomination, The A.P. Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/us/politics/donald-trump-republican-nomination.html |access-date=June 9, 2016 |work=] |date=May 26, 2016}}</ref>
==Campaign finances==
Trump rejected all ] that claimed to support him. He has said: "I am self-funding my campaign and therefore I will not be controlled by the donors, special interests and lobbyists who have corrupted our politics and politicians for far too long. I have disavowed all super PAC's, requested the return of all donations made to said PAC's, and I am calling on all presidential candidates to do the same."<ref name=":3">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Says Super PACs Should Give Money Back, Criticizes Opponents For Campaign Finance|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/donald-trump-says-super-pacs-should-give-money-back-criticizes-opponents-campaign-2154127|work=International Business Times|date=23 October 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Johnson23Oct">{{cite news |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/23/donald-trump-tells-super-pacs-supporting-his-candidacy-to-return-all-money-to-donors/ |title=Donald Trump tells super PACs supporting his candidacy to return all money to donors |first=Jenna |last=Johnson |date=October 23, 2015 |accessdate=October 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Demands Super Pacs Supporting Him Return Money, As Hillary Clinton Disavows Private Prison Pacs|url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-demands-super-pacs-return-money-386901|work=Newsweek|date=23 October 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2016 }}</ref> ] reports that Trump's claims that he is "self-funding" his campaign are "half-true." By the end of 2015, Trump's campaign had raised $19.4 million, with almost $13 million (about 66%) coming from Trump himself and the remainder (34%) coming from others' contributions.<ref>Lauren Carroll, , Politifact (February 10, 2016).</ref>


In June 2016, two groups of Republican delegates opposed to Trump emerged. ] sought to change the convention rules to include a 'conscience clause' that would allow delegates bound to Trump to vote against him.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaffe |first1=Alexandra |title=Campaign to Dump Trump at Republican Convention Emerges |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/campaign-dump-trump-republican-convention-emerges-n594766 |access-date=June 18, 2016 |work=] |date=June 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Keefe |first1=Ed |title=Dozens of GOP delegates launch new push to halt Donald Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dozens-of-gop-delegates-launch-new-push-to-halt-donald-trump/2016/06/17/e8dcf74e-3491-11e6-8758-d58e76e11b12_story.html |access-date=June 18, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=June 17, 2016}}</ref> ] engaged in "an effort to convince delegates that they have the authority and the ability to vote for whomever they want".<ref name="cnn.com">{{cite news |last1=LoBianco |first1=Tom |last2=Kopan |first2=Tal |title=RNC delegates launch 'Anybody but Trump' drive |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/17/politics/delegate-unbinding-effort-organized/ |access-date=June 18, 2016 |work=]|date=June 17, 2016}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news |last1=Bash |first1=Dana |last2=Raju |first2=Manu |title=How the GOP could cut ties with Donald Trump |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/16/politics/donald-trump-republican-anxiety/index.html |access-date=June 18, 2016 |work=]|date=June 17, 2016}}</ref> According to the group, "There is no language supporting binding in the temporary rules of the convention, which are the only rules that matter" and "barring any rules changes at the convention, delegates can vote their conscience on the first ballot."<ref name="cnn.com"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/>
The announcement came a day after a main super PAC backing Trump closed amid scrutiny about its relationship to the campaign itself.<ref name=Gold18Oct>{{cite news |work=The Washington Post |date=October 18, 2015 |accessdate=October 23, 2015 |title=The inside story of Trump campaign’s connections to a big-money super PAC |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-inside-story-of-donald-trumps-connections-to-a-big-money-super-pac/2015/10/18/532b61d4-72b5-11e5-8248-98e0f5a2e830_story.html |first1=Matea |last1=Gold |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger |first3=Jenna |last3=Johnson}}</ref><ref name="Gold20Oct">{{cite news |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-ties-emerge-between-trump-operation-and-super-pac/2015/10/20/80e7450a-7753-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html |title=New ties emerge between Trump operation and super PAC |date=October 20, 2015 |accessdate=October 23, 2015 |first1=Matea |last1=Gold |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger}}</ref> Trump never gave his endorsement to that super PAC (Make America Great) or any of the other eight super PAC's supporting his run.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump: Return all donations made to super PACs|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/donald-trump-return-super-pac-donations-215105|work=Politico|date=23 October 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Haberman22Oct>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/22/super-pac-raising-money-for-donald-j-trump-to-shut-down/ |title='Super PAC' Raising Money for Donald J. Trump to Shut Down |work=The New York Times |accessdate=October 23, 2015 |date=October 22, 2015 |first=Maggie |last=Haberman}}</ref> Trump told campaign crowds “I don’t want anybody’s money”, and criticized other candidates for "form all these PAC's. People pour money into the PAC's. I don’t want ’em, don’t support ’em.”<ref name=Gold20Oct/>


== General election campaign staff ==
==Political positions==
On May 9, Trump named ] Governor ] to head a ] in the event of a Trump victory.<ref name="BermanTransition">{{cite magazine |last1=Berman |first1=Russell |title=Chris Christie Will Start Planning the Trump Administration |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/chris-christie-will-start-planning-the-trump-administration/481896/ |access-date=May 9, 2016 |magazine=] |date=May 9, 2016}}</ref> In November 2016, after calls for his ] as Governor and ] for high-ranking members of his staff in the ], Christie was dropped by Trump as leader of the transition team, in favor of ].<ref name=christiedropped>{{citation |access-date=November 12, 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/11/chris-christie-dropped-trump-transition-team |date=November 11, 2016 |work=] |title=Chris Christie dropped as head of Trump's White House transition team |author=David Smith}}</ref><ref name=pencetotakeover>{{citation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/politics/trump-cabinet.html |work=] |date=November 11, 2016 |access-date=November 12, 2016 |title=Vice President-Elect Pence to Take Over Trump Transition Effort |author1=Michael D. Shear |author2=Michael S. Schmidt |author3=Maggie Habermannov}}</ref>
Trump has stated that he is a "conservative Republican."<ref name=Kellyfile1/> He has also described himself as a "common-sense conservative."<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Latest: Cruz, Trump offer closing arguments to SC|url = http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7cf14793b99b4ffe9aebe16feba91d80/latest-and-then-there-were-6-gop-2016-field-narrows|website = The Big Story|access-date = 2016-02-16|language = en-US}}</ref>


On June 20, 2016, Trump fired his campaign manager ], reportedly in response to lagging fundraising and campaign infrastructure (as well as power struggles within the campaign, according to multiple GOP sources). ], Trump's campaign chairman, who was brought in during the primary to prepare for a contested convention, assumed the role of chief strategist.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |author-link=Maggie Haberman |first2=Alexander |last2=Burns |first3=Ashley |last3=Parker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/us/politics/corey-lewandowski-donald-trump.html |title=Donald Trump Fires Corey Lewandowski, His Campaign Manager |work=] |date=20 June 2016 |access-date=June 20, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=MJ |last1=Lee |first2=Dana |last2=Bash |first3=Gloria |last3=Borger |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/corey-lewandowski-out-as-trump-campaign-manager/ |title=Corey Lewandowski out as Trump campaign manager |work=] |date=June 21, 2016 }}</ref>
===Abortion and reproductive care===
Trump has described the evolution of his position on abortion; although he formerly took several ] positions, he now describes himself as ]<ref name=Ontheissues/> and would ban late-term abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or health.<ref name=Ontheissues/> He is in favor of cutting federal funding for ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/politics/donald-trump-government-shutdown-planned-parenthood/ |title=Trump: I would shut down government over Planned Parenthood |date=August 4, 2015 |accessdate=August 24, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref>


Kevin Kellems, a veteran GOP strategist and former aide to Vice President ], resigned from Trump's staff after he was appointed to help inspect the campaign's surrogate operations.<ref name="Changes in Trump Campaign">{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-kevin-kellems-colorado-000000679.html |title=Departures come as steady a campaign operation that has been shaken by internal drama |last=Bailey |first=Holly |date=July 1, 2016 |website=] Politics |access-date=July 1, 2016}}</ref> Erica Freeman, another aide to Trump who worked with surrogates, also resigned.<ref name="Changes in Trump Campaign"/>
===Campaign finance===
] at the ] 2016]]
Trump has repeatedly stated, "I love the idea of ]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/14/trump-i-love-the-idea-of-campaign-finance-reform-video/ |title=Trump: ‘I Love The Idea Of Campaign Finance Reform’ |work=Daily Caller}}</ref> In the first ] in ] on ], Trump accused his Republican opponents of being bound to their campaign financiers, and that anyone (including Trump himself) could buy their policies with donations. Trump has stated that it is wrong that as a rich person he can have more influence than people without money. He has stated limits to contributions or spending would be "okay", although has not stated whether this would be achieved by further limits on contributions, regulating corporate spending, total limits on spending in elections, all of these or a combination.


In June 2016, Trump hired ] to assist the communications operation.<ref name="Changes in Trump Campaign"/> On July 1, 2016, Trump announced he hired ], a veteran GOP strategist and canvasser, for a senior advisory position.<ref name="Changes in Trump Campaign"/> Conway, who formerly backed Cruz, was expected to advise Trump on how to better appeal to female voters.<ref name="Changes in Trump Campaign"/> Conway had headed a pro-Cruz super PAC funded by hedge-fund tycoon ]. After Trump won the Republican presidential nomination, the PAC morphed into the "Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC". When the Trump campaign hired Conway, it referred to her as "widely regarded as an expert on female consumers and voters."<ref>{{cite news |first=Stassa |last=Edwards |url=https://jezebel.com/trump-campaign-hires-gender-gap-expert-kellyanne-conway-1782959310 |title=Trump Campaign Hires 'Gender Gap' Expert |work=] |date=July 1, 2016 |access-date=August 18, 2016 }}</ref> Conway became the first woman to run a Republican general election presidential campaign.<ref name="foxnews1">{{cite web |url=http://nation.foxnews.com/2016/08/17/kellyanne-conway-becomes-first-woman-run-gop-presidential-campaign-nets-yawn |title=Kellyanne Conway Becomes First Woman to Run GOP Presidential Campaign; Nets Yawn—Fox Nation |publisher=] |date=October 1, 2006 |access-date=August 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818185300/http://nation.foxnews.com/2016/08/17/kellyanne-conway-becomes-first-woman-run-gop-presidential-campaign-nets-yawn |archive-date=August 18, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ] took a role as a senior advisor to the campaign, focusing on the effort to win Pennsylvania.<ref name="Philly">{{cite news |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/presidential/20160720_Meet_Pa__s_David_Urban__Trump_tactician_and__traffic_controller__at_RNC.html |title=Meet Pa.'s David Urban, Trump tactician and 'traffic controller' at RNC |newspaper=] |date=July 20, 2016}}</ref>
===Drug policy===
Trump is supportive of states' rights to legalize and regulate ].<ref name="Cannabis">February 27, 2015. (Excerpt from Donald Trump Remarks at CPAC). ''C-Span''. Retrieved October 21, 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/29/trump-wants-marijuana-legalization-decided-at-the-state-level/ |title=Trump softens position on marijuana legalization |author=Jenna Johnson |date=October 29, 2015 |work=Washington Post}}</ref>


On August 17, 2016, Trump announced ] executive chairman ] as the campaign chief executive and promoted Conway to campaign manager, replacing Paul Manafort who had been handling those duties unofficially. Manafort had been criticized in the media for connections to former ] ]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-hands-kellyanne-conway-stephen-bannon-new-roles-campaign-n632471 |title=Donald Trump Overhauls Campaign Leadership |website=] |date=August 17, 2016 }}</ref> and other dictators.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/four-controversial-figures-paul-manafort-did-business-with/2016/08/16/e5e088c6-63ee-11e6-b4d8-33e931b5a26d_video.html|title=Four controversial figures Paul Manafort did business with|newspaper=]}}</ref> Although Manafort initially retained the title of campaign chairman,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/politics/trump-campaign-overhaul/index.html |title=Trump campaign shake-up |first=Jeremy |last=Diamond |work=]|date=August 17, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/08/17/trump-reshuffles-staff-in-his-own-image/|title=Trump shakes up campaign, demotes top adviser|newspaper=]}}</ref> he resigned from this position on August 19, 2016.<ref name="nmcaskill1">{{cite news |last1=McCaskill |first1=Nolan |title=Paul Manafort resigns from Trump campaign |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/paul-manafort-resigns-from-trump-campaign-227197 |access-date=August 19, 2016 |work=]|date=August 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Morrengiello |first1=Gabbi |title=Paul Manafort resigns from Trump campaign |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/manafort-resigns-from-trump-campaign/article/2599733 |work=Washington Examiner |date=August 19, 2016 |access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>
===Taxes===
Trump has stated he wants to simplify the tax code, lower taxes for middle and working-class people, and increase taxes on wealthy private equity and hedge fund managers, who Trump says currently pay next to nothing.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lynch |first=Sarah N. |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/23/us-election-trump-hedgefunds-idUSKCN0QS0P120150823 |title=Trump says tax code is letting hedge funds 'get away with murder' |agency=Reuters |date=August 23, 2015 |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2015/08/31/trump-as-tax-code-king-and-hedge-fund-slayer |title=Trump As Tax Code King And Hedge Fund Slayer |work=Forbes |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref> However, a detailed analysis by both the conservative ] and non-partisan ] concluded that Trump's tax plan would "boost the after-tax incomes of the wealthiest households by an average of more than $1.3 million a year" and significantly lower taxes for the wealthy.<ref>http://www.wsj.com/articles/analysis-of-trumps-tax-plan-shows-big-cuts-in-taxes-federal-revenue-1450807194</ref>


In September 2016, Trump hired ], longtime president of the conservative advocacy group ], to be his new deputy campaign manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-hires-head-of-citizens-united-to-be-deputy-campaign-manager/ |title=Donald Trump hires longtime president of Citizens United David Bossie to be new deputy campaign manager |last=Garrett |first=Major |date=September 2, 2016 |website=] |access-date=September 2, 2016}}</ref>
The Trump campaign's tax plan calls for reducing the corporate tax rate to 15% concurrent with the elimination of various loopholes and deductions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/tax-reform |title=Tax Reform &#124; Donald J Trump for President |publisher=Donaldjtrump.com |date= |accessdate=January 6, 2016}}</ref> Notably, the plan would include a cap on business interest expense deductions, which were first made deductible in 1918.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Corporate Interest Deduction: A Policy Evaluation|author=Warren, Alvin C.|url=http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5612&context=faculty_scholarship|publisher=Duke University School of Law}}</ref> Opponents (primarily large banks and Wall Street private equity firms) of this change claim that capping business interest expense deductions would reduce corporate borrowing and thereby reduce the level of corporate investment. Proponents argue that a cap would reduce use of debt financing, in turn reducing systemic economic volatility. Another claim is that the lower tax rates enabled by such a cap would stimulate economic activity and slow or reverse the flight of US companies and capital moving to offshore tax "havens".<ref>{{cite web |author=Marc Heller |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-05-29/corporate-interest-deduction-proves-sacred-amid-reformers-taxes |title=Corporate Interest Deduction Proves Sacred Amid Reformers: Taxes - Bloomberg Business |publisher=Bloomberg.com |date=May 29, 2013 |accessdate=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Why Small Business Loves Donald Trump |publisher=Inc. |date=18 August 2015 |accessdate=17 January 2016 |author=Marks, Gene}}</ref>


== Selection of running mate ==
In September 2015, economist ] said that he supported Donald Trump's corporate tax plan, stating that the 15 percent plan is a "pro-growth, supply-side" program that would grow the nation's long-slagging economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/larry-kudlow-like-donald-trump-tax/2015/09/29/id/693948/ |title=Larry Kudlow on Trump's Tax Plan: I Really Like It |work=Newsmax}}</ref> During the October 28 primary debate, Trump made note of Kudlow's support of his plan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-confronted-by-john-harwood-2015-10 |title=Donald Trump confronted by John Harwood - Business Insider |date=October 28, 2015 |work=Business Insider}}</ref>
{{Main|2016 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection}}
] at the ], July 2016]]


From early to mid-July, various media outlets widely reported that Trump's ] for his pick as vice president and running mate had narrowed to Indiana governor Mike Pence, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and former ] ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/trump-and-family-meet-with-vp-finalists-1.12038045 |title=Trump and family meet with VP finalists |work=] |access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-huddles-vp-finalists-pence-gingrich-christie-ind-article-1.2709841 |title=Trump huddles with VP finalists Pence, Gingrich, Christie in Ind. |work=] |date=July 13, 2016 |access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b8a3c238b8b44067ad63412e05c9225a/ap-source-gingrich-being-vetted-trump-vp |title=AP sources: Trump vetting Gingrich, Christie, Pence for VP |agency=]|access-date=August 1, 2016 |archive-date=September 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920075108/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b8a3c238b8b44067ad63412e05c9225a/ap-source-gingrich-being-vetted-trump-vp |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Economy===
Trump identifies as a "]r",<ref name="Haberman">Maggie Haberman, , ''New York Times'' (January 7, 2016).</ref> although others such as conservative economist ] consider him a ].<ref>Jim Tankersley, , ''Washington Post'' (August 31, 2015).</ref> Trump says that he favors a 45 percent ] on Chinese exports to the United States to give "American workers a level playing field."<ref name="Haberman"/>


On July 15, 2016, Trump officially announced via Twitter that he had chosen Pence to be his running mate.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=realdonaldtrump |author=Donald J. Trump |number=753965070003109888 |date=July 15, 2016 |title=I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.}}</ref> Trump introduced Pence as his running mate at a press conference the next day.<ref>{{cite news |author=Maggie Haberman |title=Donald Trump Delivers a Long, Passionate Speech. He Introduces Mike Pence, Too. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/us/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump.html |date=July 17, 2016 |newspaper=]}}</ref> Pence formally accepted the nomination on July 20 at the Republican National Convention.
In the June 2015 announcement of his candidacy, Trump claimed his experience and talent as a negotiator in private business would enhance his ability to negotiate better international trade deals as President, saying " used to have victories, but we don't have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let’s say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All the time."<ref name="Wire" />


On October 27, 2016, Pence's ] airplane ] off the runway at ] in New York during landing. There were no injuries reported among those on board, which included members of the press in the back of the plane. As a result of the accident, Pence cancelled a campaign event that night, though said on Twitter that he would be back campaigning the next day on October 28.<ref name="cnn-pence-plane">{{cite web |last1=Watkins |first1=Eli |last2=Landers |first2=Elizabeth |title=Plane carrying Pence skids off runway |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/27/politics/plane-carrying-pence-skids-off-runway/ |website=] |date=October 28, 2016 |access-date=October 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name="pence-plane-fox">{{cite web |title=Plane carrying Pence skids off runway at LaGuardia Airport |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/plane-carrying-pence-skids-off-runway-at-laguardia-airport |website=] |date=October 27, 2016 |access-date=October 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name="hp-pence-plane">{{cite web |last1=Beech |first1=Eric |title=Mike Pence's Airplane Skids Off Runway At LaGuardia, No Injuries |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-plane-runway_us_581297b1e4b0990edc303ca8 |website=] |date=October 27, 2016 |access-date=October 28, 2016}}</ref>
Trump opposes ].<ref name=Ontheissues/> He supports a higher ] (the amount of ethanol required by federal regulation to be blended into the U.S. gasoline supply).<ref>Timothy Cama, , ''The Hill' (January 19, 2016).</ref> Despite expressing hatred for wind farms in the past (calling them "ugly"), Trump has said that does not oppose the ] tax credit, saying: "I'm okay with subsidies, to an extent."<ref>Philip Bump, , ''Washington Post'' (November 19, 2015).</ref>


== Presidential debates ==
Trump strongly supports improving America's ].<ref name=Kellyfile1>. Fox News Channel, The Kelly File, May 21, 2015.</ref>
{{Main|2016 United States presidential debates}}


The first of three ] took place on September 26, at New York's ]. The moderator was ] of ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/26/495115346/fact-check-first-presidential-debate|title=Fact Check: Trump And Clinton Debate For The First Time|last1=NPR staff|website=npr.com|date=September 26, 2016 |publisher=]|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref> A live-TV audience of 84&nbsp;million viewers set a viewership record for presidential debates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/debate-ratings-might-break-record-1474996186|title=Presidential Debate Sets Viewership Record|last1=Perlberg|first1=Steven|newspaper=]|date=September 27, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref> Scientific ] showed that most voters thought Hillary Clinton performed better than Donald Trump in the debate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/election-update-early-polls-suggest-a-post-debate-bounce-for-clinton/|title=Election Update: Early Polls Suggest A Post-Debate Bounce For Clinton|date=September 28, 2016|language=en-US|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/30/donald-trump-fact-check-debate-polls-us-jobs|title=The lies Trump told this week: from post-debate polls to losing US jobs|last=Yuhas|first=Alan|date=September 30, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=October 4, 2016|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The second debate was held on October 9, at ], Missouri.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/transcript-second-debate.html|title=Transcript of the Second Debate|date=October 10, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=October 12, 2016}}</ref> The co-moderators were CNN's ] and ABC News' ]. Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning that "every poll" declared him the winner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-on-twitter-paul-ryan-is-a-weak-and-ineffective-leader/|title=Trump on Twitter: Paul Ryan is a "weak and ineffective leader"|last1=Boccagna|first1=Julia|work=]|date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016}}</ref> The final debate took place on the campus of the ] in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19. The moderator was ] of ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/us/politics/third-debate-transcript.html|title=Transcript of the Third Debate|newspaper=]|date=October 20, 2016|access-date=October 22, 2016}}</ref>
Trump opposes increasing the U.S. minimum wage, saying that doing so would hurt America's economic competitiveness. Speaking at the Republican debate on November 10, Trump said, "We are a country that is being beaten on every front—economically, militarily. Taxes too high, wages too high, we're not going to be able to compete against the world ... People have to go out, they have to work really hard, and they have to get into that upper stratum."<ref name="Business Insider">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-wages-too-high-2015-11 |title=Donald Trump said wages are 'too high' in his opening debate statement |publisher=Business Insider |date=November 11, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015 |author=Engel, Pamela}}</ref>


===Education=== == Endorsements ==
{{Main|List of Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign endorsements|List of Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign primary endorsements}}
Trump has stated his support for ] and local control for primary and secondary schools. On school choice he's commented, "Our public schools are capable of providing a more competitive product than they do today. Look at some of the high school tests from earlier in this century and you’ll wonder if they weren't college-level tests. And we’ve got to bring on the competition—open the schoolhouse doors and let parents choose the best school for their children. Education reformers call this school choice, charter schools, vouchers, even opportunity scholarships. I call it competition—the American way."<ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump on School Choice |url=http://www.americanprinciplesinaction.org/apia-education/education/school-choice/donald-trump-on-school-choice/ |website=American Principles in Action |accessdate=November 25, 2015}}{{dead link|date=February 2016}}</ref>
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| footer = Former Mayor of New York ] and 2012 presidential candidate ] endorsed Trump.
}}


The '']'' was the first and only major newspaper to endorse Donald Trump's campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/23/trump-receives-his-first-major-newspaper-endorsement-and-he-has-sheldon-adelson-to-thank/|title=Trump receives his first major newspaper endorsement, and he has Sheldon Adelson to thank|last1=Wootson| first1=Cleve R. Jr. |date=October 23, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=October 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-donald-trump-president|title=Editorial: Donald Trump for president|author=The Las Vegas Review-Journal Editorial Board|date=October 22, 2016|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|access-date=October 24, 2016}}</ref> Many Republican-leaning papers endorsed Clinton or urged readers not to vote for Trump while declining to endorse any other candidate.<ref name="inquisitrNoEndorse">{{cite news|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/3569580/donald-trump-has-received-zero-major-newspaper-endorsements-a-first-in-modern-american-history/|title=Donald Trump Has Received Zero Major Newspaper Endorsements, A First In Modern American History|last=Priyadarshi|first=Mohit|date=October 7, 2016|newspaper=Inquisitr|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="YahooNoEndorse">{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/tv/donald-trump-makes-history-zero-major-newspaper-endorsements-000943174.html|title=Donald Trump Makes History With Zero Major Newspaper Endorsements|last=Hod|first=Itay|date=October 6, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref>
He has stated he opposes the ] for primary and secondary schools,<ref name="Ontheissues" /><ref name="Announcement1" /> and has called Common Core "a disaster" that must be ended.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/07/18/trump-common-core-way-of-taking-care-of-the-people-who-dont-give-a-damn-about-ed/ |title=Trump: Common Core 'Way of Taking Care of the People' Who Don't 'Give a Damn' About Ed |work=Breitbart}}</ref>


The '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' editorial boards, which normally endorse Republican candidates, endorsed Hillary Clinton.<ref name="inquisitrNoEndorse" /><ref name="YahooNoEndorse" />
===Environment===
The '']'', which had endorsed the Republican in every election for the last 100 years, endorsed Gary Johnson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/14/politics/gary-johnson-joe-mcquaid-union-leader-new-hampshire/|title=Union Leader breaks with 100-year tradition, endorses Gary Johnson|last1=Diaz|first1=Daniella|last2=Spodak|first2=Cassie|date=September 14, 2016|work=]|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref> Several news reports, including one by ], political reporter for '']'', compared the 2016 Donald Trump political campaign to '']'', a 2013 episode of the '']'' TV series;<ref name="WP-20150908">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/09/08/donald-trumps-troll-game-of-jeb-bush-a/|title=Donald Trump's troll game of Jeb Bush: A+|last=Cillizza|first=Chris|date=September 8, 2015|newspaper=]|access-date=October 24, 2015|author-link=Chris Cillizza}}</ref><ref name="DC-20150807">{{cite news|url=http://decider.com/2015/08/07/black-mirror-the-waldo-effect-2016-presidential-race/|title=Why You Must Watch 'Black Mirror': "The Waldo Moment" This Weekend|last=O'Keefe|first=Meghan|date=August 7, 2015|work=Decider|access-date=October 24, 2015}}</ref> in September 2016, episode writer ] also compared the Trump campaign to the episode and predicted Trump would win.<ref name="DB-20160913">{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/13/black-mirror-creator-predicts-trump-will-be-president-i-find-it-f-cking-terrifying.html|title='Black Mirror' Creator Predicts Trump Will Be President: 'I Find It F*cking Terrifying'|last=Yamato|first=Jen|date=September 13, 2016|work=]|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="BMD-20160913">{{cite news|url=http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/09/13/black-mirrors-charlie-brooker-predicts-that-trump-will-win-the-election|title=Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker Predicts Trump Will Win The Election|last=Wampler|first=Scott|date=September 13, 2016|work=BirthMoviesDeath.com|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref>
Trump contends that ] is "a total hoax".<ref name="MEhren">Ehrenfreund, Max. July 22, 2015. ''The Washington Post''.</ref> "I think that clean air is a pressing problem. You want to have clean air, clean water. That's very important to me, and I've won many environmental awards. I am not a believer in climate change", Trump said.<ref>{{cite news|title= Trump: Pope is wrong on climate change|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/donald-trump-pope-francis-climate-change-214006#ixzz3yqI1vlH7 |date=September 24, 2015 |work=Politico |accessdate=January 30, 2016|author=Gass, Nick}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1509/24/cnr.06.html |title="New Day" Interview with Donald Trump|date=September 24, 2015 |work=CNN |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://dailycaller.com/2015/09/21/trump-im-not-a-believer-in-global-warming-video/ |title=Trump: ‘I’m Not A Believer In Global Warming’ |date=September 21, 2015 |work=Daily Caller |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref> Trump was criticized for his joke that "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-china-created-climate-change-2016-1 |title=TRUMP: I was joking when I said the Chinese 'created' the concept of climate change |date=January 8, 2016 |work=Business Insider |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref>


'']'', which never had endorsed a candidate in its 34-year history, took sides in the race with an editorial that had declared Trump to be "erratic", described his business career as "checkered", and called him a "serial liar" and "unfit for the presidency". The newspaper, however, said the "editorial does not represent unqualified support for Hillary Clinton."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-live-updates-trailguide-don-t-vote-for-trump-says-usa-today-1475192834-htmlstory.html|title=Campaign 2016 updates: Another newspaper that has long backed GOP candidates bucks Donald Trump|date=September 30, 2016 |via=Los Angeles Times|access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/09/29/dont-vote-for-donald-trump-editorial-board-editorials-debates/91295020/|title=USA Today's Editorial Board: Trump is 'unfit for the presidency'|website=]|access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/29/usa-todays-editorial-board-trump-is-unfit-for-the-presidency.html|title=USA Today editorial declares Donald Trump is 'unfit for the presidency'|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|work=]|date=September 30, 2016|access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref>
Trump criticized President Obama's description of climate change as "the greatest threat to future generations", "naive", and "one of the dumbest statements I’ve ever heard."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/30/donald-trump-ridicules-naive-obama-global-warming/ |title=Donald Trump Ridicules ‘Naive’ Obama On Global Warming |date=November 30, 2015 |work=Breitbart |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/30/politics/donald-trump-obama-climate-change-dumbest-thing/ |title=Donald Trump: Obama climate change remarks one of 'dumbest things' uttered in history |date=November 30, 2015 |work=Daily Caller |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/presidential-races/261619-trump-obama-has-made-us-fools-on-climate-change |title=Trump: Obama has made us 'fools' with focus on climate change |date=December 1, 2015 |work=The Hill |accessdate=January 30, 2016}}</ref>


], the PM of Hungary, was the first foreign leader to endorse Trump before the elections.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/world/americas/hungarys-viktor-orban-says-donald-trump-is-better-for-europe.html|title=Hungarian Leader, Viktor Orban, Says Donald Trump Is Better for Europe|website=]|date=July 23, 2016 |access-date=August 16, 2022}}</ref>
===Law and order===
In 2015, Trump told a ] that "anybody killing a police officer, the ] is going to happen." He stated, "Police forces throughout the country have had a hard time, a lot of people killed."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-tells-police-group-every-single-cop-killer-gets-death-penalty-if-i-win/ |title=Trump Tells Police Group: Every Single Cop-Killer Gets Death Penalty If I Win}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/262897-trump-i-will-mandate-death-penalty-for-killing-police-officers |title=Trump: I will mandate death penalty for killing police officers |work=TheHill}}</ref>


==Results==
===Faith-based issues===
{{Main|2016 United States presidential election}}
Trump is identified as a ] and has expressed support for several issues and policy positions important to some ]s. In campaign speeches, he routinely has praised the ], often joking that his own book '']'' is his second favorite book after the Bible, which he has sometimes carried at campaign events.<ref name="CNNBibleValues">. Retrieved November 21, 2015.</ref> He drew some criticism in August 2015, however, when he was unwilling to cite his favorite Biblical passage.<ref>. Retrieved November 21, 2015.</ref> He has said he will defend what he sees as an assault on the ] holiday. "Remember the expression, 'Merry Christmas?' You don't see it anymore. You're going to see it if I get elected, I can tell you right now", he has said.<ref name="CNNBibleValues"/>
], ], and ].]]


As the results came in on election night, November 8, 2016, Trump won in multiple states that had been predicted to go to Clinton. In the early morning hours of November 9, media sources declared Trump the winner of the presidency, crediting him with 279 electoral college votes where 270 were needed to win.<ref name="NYTimes:Clinton vs. Trump: Voters Have Their Say on Election Day">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-day-voting.html|title=Clinton vs. Trump: Voters Have Their Say on Election Day|date=November 9, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes: Presidential Election Results: Donald J. Trump Wins">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/president|title=Presidential Election Results: Donald J. Trump Wins|date=November 9, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=November 10, 2016|quote=Hillary Clinton 60,071,781 votes (47.7%) Donald J. Trump 59,791,135 votes (47.5%)}}</ref> Clinton then phoned Trump to concede and to congratulate him on his victory, whereupon Trump gave a victory speech.<ref name="Huffington Post: Clinton Delays Concession Speech As Trump Seizes Victory">{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-concession-speech_us_5822d001e4b0d9ce6fbff613|title=Clinton Delays Concession Speech As Trump Seizes Victory|last1=Horowitz Satlin|first1=Alana|date=November 9, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> His victory was widely described as a "stunning upset", since most pre-election polling had predicted a Clinton win.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/election-day-an-acrimonious-race-reaches-its-end-point/2016/11/08/32b96c72-a557-11e6-ba59-a7d93165c6d4_story.html|title=Donald Trump wins the presidency in stunning upset over Clinton|date=November 9, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/donald-trump-wins-2016-214438|title=Inside Trump's Stunning Upset Victory|date=November 9, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref>
Trump has praised prominent national ], including ] and ].<ref name="bigstory.ap.org">. Retrieved November 21, 2015.</ref> In September 2015, he invited dozens of Christian and Jewish leaders to his New York City offices for a meeting and ] prayer gathering.<ref>. Retrieved November 21, 2015.</ref> On September 30, 2015, he received a blessing from ] priest ] at a campaign rally in ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/who-hedge-fund-priest-meet-emmanuel-lemelson-reverend-wall-street-2159138 |title=Who Is The Hedge Fund Priest? Meet Emmanuel Lemelson, The Reverend Of Wall Street |last=Salo |first=Jackie |date=October 27, 2017 |work=International Business Times |accessdate=23 January 2016}}</ref>


As of November 28, Trump is credited with 306 electoral votes compared to 232 for Clinton.<ref name="TaylorJ">{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/28/503624804/trump-officially-wins-michigan-as-possible-recount-looms|title=Trump Officially Wins Michigan As Possible Recount Looms|last1=Taylor|first1=Jessica|date=November 28, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/election/results|title=Results|work=]|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/michigan_election_voter_certif.html|title=Results unofficial, but Michigan unlikely to flip from Trump to Clinton|last=Gibbons|first=Lauren|date=November 16, 2016|work=MLive|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref> In the nationwide popular vote, Clinton received over 2.8&nbsp;million (2.1%) more votes than Trump.<ref name="TaylorJ" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cookpolitical.com/story/10174|title=2016 National Popular Vote Tracker|last=Wasserman|first=David|date=December 1, 2016|publisher=The Cook Political Report|access-date=December 2, 2016|archive-date=November 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117085337/http://cookpolitical.com/story/10174|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Evon">{{cite news|url=http://www.snopes.com/2016/11/13/who-won-the-popular-vote/|title=Final vote count 2016|last1=Evon|first1=Dan|date=November 13, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/clinton-popular-vote-trump-2016-election-231434|title=Clinton's lead in the popular vote passes 1 million|last=Conway|first=Madeline|date=November 15, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref> Trump is the fifth presidential candidate in U.S. history to win the election but lose the popular vote.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/popular-vote-electoral-college-five-presidential-nominees-hillary-clinton-al-gore-a7420971.html|title=Five presidential nominees who won popular vote but lost the election|last=Revesz|first=Rachael|date=November 16, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> This is the biggest-ever raw-vote loss in the popular vote for a candidate who won the election, though not by percentage.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/25/503374202/clintons-popular-vote-lead-is-now-over-2-million-but-dont-expect-big-changes|title=Clinton's Popular-Vote Lead Is Now Over 2 Million, But Don't Expect Big Changes|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|date=November 25, 2016|work=]|access-date=November 26, 2016}}</ref> The previous non-incumbent Republican to win the presidency, ], had held the record with a loss of 543,895 votes.
Trump has said he would support persecuted Christians in ] and ].<ref>. Retrieved November 21, 2015.</ref>


Trump's share of the electoral vote was 56.9%; in a ranking of electoral votes in the 54 presidential elections since the ratification of the ] in 1804 it is in 44th place.<ref name="Silver">{{cite web|url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/war-is-peace-freedom-is-slavery-trump-won-in-a-landslide/|title=War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Trump Won In A Landslide|last=Silver|first=Nate|date=November 28, 2016|publisher=]|access-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref>
===Firearms regulation===
Trump supports the ], is opposed to ] in general,<ref name="Ontheissues" /><ref name="OWSAR"/> and has a New York concealed carry permit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump Discloses Concealed Carry Permit in Defending Second Amendment |url=http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/trump-concealed-carry-permit/2015/10/03/id/694581/ |website=Newsmax |accessdate=October 11, 2015}}</ref> He supports fixing the ] so that criminal and mental health records are always put into the system.<ref name="OWSAR">Official website. . "There has been a national background check system in place since 1998 ... Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system ... What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended." Retrieved: October 21, 2015.</ref> He once supported a ban on ]s and longer ]s for gun purchases but has since reversed his position.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/2016-candidates-gun-control-stances-2015-6 |title=2016 candidates gun control stances - Business Insider |date=June 23, 2015 |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/donald-trump-believe-candidate-stands-10-issues/ |title=What does Donald Trump believe? Where the candidate stands on 10 issues |work=PBS NewsHour}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Second Amendment Rights |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/second-amendment-rights |publisher=donaldjtrump.com |accessdate=2015-10-11}}</ref> Trump plans to lift the ban on guns in military bases and recruiting centers. He also supports national right to concealed carry and allow gun permits to be applicable to all 50 states much like a driver's license.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Seth |title=Trump backs 2nd Amendment, calls for national concealed carry |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/18/trump-backs-2nd-amendment-national-concealed-carry/ |accessdate=October 15, 2015 |work=The Washington Times |date=September 18, 2015 |ref="washingtontimes_2nd_amendment"}}</ref> After the ] Trump declared that the victims "could've protected themselves if they had guns"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-san-bernardino-victims-couldve-protected-themselves-if-they-had-guns/ |title=Trump: San Bernardino victims "could've protected themselves if they had guns". |date=December 5, 2015}}</ref>


==Post-election==
===Healthcare and Social Security===
In an unprecedented move, Trump kept his presidential campaign organization in place after he assumed the presidency. {{As of|January 2017}} the campaign office in Trump Tower continued with a staff of about ten people, led by Michael Glassner. It focused on data-building and fundraising for a ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/donald-trump-campaign-reelection-233440 |title=Trump laying the groundwork for 2020 reelection bid |last=Isenstadt |first=Alex |date=January 10, 2017 |work=]|access-date=January 17, 2017}}</ref>
Trump favors replacing the ] (commonly referred to as "Obamacare") with a ] and competition to lower costs, although he has also stated support for a single-payer system in the past.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kertscher |first1=Tom |title=Donald Trump wants to replace Obamacare with a single-payer health care system, GOP congressman says |url=http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2015/sep/11/reid-ribble/donald-trump-wants-replace-obamacare-single-payer-/ |publisher=Politifact.com |accessdate=December 5, 2015}}</ref> He supports funding Social Security and Medicare rather than cutting them.<ref name=Ontheissues/><ref name=Announcement1/> He has previously expressed support for allowing people to privately invest their social security dollars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Donald_Trump_Social_Security.htm |title=Donald Trump on Social Security |publisher=Ontheissues.org |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref>


In May 2017, a senior aide to the campaign, Healy Baumgardner-Nardone, disclosed that she was lobbying for the Malaysian government.<ref>{{cite news |first=Emily |last=Jashinsky |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-campaign-aide-lobbying-for-malaysian-government-through-firm-called-the-45-group |title=Trump campaign aide lobbying for Malaysian government through firm called 'The 45 Group' |work=Washington Examiner |date=May 24, 2017 |access-date=5 October 2023 }}</ref> The former campaign manager, ], left a lobbying firm he had co-founded after the election, because it solicited in Eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite news |title=Amid scrutiny, Corey Lewandowski quits his new lobbying firm |first=Tom |last=Hamburger |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/amid-scrutiny-corey-lewandowski-quits-his-new-lobbying-firm/2017/05/04/9168660c-3110-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html |newspaper=] |date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017 }}</ref>
Trump believes that childhood ], a hypothesis which has been repeatedly debunked.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/28/trump-weighs-in-on-vaccine-autism-controversy/ |title=Trump weighs in on vaccine-autism controversy |publisher=CNN |date=March 28, 2014 |accessdate=August 24, 2015}}</ref>


A joint report published in June 2019 by the ], ] and ] detailed that the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns have yet to pay bills totaling over $800,000 to 10 city governments for costs incurred to ensure public safety with regard to Trump campaign rallies. The rallies took place from January 2016 to August 2016 in ], ], ], ], ], and from September 2018 to February 2019 in ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Levinthal |first1=Dave |title=Why the Trump campaign won't pay police bills |url=https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/donald-trump-police-cities-bills-maga-rallies/ |website=] |date=June 13, 2019 |access-date=June 16, 2019}}</ref>
==== Veterans Affairs ====


==Russian interference in the 2016 election==
Trump favors getting rid of backlogs and waitlists which are the focus of the ]. In a statement, he said he believes that Veterans Affairs facilities need to be upgraded with recent technology, hire more veterans to treat other veterans, increase support of female veterans, and create satellite clinics within hospitals in rural areas.<ref name="Veterans Administration Reforms ">{{cite web |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/veterans-administration-reforms |title=Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again |work=Donald J. Trump for President, Inc |date=October 31, 2015 |accessdate=November 1, 2015}}</ref>


{{see also|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies}}
===Immigration and border security===
Starting in 2015, several allied foreign intelligence agencies began reporting secret contacts between Trump campaigners and known or suspected Russian agents in multiple European cities.<ref name="Harding_Kirchgaessner_Hopkins_4/13/2017"/><ref name="Harding_11/15/2017"/><ref name="Rosenberg_Goldman_Schmidt_3/1/2017">{{cite web | last1=Rosenberg | first1=Matthew | last2=Goldman | first2=Adam | last3=Schmidt | first3=Michael S. | title=Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking | website=] | date=March 1, 2017 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-trump-russia-election-hacking.html | access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref> In November 2016, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister ] contradicted Trump's denials by confirming the Trump campaign had been in contact with Russia, stating in a 2016 Interfax news agency interview: "Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage," adding "I cannot say that all of them but quite a few have been staying in touch with Russian representatives."<ref name="Filipov_Roth_11/10/2016">{{cite news | last1=Filipov | first1=David | last2=Roth | first2=Andrew | title=Moscow had contacts with Trump team during campaign, Russian diplomat says | newspaper=] | date=November 10, 2016 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/moscow-had-contacts-with-trump-team-during-campaign-russian-diplomat-says/2016/11/10/28fb82fa-a73d-11e6-9bd6-184ab22d218e_story.html | access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Nelson_11/10/2016">{{cite web | last=Nelson | first=Louis | title=Report: Trump's team had contacts with Moscow during campaign | website=]| date=November 10, 2016 | url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-campaign-moscow-russia-contacts-231168 | access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref>


Beginning on July 31, 2016, the campaign became the target of a covert FBI investigation known as ], as well as several other ], to discover if any coordination existed between the campaign and Russia or other criminal activity occurred.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bertrand |first1=Natasha |last2=Samuelsohn |first2=Darren |date=December 9, 2019 |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/09/inspector-generals-report-russia-key-takeaways-079030 |title=Inspector general's report on Russia probe: Key takeaways |work=]|access-date=December 21, 2019 }}</ref> On January 6, 2017, the ] government's intelligence agencies concluded that the ]n government ] in the ].<ref name="DeclassifiedRpt"/> A joint ] review ordered by ] stated with high confidence that "Russian President ] ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency,"<ref name="Jan2017Rpt"/> and boost the candidacy of Donald Trump.<ref name=RepJan6>{{cite web |url=https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf |title=Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 6, 2017 |publisher=] |access-date=June 24, 2017}}</ref>
====Border security====
Trump has emphasized U.S. border security.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://elpasonews.org/2015/08/donald-trump-is-a-failed-businessman/ |title=Donald Trump is a Failed Businessman |date=August 6, 2015 |accessdate=17 January 2016 |author=Paredes Martín}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/09/donald-trump-racism-increase-latinos |title=I've experienced a new level of racism since Donald Trump went after Latinos |date=9 September 2015 |accessdate=17 January 2016 |author=Tina Vasquez}}</ref> During his announcement speech he stated in part, "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems.... They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."<ref name=Announcementspeech/> On July 6, 2015, Trump issued a written statement<ref name="immigration_reform">{{cite web |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform |title=Immigration reform that will make America great again |work=Donald J. Trump for President, Inc |date=July 6, 2015 |accessdate=September 29, 2015}}</ref> to clarify his position on illegal immigration which drew a reaction from critics. It read in part:


Investigations about potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials were started by the ],<ref name="BorgerAckerman">{{cite news |first1=Julian |last1=Borger |first2=Spencer |last2=Ackerman |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/20/fbi-director-comey-confirms-investigation-trump-russia |title=Trump-Russia collusion is being investigated by FBI, Comey confirms |newspaper=] |date=March 20, 2017 }}</ref> the ],<ref name="DennisMeddle">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-03/senate-russia-probe-agrees-that-putin-meddled-to-help-trump|title=Senate Intelligence Committee Agrees That Putin Meddled to Help Trump|author=Steven T. Dennis|newspaper=]|date=July 3, 2018|publisher=Bloomberg News|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> and the ].<ref name="MemoliSotomayor">{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-intelligence-committee-ends-russia-probe-party-line-vote-n859126|title=House Intelligence Committee ends Russia probe with party-line vote|author=Mike Memoli & Marianna Sotomayor|date=March 22, 2018|work=]}}</ref> In May 2017, ] ] appointed ] ] as ] into "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associates with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and (ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."<ref name="Rosenstein">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html|title=Rod Rosenstein's Letter Appointing Mueller Special Counsel|last1=Rosenstein|first1=Rod|date=May 17, 2017|work=]|access-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref> Many suspicious<ref name="Harding_11/15/2017">{{cite web |last=Harding |first=Luke |title=How Trump walked into Putin's web |website=] |date=November 15, 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/15/how-trump-walked-into-putins-web-luke |access-date=May 22, 2019 |quote=...the Russians were talking to people associated with Trump. The precise nature of these exchanges has not been made public, but according to sources in the US and the UK, they formed a suspicious pattern. }}</ref><ref name="Harding_Kirchgaessner_Hopkins_4/13/2017">{{cite web |last1=Harding |first1=Luke |last2=Kirchgaessner |first2=Stephanie |last3=Hopkins |first3=Nick |title=British spies were first to spot Trump team's links with Russia |website=] |date=April 13, 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia |access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> ] were identified by the ], ] and several United States ] committees, as part of their investigations into the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.<!-- Myriad references for this summary sentence are found at ], where this content came from. --> {{as of|2018|July|df=US}}, the Mueller investigation obtained indictments or guilty pleas from 32 individuals and three Russian companies.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mueller-indictments-whos-who-1531511838 |title=Mueller Indictments: Who's Who |work=] |date=July 13, 2018 |access-date=5 October 2023 }}</ref>
<blockquote>"The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc. This was evident just this week when, as an example, a young woman in San Francisco was viciously killed by a 5-time deported Mexican with a long criminal record, who was forced back into the United States because they didn’t want him in Mexico. This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States. In other words, the worst elements in Mexico are being pushed into the United States by the Mexican government. The largest suppliers of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs are Mexican cartels that arrange to have Mexican immigrants trying to cross the borders and smuggle in the drugs. The Border Patrol knows this. Likewise, tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border. The United States has become a dumping ground for Mexico and, in fact, for many other parts of the world. On the other hand, many fabulous people come in from Mexico and our country is better for it. But these people are here legally, and are severely hurt by those coming in illegally. I am proud to say that I know many hard working Mexicans—many of them are working for and with me...and, just like our country, my organization is better for it."<ref name=businessinsider1>. Retrieved 2015-07-08</ref></blockquote>


As president, Trump has repeatedly rejected the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russian government interfered in the election and has also denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia.<ref name="GreenbergMeddle"/><ref name=ToddMurrayDann/>
====Birthright citizenship====
Trump opposes ] based solely on birth within the United States, arguing that it should not be protected by the ].<ref name="immigration_reform" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/08/donald-trump-has-some-thoughts-about-the-constitution |title=Donald Trump: The 14th Amendment is Unconstitutional |work=] |date=August 19, 2015 |accessdate=November 22, 2015}}</ref>


The March 2019 ] at the conclusion of his investigations did not conclude that President Trump, whether as a candidate or President elect, had committed a crime, but described multiple instances of possible obstruction of justice and left it up to Congress to deal with the issue.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf/ |title=Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election |last=Mueller |first=Robert |publisher=US Justice Dept. |date=March 30, 2019 |website=justice.gov |access-date=September 26, 2020 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309180853/https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
====Border wall between U.S. and Mexico====
During his first town hall campaign meeting in ] Trump claimed that if he won the election, "Day 1 of my presidency, ] are getting out and getting out fast."<ref name="CBC_August29_2015" /> Trump has stated he wants to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigrants from entering into the country.<ref name="Wire" /><ref name="CBC_August29_2015">{{citation |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/donald-trump-emphasizes-plans-to-build-real-wall-at-mexico-border-1.3196807 |date=August 19, 2015 |accessdate=September 29, 2015 |title=Donald Trump emphasizes plans to build 'real' wall at Mexico border |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/donald-trump-emphasizes-plans-to-build-real-wall-at-mexico-border-1.3196807 |title=Donald Trump emphasizes plans to build 'real' wall at Mexico border |date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> In his 2015 book, he cites the ] as a successful example.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/election2016/article/trump_in_new_book_israel_proof_that_walls_work |title=Trump in new book: Israel proof that walls work |work=Jewish Insider |publisher=] |date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>


== Political positions ==
{{quote|"Before I came here, I saw, on the news, a family decimated ... their daughter torn apart by illegal immigrants. Many gang members, these rough guys, are illegal immigrants. We have to stop this ... I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively, I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall."|Trump Announcement Speech}}
{{Main|Political positions of Donald Trump}}


Trump has stated that he is a "conservative Republican".<ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump: 'I want to make the country great again' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/donald-trump-i-want-to-make-the-country-great-again/ |work=] |publisher=] |date=May 21, 2015 |access-date=February 16, 2016 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713094001/http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/05/21/donald-trump-want-to-make-country-great-again/ |archive-date=July 13, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Commentators ] and ] labeled his collective political positions as "Trumpism".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ornstein |first1=Norm |title=The Eight Causes of Trumpism |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/the-eight-causes-of-trumpism/422427/ |access-date=May 10, 2016 |work=] |date=January 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kristol |first1=William |title=Conservatives against Trump |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/430126/donald-trump-conservatives-oppose-nomination |access-date=May 6, 2016 |work=] |date=January 21, 2016}}</ref> '']'' used the term in drawing parallels with populist movements in China and the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Browne |first1=Andrew |title=China Faces Its Own Version of Trumpism |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-faces-its-own-version-of-trumpism-1462876428 |access-date=May 10, 2016 |work=] |date=May 10, 2016}}</ref> From an external political perspective, German Vice Chancellor ] termed Trump a ] similar to ], ] or ].<ref name="NYT03816">{{cite news |author1=The Editorial Board |title=Trying to Read Donald Trump, in Translation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/09/opinion/trying-to-read-mr-trump-in-translation.html |access-date=March 9, 2016 |work=] |date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> '']'' analogized Trump's positions with that of past populist figures ] and ] in terms of the us-versus-them approaches.<ref name=Kazin/>
=====Reactions to comments on illegal immigration=====
Trump acknowledged that Republican National Committee Chairman ] asked him to tone down his rhetoric on immigration reform and stated that his conversations with the RNC were "congratulatory" as well.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/08/politics/donald-trump-reince-priebus-immigrants-rnc/index.html |title=Trump: RNC call was 'congratulatory' |publisher=CNN |date=July 9, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> ], Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, said that "he is a politician who ignores the context in which it is participating", with regard to U.S. international economic relations and Trump's comments.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2015/06/17/donald-trump-es-un-politico-que-desconoce-su-realidad-meade |title=Donald Trump "es un político que desconoce su realidad": Meade |publisher=CNN |date=June 17, 2015 |accessdate=July 6, 2015 |language=spanish}}</ref> ] stated that "Trump is wrong on this" and "to make these extraordinarily kind of ugly comments is not reflective of the Republican Party."<ref name=reuters12jul>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/11/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0PL0DA20150711 |title=White House contenders Trump, Bush in virtual dead heat: Reuters/Ipsos poll |agency=Reuters |date=July 11, 2015}}</ref> However, Jamiel and Anita Shaw, whose son was murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2008, came forward to defend Trump, with Anita Shaw stating on July 7, 2015, that, "it's time people listened to Trump" and "this guy who is running for President, Donald Trump, he's trying to do something and they're trying to shut him down."<ref name=Miller1>Ryan Perry (July 7, 2015).. Daily Mail.</ref> Jamiel Shaw spoke at the podium for Trump's July 11 rally at the Phoenix convention center, in part declaring, "I Trust Donald Trump."<ref name=Lee1>M. J. Lee and Pat St. Claire. (July 12, 2012).. CNN.</ref> Two days later, escaped high-profile ] ] was alleged to have issued threats through a Twitter account against Trump.<ref name=Baverstock1>Alasdair Baverstock and Ollie Gillman (July 16, 2015). . Daily Mail.</ref> The brother of ] who was shot in San Francisco criticized Trump for politicizing his sisters death, telling ] Trump's platform "isn't exactly what our family believes in."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsmax.com/US/kate-steinle-brother-donald-trump-immigration/2015/07/14/id/657081/ |title=Kate Steinle's Brother: Trump Is Using My Sister for His Campaign |work=Newsmax}}</ref>


===Opposition to trade agreements===
U.S. Senator ] saluted Trump for giving attention to illegal immigration, while Congressman ] also defended Trump's remarks about illegal immigration and crime.<ref name="Abreland1"/><ref name="Hensch1"/><ref name="Hensch2">Mark Hensch (July 9, 2015).. The Hill.</ref> Conservative radio host ] has repeatedly praised Trump's comments and his continued response to the backlash, saying that Trump has successfully changed the debate and brought the issue of ] back to the foreground, while also not backing down against media scrutiny and businesses severing ties with him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/07/08/donald_trump_s_blinding_achievement |title=Donald Trump's Blinding Achievement - The Rush Limbaugh Show |publisher=Rushlimbaugh.com |date=July 8, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/07/07/is_the_silent_majority_with_trump |title=Is the Silent Majority with Trump? - The Rush Limbaugh Show |publisher=Rushlimbaugh.com |date=July 7, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/07/06/see_trump_told_you_so |title=See, Trump Told You So - The Rush Limbaugh Show |publisher=Rushlimbaugh.com |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Former Arizona governor ] said, "I believe that Mr. Trump is kind of telling it like it really, truly is."<ref name="Hensch2"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/donald-trump-politically-correct-crap-213988 |title=Donald Trump 2016: Tired of Political correctness - POLITICO |work=POLITICO}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-jan-brewer-rapist-immigrants |title=Brewer On Trump's 'Rapists' Remark: He's 'Telling It Like It Really, Truly Is' |publisher=Talkingpointsmemo.com |date=July 10, 2015 |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> Over 36,000 criminally convicted illegal immigrants were released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2013.<ref name="Vaughn1">Jessica Vaughn (May 2014).. Center for Immigration Studies.</ref><ref name="Stancy1">Diana Stancy (June 15, 2015).. The Daily Signal.</ref> On July 10, 2015, Limbaugh cited a report which he claimed supports Trump's remarks about illegal immigration and crime.<ref name=Limbaugh2>Rush Limbaugh (July 10, 2010).. Rush Limbaugh.com Premiere Radio Networks.</ref>
{{See also|Balance of trade|Peter Navarro|Carrier Air Conditioner move to Mexico}}
Opposition to international trade agreements on the grounds that they hurt American workers by moving jobs abroad was one of the central themes of Trump's campaign.<ref name="CorasantiniTrade">{{cite news |last1=Corasantini |first1=Nick |title=Donald Trump Vows to Rip Up Trade Deals and Confront China |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/us/politics/donald-trump-trade-speech.html |access-date=December 9, 2016 |work=] |date=June 28, 2016}}</ref> Trump's chief trade advisor during the campaign was ].<ref name="appoint">{{cite web |url=https://greatagain.gov/navarro-national-trade-council-c2d90c10eacb#.7ri8g5sa3|title=President-Elect Trump Appoints Dr. Peter Navarro to Head the White House National Trade Council|date=December 21, 2016|website=] |quote=President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced the formation of the White House National Trade Council (NTC) and his selection of Dr. Peter Navarro to serve as Assistant to the President and Director of Trade and Industrial Policy.|access-date=January 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118200515/https://greatagain.gov/navarro-national-trade-council-c2d90c10eacb |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
]'s promises to American people, workers, and domestic manufacturers ('''''' on June 28, 2016) in the ] with ] ] and ] ] before President Trump signs ] regarding trade in March 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/31/presidential-executive-order-regarding-omnibus-report-significant-trade |title=Presidential Executive Order Regarding the Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits |work=] |date=March 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402165607/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/31/presidential-executive-order-regarding-omnibus-report-significant-trade |access-date=5 October 2023 |archive-date=2017-04-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-executive-order-establishing-enhanced-collection-enforcement-antidumping-countervailing-duties-violations-trade-customs-laws/ |title=Presidential Executive Order on Establishing Enhanced Collection and Enforcement of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties and Violations of Trade and Customs Laws |work=] |date=March 31, 2016 |access-date=5 October 2023 }}</ref>]]


Navarro and the international private equity investor ] authored a short economic endorsement plan for the Donald Trump presidential campaign in September 2016 which was published without academic references and criticized in the press.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/white-paper-on-djt-econ-plan |title=Show Your Support for Donald Trump |website=donaldjtrump.com |access-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308045918/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/white-paper-on-djt-econ-plan |archive-date=March 8, 2017}}</ref> Navarro was invited to be an adviser after ] saw on Amazon that he co-wrote '']'', while he was researching China for Trump.<ref name="Report: Kushner found Trump advisor Navarro by browsing Amazon">{{cite web |last1=Vladimirov |first1=Nikita |title=Report: Kushner found Trump advisor Navarro by browsing Amazon |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/328969-report-kushner-found-trump-economic-advisor-navarro-by-browsing/ |website=] |access-date=April 18, 2017 |language=en |date=April 15, 2017}}</ref> and told when the ] assessed that Trump's economic plan would reduce federal revenues by $6&nbsp;trillion and reduce economic growth in the long term, Navarro said that the analysis demonstrated "a high degree of analytical and political malfeasance".<ref name=":82">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/24/trumps-advisers-see-another-conspiracy-far-from-the-campaign-trail/ |title=Trump's advisers see another conspiracy—far from the campaign trail|newspaper=]|access-date=March 7, 2017|quote=The researchers in question said there is no plot against the Trump team, just errors of analysis by Navarro and Ross{{nbsp}}... "There's no conspiracy," said Marcus Noland, executive vice president and director of studies at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the think tank Navarro dubbed Vader-esque. "There is a complete misunderstanding of international trade, on their part."}}</ref> When the Peterson Institute for International Affairs estimated that Trump's economic plan would cost millions of Americans their jobs, Navarro said that writers at the Peterson Institute "weave a false narrative and they come up with some phony numbers."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://morningconsult.com/2016/09/19/trump-adviser-bullish-wake-tax-trade-critiques/|title=Trump Adviser Bullish in Wake of Tax, Trade Critiques|last=Rainey|first=Ryan|date=September 19, 2016|website=Morning Consult|access-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> According to MIT economist ], the economic plan essay authored by Navarro and Wilbur Ross for Donald Trump during the campaign had projections "based on assumptions so unrealistic that they seem to have come from a different planet. If the United States really did adopt Trump's plan, the result would be an immediate and unmitigated disaster."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-insane-economic-plan-by-simon-johnson-2016-09?barrier=accessreg|title=Trump's Magical Economic Thinking|last=Johnson|first=Simon|date=September 30, 2016|work=Project Syndicate|access-date=March 7, 2017|language=en}}</ref> When 370 economists, including nineteen Nobel laureates, signed a letter warning against Donald Trump's stated economic policies in November 2016, Navarro said that the letter was "an embarrassment to the corporate offshoring wing of the economist profession who continues to insist bad trade deals are good for America."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 November 2016 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-prominent-us-economists-warn-against-voting-trump/|title=Hundreds of US economists warn against voting Trump |work=] |access-date=March 7, 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Bloomberg |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2042326/top-economists-pen-anti-trump-letter-claim-he-misled |title=Top economists pen anti-Trump letter, claim he 'misled the electorate' and promotes conspiracies |date=2 November 2016 |work=South China Morning Post |access-date=March 7, 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
] announced it would no longer carry broadcasts of the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/25/media/univision-donald-trump-mexicans/index.html |title=Univision dumps Trump, cancels Miss USA over his comments about Mexicans |publisher=CNN |date=June 25, 2015 |accessdate=June 29, 2015 |first=Brian |last=Stelter}}</ref> In response, Trump indicated the matter would be handled by legal action, and followed through by filing a {{USD}}500 million lawsuit against Univision. The complaint asserts that Univision is attempting to suppress Trump’s ] rights by putting pressure on his business ventures.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/donald-trump-univision-miss-usa-lawsuit-1201531845/ |title=Donald Trump Files {{USD}}500 Million Lawsuit Against Univision Over Miss USA Contract|website=Variety|date=June 30, 2015|accessdate=July 2, 2015|first=Cynthia|last=Littleton}}</ref> ] announced it would not air the ] or Miss USA pageant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/nbc-cuts-business-ties-donald-trump-over-immigration-remarks-n383856 |title=NBC Cuts Business Ties with Donald Trump Over Immigration Remarks |publisher=] |date=June 29, 2015 |accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/30/us-trump-nbc-idUSKCN0P92HD20150630 |title=NBC fires Trump, drops pageants over candidate's insults to Mexicans |date=June 30, 2015 |agency=Reuters}}</ref> Afterwards, the multinational media company ] severed ties with Trump,<ref>{{cite news |title=Televisa Cuts Ties to Donald Trump Following NBC, Univision |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-06-30/televisa-cuts-ties-to-donald-trump-following-nbc-univision |publisher=Bloomberg |accessdate=July 1, 2015 |first=Gerry |last=Smith |date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> as did ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Carlos Slim y Televisa cancelan proyectos con Donald Trump |url=http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/06/150630_slim_televisa_cancelan_proyectos_trump_ng |publisher=BBC Mundo |accessdate=July 1, 2015}}</ref> a television network partly owned by Mexican billionaire ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/doliaestevez/2015/06/30/carlos-slims-ora-tv-severs-ties-with-donald-trump-calling-his-remarks-about-immigrants-racist/ |title=Carlos Slim's Ora TV Severs Ties With Donald Trump, Calling His Remarks About Immigrants "Racist" |work=Forbes |date=June 30, 2015 |accessdate=July 4, 2015 |first=Dolia |last=Estevez}}</ref> Trump gave the rights to broadcast the Miss Universe and Miss USA Pageants to the ].<ref name=Tadena1>Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015).. ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref>


In October 2016, with ] and ], Navarro coauthored the essay "Economic Analysis of Donald Trump's Contract with the American Voter".<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Wilbur|last1=Ross|author-link1=Wilbur Ross|first2=Andy|last2=Puzder|author-link2=Andy Puzder|first3=Peter|last3=Navarro|author-link3=Peter Navarro|url=http://www.publicnow.com/view/26F924AB8FA783A28FEA3EE8943635B4F0574556?2016-10-31-14:32:09+00:00-xxx4035|title=ICYMI: Economic Analysis of Donald Trump's Contract with the American Voter|publisher=Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.|date=October 30, 2016|access-date=October 26, 2017|archive-date=October 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022033043/http://www.publicnow.com/view/26F924AB8FA783A28FEA3EE8943635B4F0574556?2016-10-31-14:32:09+00:00-xxx4035|url-status=dead}}</ref> On December 21, 2016, Navarro was selected by President-elect ] to head a newly created position, as director of the ].<ref>{{cite news|title='Death by China' author to lead Trump trade office|url=https://www.ft.com/content/71a201d2-c7b3-11e6-8f29-9445cac8966f|newspaper=]|date=December 21, 2016 |access-date=January 19, 2017}}</ref> He endorsed President Trump's trade policy as aiming to create jobs, revive the manufacturing sector, and improve the country's trade balance. He warned that trade deficits could jeopardize U.S. national security by allowing unfriendly nations to encroach on American supply chains. One of his main missions is to focus on behaviors by other countries that he considers abusive, cheating, illegal, and unfair against the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4659659/peter-navarro-outlines-trump-administration-trade-policy-priorities |title=Peter Navarro Outlines Trump Administration Trade Policy Priorities |work=] |date=June 3, 2017 |access-date=5 October 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://morningconsult.com/briefs/finance-brief-navarro-says-trade-deficit-endangers-national-security/ |url-status=dead |title=Navarro Says Trade Deficit Endangers National Security |work=] |date=July 3, 2017 |access-date=5 October 2023 |first=Tara |last=Jeffries |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314202823/https://morningconsult.com/briefs/finance-brief-navarro-says-trade-deficit-endangers-national-security/ |archive-date=2017-03-14 }}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |first=Peter |last=Navarro |interviewer=David Westin |access-date=5 October 2023 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2017-03-31/navarro-says-not-all-trade-deficits-necessarily-bad-video |url-status=dead |title=Peter Navarro Says Trade Deficits Aren't Always Bad |work=] |date=March 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412143143/https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2017-03-31/navarro-says-not-all-trade-deficits-necessarily-bad-video |archive-date=2017-04-12 }}</ref>
], the current Miss Universe and former Miss Colombia, said that, although she repudiates the immigration remarks of Trump,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://mexico.cnn.com/entretenimiento/2015/07/02/los-comentarios-de-trump-injustos-e-hirientes-dice-paulina-vega |title=Los comentarios de Trump, injustos e hirientes, dice Paulina Veg |publisher=CNN |date=July 2, 2015 |accessdate=July 6, 2015 |language=spanish}}</ref> who in turn called her a "hypocrite",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2015/07/05/actualidad/1436110793_966451.html |title=Donald Trump llama hipócrita a Miss Universo Colombiana |language=spanish |publisher=El País |date=July 5, 2015 |accessdate=July 5, 2015}}</ref> she cannot give up the crown because her contract forbids it, and she could be sued.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://entretenimiento.univision.com/article/2392073/2015-07-06/chismes/noticias/paulina-vega-no-abdicara-como-reina-ante-donald-trump |title=Paulina Vega no 'abdicará' como reina ante Donald Trump |publisher=Univision.com |date=July 6, 2015 |accessdate=July 6, 2015 |language=spanish}}</ref>


== Campaign branding ==
Mexico,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2015/06/30/mexico-wont-send-representative-to-miss-universe-pageant-after-televisa-pulls/ |title=Mexico won’t send representative to Miss Universe pageant after Televisa pulls out |publisher=FOX |date=June 30, 2015 |accessdate=July 6, 2015}}</ref> Panama,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2015/07/04/panama-snubs-miss-universe-pageant-in-response-to-trump-remarks/ |title=Panama snubs Miss Universe pageant in response to Trump's remarks |publisher=FOX |date=July 4, 2015 |accessdate=July 6, 2015}}</ref> and Costa Rica<ref>{{cite web |url=http://noticias.univision.com/article/2387690/2015-07-01/mundo/noticias/costa-rica-no-enviara-concursante-a-miss-universo |title=Costa Rica no enviará concursante a Miss Universo |publisher=Univision.com |date=July 1, 2015 |accessdate=July 6, 2015 |language=spanish}}</ref> will not send representatives to the Miss Universe competition.
]


The campaign drew heavily on Trump's personal image, enhanced by his previous media exposure. Prior to his presidential bid, ] also relied on the 'Trump' surname as a key part of its marketing strategy. Consequently, the 'Trump' name was in widespread use in the U.S. well before the presidential campaign itself started. Due to successful branding and media coverage, Trump soon gained a leverage in the race despite spending comparatively little on advertising himself.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://fortune.com/2016/04/28/donald-trump-branding-power/ |title=Explaining Donald Trump's Massive Branding Power |first=Geoff |last=Colvin |date=April 28, 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=July 16, 2016 |work=]}}</ref><ref name="brandstrength">{{cite web |last1=Schroeder |first1=Robert |title=Trump has gotten nearly $3 billion in 'free' advertising |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-has-gotten-nearly-3-billion-in-free-advertising-2016-05-06 |publisher=MarketWatch |access-date=July 17, 2016 |date=May 6, 2016 |quote=Donald Trump has gotten the equivalent of nearly $3 billion in free advertising since last May, according to the latest statistics from the firm mediaQuant, blowing away rivals in both parties.}}</ref>
] announced it would phase out its Trump-branded merchandise.<ref>{{cite web |title=Macy's Cuts Ties with Trump: 'No Tolerance for Discrimination' |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/macys-cuts-ties-trump-n385131 |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=July 1, 2015}}</ref> ], a mattress manufacturer, also decided to drop their business relationship with Trump.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/serta-mattress-maker-latest-dump-trump-n385851 |title=Serta Mattress Maker Latest to Dump Trump |publisher=NBC News}}</ref> ] ended sponsorship with Trump by announcing it would not hold their post season awards banquet at the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=NASCAR Distances Itself From Donald Trump After Remarks |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NBC News |date=July 3, 2015 |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nascar-distances-itself-donald-trump-after-remarks-n386551 |accessdate=July 5, 2015}}</ref> ] decided to relocate its ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic to the Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach. The charity golf tournament was once scheduled to be held at a golf course owned by Trump.<ref name=Nicolai>Megan Nicolai and Martin Wisckol (July 7, 2015). . Orange County Register.</ref>
]|date=July 17, 2016}}</ref>]]


Before the announcement of ] as running mate in July 2016, the campaign relied on a ] of the 'Trump' surname capitalised and set in the bold ] typeface. Following the announcement, the campaign unveiled a new logo combining the names of the two candidates by featuring an interlocking 'T' and 'P', formed to create the image of the ].<ref name="wired-logoinsouts"/> The logo became the subject of parodies that interpreted the symbol as being sexually suggestive; the campaign revised the logo shortly afterward to remove the flag and interlocking symbol, leaving the wordmark.<ref name="wired-logoinsouts">{{cite magazine |title=The Ins and Outs of the New Trump-Pence Logo |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/07/ins-outs-new-trump-pence-logo/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=July 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-users-stick-it-to-trump-over-new-campaign-logo/ |title=Twitter users stick it to Trump over new campaign logo |website=CNET|access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref>
Reuters journalists found that Trump's companies sought to import 1,100 workers on ]s since 2000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-usa-election-trump-exclusive-idUSKCN0Q62RQ20150802 |title=Exclusive: Donald Trump's companies have sought visas to import at least 1,100 workers |agency=Reuters |date=August 2, 2015}}</ref>
] slogan worn by a Trump supporter]]


The primary slogan of the Trump campaign, extensively used on campaign merchandise, is ]. The ] became a symbol of the campaign, and is frequently donned by Trump and his supporters.<ref name="trumphats">{{cite web |last1=Mai-Duc |first1=Christine |title=Inside the Southern California factory that makes the Donald Trump hats |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-trump-hats-cali-fame-carson-20151124-story.html |website=] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |date=November 12, 2015}}</ref> The hats were so important to the campaign that it spent more money to make them than on polling, consultants, or television advertisements.<ref name="tumulty20170118">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-donald-trump-came-up-with-make-america-great-again/2017/01/17/fb6acf5e-dbf7-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html |title=How Donald Trump came up with 'Make America Great Again' |last=Tumulty |first=Karen |date=January 18, 2017 |newspaper=] |author-link=Karen Tumulty}}</ref>
====Muslims====


In addition, UK big data voter opinion influencer ] was hired by the Trump campaign in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-election-day/trump-campaign-pays-millions-overseas-big-data-firm-n677321 |title=Trump's campaign is paying an overseas big data firm millions of dollars |newspaper=]|access-date=December 1, 2016}}</ref> In March 2018, it was revealed through undercover footage that Cambridge Analytica used seductive women to entice a rival candidate while secretly videotaping the encounter. The firm also sent impostors who acted like wealthy individuals only to give them bribes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cambridge Analytica, Trump-Tied Political Firm, Offered to Entrap Politicians|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/cambridge-analytica-alexander-nix.html|last=Rosenberg|first=Matthew|work=]|date=March 17, 2018}}</ref>
On November 19, a week after the ], when Trump was asked if he would implement a database system tracking Muslims in the United States, he stated: "I would certainly implement that. Absolutely. There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases. We should have a lot of systems."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hillyard |first1=Vaughn |title=Trump’s plan for a Muslim database draws comparison to Nazi Germany |url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trump-would-certainly-implement-muslim-database |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=November 23, 2015}}</ref> On November 21, Trump expanded on his stance, saying that he would order surveillance of "certain mosques" to combat Muslim terrorism after the Paris attacks, and recalled that he had watched as “thousands and thousands of people were cheering” while the ] towers fell on ], citing that as a reason to reinforce surveillance.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Calls for Surveillance of ‘Certain Mosques’ and a Syrian Refugee Database |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/us/politics/donald-trump-syrian-muslims-surveillance.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=November 23, 2015}}</ref> Trump cited a ''Washington Post'' article from a week after 9/11 which detailed law enforcement detaining "a number of people" who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks to support his claim.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gonyea |first1=Don |title=Trump Reasserts Claim That 'Thousands' Of N.J. Muslims Cheered After Sept. 11 |url=http://www.npr.org/2015/11/24/457203786/trump-tells-ohio-crowd-he-will-be-tough-on-isis |publisher=NPR |date=November 24, 2015 |accessdate=November 27, 2015}}</ref> Most of the claims of celebrations rely on anecdotal evidence of small gatherings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/12/exclusive_jersey_city_cop_residents_say_some_musli.html |title=EXCLUSIVE: Some Jersey City Muslims did celebrate 9/11, cop and residents say |publisher=NJ.com |date= |accessdate=January 16, 2016}}</ref>


=== Ground game ===
<section begin=trump5/><!--transclusion on the ] article-->Trump has received widespread notoriety for proposing a temporary ban on ] (approximately 100,000 Muslim immigrants are admitted to the U.S. each year)<ref>"". ]. May 17, 2013.</ref> until better security precautions are implemented.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/04/donald-trump-great-again-first-campaign-ad-isis-mexico-wall-muslim-ban |title=Trump re-ups controversial Muslim ban and Mexico wall in first campaign ad |author=Amanda Holpuch |work=the Guardian}}</ref><ref name="auto1">Scott, Eugene. , ] (December 13, 2015).</ref><ref name="auto2">, ]. Retrieved December 18, 2015.</ref><ref name="auto3">Barro, Josh. , '']'' (December 15, 2015).</ref> In response to the ], Trump released a statement on "Preventing Muslim Immigration" and called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=Jenna|title=Trump calls for ‘total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States’|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/07/donald-trump-calls-for-total-and-complete-shutdown-of-muslims-entering-the-united-states/|website=washingtonpost.com|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=7 February 2016}}</ref> Trump cited President ]'s ] use of the ] to issue ] for rounding up, holding, and deporting ], ], and ] alien immigrants, then argued that Roosevelt was highly respected and had highways named after him.<ref>Morning Joe, MSNBC, 12-8-2015.</ref><ref>Did a CNN Commentator Provides Donald Trump with a Defense of his Proposed Muslim Ban?, Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 12-8-2015, </ref><ref>Similar to ]:
In October 2016, the Trump campaign had 178 field offices compared to Clinton's 489.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-clinton-field-offices/ |title=Where Clinton Is Setting Up Field Offices—And Where Trump Isn't |last=Darr |first=Joshua |date=October 7, 2016 |newspaper=]|language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref> The Trump campaign's number of field offices lagged far behind those Romney and Obama in 2012.<ref name=":5" /> Political science research showed that field offices had a modest positive effect on a candidate's vote share.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/mischiefs-of-faction/2016/10/5/13174624/trump-field-offices |title=Clinton has vastly more campaign offices than Trump. How much of an advantage is this? |last=Masket |first=Seth |date=October 5, 2016|access-date=October 6, 2016}}</ref> The Trump campaign was reportedly almost fully reliant on the Republican National Committee for field offices in swing states.<ref name=":5" /> As the field offices are organized by state and local Republican parties, they may not have been strategically located in terms of boosting turnout for the Republican presidential candidate.<ref name=":5" />
* {{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/donald-trump-speaks-plan-ban-muslims-35640498 |title=Donald Trump Speaks Out on Plan to Ban Muslims |work=Good Morning America}}
* {{cite web |url=https://gma.yahoo.com/donald-trump-cites-fdr-policies-defend-muslim-ban-180436247--abc-news-topstories.html |title=Donald Trump Cites These FDR Policies to Defend Muslim Ban |publisher=ABC News |quote="I mean, take a look at what FDR did many years ago and he's one of the most highly respected presidents. I mean respected by most people. They named highways after him."}}</ref><ref name="Haaretz7Dec">{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/1.690635?v=464DDF176E0CBE356A81F70F97E21571 |title=ADL compares Trump's anti-Muslim proposal to persecution of Jews |date=December 7, 2015 |accessdate=December 7, 2015 |work=Haaretz}}</ref> Trump stated that he did not agree with Roosevelt's ], and clarified that the proposal would not apply to Muslims who were U.S. citizens or to Muslims who were serving in the US military.<ref>Trump calls for 'shutdown' of Muslims entering US, Ben Kamisar, The Hill, 12-7-2015, </ref><ref>Greta Confronts Trump on Whether His Muslim Ban Would Apply to Military Members. His Answer?, Oliver Darcy, The Blaze, 12-7-2015, </ref> He later clarified that Muslims who were U.S. citizens or serving in the U.S. military would be let back into the United States.<ref>"Trump's plan would block all Muslims from entering the United States, with an exception for U.S. citizens who are Muslim, who would come and go as they wish... 'If a person is a Muslim, goes overseas and comes back, they can come back. They're a citizen. That's different,' Trump said.", , John Santucci, ABC News, December 8, 2015.</ref> The measure proposed by Trump would be temporary,<ref name="auto1"/> until better screening methods are devised,<ref name="auto2"/> although the proposal has also been phrased in more controversial ways.<ref name="auto3"/> This proposal gained considerable support among Republican voters, with 59% supporting such a ban in an ABC News/Washington Post survey. Support for such a proposal came to approximately 36% among the population as a whole according to another survey.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/poll-muslim-ban-support-216748 |title=Poll: 6 in 10 GOP voters back Trump's Muslim ban |work=POLITICO}}</ref><section end=trump5/><!--transclusion on the ] article-->


=== Music ===
=====Reactions to comments on Muslims=====
During the 2016 campaign, Trump reportedly programmed his own campaign rally playlists.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Browne |first=David |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/complete-guide-to-the-2016-candidates-favorite-music-20160201 |title=Complete Guide to the 2016 Candidates' Favorite Music |magazine=] |date=February 1, 2016 |access-date=July 25, 2017 }}</ref> Trump's musical preferences have been well-documented in several of his books. In his book ''Think Like a Billionaire'' he states that he returns to favorites like ] and ], while also appreciating a more diverse catalogue including rap artist ] and reggae group ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lynch |first=John |title=Donald Trump's surprising list of favorite movies, TV shows, and music |work=Business Insider |date=August 17, 2016 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-favorite-pop-culture-movies-tv-books-music-2016-8#film-citizen-kane-1 |access-date=July 25, 2017 }}</ref> The campaign playlist was as diverse, and included ]' "]," ]'s "]," ]' "]" and ]'s "]".<ref name="Kasper, Eric 2016">{{cite news |last=Kasper |first=Eric |title=How music fits Trump's campaign message |work=] |date=July 28, 2016 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/28/opinions/trump-campaign-music/index.html |access-date=July 26, 2017 }}</ref> The Trump campaign's "warm-up music"—a track played before rallies began with the intention of energizing the crowd—regularly included:<ref>{{cite news |last=Tani |first=Maxwell |title=The songs that Donald Trump rallies blast to pump up supporters |work=Business Insider |date=January 9, 2016 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-rally-songs-2015-12 |access-date=July 26, 2017 }}</ref>
The U.S. ] issued a rare statement of concern, stating "anything that bolsters ISIL's narrative and pits the United States against the Muslim faith is certainly not only contrary to our values but contrary to our national security."<ref name=BBC8Dec>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35047105 |title=Trump’s Muslim ban call 'endangers US security' |date=December 8, 2015 |accessdate=December 8, 2015 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> The ], ], and the ], ], both issued statements in response to Trump's press release condemning him.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Cameron criticises Donald Trump 'Muslim ban' call |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-35037553 |work=BBC |accessdate=January 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump’s Plan to Bar Muslims Is Widely Condemned Abroad |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/donald-trumps-call-to-bar-muslims-reverberates-abroad.html |work=NY Times |accessdate=January 31, 2016}}</ref> However, ], leader of the right-wing ] in the ] applauded his remarks calling them "brave" and "good for Europe".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gowen |first1=Annie |title=British, French leaders join world condemnation of Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering U.S. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-world-reacts-to-trumps-proposed-ban-on-muslims-entering-us/2015/12/08/50eea1dc-9d4a-11e5-9ad2-568d814bbf3b_story.html |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref> Among the European right wing, ] of the ] called it "perhaps a political mistake too far",<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stone |first1=Jon |title=Nigel Farage says Donald Trump's policy of banning Muslim immigration to the US is 'a political mistake too far' |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-says-donald-trumps-policy-of-banning-muslim-immigration-to-the-us-is-a-political-a6765431.html |accessdate=December 12, 2015 |work=The Independent |date=9 December 2015}}</ref> and ] of the conservative ] separated herself from the idea.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vale |first1=Paul |title=Donald Trump's Muslim Travel Ban Is Too Much Even For France's Marine Le Pen |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/12/11/donald-trump-muslim-ban-marine-le-pen_n_8785046.html |accessdate=December 12, 2015 |work=The Huffington Post |date=December 11, 2015}}</ref> ], the Israeli Prime Minister, rejected Trump's proposal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=LoBianco |first1=Tom |title=Trump 'postpones' Israel trip after Netanyahu criticism |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/10/politics/donald-trump-postpones-israel-trip/index.html |accessdate=December 12, 2015 |publisher=CNN |date=December 10, 2015}}</ref>


{{bulleted list
Trump was widely criticized by leading GOP figures, including ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/reince-priebus-condemns-trump-on-muslim-ban/article/2577868 |title=Reince Priebus condemns Trump on Muslim ban |work=Washington Examiner}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/08/politics/donald-trump-muslim-republicans-2016/ |title=Is GOP ready to unite against Trump for his Muslim ban? |author=Nia-Malika Henderson, Senior Political Reporter |date=December 8, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> and Republican leaders in South Carolina and Iowa.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/07/politics/donald-trump-muslim-travel-ban-early-states/ |title=Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban plan criticized by GOP chairs |author=Theodore Schleifer |date=December 8, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> A number of commentators and news outlets subsequently likened Trump to a ]<ref name="Is Donald Trump a Fascist">{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/opinion/campaign-stops/is-donald-trump-a-fascist.html |title=Is Donald Trump a Fascist? |date=December 3, 2015 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="businessinsider.in">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.in/Presidential-candidate-Martin-OMalley-Donald-Trump-is-a-fascist-demagogue/articleshow/50084308.cms |title=Presidential candidate Martin O'Malley: Donald Trump is a 'fascist demagogue' |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref name="cbc.ca">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-december-01-2015-1.3344894/republicans-call-out-donald-trump-on-fascist-remarks-1.3344945 |title=Republicans call out Donald Trump on 'fascist' remarks |date=December 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/24/politics/donald-trump-fascism/ |title=Why some conservatives say Donald Trump's talk is fascist |author=M. J. Lee |date=November 24, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> or ].<ref name="Haaretz7Dec"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-shrugs-off-hitler-comparison/story?id=35645113 |title=Donald Trump Shrugs Off Hitler Comparison |publisher=ABC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/several-papers-depict-donald-trump-as-the-new-furor-with-hitler-comparisons/ |title=Several Papers Depict Donald Trump As 'the New Furor' With Hitler Comparisons}}</ref> Other commentators and news outlets refuted the labels as obscene,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/12/15/hey-america-stop-comparing-donald-trump-to-hitler.html |title=Hey, America, stop comparing Donald Trump to Hitler |author=Rabbi Brad Hirschfield |date=December 15, 2015}}</ref> with Gianni Riotta, saying, "I am dead sure: Trump is not a fascist. Using the label not only belittles past tragedies and obscures future dangers, but also indicts his supporters, who have real grievances that mainstream politicians ignore at their peril."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/01/donald-trump-fascist/424449/ |title=I Know Fascists; Donald Trump Is No Fascist |author=Gianni Riotta |date=January 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trump-isnt-a-fascist-hes-a-media-savvy-know-nothing |title=Donald Trump Isn’t a Fascist; He’s a Media-Savvy Know-Nothing |author=John Cassidy |date=December 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/04/why-you-should-stop-calling-donald-trump-a-fascist/ |title=Why you should stop calling Donald Trump a fascist |author=Max Ehrenfreund |date=December 4, 2015}}</ref>
|"]" by ]
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|"]" and "]" by ]
|"]" from ]'s '']''
|"]" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's '']''
|"Nessun Dorma" by ]
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The Trump campaign was publicly criticized for unauthorized use of music by several artists including the Rolling Stones, R.E.M.'s frontman ], Queen's music publisher, and ]'s estate, whose music was played at campaign rallies.<ref name="Kasper, Eric 2016"/><ref>Diebel, Matthew. Trump's campaign music: Brits 12, Yanks 3. USA Today. July 19, 2016. Web. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/19/bloody-heck-trumps-campaign-music-mostly-imported/87284384/ Retrieved July 26, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/r-e-m-to-trump-other-pols-go-f--k-yourselves-for-using-our-music-20150909|title=R.E.M. to Pols: 'Go F--k Yourselves' for Using Our Music|magazine=]|date=September 10, 2015}}</ref>
During the controversy regarding his comments, Trump alleged that "We have places in London and other places that are so radicalized that the police are afraid for their own lives." The ], responsible for policing in London, responded by stating "we think it’s important to state to Londoners that Mr Trump could not be more wrong." Conservative ], ], demanded an apology and described Trump's comments as "ill-informed" and "complete and utter nonsense."<ref>{{cite news |author=Frances Perraudin, Vikram Dodd and Angelique Chrisafis |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/08/the-met-blasts-donald-trump-for-london-police-in-fear-muslims-claim |title=Met blasts Donald Trump for 'London police in fear' claim &#124; US news |work=The Guardian |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=December 9, 2015}}</ref> Several Metropolitan police officers backed Trump's claim; "Trump's not wrong; we can't wear uniform in our own cars."<ref>{{cite web |title=Several officers claim Donald Trump is RIGHT about policing in London |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3352406/Scotland-Yard-mocks-Trump-s-claims-London-police-terrified-Muslim-areas-officers-claim-tycoon-RIGHT.html |website=Mail Online|access-date = 2016-01-27}}</ref>


== Media coverage ==
<section begin=trump4/><!--transclusion on the ] article-->Following Trump's controversial comments on Muslim immigration, a petition with the title "Block Donald J Trump from UK entry"<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump didn't get banned from UK, but he was called a 'wazzock' |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0119/Donald-Trump-didn-t-get-banned-from-UK-but-he-was-called-a-wazzock |newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|access-date = January 19, 2016 |issn=0882-7729 |first=Jason |last=Thomson}}</ref> was opened in the UK, on the Parliament's ], calling on the UK government's ] to ban him from entering the country. By 5:00 am on December 11, the total number of signatures exceeded 500,000,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12044983/Donald-Trump-muslims-New-Hampshire-Muhammad-Ali-UK-petition-latest-news-live.html |title=Donald Trump wins more support in US as petition to ban him from the UK passes half million signatures |date=December 11, 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> far above the threshold of 100,000 required for a Parliamentary debate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35052505 |title=Trump UK ban petition passes 370,000 signatures |publisher=BBC News |date=December 10, 2015 |accessdate=January 19, 2016}}</ref> On January 18, the UK's ] debated whether to ban Trump,<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump called a racist and buffoon as Parliament debates banning him from Britain |url=http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-parliament-trump-britain-20160118-story.html |website=latimes.com|access-date = January 19, 2016}}</ref> but ended without a vote, as UK ] did not have the power to enact such a ban.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35345279 |title=Donald Trump debate: Ban risks making tycoon a 'martyr' - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=January 19, 2016}}</ref> The three-hour long debate saw members on all sides of parliament describe Trump as "crazy" and "offensive".<ref>{{Cite news |title=British lawmakers debate banning Trump after Muslim comments |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-britain-idUSMTZSAPEC1I5H7FHD |newspaper=Reuters |date=January 19, 2016|access-date = January 10, 2016}}</ref><section end=trump4/><!--transclusion on the ] article-->
Trump spent only a modest amount on advertising during the primary—$10&nbsp;million through February 2016, far behind opponents such as Jeb Bush ($82&nbsp;million), Marco Rubio ($55&nbsp;million), and Ted Cruz ($22&nbsp;million).<ref name="FreeMediaAdvantage">{{cite news |first1=Nicholas |last1=Confessore |first2=Karen |last2=Yourish |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/upshot/measuring-donald-trumps-mammoth-advantage-in-free-media.html |title=Measuring Donald Trump's Mammoth Advantage in Free Media |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 16, 2016 |access-date=10 January 2024 }}</ref> Trump benefited from free media more than any other candidate. From the beginning of his campaign through February 2016, Trump received almost $2&nbsp;billion in free media attention, twice the amount that Hillary Clinton received.<ref name="FreeMediaAdvantage" /> Trump earned $400&nbsp;million alone in the month of February.<ref name="FreeMediaAdvantage" /> According to data from the Tyndall Report, which tracks nightly news content, through February 2016, Trump alone accounted for more than a quarter of all 2016 election coverage on the evening newscasts of ], ] and ], more than all the Democratic campaigns combined.<ref>{{cite web |title=How much does Donald Trump dominate TV news coverage? This much |date=December 6, 2015 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/12/06/media/donald-trump-nightly-news-coverage/ |work=]|access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Tyndall |first1=Andrew |title=COMMENTS: Campaign 2016 Coverage: Annual Totals for 2015 |url=http://tyndallreport.com/comment/20/5773/ |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Byers |first1=Dylan |title=Donald Trump: Media King, 2015 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/28/politics/trump-media-king/ |work=]|access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> Observers noted Trump's ability to garner constant mainstream media coverage "almost at will".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Walsh |first1=Kenneth |title=How Donald Trump's Media Dominance Is Changing the 2016 Campaign |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2015/12/31/how-donald-trumps-media-dominance-is-changing-the-2016-campaign |magazine=] |access-date=February 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225000859/http://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2015/12/31/how-donald-trumps-media-dominance-is-changing-the-2016-campaign |archive-date=February 25, 2016 }}</ref>


In response, a petition to "Stop promoting Donald Trump" accused the media of giving Trump endless airtime for the purpose of increasing viewership and ratings and quickly amassed over 200,000 signatures.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grove |first1=Lloyd |title=The Petitions to Get Trump Off TV |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/17/the-petitions-to-get-trump-off-tv.html |work=] |date=December 17, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> The media's coverage of Trump generated some disagreement as to its effect on his campaign.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Uberti |first1=David |title=The media's Trump conundrum |url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/the_medias_trump_conundrum.php |magazine=Columbia Journalism Review |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> Writing in '']'', ] argued that Trump's success was because of the mass news coverage,<ref>{{cite news|author1-link=John M. Sides |last1=Sides |first1=John |title=Why is Trump surging? Blame the media. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/07/20/why-is-trump-surging-blame-the-media/ |newspaper=] |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> yet a later article in ''The Washington Post'' stated that he remained successful in spite of the drop in media attention.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump has nothing left to gain from media coverage |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/01/15/donald-trump-has-nothing-left-to-gain-from-media-coverage/ |newspaper=] |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> On September 21, 2015, '']'' said, "blaming the press for the Trump surge neglects the salient fact that so much of the coverage of him has been darkly negative."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shafer |first1=Jack |title=Trump Isn't a Media Creation |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/trump-media-coverage-213170 |work=]|date=September 21, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> However, Barry Bennett—senior adviser to Trump—said in response to the high number of interviews Trump has given:
===LGBT issues===
<blockquote>Well the demand is pretty high so it's hard not to do them. And it's free media. And we've literally gotten hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free media. No other candidate can talk when everybody is talking about you. So there's some strategic benefit to it.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carlson |first1=Gretchen |last2=Bennett |first2=Barry |title=On Fox, Trump's Senior Adviser Brags About The "Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Free Media" Trump Has Received |url=http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/04/04/on-fox-trumps-senior-adviser-brags-about-the-hu/209735 |access-date=April 5, 2016 |department=The Real Story |work=] |via=Media Matters for America |date=April 4, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>
Trump has stated that he supports traditional marriage.<ref name="MEhren"/> Of the June 2015 ] nationwide, he said: "I would have preferred states, you know, making the decision and I let that be known. But they made the decision. ... So, at a certain point you have to be realistic about it."<ref name=Ontheissues/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/07/05/donald-trump-punching-back/ |title=Donald Trump punching back |work=MediaBuzz |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> Gregory T. Angelo, the president of the ] (a pro-LGBT organization),<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.logcabin.org/about-us/ |website=Log Cabin Republicans |accessdate=13 January 2016}}</ref> described Trump as "one of the best, if not the best, pro-gay Republican candidates to ever run for the presidency."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/16/the-lgbt-pick-for-the-gop-nomination-donald-trump/ |title=The LGBT pick for the GOP nomination: Donald Trump? |agency=Reuters}}</ref>
]


In a January 2016 interview with CBS, Trump said of his campaign's plans to purchase advertising; "I think I'm probably wasting the money. But I'm $35&nbsp;million under budget. Look, I was going to have 35 or 40&nbsp;million spent by now. I haven't spent anything. I almost feel guilty{{nbsp}}... I'm leading by, as you all say, a lot. You can take the CBS poll. You can take any poll and I'm winning by a lot. I don't think I need the ads. But I'm doing them. I almost feel guilty."<ref>{{cite web |title=The unabridged version of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's January 3, 2016 interview with "Face the Nation". |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/extended-interview-donald-trump-January-3/ |publisher=CBSN |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump adds paid-for TV ads to freewheeling campaign |url=https://www.ft.com/content/b75db4b2-b3ac-11e5-aad2-3e9865bc6644 |work=] |date=January 5, 2016 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Heilpern |first1=Will |title=Cable news played Donald Trump's ad 60 times in one day |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/news-play-trumps-ad-60-times-in-one-day-2016-1 |website=] |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref>
==Foreign policy==


In February 2016, in response to complaints from Trump that ] reporter Megyn Kelly would be unfair to him in a ] preceding the ], Fox released a sarcastic statement about Trump, saying they were "surprised he's willing to show that much fear", regarding Kelly.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Colin |title=Fox News issues incredible response to Donald Trump's Twitter poll about going to the Fox debate |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-donald-trump-debate-megyn-kelly-twitter-2016-1 |website=] |access-date=February 17, 2016 |quote=Sooner or later Donald Trump, even if he's president, is going to have to learn that he doesn't get to pick the journalists—we're very surprised he's willing to show that much fear about being questioned by Megyn Kelly.}}</ref> Trump responded by criticizing the "wise-guy press release" and withdrew from the debate, instead hosting a competing event in the state designed to raise money for wounded veterans on the day of the debate.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump says he won't participate in GOP debate on Fox News |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-he-wont-participate-in-gop-debate-on-fox-news/2016/01/26/58fa0b2e-c490-11e5-a4aa-f25866ba0dc6_story.html |newspaper=] |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Nguyen |first1=Tina |title=Donald Trump Drops Out of Fox News Debate Because Megyn Kelly Is Moderating |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/01/donald-trump-megyn-kelly-fox-debate |magazine=] |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> In a November 2019 court settlement, Trump was ordered to pay a $2&nbsp;million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=2000000|start_year=2019}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) fine for misusing his ] for political and business purposes. In the settlement, Trump acknowledged that the veterans fundraiser had actually been a campaign event and the $2.8&nbsp;million in raised funds were placed under the full control of his campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/nyregion/trump-charities-new-york.html|title=Trump Ordered to Pay $2 Million to Charities for Misuse of Foundation|first=Alan|last=Feuer|newspaper=]|date=November 7, 2019}}</ref>
===Trade===
Trump believes the ] "should not be allowed to happen."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/09/exclusive-donald-trump-obamas-trans-pacific-free-trade-deal-insanity/ |title=Exclusive — Donald Trump: Obama’s Trans-Pacific Free-Trade Deal Is ‘Insanity’ |work=Breitbart |date=November 9, 2015}}</ref> On November 10, Trump released his plan on US-China relationship,<ref name="U.S.-China Trade Reform">{{cite web |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/us-china-trade-reform |title=Reforming The U.S.-China Trade Relationship To Make America Great Again |work=Donald J. Trump for President, Inc |date=October 10, 2015 |accessdate=October 10, 2015}}</ref> calling for China to be called a ] and stop it from forcing intellectual property to be shared as a condition for joining the Chinese market.


Trump frequently criticized the media for writing what he alleged to be false stories about him and referred to them as being the "worst people"<ref>{{cite web |title=43 Times Donald Trump Has Attacked The Media As A Presidential Candidate |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-has-attacked-the-media-many-many-times_us_56059e0de4b0af3706dc3cce |work=] |date=September 28, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> and he has called upon his supporters to be "the silent majority", apparently referencing the media.<ref name=":4" /> At a rally in ], in February 2016, Trump stated that if elected he would "open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money". Trump specifically alleged that reporting about him by '']'' and '']'' has included falsehoods.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/media/donald-trump-libel-laws/index.html |title=Donald Trump wants to 'open up' libel laws so he can sue press |last=Byers |first=Dylan |website=]|date=February 26, 2016 | access-date = February 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/02/26/donald-trump-says-hell-open-up-libel-laws/ |title=Donald Trump says he'll 'open up libel laws' |last=Volokh |first=Eugene |date=February 26, 2016 |newspaper=] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286| access-date = February 27, 2016}}</ref> Trump says the media "put false meaning into the words I say", and says he does not mind being criticized by the media as long as they are honest about it.<ref>Walsh, Kenneth. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916083614/http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-15/trump-media-is-dishonest-and-corrupt |date=September 16, 2016 }}, '']'' (August 15, 2016).</ref><ref>Koppel, Ted. , '']'' (July 24, 2016).</ref>
===Foreign affairs and national defense===
Trump has stated his intention to provide presidential leadership with strong diplomacy to restore "respect" for the United States around the world and he supports a robust national defense.<ref name=Announcementspeech/><ref name=Ontheissues/><ref name=Announcement1/><ref name=Kellyfile1/> In his announcement speech he said that the U.S. is getting weaker as a country and that its nuclear arsenal is old and does not work, although he appeared to be unfamiliar with the term "]" when asked by ] in a December 2015 debate what specific improvements he would make.<ref name=Diamond17Dec>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/17/politics/nuclear-triad-donald-trump-marco-rubio-gop-debate/ |title=3 things to know about that nuclear triad |date=December 17, 2015 |accessdate=January 14, 2016 |work=CNN |first=Jeremy |last=Diamond}}</ref> Trump opposed the 2003 ] and has pointed to his opposition several times during the campaign.<ref name="Times Haberman Confessore 2015">{{cite news |last=Times |first=The New York |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |last3=Confessore |first3=Nicholas |title=In Fact - Donald Trump Opposed Iraq War - but After It Started |website=The New York Times Politics and Washington |date=2015-08-06 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/live/republican-debate-election-2016-cleveland/in-fact-trump-opposed-iraq-war-but-after-it-started/ |accessdate=September 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name="transcript_debate_june_28_2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1506/28/sotu.01.html |title=State of the Union, June 28, 2015 |publisher=CNN |date=June 28, 2015 |accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> In his interview with O'Reilly, Trump claimed that he had a proven record in negotiating with foreign countries. "I've made a fortune with foreign countries."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> He argued that "here's nobody bigger or better at the military than I am."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> During his speech at the ] he accused his opponents of wanting to "start ] over ]."<ref name="washingtonpost 2015_09_25">{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/09/25/donald-trump-let-russia-fight-the-islamic-state-in-syria/ |title=Donald Trump: Let Russia fight the Islamic State in Syria |work=The Washington Post |date=September 25, 2015 |accessdate=September 29, 2015 |author=Johnson, Jenna |location=Oklahoma City}}</ref> Unlike his opponents he would not reveal his military strategies to the enemy. "I don't want them to know what I'm thinking, does that make sense? I want people to be guessing ... I don't want people to figure it out. I don't want people to know what my plan is. I have plans. I have plans! But I don't want to do it."<ref name="washingtonpost 2015_09_25" /> Once elected he would find a "proper general", ] or a ] who would "hit so hard your head would spin."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" />


After Trump won the nomination, historians ] and Kenneth Osgood noted that, "Hardly a day passes without some columnist comparing Donald J. Trump to ], ] or ]."<ref>Fredrik Logevall and Kenneth Osgood, "Why Did We Stop Teaching Political History?" </ref>
Trump said in a December 2015 rally, "We have to see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what's happening. We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that internet up in some ways. Somebody will say, 'Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech.' These are foolish people." In the December Republican debate, Donald Trump said that the internet should be shut off to countries that have a majority of their territory controlled by terrorist organizations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/donald-trump-thinks-call-bill-015322421.html |title=Donald Trump thinks he can call Bill Gates to 'close up' the internet |date=December 8, 2015 |work=Yahoo News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/12/08/donald_trump_wants_bill_gates_to_close_the_internet/ |title=Donald Trump wants Bill Gates to 'close the Internet', Jeff Bezos to pay tax}}</ref>


A 2018 study found that media coverage of Trump led to increased public support for him during the primaries. The study showed Trump received nearly $2&nbsp;billion in free media, more than double any other candidate. Political scientist John Sides argued that Trump's polling surge was "almost certainly" due to frequent media coverage of his campaign. Sides concluded "Trump is surging in the polls because the news media has consistently focused on him since he announced his candidacy on June 16".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Reuning|first1=Kevin|last2=Dietrich|first2=Nick|date=2018|title=Media Coverage, Public Interest, and Support in the 2016 Republican Invisible Primary|journal=Perspectives on Politics|language=en|volume=17|issue=2|pages=326–339|doi=10.1017/S1537592718003274|issn=1537-5927|doi-access=free}}</ref>
He said, "We Americans are laughed at around the world for losing a hundred and fifty billion dollars year after year, for defending wealthy nations for nothing, nations that would be wiped off the face of the earth in about 15 minutes if it weren’t for us. Our ‘allies’ are making billions screwing us."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-foreign-policy-213546?o=0 |title=Trump's 19th Century Foreign Policy |author=Thomas Wright |publisher='']'' |date=January 20, 2016}}</ref> Trump has called for allied countries, including Japan, South Korea, Germany and Saudi Arabia, to pay the United States for helping protect their nations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/27/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-u-s-security-alliance-not-fair-donald-trump-says/ |title=Japan-U.S. security alliance not fair, Donald Trump says |publisher=The Japan Times |date= |accessdate=2015-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/apr/01/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-south-korea-doesnt-pay-us-troop-/ |title=Donald Trump says South Korea doesn't pay United States for troop presence |publisher=PolitiFact |date= |accessdate=2015-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=]|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/264748-trump-we-made-iran-a-power|date=January 5, 2016|title=Trump: 'I would want to protect Saudi Arabia'|first=Mark|last=Hensch}}</ref>


== Relationships with people and groups ==
===Interrogation===
{{very long|section|date=October 2016}}
Trump has stated that he would re-instate ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump Says He Would Bring Back Waterboarding|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-bring-back-waterboarding/story?id=35354443|publisher=ABC News|date=22 November 2015|accessdate=9 February 2016}}</ref> as an interrogation technique, and "a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding."<ref>{{cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=Tom|title=Donald Trump: I'd bring back 'a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/06/donald-trump-waterboarding-republican-debate-torture|website=theguardian.com|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=8 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ted Cruz, Donald Trump Advocate Bringing Back Waterboarding|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/ted-cruz-donald-trump-advocate-bringing-back-waterboarding-36764410|publisher=ABC News|date=6 February 2016|accessdate=9 February 2016}}</ref> When asked about his comments on CNN, Trump said, "They're chopping heads of Christians and many other people in the Middle East." Trump said, "They're chopping heads off. They laugh at us when they hear that we're not going to approve waterboarding ... It works, okay? It works. Only a stupid person would say it doesn't work."<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump: 'Waterboarding is fine with me'|url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/02/07/donald-trump-abc-gop-debate-waterboarding-sotu-bpr.cnn/video/playlists/donald-trump/|publisher=CNN|date=7 February 2016|accessdate=9 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Trump stands by proposal to revive waterboarding|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-waterboarding-torture-218901|publisher=Politico|date=7 February 2016|accessdate=9 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump on waterboarding: ‘If it doesn’t work, they deserve it anyway.’|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/11/23/donald-trump-on-waterboarding-if-it-doesnt-work-they-deserve-it-anyway/|publisher=Washington Post|date=23 November 2015|accessdate=9 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump’s Son Compares Waterboarding to Frat Parties|url=http://time.com/4213484/donald-trump-eric-waterboarding-defense/|publisher=Time Magazine|date=9 February 2016|accessdate=9 February 2016}}</ref>


===Iran=== === Black communities ===
It appeared Trump was receiving little support from ]: in a poll in August 2016, only 5% of black voters said they intended to vote for him.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://morningconsult.com/2016/08/28/trump-gains-ground-clinton-black-voters-still-wary/ |title=Trump Gains Ground on Clinton; Black Voters Still Wary |last=Johnson |first=Fawn |date=August 28, 2016 |work=Morning Consult |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> Trump ended up receiving 8% of the African-American vote (about half a million more than ] in 2012).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/why-so-many-blacks-backed_b_12913720.html |title=Why So Many Blacks Backed Trump |last=Hutchinson |first=Earl |date=November 14, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref> Starting in July and August, in an effort to improve his appeal to black Americans, Trump was vocal in expressing concern for their situations. Speaking in Virginia in August, 2016, Trump said, "You're living in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed—what the hell do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump?....Look. It is a disaster the way African-Americans are living{{nbsp}}... We'll get rid of the crime{{nbsp}}... You'll be able to walk down the street without getting shot."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-courts-black-vote-while-avoiding-african-american-communities-1471944606 |title=Donald Trump Courts Black Vote While Avoiding African-American Communities |last=Epstein |first=Reid |date=August 24, 2016 |work=] |access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref> He accused Clinton of ] and bigotry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-08-26 |title=What You Need To Know About The Alt-Right Movement |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/08/26/491452721/the-history-of-the-alt-right |website=]}}</ref>


On September 3, Trump visited a black congregation in ], accompanied by former Republican presidential candidate ]. Trump was interviewed afterward by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson for the church's cable channel.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gray |first1=Kathleen |title=What Trump said in Detroit church TV interview |url=http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/14/trump-black-church-tv-interview-ll-heal-bringings-us-together/90384956/ |website=] |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> On September 15, as Trump was addressing an assembly at Bethel United Methodist Church in ], the pastor, Faith Green Timmons, interrupted him as he criticized Clinton, asking him not to "give a political speech". Trump complied.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |title=Pastor interrupts Trump to stop him from attacking Clinton in church |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/14/politics/donald-trump-pastor-flint-michigan/ |date=September 14, 2016 |work=]|access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>
If elected, Trump says he would prevent ] from acquiring nuclear weapons.<ref name="NPR_May31_2015" /> In an interview with ] in ], on July 14, 2015, Trump called the newly announced ] "terrible", saying that the president negotiated the agreement "from desperation". He added, "I don't understand the president. He dealt from desperation, and he shouldn't have been desperate." He further stated, "First of all, we're giving them billions of dollars in this deal, which we shouldn't have given them. We should have kept the money", in reference to the sanctions relief for Iran under the deal, which was negotiated by Iran and six world powers led by the United States. "Second of all, we have four prisoners over there. We should have said 'Let the prisoners out.' They shouldn't be over there." Trump also said that any deal should stipulate that inspectors have 24-hour-a-day access immediately to all nuclear sites.<ref>NBC News: "Donald Trump Weighs in on Iran Deal", interview with Katy Tur, July 14, 2015.. Retrieved July 14, 2015.</ref> On September 2, 2015, Trump told CNN he believed the Iran deal would compel the U.S. to side with Iran in the event of war: "There’s something in the Iran deal that people I don’t think really understand or know about, and nobody’s able to explain it, that if somebody attacks Iran, we have to come to their defense", he said. "So if ] attacks Iran, according to that deal, I believe the way it reads that we have to fight with Iran against Israel."<ref name=Richardson3Sept>{{cite news |work=The Hill |first=Bradford |last=Richardson |url=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/252643-trump-nuclear-deal-forces-us-to-defend-iran-against-israel |title=Trump: Nuclear deal forces US to defend Iran against Israel |date=September 3, 2015 |accessdate=September 4, 2015}}</ref> Trump has said that despite opposing the content of the deal, as President he would seek to enforce it rather than repeal it.<ref>{{cite web |author=Igor Bobic Associate Politics Editor, The Huffington Post |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-iran-deal_55d0a844e4b0ab468d9d907e |title=Donald Trump Would Not Rip Up The Iran Deal |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=August 16, 2015 |accessdate=January 19, 2016}}</ref>


=== Business community ===
When questioned on his "new deal with Iran" Trump responded that "Iran is doing nuclear. They're going nuclear." He would "put on the sanctions big league. I'd double and triple up the sanctions and make a deal from strength."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> According to Trump, nuclear weapons, not ], is America's biggest problem.<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" />
{{See also|2016 Republican National Convention #Attendance and officials skipping convention}}


No ] CEO donated to Trump's presidential campaign. Eleven donated to Trump's rival Clinton, and 89 contributed to neither. This represented a shift from 2012 when Republican nominee ] received major support from American business executives.<ref>Rebecca Ballhaus & Brody Mullins, , '']'' (September 23, 2016).</ref><ref>Madeline Farber, , ''Fortune'' (September 24, 2016).</ref>
===Iraq===


In May 2016, the president of the ] commented that the business community was cautious about Trump and Clinton.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/13/u-s-chamber-of-commerce-on-trump-who-is-this-guy-how-will-he-behave/ |title=U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Trump: 'Who is this guy? How will he behave?' |last=Nakamura |first=David |date=May 13, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=June 27, 2016}}</ref> Members of the community who endorsed Trump include investors ], ] and ], ] co-founder ], and entrepreneur and ] co-founder ].<ref name = "Wang">{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/23/netflix-ceo-says-trump-would-destroy-much-of-what-is-great-about-america.html |title=Netflix CEO says 'Trump would destroy much of what is great about America' |author=Christine Wang |date=June 23, 2016 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/11/politics/t-boone-pickens-donald-trump/index.html |title=Donald Trump nabs billionaire GOP backer T. Boone Pickens |author=Phil Mattingly |date=May 11, 2016 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fortune.com/2016/05/10/peter-thiel-trump-delegate/ |title=Silicon Valley Titan Peter Thiel Is Backing Donald Trump |author=Lucinda Shen |date=May 10, 2016 |work=]}}</ref> {{as of|2016|January}}, small and mid-size business owners and officers were second to retirees as the most common donors to Trump's campaign. Reasons cited for their support of Trump included opposition to Obamacare, immigration and feeling "fed up with politicians".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-small-business_us_56ce2669e4b03260bf7561ce |title=Why Small Business Owners Are Backing Donald Trump |author=John Dunbar |date=February 25, 2016 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref> In a survey conducted in late January 2016, 38 percent of small business owners indicated that they believed Trump would be the best president for small business, while 21 percent selected Hillary Clinton.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/29/main-street-speaks-out-top-candidate-for-small-biz.html |title=Main St. speaks out: Our top pick for president |author=Elaine Pofeldt |date=March 15, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>
Trump strongly opposed the ] (2003-2011) arguing that Iran " take over and it would totally destabilize the Middle East."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> This has been an important talking point during his campaign.<ref name="Times Haberman Confessore 2015"/><ref name="transcript_debate_june_28_2015"/><ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> In his 2004 interview published in '']'' Trump described the war as a "mess" and questioned the credibility of ] ever becoming a "wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the county?" He predicted that "wo minutes after we leave, there's going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over." He argued that ] did not have ] but the leader who followed him would have them.<ref name="esquire_2004">{{citation |title=How I'd Run the Country (Better) |publisher=Esquire |date=August 2004 |author=Trump, Donald J.}}</ref> In 2015 when asked how he would deal with Iraq's condemnation of strikes on their oil fields, Trump replied that Iraq is a corrupt country that is not deserving of his respect.<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" />


Other members of the business community were critical. In June 2016, the Clinton campaign released a list of endorsements from 50 current and former business leaders, including longtime Republicans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-gop-business-leaders-are-backing-clinton-1466654976 |title=Several GOP Business Leaders Are Backing Clinton |last=Meckler |first=Laura |date=June 23, 2016 |work=] |access-date=June 27, 2016}}</ref> The group included longtime Democrats and Clinton supporters, like ] and ], as well as independents or Republicans who had switched sides, like ] and ].<ref name = "Wang" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/23/current-and-former-business-leaders-endorse-clinton-call-trump-unqualified/ |title=Current and former business leaders endorse Clinton, call Trump unqualified |author=Anne Gearan |date=June 23, 2016 |newspaper=]}}</ref>
===ISIS===


=== Conservative movement ===
ISIS or ISIL, the ], is a ] militant group that follows an ], ] doctrine of ]<ref name=PropagandaVideos>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/isis-propaganda-videos_n_6846688.html |title=A Short History Of ISIS Propaganda Videos |work=The World Post |publisher=The Huffington Post |date=11 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219092526/mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2015/02/13/feature-01 |url=http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2015/02/13/feature-01 |title=Iraq churches, mosques under ISIL attack |first=Khalid |last=al-Taie |publisher=Al-Shorfa |date=13 February 2015 |archive-date=19 February 2015 |access-date=27 February 2015 |dead-url=yes}}</ref> Trump has described his plans for dealing with ISIS in several debates and interviews. In December 2015, he said:
]


Trump's ] positions—], ], and semi-]—differ in many ways from traditional ].<ref name = "Cassidy"/> He opposes many ] and ] that conservatives generally support, and opposes cuts in ] and ]. While insisting that Washington is "broken" and can only be fixed by an outsider,<ref name = POLITICO915 /><ref name="NYT032816">{{cite news |author1=Nicholas Confessore |title=How the G.O.P. Elite Lost Its Voters to Donald Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/28/us/politics/donald-trump-republican-voters.html |access-date=March 28, 2016 |work=] |date=March 28, 2016 |quote=While wages declined and workers grew anxious about retirement, Republicans offered an economic program still centered on tax cuts for the affluent and the curtailing of popular entitlements like Medicare and Social Security.}}</ref><ref name="WP032816a">{{cite news |author1=Greg Sargent |title=This one anecdote perfectly explains how Donald Trump is hijacking the GOP |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/03/28/this-one-anecdote-perfectly-explains-how-donald-trump-is-hijacking-the-gop/ |access-date=March 29, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=March 28, 2016}}</ref> Washington-based conservatives were surprised by the popular support for his positions.<ref name="Cassidy">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trump-is-transforming-the-g-o-p-into-a-populist-nativist-party |title=Donald Trump Is Transforming the G.O.P. Into a Populist, Nativist Party |last=Cassidy |first=John |magazine=] |date=February 29, 2016 |access-date=March 5, 2016 |quote=What is perhaps more surprising, at least to Washington-based conservatives, is how many Republicans are also embracing Trump's populist lines on ending free trade, protecting Social Security, and providing basic health care.}}</ref>
{{quote|"The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families."<ref name=cnn-trump-2-dec-2015>{{cite news|last1=LoBianco|first1=Tom|title=Donald Trump on terrorists: 'Take out their families'|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/02/politics/donald-trump-terrorists-families/|agency=]|date=2 December 2015}}</ref>|Donald Trump, 2 December 2015}}


Trump polled well with ] voters, and politicians with tea party ties, such as ], similarly endorsed Trump.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/293884-michele-bachmann-god-picked-trump-to-be-the-gop-nominee/ |title=Michele Bachmann: God picked Trump to be the GOP nominee |access-date=October 20, 2016 |work=] |first=Nikita |last=Vladimirov |date=August 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/us/politics/donald-trump-sarah-palin.html |title=Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump, Which Could Bolster Him in Iowa |access-date=October 20, 2016 |work=] |first=Alan |last=Rappeport |date=January 19, 2016}}</ref>
On December 9, 2015, Jonathan Russell, Head of Policy for the anti-radicalization think tank ], warned that Trump's "anti-Muslim rhetoric" helps ISIS's narrative, saying "Trump will contribute to Islamist radicalization as his comments will make Muslims feel unwelcome in America. This grievance will fuel their identity crisis, which when combined are a potent combination for the vulnerability that ISIS is so adept at exploiting with their ] narrative."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/opinions/trump-isis/|author=Jonathan Russell|date=December 9, 2015|title=Why Trump is playing right into ISIS' hands|publisher=CNN}}</ref>


Some prominent conservatives praised Trump. ] described him as the latest incarnation of the Reagan Revolution, and said his election would be "very healthy for America".<ref name="NYT032316">{{cite news |author1=Thomas B. Edsall |title=The Republican Crackup |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/opinion/campaign-stops/the-republican-crackup.html |access-date=March 27, 2016 |work=] |date=March 23, 2016}}</ref> In the aftermath of Trump's statements regarding the Khan's, Gingrich said Trump was making himself a less acceptable candidate for the presidency than Clinton, but that "Trump is vastly better than Hillary as President".<ref>{{cite news |last=Kornbluh| first=Jacob |author-link=Jacob Kornbluh |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/election2016/article/gingrich_trump_has_become_unacceptable_choice_for_potus |title=Gingrich: Trump has become 'unacceptable' choice for POTUS |work=Jewish Journal |date=August 3, 2016 |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Collins, Eliza |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/08/03/gingrich-trump-has-been-very-self-destructive/87996040/ |title=Gingrich: Trump has been 'very self-destructive' |work=] |date=August 3, 2016 |access-date=August 5, 2016}}</ref> ], while clearly favoring ], relished the degree to which Trump exposed the conservative establishment as an elitist self-interested clique.<ref name="WP032816">{{cite news |author1=Michael Gerson |author-link1=Michael Gerson |title=Rush Limbaugh's blessing of Trump is killing conservatism |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/rush-limbaughs-defense-of-trump-is-killing-conservatism/2016/03/28/9f0c2b16-f522-11e5-8b23-538270a1ca31_story.html |access-date=March 29, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=March 28, 2016 |quote=...{{nbsp}}Limbaugh has also consistently defended Trump as a legitimate choice for those whose dominating factor is the humiliation of "the establishment.}}</ref><ref name="RL011316">{{cite news |last1=Limbaugh |first1=Rush |title=Republicans Would Rather Lose Than See Conservatism Dominate the Party |url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2016/01/13/republicans_would_rather_lose_than_see_conservatism_dominate_the_party |newspaper=The Rush Limbaugh Show |access-date=March 29, 2016 |format=transcript |date=January 13, 2016 |quote=cliquish, elitist club}}</ref> ] was an unapologetic advocate for Trump and endorsed him.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/05/02/media/sean-hannity-donald-trump-profile/ |title=Sean Hannity embraces Donald Trump, without apology |last=Byers |first=Dylan |date=May 2, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/05/05/sean-hannity-endorses-trump-lashes-out-paul-ryan-sabotage/210265 |title=Sean Hannity Endorses Trump, Lashes Out At Paul Ryan For "Sabotage" |last=Karat |first=Brendan |date=May 5, 2016 |work=Media Matters |access-date=July 1, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627152921/http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/05/05/sean-hannity-endorses-trump-lashes-out-paul-ryan-sabotage/210265 |archive-date=June 27, 2016 }}</ref>
Trump has said that he would "bomb the hell" out of Iraqi oil fields controlled by ISIS.<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015"/><ref name="CNN_July10_2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/10/politics/donald-trump-fact-check-bomb-oil-fields-iraq/ |title=Military analysts: Donald Trump's plan to bomb Iraq's oil fields not a good one |publisher=CNN |date=July 10, 2015 |accessdate=August 6, 2015 |author=Diamond, Jeremy}}</ref> Trump has called for the reintroduction of ] and "a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding" on captured prisoners, which would contravene ] under the ] and the ].<ref>Zack Beauchamp, , ''Vox'' (February 10, 2016).</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/trump-would-bring-back-waterboarding-216133 |title=Donald Trump would bring back waterboarding |work=POLITICO}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/donald-trump-escalating-slurs |title=The Escalating Slurs of Donald Trump |author=William Finnegan |date=December 3, 2015 |work=The New Yorker}}</ref> In an interview, Trump stated "We’re going to have to do what Israel was doing for a period of time. 'Take out' means you have to wipe out their homes where they came from."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnd.com/2015/12/trump-target-isis-terrorists-families/ |title=Pot calls kettle black: O’Reilly scolds Trump on killing terrorists’ families |work=WND}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/03/politics/donald-trump-dodges-questions-terrorist-families/ |title=Donald Trump dodges on killing terrorist families |author=Jeremy Diamond, CNN |date=December 4, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name=cnn-trump-2-dec-2015/> Intentionally targeting non-combatants is a violation of the Geneva Convention and other aspects of the international ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/dec/17/rand-paul/rand-pauls-right-geneva-conventions-bar-donald-tru/ |title=Geneva Conventions bar Donald Trump's idea of killing terrorists' families, as Rand Paul says |publisher=PolitiFact |date= |accessdate=January 6, 2016}}</ref> In the aftermath of the ], Trump reiterated his statements about ISIS from November 12, 2015, when he stated he would "bomb the shit out of 'em"<ref name=businessinsideroil>{{cite web |last1=Engel |first1=Pamela |title=DONALD TRUMP: 'I would bomb the s--- out of' ISIS |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-bomb-isis-2015-11 |website=Business Insider |accessdate=November 23, 2015}}</ref> and said "I'd blow up the pipes, I'd blow up the refineries, and you know what, you'll get Exxon to come in there in two months... and I'd take the oil."<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWejiXvd-P8 |title=Donald Trump on ISIS - "I would bomb the SHIT out of 'em!" |date=November 12, 2015 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Trump said in an interview with ] "There is no Iraq. Their leaders are corrupt."<ref name=businessinsideroil/> Retired ], General ], characterized Trump's strategy as "rather simplistic and shortsighted".<ref name=Engel>{{cite web | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/a-top-us-general-picked-apart-donald-trumps-isis-policy-2015-8 | title=A top US general picked apart Donald Trump's ISIS policy | work=] | date=August 13, 2015 | accessdate=February 15, 2016 | author=Engel, Pamela}}</ref>


In July and August 2015, U.S. Senator ] and Trump criticized each other, primarily over immigration.<ref name="Powers1">Brian Powers (July 19, 2015). . '']''.</ref> At a July 18, 2015, event Trump described McCain as a "loser" and added, "He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured."<ref name="McCain">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/trump-attacks-mccain-i-like-people-who-werent-captured-120317 |title=Trump attacks McCain: 'I like people who weren't captured' |last=Schreckinger |first=Ben |date=July 18, 2016 |work=]|access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cde31d2fa3a244d29de77b31a59b799a/gop-candidate-trump-goes-after-sen-john-mccains-war-record |title=Trump on John McCain: 'I like people who weren't captured' |date=July 18, 2015 |agency=] |author1=Lucey, Catherine |author2=Peoples, Steve |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719233141/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cde31d2fa3a244d29de77b31a59b799a/gop-candidate-trump-goes-after-sen-john-mccains-war-record |archive-date=July 19, 2015 }}</ref> His comments were criticized; some of his primary rivals said he should withdraw from the race.<ref name="McCain" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/donald-trump-john-mccain-war-hero/ |title=Defiant Trump refuses to apologize to McCain |date=July 20, 2015 |work=] |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref> Trump later denied having said McCain is not a war hero, saying "If somebody's a prisoner, I consider them a war hero." He criticized McCain for not having done enough for veterans.<ref name="Powers1" /> In 2014, McCain worked with senator ] to create the ] program, which Trump later claimed more than 150 times he had created.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/04/politics/fact-check-trump-mccain-loser-veterans-choice/index.html|title=Fact check: Trump says he's done more for veterans than John McCain did -- while taking credit for McCain's veterans bill|website=]|date=September 4, 2020 }}</ref> McCain said Trump should apologize, not to him personally, but to former American prisoners of war and "the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/mccain--trump-doesnt-owe-me-an-apology-487422019695 |title=McCain: Trump doesn't owe me an apology |date=July 20, 2015 |publisher=MSNBC |access-date=January 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/3964229/donald-trump-john-mccain-war-hero-apology/ |title=John McCain Says Donald Trump Owes Veterans an Apology |date=July 20, 2015 |magazine=] |author=Sam Frizell |access-date=January 30, 2016}}</ref> Trump declined to issue any apology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gma.yahoo.com/donald-trump-says-does-not-owe-john-mccain-141510116.html |title=Donald Trump Says He Does Not Owe John McCain Apology |date=July 20, 2015 |publisher=Yahoo! |access-date=July 19, 2015 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305153703/https://gma.yahoo.com/donald-trump-says-does-not-owe-john-mccain-141510116.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In a February 2016 debate, Trump said "in the Middle East, we have people chopping the heads off Christians, we have people chopping the heads off many other people... I'd bring back waterboarding and I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding."<ref>{{cite av media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u486WX1qHeQ|title=Ted Cruz, Donald Trump Advocate Bringing Back Waterboarding|date=February 6, 2016|publisher=|via=YouTube}}</ref>


Eventually, McCain endorsed Trump because he was the nominee of the Republican party.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/02/how-in-the-world-is-john-mccain-still-supporting-donald-trump-anyway/ |title=How in the world is John McCain still supporting Donald Trump anyway? |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=August 2, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> On August 2, Trump stated he was not endorsing McCain for the Republican nomination for his Senate seat.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-wont-endorse-paul-ryan-john-mccain-in-primary-races/ |title=Donald Trump won't endorse Paul Ryan, John McCain in primary races |last=Schultheis |first=Emily |date=August 2, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> Three days later, however, he did endorse him, saying in prepared remarks, "I hold in the highest esteem Sen. John McCain for his service to our country in uniform and in public office and I fully support and endorse his reelection."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/trump-endorses-paul-ryan-226729 |title=Donald Trump endorses Paul Ryan, John McCain |date=August 5, 2016 |work=]|access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref> McCain later withdrew his endorsement following the ] in October 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/presidential-election.html |title=John McCain Withdraws Support for Donald Trump After Disclosure of Recording |last=Rappeport |first=Alan |date=October 8, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref>
===Libya===
Trump believes the ] was a mistake, saying that Libya was better off under the rule of ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/426033/trump-world-would-be-100-percent-better-hussein-and-gadaffi-power-jim-geraghty |title=Trump: World Would Be '100 Percent' Better With Hussein and Gadaffi in Power &#124; National Review Online |publisher=Nationalreview.com |date=October 25, 2015 |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref> because of the current ] and rise of the ].


Republican Senator ], a primary rival, was "one of Trump's fiercest critics". He called Trump a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot" and asserted that Trump doesn't have the temperament or judgment to be president.<ref name="Diamond">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/politics/donald-trump-lindsey-graham-republican-party/ |title=Graham disputes account that he urged Republicans to support Trump |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |date=May 23, 2016 |work=] |last2=Barrett |first2=Ted |access-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> After Trump attacked a federal judge for his Mexican heritage, Graham urged people who had endorsed Trump to rescind their endorsements, saying "This is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lindsey-graham-donald-trump-supporters-should-rescind-their-endorsements/ |title=Lindsey Graham: Donald Trump supporters should rescind their endorsements |last=Shabbad |first=Rebecca |date=June 7, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref>
===North Korea===
Trump has advocated for greater pressure on China, including through restrictions on trade, to rein in its ally North Korea in the wake of the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/264908-trump-china-should-rein-in-north-korea|title=Trump: China has 'total control' over North Korea|date=January 6, 2016|work=]|first=Jesse|last=Byrnes}}</ref> He has described North Korea's supreme leader ] as a "maniac", although he has also claimed that Kim Jong-un deserves "credit" for being able to overcome his rivals in order succeed his father.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/265353-trump-kim-jong-un-deserves-credit-for-taking-out-rivals|title=Trump: Kim Jong Un deserves ‘credit’ for taking out rivals/|first=Bradford|last=Richardson|work=]|date=January 9, 2016}}</ref>


The ]–Trump dynamic was one of the more contentious relationships among Republicans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/12/the-remarkably-personal-feud-between-donald-trump-and-jeb-bush-in-1-video/ |title=The remarkably personal feud between Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, in 1 video |date=February 12, 2016 |last1=Stevenson |first1=Peter |newspaper=] |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/06/jeb-bush-donald-trump/79922352/ |title=Trump: Jeb Bush 'had to bring in mommy to take a slap at me' |date=February 6, 2016 |last1=Allen |first1=Cooper |work=] |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> ] spent tens of millions of dollars on anti-Trump ads,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4205547/jeb-bush-ad-donald-trump/ |title=Jeb Bush Attacks Trump Hard in Two-Minute Ad |date=February 2, 2016 |magazine=]|last1=Scherer |first1=Michael |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/12/jeb-bush-supporters-run-brutal-ad-against-donald-trump/ |title=Jeb Bush Supporters Run Brutal Ad Against Donald Trump |date=February 12, 2016 |work=] |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-sc-approaching-the-target-on-trump-grows-larger/2016/02/12/114fd70a-d1b9-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html |title=With S.C. approaching, the target on Trump grows larger |date=February 12, 2016 |last1=DelReal |first1=Jose |newspaper=] |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> while Trump mocked Bush as "low energy".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-jeb-bush-low-energy-2015-11 |title=TRUMP: Here's the backstory on my 'low-energy' takedown of Jeb Bush |date=November 19, 2015 |website=] |last1=LoGiurato |first1=Brett |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/us/politics/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-bush-campaign.html |title=The Rise and Fall of the Bush Campaign |date=January 31, 2016 |work=] |last1=Hunt |first1=Albert |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-george-w-bush-jeb-bush-south-carolina-20160212-story.html |title=George W. Bush, 'taken aback' by Trump's rise, to stump with Jeb |date=February 12, 2016 |last1=Rucker |first1=Philip |work=] |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> During an exchange with Bush in the ninth Republican primary debate, the audience (most favoring Bush) repeatedly ] Trump.<ref name="voxbooing">{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/2/13/10987776/republican-debate-audience-booing |title=The Republican establishment packed the debate audience with Donald Trump haters |date=February 13, 2016 |publisher=Vox |last1=Lopez |first1=German |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |number=698699868429295617 |user=GoogleTrends |title=+1,400% spike in searches for "why are people booing?" #GOPDebate |date=February 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.blastingnews.com/news/2016/02/donald-trump-shocks-gop-debate-stage-blames-iraq-war-mess-on-george-w-bush-00787079.html |title=Donald Trump Shocks Gop Debate Stage, Blames Iraq War Mess On George W. Bush |date=February 13, 2016 |publisher=blastingnews |last1=Sobel |first1=Robert |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/donald-trump-blames-george-w-bush-911 |title=Donald Trump Blames George W. Bush for 9/11 |date=February 13, 2016 |last1=d'Amora |first1=Delphine |work=] |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> Trump scoffed that the audience was made up of "Jeb's special interests and ]".<ref name="voxbooing" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/us/politics/republican-debate.html |title=In Republican Debate, Jeb Bush Attacks Donald Trump |date=February 13, 2016 |work=] |last1=Healy |first1=Patrick |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> According to '']'', the most telling aspect of the Bush–Trump duel may have been that, "No candidate in the race was prepared for GOP voters' opposition to immigration, with the exception of Trump", and the anti-illegal immigration sentiment that Trump tapped into, including with the ] advert.<ref name="PostGameAnalysis">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/22/gop-voters-have-roundly-rejected-the-bush-legacy/ |title=Republican voters are rejecting not just Jeb Bush, but the whole Bush legacy |date=February 22, 2016 |newspaper=] |last1=Ehrenfreund |first1=Max |access-date=February 24, 2016}}</ref>
===South Asia===
Trump has been critical of United States' ] Pakistan, comparing the country to North Korea, describing it as "probably the most dangerous country" in the world and claiming the country's nuclear weapons posed a "serious problem." He has advocated improving relations with India as a "check" to Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/India-is-the-check-to-Pakistan-Donald-Trump-declares/articleshow/49089032.cms|work=]|title=India is the check to Pakistan, Donald Trump declares|date=September 24, 2015}}</ref>


Texas Senator ] was a rival for the Republican nomination. In the early days of the primary Cruz showered praise on Trump. But as the primary season went on, Cruz called Trump a "bully" and a "pathological liar", and Trump took to referring to Cruz as "Lyin' Ted".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/05/03/ted-cruz-is-mad-as-hell-at-donald-trump-he-should-be-angry-at-himself/ |title=Why the 'Lyin' Ted' attack works so well for Donald Trump |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=May 3, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 18, 2016}}</ref> Trump claimed Cruz was not eligible to be president because he was born in Canada.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/donald-trump-ted-cruz-canada-222347 |title=Trump resumes Canada critique of Cruz |last=East |first=Kristen |date=April 23, 2016 |work=]|access-date=August 18, 2016}}</ref> However, on September 23, 2016, Cruz publicly endorsed Trump for president because he was the nominee of the Republican party.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/23/politics/ted-cruz-endorses-donald-trump/ |title=Ted Cruz endorses Donald Trump |date=September 23, 2016 |work=]|author1=Theodore Schleifer |author2=Gloria Borger |author3=Dana Bash }}</ref>
===Syria===


==== Stop Trump movement ====
Trump's first post-announcement interview on June 17, 2015, was with ] on '']''.<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/06/17/donald-trump-running-for-president/ |title=Donald Trump running for President |work=The O'Reilly Factor |date=17 June 2015 |accessdate=September 29, 2015}}</ref> One of several issues he highlighted was his proposed strategy in dealing with the ].<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> He observed that while ] was supposed to be America's enemy he felt that ] "looks a lot better than some of our so-called friends."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" /> Instead of fighting ISIS in Syria, Trump would cut off ISIS' access to capital by bombing the oil fields that ISIS controls while letting Iran and Russia protect Syria. He suggests, "It's really rather amazing, maybe Syria should be a free zone for ISIS, let them fight and then you pick up the remnants."<ref name="foxnews_June15_2015" />
{{Main|Stop Trump movement}}


A concerted effort by some Republicans and other prominent conservatives to prevent Trump from obtaining the Republican Party presidential nomination gained momentum following Trump's wins in the Super Tuesday primaries on March 15, 2016.<ref name="Cooper">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/stop-trump-doomed-437243 |title=Why the Stop Trump Movement is Doomed |work=] |date=March 15, 2016 |access-date=March 17, 2016 |author=Cooper, Matthew}}</ref><ref name="Grim">{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-stop-trump-movement-got-new-life-in-ohio_us_56e8ad90e4b0b25c9183cf85 |title=The Stop Trump Movement Got New Life In Ohio |work=] |date=March 15, 2016 |access-date=March 17, 2016 |author1=Grim, Ryan |author2=Velencia, Janie |name-list-style=amp}}</ref><ref name="Grier">{{cite web |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2016/0317/A-contested-GOP-convention-History-offers-some-unusual-clues-video |title=A contested GOP convention? History offers some unusual clues |newspaper=] |date=March 17, 2016 |access-date=March 17, 2016 |author=Grier, Peter}}</ref>
In the fourth Republican debate on November 10, 2015, Trump said he "got to know ] ] very well because we were both on '60 Minutes', we were stable mates, we did well that night." Trump said he approved of Russia's intervention in Syria, stating: "If Putin wants to knock the hell out of ISIS, I’m all for it 100 percent and I can’t understand how anybody would be against that ... He‘s going in and we can go in and everybody should go in."<ref name=Beauchamp10Nov>{{cite news |url=http://www.vox.com/2015/11/10/9710334/trump-putin-isis |title=Trump endorses Putin’s intervention in Syria |first=Zack |last=Beauchamp |date=November 10, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015 |publisher=Vox.com}}</ref>


On March 17, 2016, several dozen conservatives met at the ] to discuss preventing Trump from securing the nomination. Among the strategies discussed were a "unity ticket",<ref name="Goldmacher-160317">{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/erick-erickson-anti-trump-gop-unity-ticket-220933 |title=Conservatives call for 'unity ticket' to stop Trump |work=]|date=March 17, 2016 |access-date=March 17, 2016 |author1=Goldmacher, Shane |author2=Glueck, Katie |author3=McCaskill, Nolan |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> a possible third-party candidate and a contested convention, especially if Trump did not gain the 1,237 delegates necessary.<ref name=Costa>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/17/gop-operatives-conservative-leaders-meet-to-thwart-trump/ |title=GOP operatives, conservative leaders meet to thwart Trump |newspaper=] |date=March 17, 2016 |access-date=March 17, 2016 |author=Costa, Robert}}</ref>
Trump opposes allowing ] into the US, saying they could be the "ultimate trojan horse",<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump: Syria refugees could be the 'ultimate Trojan horse' |url=http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/11/18/trump-syria-refugees-could-be-ultimate-trojan-horse/ |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=2015-11-18 |accessdate=November 21, 2015}}</ref> and supports returning the ones brought in under the Obama administration back to Syria. He favors a database of the refugees as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump: Media Proposed Muslim Database, Not Me |url=http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/20/donald-trump-corrects-record-media-proposed-muslim-database-not/ |website=Breitbart |accessdate=November 21, 2015}}</ref> In September 2015 Trump had praised ]<ref name=tufs15/> and he also believed that the United States should take in some refugees from Syria.<ref>, ] (9 September 2015)</ref>


In June 2016, activists ] and Dane Waters formed a group called ], attempting to convince delegates to vote for whomever they want.<ref name="cnn.com"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Keefe |first1=Eric |last2=Rivkin |first2=David |title=Release the GOP Delegates |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/release-the-gop-delegates-1465769777 |access-date=June 18, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=June 13, 2016}}</ref> By June 19, hundreds of delegates to the Republican National Convention calling themselves ] had begun raising funds and recruiting members in support of an effort to change Party convention rules to free delegates to vote however they want—instead of according to the results of state caucuses and primaries.<ref name="OKeefe">{{cite news |last1=O'Keefe |first1=Ed |title=Anti-Trump delegates raising money for staff and a legal defense fund |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/19/anti-trump-delegates-raising-money-for-staff-and-a-legal-defense-fund/ |access-date=June 20, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=June 19, 2016}}</ref> However, the convention's Rules Committee voted down, by a vote of 84–21, a move to send a "minority report" to the floor allowing the unbinding of delegates, thereby defeating the "Stop Trump" activists and guaranteeing Trump's nomination. The committee then endorsed the opposite option, voting 87–12 to include rules language specifically stating that delegates were required to vote based on their states' primary and caucus results.<ref>{{cite web |author=Scott Detrow |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/07/15/486153506/never-trump-is-nevermore-anti-trump-forces-fail-to-force-rnc-floor-fight |title='Never Trump Is Nevermore': Anti-Trump Forces Fail To Force RNC Floor Fight |website=]|date=July 15, 2016 |access-date=July 17, 2016}}</ref>
===Ukraine===
In July 2015 Trump opposed U.S. involvement in the ], describing the ] as "Europe's problem."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/31/politics/doanld-trump-crimea-europe-problem/ |title=Donald Trump: Crimea is Europe's problem |publisher=CNN |date=2015-07-31 |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref> In August 2015 Trump stated he "did not care" about ].<ref name=tufs15/> Trump believes good relations with Russia are essential as a means of preventing Russia and China from being driven closer together.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jay Vogt |url=http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/why-donald-trump-presidency-would-be-good-russia/ri8642 |title=Would a Donald Trump Presidency Be Good for Russia? |publisher=Russia-insider.com |accessdate=November 4, 2015}}</ref>


Other conservative commentators were strongly opposed to him. '']'' released a January 2016 special issue called "Against Trump", in opposition to Trump's bid for the presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/politics/national-review-magazine-opposes-donald-trump/ |title=National Review, conservative thinkers stand against Trump |work=]|last1=Byers |first1=Dylan |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/national-review/426543/ |title=The National Review Takes on Trump |last1=Ford |first1=Matt |work=] |date=January 22, 2016 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/01/22/national-review-launches-conservative-war-on-do/208111 |title=National Review Launches Conservative War On Donald Trump |date=January 22, 2016 |publisher=Media Matters |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> ], publisher of '']'', was highly critical of Trump and carried on a public search for an independent candidate to run against Trump and Clinton in the general election, citing a "patriotic obligation to try and offer the American people a third way".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/more-bad-news-bill-kristol-s-ongoing-search-donald-trump-n584786 |title=More Bad News: Bill Kristol's ongoing search |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/kristol-is-clear/485180/ |title=Kristol is Clear |date=June 2016 |work=]}}</ref>
Speaking to the ] in September 2015, Trump criticized ] and other ] for not doing enough to support ] in its conflict with ] and he claimed ] are "not being treated right."<ref name=tufs15>, '']'' (11 September 2015)</ref>


==== Mitt Romney ====
==Endorsements==
{{Main|Mitt Romney's 2016 anti-Trump speech}}
{{see also|Endorsements for the Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016}}
{{Endorsements box
| title = List of Donald Trump endorsements
| list = {{#lst:Endorsements for the Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016|Trump}}
<!--This list is automatically transcluded from the main endorsement page. Please make all changes there-->
}}


On February 24, 2016, Romney called on Trump to release his tax returns, suggesting they contain a "bombshell".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitt-romney-suggests-theres-a-bombshell-in-donald-trumps-taxes |title=Mitt Romney suggests there's a "bombshell in Donald Trump's taxes |work=] |date=February 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-bombshells-might-lurk-in-donald-trumps-tax-returns/ |title=What "bombshells" might lurk in Trump's tax returns? |work=] |date=February 26, 2016}}</ref> On March 3, Romney expanded his criticism in a widely reported speech in which he said Trump's economic plans would cause profound recession, criticized his foreign policy proposals as reckless and dangerous, and called him a "con man", a "fake", and a "phony", joking that Trump's promises are "as worthless as a degree from ]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/us/politics/mitt-romney-speech.html |title=Transcript of Mitt Romney's Speech on Donald Trump |date=March 3, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Romneyslam">{{cite news |last1=O'Keefe |first1=Ed |title=Mitt Romney slams 'phony' Trump: He's playing 'the American public for suckers' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/03/mitt-romney-trump-is-a-phony-a-fraud-who-is-playing-the-american-public-for-suckers/ |access-date=March 3, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> In June he expressed concern that some of the things Trump says could legitimize racism, and that Trump as president could cause "trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry, trickle-down misogyny, all these things (that) are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America".<ref name = "Schleifer" />
==See also==
{{Portal|Politics|United States}}


Unlike many other Republican critics who came around after Trump was confirmed as the presumptive nominee, Romney continued his "increasingly lonely" challenge to Trump. He explained, "I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn't ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-mitt-romneys-increasingly-lonely-challenge-to-donald-trump-1464354734 |title=Behind Mitt Romney's Increasingly Lonely Challenge to Donald Trump |last=Langley |first=Monica |date=May 28, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> He hinted he might vote for ] candidate ].<ref name="Schleifer">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/10/politics/mitt-romney-donald-trump-racism/ |title=Mitt Romney says Donald Trump will change America with 'trickle-down racism' |last=Schleifer |first=Theodore |date=June 11, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> In contrast, while Romney was running for president in 2012, he praised Trump and sought his endorsement.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4246367/donald-trump-mitt-romney-2012/ |title=Here's What Mitt Romney Said About Donald Trump in 2012 |magazine=]|date=March 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-romney-2012/story?id=37366976 |title=The Way They Were: Trump and Romney in 2012 |work=] |date=March 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-mitt-romney-begged-me-for-the-2012-endorsement-election-2016/ |title=Trump: Romney begged me for the 2012 endorsement |work=] |date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{clear}}


After Trump won the election, Romney congratulated him by phone and on Twitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2016/11/13/mitt-romney-called-to-congratulate-donald-trump-on-his-election-night-win|title=Mitt Romney called to congratulate Donald Trump on his election night win|author=Nik DeCosta-Klipa|publisher=Boston.com|date=November 13, 2016|access-date=November 13, 2016}}</ref> In November he met Trump to discuss the position of ].
==Notes==


==== Paul Ryan ====
{{notelist}}
]


], ], was initially critical of Trump. In December 2015 when Trump called for a ban on foreign Muslims entering the country, Ryan said "What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/12/08/paul-ryan-joins-chorus-opposing-trumps-muslim-ban/ |title=Ryan, McConnell denounce Trump plan to bar Muslims from the U.S. |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |date=December 8, 2015 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> Even after endorsing Trump, Ryan continued to criticize Trump's religion-based immigration proposals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/14/482018791/paul-ryan-trumps-muslim-ban-not-reflective-of-gop-and-u-s-principles |title=Paul Ryan: Trump's Muslim Ban Not Reflective Of GOP And U.S. Principles |last=Detrow |first=Scott |date=June 14, 2016 |work=]|access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> In early March 2016 Ryan condemned Trump's failure to repudiate the support of ],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/01/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-kkk/ |title=Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell call out Trump on KKK |last=Walsh |first=Deirdre |date=March 1, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> and in mid March he strongly objected to Trump's suggestion that there could be "riots" at the Republican convention if he is not the nominee.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/politics/paul-ryan-gop-open-convention-donald-trump/ |title=Speaker Paul Ryan slams Donald Trump's riots comments |last=Walsh |first=Deirdre |date=March 18, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> In June when Trump said the judge hearing a lawsuit against him was biased because he was of Mexican extraction, Ryan said Trump's remarks were "absolutely unacceptable" and "the textbook definition of a racist comment".<ref name="textbook"/>
==References==


In May when Trump was declared the presumptive nominee, Ryan told CNN that he was not ready to endorse Trump, saying "I'm not there right now." He questioned Trump's commitment to conservative values but added he hoped to back him eventually.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/paul-ryan-i-m-not-ready-endorse-donald-trump-n568871 |title=Paul Ryan: I'm 'Not Ready' to Endorse Donald Trump |last=Dann |first=Carrie |date=May 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> Trump and Ryan met once during May, and on June{{nbsp}}2 Ryan published an op-ed endorsing Trump and stressing the need to prevent Hillary Clinton's election.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/02/paul-ryan-endorses-donald-trump/ |title=Paul Ryan endorses Donald Trump |last=Kane |first=Paul |date=June 2, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> Ryan later explained that as Majority Leader he feels obligated to support the Republican nominee in the interest of party unity.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/ryan-trump-respontibility-paul-donald-224521 |title=Ryan: I have to support Trump |last=Nelson |first=Louis |date=June 19, 2016 |work=]|access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref>
{{Reflist|30em}}


On August 2, 2016, one week before Ryan faced a primary for re-election to his house seat, Trump declined to endorse him, saying "I'm just not quite there yet." He praised Ryan's primary opponent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-refuses-to-endorse-paul-ryan-in-gop-primary-im-just-not-quite-there-yet/2016/08/02/1449f028-58e9-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html |title=Trump refuses to endorse Paul Ryan in GOP primary: 'I'm just not quite there yet' |last=Rucker |first=Phillip |date=August 2, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref> Trump's comments infuriated Republican officials, particularly GOP chairman ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/card/rnc-chairman-priebus-apoplectic-over-trumps-refusal-endorse-ryan-n622001 |title=RNC Chairman Priebus 'Apoplectic' Over Trump's Refusal to Endorse Ryan |date=August 3, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> Three days later Trump endorsed Ryan, reading from a prepared statement, "So in our shared mission, to make America great again, I support and endorse our speaker of the House, Paul Ryan."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/05/politics/donald-trump-endorse-paul-ryan/ |title=Trump endorses Paul Ryan, John McCain |date=August 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref>
==Further reading==

* {{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/21/lets-stop-freaking-out-about-msnbcs-donald-trump-documentary/ |title=Let's stop freaking out about MSNBC's Donald Trump documentary |first=Callum |last=Borchers |work=Washington Post |date=December 21, 2015}}
In October 2016, following the ], Ryan disinvited Trump from a scheduled campaign rally,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-pence-too-is-out-at-wisconsin-event-1475944325-htmlstory.html |title=Pence, too, is out at Wisconsin event with Paul Ryan |first=Julie |last=Westfall |newspaper=] |date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 11, 2016}}</ref> announced that he would no longer defend or support Trump's presidential campaign, and in a highly unusual move he freed down-ticket congressional members to use their own judgment, saying "you all need to do what's best for you and your district."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/paul-ryan-said-he-wont-defend-donald-trump/index.html |title=Paul Ryan said he won't defend Donald Trump |author1=Manu Raju |author2=Deirdre Walsh |author3=Kevin Liptak |date=October 10, 2016 |work=]|access-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref> In the final weeks of the campaign, Trump went on the attack against Ryan, accusing him and other "disloyal" Republicans of deliberately undermining his candidacy as part of "a whole sinister deal".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN12C2I5 |title=Trump intensifies attacks on Ryan with four weeks left until Election Day |date=October 12, 2016 |work=]|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hill-gop-surrogates-advise-trump-to-stop-ryan-attacks-229671 |title=Trump's Hill surrogates: Stop attacking Ryan |date=October 12, 2016 |work=]|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref> Despite his reluctance to publicly support Trump, Ryan ultimately announced that he cast his vote for Trump a week before election day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/01/politics/paul-ryan-voted-for-donald-trump/ |title=Paul Ryan on voting for Trump: I already voted 'for our nominee' |last=Kludt |first=Tom |date=November 1, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref> In March 2017, ] released a tape recording with Ryan telling fellow Republican congressmen that he was "not going to defend Donald Trump—not now, not in the future."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Borchers |first1=Callum |title=Breitbart's Paul Ryan Tape is Just the Tip of the Iceberg |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/03/14/breitbarts-paul-ryan-tape-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/ |date=March 14, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=March 15, 2017}}</ref>
* {{cite web |url=http://www.aim.org/don-irvine-blog/msnbc-hoping-for-ratings-gold-with-tonights-citizen-trump-documentary/ |title=MSNBC Hoping for Ratings Gold with Tonight's "Citizen Trump" Documentary |first=Don |last=Irvine |date=December 22, 2015 |publisher=]}}

=== Economists ===
On November 1, 2016, '']'' published an ] signed by 370 economists, including eight Nobel laureates, who stated that Trump would be a "dangerous, destructive" choice and encouraged voters to vote for another candidate. The letter stated that Trump "misinforms the electorate, degrades trust in public institutions with conspiracy theories, and promotes willful delusion over engagement with reality"; that "If elected, he poses a unique danger (...) to the prosperity of the country"; and that he "promotes ] and conspiracy theories over sober assessments of feasible economic policy options".<ref>Jim Zarroli, , NPR (November 1, 2016).</ref><ref>, reprinted by '']''.</ref>

] of the University of California, Irvine, one of Trump's senior economic advisers, called the letter "an embarrassment to the corporate offshoring wing of the economist profession who continues to insist bad trade deals are good for America." He pointed to a letter signed in September by other economists, 305 in total, including a Nobel laureate, which stated "Clinton's economic agenda is wrong for America."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/01/500264332/economists-warn-trump-promotes-magical-thinking-and-conspiracy-theories |title=Economists Warn: Trump 'Promotes Magical Thinking And Conspiracy Theories' |website=] |date=November 2016 |last1=Zarroli |first1=Jim }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hillary Clinton's Economic Plan Is No Good for Growth |website=] |date=26 September 2016 |url=http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-09-26/hillary-clintons-economic-plan-is-no-good-for-growth |access-date=25 July 2023}}</ref> Navarro's endorsement of the Trump economic platform was met with criticism by economists.

=== Fox News and Megyn Kelly ===
Trump was one of ten candidates in a ] debate on August 6, 2015. ] asked him about Mexican illegal immigrants,<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAs3Xpq9QBs |title=Donald Trump: 'We need to keep illegals out'—Fox News Republican Debate |date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> and ] asked about how he would respond to the ] saying that he was waging a "]".<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOqtra7j6UM |title=Is Donald Trump part of the 'war on women'?—Fox News Republican Debate |date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Trump replied, "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/06/annotated-transcript-the-aug-6-gop-debate/ |title=Annotated transcript: The Aug. 6 GOP debate |newspaper=] |date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> In a later interview with ] on '']'', Trump said that Kelly is a "lightweight" and had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her{{nbsp}}... wherever."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/08/politics/donald-trump-cnn-megyn-kelly-comment/index.html |title=Trump draws outrage after Megyn Kelly remarks |first=Holly |last=Yan |date=August 8, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33833516 |title=Donald Trump axed from event over Megyn Kelly blood comment |work=]}}</ref> Trump tweeted that his remark referred to Kelly's nose but was interpreted by critics as a reference to ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/erick-erickson-the-republican-party-created-donald-trump/400847/ |title=Erick Erickson: 'The Republican Party Created Donald Trump' |work=]|date=August 8, 2015 }}</ref> Trump retained his first place standing after the debate, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll at 24 percent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll-idUSKCN0QF1WL20150810 |title=Trump's Republican support holds strong post-debate—Reuters/Ipsos poll |work=]|date=August 10, 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2017 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924221915/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/10/us-usa-election-poll-idUSKCN0QF1WL20150810 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the Kelly incident, ], Trump's veteran political adviser, left the campaign, citing "controversies involving personalities and provocative media fights".<ref name="P8815">{{cite news |author1=Marc Caputo |title=Sources: Roger Stone quit, wasn't fired by Trump in campaign shakeup |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/sources-roger-stone-quit-wasnt-fired-by-donald-trump-in-campaign-shakeup-121177 |access-date=March 10, 2016 |work=]|date=August 8, 2015}}</ref> Despite this, Stone remained a Trump confidant<ref>, ''The Washington Post'' (April 17, 2016) ("Roger Stone, a Trump confidant who is not part of the campaign").</ref> and said to '']'' that he is "the ultimate Trump loyalist".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/422353/donald-trump-roger-stone-interview |title=Donald Trump's Departed Top Adviser Speaks Out |website=] |date=August 10, 2015 |access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref> In March 2016, Trump resumed his feud with Kelly in Twitter messages disparaging Kelly and calling for a boycott of her show. Fox News responded with a statement saying that Trump's behavior was an "extreme, sick obsession" beneath the dignity of a presidential nominee.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/03/18/fox-news-slams-donald-trump-for-sick-obsession-with-megyn-kelly/ | title=Fox News Slams Donald Trump for 'Sick Obsession' with Megyn Kelly | website=] | date=March 19, 2016 }}</ref><ref>Ali Vitali, , NBC News (March 19, 2016).</ref> In April 2016, Kelly met with Trump at Trump Tower at her request to "clear the air". Following the meeting, Trump stated that Kelly was "very, very nice" and regarding the meeting: "Maybe it was time{{nbsp}}... By the way, in all fairness, I give her a lot of credit" for requesting it.<ref>Brian Stelter, , ] (April 13, 2016).</ref>

=== Hispanic and Latino Americans ===
]

Trump's popularity among ] was low; a survey conducted in February 2016 showed 80 percent of Hispanic voters had an unfavorable view of Trump, more than double the percentage of any other candidate.<ref name="BalzClement">Dan Balz and Scott Clement, , ''The Washington Post'' (February 25, 2016).</ref> These low rankings were attributed to Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.<ref name="BalzClement" /><ref>James Oliphant & Luciana Lopez, , Reuters (March 11, 2016).</ref><ref name="Preston">{{cite news |author=Julia Preston |title=More Latinos Seek Citizenship to Vote Against Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/us/trumps-rise-spurs-latino-immigrants-to-naturalize-to-vote-against-him.html |work=] |date=March 7, 2016 |access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref>

Alarm at Trump's rise prompted an increase in eligible Latino immigrants who to ] to vote against him.<ref name="Preston" /> Despite his poor national standing with Hispanic and Latino Americans, he garnered higher numbers than Republican rivals, along with other minority groups.<ref name="http://www.washingtontimes.com all">{{Cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/3/donald-trump-could-win-over-hispanics-who-fear-job/?page=all |title=Donald Trump could win over Hispanics who fear job competition from illegal immigrants |newspaper=]|access-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref><ref name="surveyusa1">{{cite web |title=SurveyUSA Election Poll #22490 |url=http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=d950cadf-05ce-4148-a125-35c0cdab26c6 |publisher=surveyusa.com|access-date = January 27, 2016}}</ref> Trump received pockets of Hispanic support, winning around 45% of the Hispanic vote in the ],<ref>Janell Ross, , ''The Washington Post'' (February 24, 2016).</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Priscilla Alvarez |title=A Changing Latino Electorate |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/latino-vote-nevada/470829/ |magazine=] |access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> and receiving support among ]s in Florida.<ref>Lesley Clark & Patricia Mazzei, , ''The Miami Herald'' (March 13, 2016).</ref> Despite expectations of low Latino support, Trump received about 29% of the Hispanic vote, more than Romney in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2016/11/09/hispanic-vote-election-2016-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/93540772/ |title=Another election surprise: Many Hispanics backed Trump |last=Gomez |first=Alan |publisher=]|date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref>

In August 2016, Trump created and met with a Hispanic advisory council.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/20/politics/rnc-donald-trump-national-hispanic-advisory-council/ |title=Trump campaign, RNC convene Hispanic outreach effort |last=Watkins |first=Eli |date=August 21, 2016 |work=] |access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> He hinted publicly he might soften his call for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4463874/donald-trump-softening-immigration-position/ |title=Donald Trump Signals 'Softening' of Immigration Position |last=Miller |first=Zeke J. |date=August 23, 2016 |magazine=]|access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/28/politics/donald-trump-immigration-explainer/ |title=Trump to give immigration speech amid major questions |last=Bradner |first=Eric |date=August 28, 2016 |work=] |access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> On August 31, 2016, he visited ] and met with President ], saying he wanted to build relations.<ref name="bbc.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37227545 |title=Donald Trump visits Mexico to build relations in the country |date=August 31, 2016 |website=] |access-date=August 31, 2016}}</ref> However, in a speech later that night, Trump laid out a 10-step plan reaffirming his hardline positions, and used harsh rhetoric to portray many illegal immigrants as a danger to Americans.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4475417/donald-trump-immigration-policy-mexico-deportation/ |title=Donald Trump Pivots Back to Hard-Line Immigration Stance |date=August 31, 2016 |magazine=]|access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.vice.com/article/donald-trump-sets-harsh-tone-on-immigration-mass-deportations-biometrics-no-amnesty |title=Donald Trump sets harsh tone on immigration: mass deportations, biometrics, 'no amnesty' |last=Thompson |first=Alec |date=August 31, 2016 |work=]|access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> In reaction, one member of Trump's Hispanic advisory council resigned, and other Hispanic supporters said they were reconsidering their support.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/9/1/12752284/trump-immigration-speech-reactions |title=Donald Trump's immigration speech led at least one of his top Latino advisers to quit |last=Lopez |first=German |date=September 1, 2016 |work=]|access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-hispanic-leaders-arizona-immigration-227615 |title=Several Hispanic Trump surrogates reconsider support |date=September 1, 2016 |work=]|access-date=September 2, 2016}}</ref>

=== Military ===
According to the Atlantic, "mong prominent ex-military and national-security leaders, the edge clearly belongs to Clinton."<ref name="AtlanticMilitary">Russell Berman, , ''The Atlantic'' (September 6, 2016).</ref> Trump's most prominent ex-military supporter was retired Lieutenant General ].<ref name="AtlanticMilitary"/> An ] endorsing Trump, signed by 88 retired generals and admirals, was released in September 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/retired-generals-admirals-endorse-trump-227755 |title=Trump earns endorsement of 88 retired generals, admirals |last=Gass |first=Nick |date=September 6, 2016 |website=]}}</ref> 500 retired military officers endorsed Republican nominee ] in 2012.<ref name="AtlanticMilitary"/>

Trump led in polling of military veterans and military households in September 2016,<ref name="AtlanticMilitary"/><ref>Hannah Hartig, John Lapinski & Stephanie Psyllos, , NBC News (August 16, 2016).</ref> although his performance with this group trailed "well behind that of other recent Republican candidates".<ref name="AtlanticMilitary"/>

=== Religious community ===
Trump is a ] and says he attends ], although the church said in a statement that he is "not an active member".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/28/politics/donald-trump-church-member/ |title=Church says Donald Trump is not an 'active member' |last=Scott |first=Eugene |date=August 28, 2015 |work=] |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref> In campaign speeches, he had routinely praised the ] and sometimes carried it, often saying that his own book '']'' is his "second-favorite book after the Bible".<ref name="CNNBibleValues">Tom LoBianco, , ] (August 27, 2015).</ref> On occasion, Trump "reflected a degree of indifference" to religion, causing unease among some ].<ref name="Benen">Steve Benen, , MSNBC (July 21, 2015).</ref>

Trump solicited the support of religious leaders, inviting dozens of Christian and Jewish leaders to his New York City offices for a meeting and ] prayer gathering in September 2015.<ref>Eric Bradner and Noah Gray, , ] (September 28, 2015).</ref> Trump praised prominent national ] of the ], including ] and ],<ref name="ColvinReligiousRight">Jill Colvin, {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122170635/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/182ce6ff69484377abadf7bcbe3f8bdc/playboy-no-more-trump-courts-christian-right |date=November 22, 2015 }}, Associated Press (September 25, 2015).</ref> and received a blessing and endorsement from ] priest and hedge fund manager ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/who-hedge-fund-priest-meet-emmanuel-lemelson-reverend-wall-street-2159138 |title=Who Is The Hedge Fund Priest? Meet Emmanuel Lemelson, The Reverend of Wall Street |last=Salo |first=Jackie |date=October 27, 2015 |url=name="PartlowVitkovskaya">Joshua Partlow & Julie Vitkovskaya, , ''The Washington Post'' (February 17, 2016).</ref>

Other figures made more direct religious-based critiques of Trump, including from the American Christian right. ], the head of the ]'s public-policy arm, the ], is a prominent Trump critic and argued that Christians should vote for a conservative third party.<ref>Samuel Smith, , ''The Christian Post'' (March 4, 2016).</ref><ref>Alexander Burns, , ''The New York Times'' (March 2, 2016).</ref> ] of the ] said that Trump "embodies a ] morality rather than a Christian one", writing that Trump is "characterized by indifference to objective truth (there are no facts, only interpretations), the repudiation of Christian concern for the poor and the weak, and disdain for the powerless".<ref>Peter Wehner, , ''The New York Times'' (July 5, 2016).</ref> On the ], a number of commentators, including ], criticized Trump's racially charged rhetoric as inconsistent with Christianity.<ref>{{cite news |first=Shaun |last=King |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/king-fake-christianity-donald-trump-article-1.2510260 |title=The fake Christianity of Donald Trump (and Jerry Falwell Jr.) |work=] |location=New York |date=January 26, 2016 }}</ref>

Trump struggled with Mormon voters, affecting his party's grip on Utah, where Mormons constitute a majority, and Nevada, where they are a significant minority. Reasons for this include Trump's rhetoric concerning Muslims, which Mormons see as a parallel to ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Republican hold on Mormon voters slips with Trump as nominee |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/uncategorized/republican-hold-on-mormon-voters-slips-with-trump-as-nominee/ |first=Brady |last=McCombs |access-date=September 18, 2016 |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |date=September 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How Donald Trump Could End the Republican Lock on the Mormon Vote |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/donald-trump-gop-mormon-vote-utah/474819/ |access-date=September 18, 2016 |work=] |date=March 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump hits a Mormon wall |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/donald-trump-mormons-nevada-224504 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |work=]|date=June 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Why does Trump have a Mormon problem? |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/0813/Why-does-Trump-have-a-Mormon-problem |access-date=September 18, 2016 |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=August 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Why Mormons Don't Like Trump |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/08/why_mormons_don_t_like_donald_trump.html |access-date=September 18, 2016 |magazine=]|date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> Following the release of the ], several high-profile Mormon political leaders from Utah, including ] ] and representative ], withdrew their endorsements for Trump.<ref name=Schwirtz>{{cite news |last=Schwirtz |first=Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/utah-mormons-republicans-donald-trump.html |title=Utah's Top Mormons in 'All-Out Revolt' Against Donald Trump |newspaper=] |date=October 9, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016}}</ref> The '']'', a media outlet owned by ], broke with an 80-year tradition of refraining from presidential endorsements to publish an editorial calling on Trump to step aside.<ref name=Schwirtz /><ref>{{cite news |title=In our opinion: Donald Trump should resign his candidacy |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664336/In-our-opinion-Donald-Trump-should-resign-his-candidacy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008185916/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664336/In-our-opinion-Donald-Trump-should-resign-his-candidacy.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref>

The phrase "One people under one God" was noted as having been used repeatedly in Trump speeches, especially to religious groups.<ref name=NPRonepeople>{{citation|publisher=]|title=Trump's Vision: Uniting 'Under One God' Vs. Religious Freedom|date=September 17, 2016|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/17/494360236/trumps-vision-of-uniting-under-one-god-versus-religious-freedom}}</ref> '']'' termed the use of the phrase "a rare mention of religion by the Republican presidential nominee" in early September.<ref>{{citation|title=Trump says America can be a nation of 'one people, under one God'|author=Andre Mitchell |newspaper=]|date=September 10, 2016|url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/trump.says.america.can.be.a.nation.of.one.people.under.one.god/94999.htm}}</ref> At about the same time, ] also said Trump "rarely mentions religion" and used the phrase as an illustration that Trump's campaign, previously centered around confrontational issues, had begun to invoke religion to appeal to voters and build a unified base.<ref>{{citation|date=September 6, 2016|title=Invoking religion, a more disciplined Trump speaks of unity|author1=Steve Holland |author2=Amanda Becker |publisher=]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN11C2CY }}</ref>

=== Tea Party movement ===
Trump praised the U.S. ] throughout his 2016 campaign.<ref name="auto1"> By MJ Lee, ], August 29, 2015, retrieved December 1, 2016.</ref> In August 2015, he told a Tea Party gathering in ] that "The tea party people are incredible people. These are people who work hard and love the country and they get beat up all the time by the media."<ref name="auto1"/> In a January 2016 ] poll at the beginning of the ], Trump led all Republican candidates modestly among self-identified Tea Party voters with 37 percent supporting Trump and 34 percent supporting ].<ref> by Jennifer Agiesta, ], January 26, 2016, retrieved December 1, 2016.</ref>

=== Trump family ===
]<!-- five names (not in order), six people ... -->

Trump called his wife ] "my pollster" and had said that she supported his presidential run.<ref name="Murphy1Sept">{{cite news |title=The Immigrant Who Sleeps Next to Trump |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/01/the-immigrant-who-sleeps-next-to-trump.html |date=September 1, 2015 |access-date=September 4, 2015 |first=Patricia |last=Murphy |work=]}}</ref> Melania appeared at her husband's June 2015 campaign announcement and at the Fox News debate in Cleveland.<ref name="Murphy1Sept" /> She has also conducted several televised interviews and appeared at a Trump rally in South Carolina along with other family members.<ref>Tierney McAfee— ''People'', November 25, 2015.</ref> Trump's adult children Donald Jr, Ivanka, and Eric, as well as Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, were all involved in his campaign and are regarded as key advisers. They were reportedly influential in persuading Trump to fire his controversial campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in June 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/campaign-influence-of-donald-trumps-children-grows-1466536976 |title=Trump's Adult Children Flex Muscle Inside Campaign |last=Langley |first=Monica |date=June 22, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/20/trump-parts-ways-with-campaign-manager/ |title=Donald Trump fires embattled campaign manager Corey Lewandowski |date=June 20, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref> Melania, Donald Jr, Eric, and Ivanka were "Headliner" speakers at the Republican National Convention.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://convention.gop/post/147558746375/2016-gop-convention-program-announced |title=2016 GOP Convention Program Announced |work=RNC 2016 Cleveland |access-date=July 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721130938/http://convention.gop/post/147558746375/2016-gop-convention-program-announced |archive-date=July 21, 2016}}</ref> If elected president, Trump said that he would hand over control of his company to his children instead of placing it in a ].<ref>Overby, Peter. ''National Public Radio''. June 9, 2016. September 19, 2016.</ref>

=== Wikileaks ===
Having called Wikileaks "disgraceful" in 2010, Trump praised Wikileaks in October 2016, saying, "I love Wikileaks."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/300327-trump-i-love-wikileaks/ |title=Trump: 'I love WikiLeaks' |last=Master |first=Cyra |date=October 10, 2016 |newspaper=]|access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/politics/kfile-trump-wikileaks/index.html |title=Trump in 2010: WikiLeaks 'disgraceful,' there 'should be like death penalty or something' |first=Andrew |last=Kaczynski |website=]|date=January 4, 2017 |access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref>

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, WikiLeaks ] from the ] and from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, ], showing that the party's ] favoured Clinton over her rival ] in the ], leading to the resignation of DNC chairwoman ] and an apology to Sanders from the DNC.<ref name=":20">{{cite news |title=Why it's entirely predictable that Hillary Clinton's emails are back in the news |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/01/why-its-entirely-predictable-that-hillary-clintons-emails-are-back-in-the-news/ |access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> These releases caused significant harm to the Clinton campaign, and have been cited as a potential contributing factor to her loss in the general election against Donald Trump.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 2016 |title=How Much Did WikiLeaks Hurt Hillary Clinton? |language=en-US |work=]|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/wikileaks-hillary-clinton/ |access-date=15 February 2018 |quote=The evidence suggests WikiLeaks is among the factors that might have contributed to her loss, but we really can't say much more than that.}}</ref> The U.S. intelligence community expressed "high confidence" that the leaked emails had been hacked by Russia and supplied to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks said that the source of the documents was not Russia or any other state.<ref name=":42">{{Cite news |last=Shabad |first=Rebecca |date=7 October 2016 |title=U.S. intel community 'confident' Russia directed hacks to influence election |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-intel-community-confident-russia-directed-hacks-to-influence-election/ |access-date=23 October 2016}}</ref>

Also during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, Assange only exposed material damaging to the Democratic National Committee and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Wikileaks popularized conspiracies about the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton, such as tweeting an article which suggested Clinton campaign chairperson John Podesta engaged in satanic rituals, which was later revealed to be false<ref name=":102">{{Cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2016/11/8/13563750/wikileaks-2016-election-statement |title=WikiLeaks just tried to justify its behavior this year in a bizarre Election Day statement |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |newspaper=]|access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://imgur.com/a/Utaab |title=WikiLeaks on Twitter |website=twitter.com |access-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.snopes.com/john-podesta-spirit-cooking/ |title=FALSE: Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta Involved in Satanic 'Spirit Cooking' |last=Evon |first=Dan |newspaper=]|language=en-US|access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/11/04/no-john-podesta-didnt-drink-bodily-fluids-at-a-secret-satanist-dinner/ |title=No, John Podesta didn't drink bodily fluids at a secret Satanist dinner |last=Ohlheiser |first=Abby |date=November 4, 2016 |newspaper=] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286|access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref> implying that the Democratic Party had ] killed,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/wikileaks-fuels-conspiracy-theories-about-dnc-staffer-s-death-n627401 |title=WikiLeaks Fuels Conspiracy Theories About DNC Staffer's Death |newspaper=]|access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref> suggesting that Clinton wore earpieces to debates and interviews,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/295116-wikileaks-piles-on-to-clinton-earpiece-conspiracy/ |title=WikiLeaks piles on to Clinton earpiece conspiracy |last=Firozi |first=Paulina |date=September 8, 2016 |newspaper=]|access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref> claiming that Hillary Clinton wanted to drone strike Assange,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.snopes.com/julian-assange-drone-strike/ |title=To Silence Wikileaks, Hillary Clinton Proposed Drone Strike on Julian Assange? |last=LaCapria |first=Kim |newspaper=] |language=en-US|access-date=November 8, 2016}}</ref> promoting conspiracy theories about Clinton's health,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/25/wikileaks-plays-doctor-gives-hillary-clinton-fake-disease.html |title=WikiLeaks Plays Doctor, Gives Hillary Clinton Fake Disease |last=Collins |first=Ben |date=August 25, 2016 |website=]|access-date=December 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wikileaks-conspiracy-theory-hillary-clinton_us_57d6f4b2e4b00642712ebbd0 |title=WikiLeaks Feeds Conspiracy Theories That Hillary Clinton Has Parkinson's Or Head Injury Complications |last1=Reporter |first1=Dana Liebelson Staff |last2=Post |first2=The Huffington |date=September 12, 2016 |website=]|access-date=December 29, 2016}}</ref><ref name="bloomberg">, Max Chafkin & Vernon Silver, October 10, 2016 (Bloomberg website)</ref> and promoting a conspiracy theory from a Donald Trump-related internet community tying the Clinton campaign to child kidnapper ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/11/03/wikileaks-latest-find-is-a-conspiracy-theory-from-trump-s-subreddit.html |title=WikiLeaks' Latest 'Find' Is a Conspiracy Theory From Trump's Subreddit |last=Collins |first=Ben |date=November 4, 2016 |website=]|access-date=November 10, 2016}}</ref> According to Harvard political scientist Matthew Baum and College of the Canyons political scientist Phil Gussin, Wikileaks strategically released e-mails related to the Clinton campaign whenever Clinton's lead expanded in the polls.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/01/why-its-entirely-predictable-that-hillary-clintons-emails-are-back-in-the-news/ |title=Why it's entirely predictable that Hillary Clinton's emails are back in the news |newspaper=] |access-date=November 12, 2016}}</ref>

=== Women ===
There was a large gender gap in support for Trump, with women significantly less likely to express support than men.<ref>Steven Shepard, , ''Politico'' (December 23, 2015).</ref><ref>Gerald F. Seib, , '']'' (December 11, 2015).</ref> A March 2016 poll showed that half of U.S. women had a "very unfavorable" view of Trump.<ref name="KahnWomen">Chris Kahn, , Reuters (March 17, 2016).</ref><ref name="WITW"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022141713/http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/03/17/poll-says-half-of-american-women-view-trump-very-unfavorably/ |date=October 22, 2017 }}, ''The New York Times''/].</ref> A separate March 2016 poll showed women favoring Hillary Clinton 55 percent to 35 percent over Trump, "twice the gender gap of the 2012 presidential election",<ref name="NYT032516-2">{{cite news |author1=Amy Chozick |author2=Trip Gabriel |title=Democrats See Gains as Donald Trump Targets a Wife |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/us/politics/donald-trump.html |access-date=March 26, 2016 |work=] |date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> while a Gallup poll showed a 70 percent unfavorable rating.<ref name=Newport>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/190403/seven-women-unfavorable-opinion-trump.aspx |title=Seven in 10 Women Have Unfavorable Opinion of Trump |work=Gallup |date=April 1, 2016 |access-date=September 5, 2016 |author1=Newport, Frank |author2=Saad, Lydia}}</ref><ref name=Foran>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/donald-trump-republican-women/495797/ |title=Will Donald Trump Permanently Alienate Republican Women? |work=] |date=August 15, 2016 |access-date=September 5, 2016 |author=Foran, Clare}}</ref> A May 2016 ] article, citing a poll that showed Clinton leading Trump among women by 17 percentage points while Trump led among men by five points—a 22-point gender gap—suggested that "the Trump–Clinton gender gap could be the largest in more than 60 years".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/05/26/479319725/the-trump-clinton-gender-gap-could-be-the-largest-in-more-than-60-years |title=The Trump-Clinton Gender Gap Could Be The Largest In More Than 60 Years |last=Kurtzleben |first=Danielle |date=May 26, 2016 |work=]|access-date=September 24, 2016}}</ref>
By mid-October 2016 an average among 12 polls showed Trump trailing by 15 percentage points among women but ahead by five points among men.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Silver |first1=Nate |title=Election Update: Women Are Defeating Donald Trump |url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/election-update-women-are-defeating-donald-trump/ |website=fivethirtyeight.com |date=October 11, 2016 |publisher=FiveThirtyEight |access-date=October 14, 2016}}</ref>
Both before and during his presidential campaign, Trump made a number of comments about women that some viewed as ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/ishtiaque-hossain/could-trump-be-suffering-from-a-broken-heart/|title=Could Trump Be Suffering From A Broken Heart?|accessdate=July 25, 2023}}</ref><ref name="NYT032516">{{cite news |author1=Alan Rappeport |title=Donald Trump's Trail of Comments About Women |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html |access-date=March 26, 2016 |work=] |date=March 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-Trump ad shows women reading Trump comments |url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/03/15/anti-donald-trump-ad-women-sot-ctn.cnn/video/playlists/donald-trump/ |access-date=March 26, 2016 |work=]|date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> or ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Corasaniti |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/15/us/politics/donald-trumps-misogyny-out-of-the-mouths-of-ordinary-women.html |title=Donald Trump's Misogyny, Out of the Mouths of Ordinary Women: The Ad Campaign |work=The New York Times |date=March 14, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jon |last=Swaine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/31/donald-trump-abortion-comments-women-history-of-misogyny |title=Donald Trump's most recent attacks on women point to a history of misogyny |work=The Guardian |date=March 31, 2016 |quote=Trump stands accused of misogyny to a degree that has not been seen in mainstream American politics for decades. }}</ref> Trump won among white women overall, winning nearly twice as many non-college educated white women than Clinton, although Clinton outperformed Trump with votes from college-educated white women.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/11/10/more-white-women-voted-for-donald-trump-than-for-hillary-clinton/ |title=More white women voted for Donald Trump than for Hillary Clinton |newspaper=] |date=November 10, 2016 |access-date=November 16, 2016 |archive-date=October 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022142755/http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/11/10/more-white-women-voted-for-donald-trump-than-for-hillary-clinton/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== White nationalists and white supremacists ===
{{see also|Racial views of Donald Trump}}
From the outset of his campaign, Trump was endorsed by various ] and ] movements and leaders.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-white-supremacists_us_55dce43ee4b08cd3359dc41a |title=Meet The Members Of Donald Trump's White Supremacist Fan Club |author1=Marans, Daniel |author2=Bellware, Kim |name-list-style=amp|date=August 25, 2015 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/donald-trump-supremacists.html |title=Donald Trump's Message Resonates With White Supremacists |author=Mahler, Jonathan |date=February 29, 2016 |work=]}}</ref> On February 24, 2016, ], a former ] ], expressed vocal support for Trump's campaign on his radio show.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/david-duke-trump-219777 |title=David Duke: Voting against Trump is 'treason to your heritage' |author=Eliza Collins |date=February 25, 2016 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/trump-endorsed-kkk-neo-nazis-america-white-article-1.2543847 |title=Donald Trump supported by former KKK leader David Duke: 'I hope he does everything we hope he will do' |author=Adam Edelman |date=February 26, 2016 |work=] |location=New York}}</ref><ref>Aaron Morrison, , ''International Business Times'' (March 2, 2016).</ref><ref name=Politico121015>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/donald-trump-white-supremacists-216620 |title=White supremacist groups see Trump bump |date=December 10, 2015 |work=]}}</ref> Shortly thereafter in an interview with ], Trump repeatedly claimed to be ignorant of Duke and his support. Republican presidential rivals were quick to respond on his wavering, and Senator Marco Rubio stated the Duke endorsement made Trump un-electable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/02/28/rubio_david_duke_endorsement_makes_donald_trump_unelectable.html |title=Rubio: David Duke Endorsement Makes Donald Trump "Unelectable" |work=Real Clear Politics |author=Tim Hains |date=February 8, 2016 |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref> Others questioned his professed ignorance of Duke by pointing out that in 2000, Trump called him a "Klansman".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/02/donald-trump/trumps-absurd-claim-he-knows-nothing-about-former-/ |title=Donald Trump's absurd claim that he knows nothing about former KKK leader David Duke |date=March 2, 2016 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/021400wh-ref-trump.html |title=Reform Bid Said to Be a No-Go for Trump |date=February 14, 2000 |work=]}}</ref> Trump later blamed the incident on a poor earpiece he was given by CNN. Later the same day Trump stated that he had previously disavowed Duke in a tweet posted with a video on his Twitter account.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/28/politics/donald-trump-white-supremacists/ |title=Donald Trump stumbles on David Duke, KKK |author=Eric Bradner |date=February 28, 2016 |work=]}}</ref> On March 3, 2016, Trump stated: "David Duke is a bad person, who I disavowed on numerous occasions over the years. I disavowed him. I disavowed the KKK."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/donald-trump-disavows-david-duke-kkk/ |title=Trump denounces David Duke, KKK |date=March 3, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>

On July 22, 2016 (the day after Trump's nomination), Duke announced that he will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana. He commented, "I'm overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I've championed for years." A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said Trump "has disavowed David Duke and will continue to do so."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/politics/david-duke-senate-race/ |title=Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke running for Senate seat in Louisiana |last=Scott |first=Eugene |date=July 23, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 24, 2016}}</ref>

On August 25, 2016, Clinton gave a speech saying that Trump is "taking hate groups mainstream and helping a radical fringe take over the Republican Party."<ref name="Matt">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/us/politics/hillary-clinton-speech.html |title=Hillary Clinton Says 'Radical Fringe' Is Taking Over G.O.P. Under Donald Trump |last=Flegenheimer |first=Matt |date=August 25, 2016 |work=] |access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> She identified this radical fringe with the "]", a largely online variation of American far-right that embraces white nationalism and is anti-immigration. During the election season, the Alt-right movement "evangelized" online in support of racist and anti-semitic ideologies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/433650/alt-rights-racism-moral-rot |title=The Racist Moral Rot at the Heart of the Alt-Right |website=nationalreview.com|date=April 5, 2016 }}</ref> Clinton noted that Trump's campaign chief executive ] described his ] Network as "the platform for the alt-right."<ref name = "Matt" /> On September 9, 2016, several leaders of the alt-right community held a press conference, described by one reporter as the "coming-out party" of the little-known movement, to explain their goals.<ref name="Weigel">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/10/four-lessons-from-the-alt-rights-d-c-coming-out-party/ |title=Four lessons from the alt-right's D.C. coming-out party |last=Weigel |first=David |date=September 10, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> Speakers called for a "White Homeland" and expounded on racial differences in intelligence. They also confirmed their support of Trump, saying "This is what a leader looks like."<ref name="Levy">{{cite news |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/alt-right-makes-its-main-stream-debut |title=Alt-Right Movement Presents Its Vision for an All-White Society With Trump Paving the Way |last=Levy |first=Pema |date=September 9, 2016 |work=] |access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref>

], who runs the white nationalist ], said, "Before Trump, our identity ideas, national ideas, they had no place to go". The editor of the ] website '']'' stated, "Virtually every alt-right ] I know is volunteering for the Trump campaign."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-david-duke-20160928-snap-story.html |title=David Duke and other white supremacists see Trump's rise as way to increase role in mainstream politics |work=] |date=September 29, 2016 |access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref> ], chairman of the ] said that although Trump "isn't one of us,"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Posner |first1=Sarah |last2=Neiwert |first2=David |title=The chilling story of how Trump took hate groups mainstream |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/donald-trump-hate-groups-neo-nazi-white-supremacist-racism |access-date=November 6, 2016 |work=] |date=October 16, 2016}}</ref> his election would be a "real opportunity" for the white nationalist movement.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holley |first1=Peter |title=Top Nazi leader: Trump will be a 'real opportunity' for white nationalists |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/07/top-nazi-leader-trump-will-be-a-real-opportunity-for-white-nationalists/ |access-date=November 6, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=August 7, 2016}}</ref>

The ] monitored Trump's campaign throughout the election and noted several instances where Trump and lower-level surrogates either used white nationalist rhetoric or engaged with figures in the white nationalist movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2016/hate-race|title=Hate in the Race|website=Southern Poverty Law Center|accessdate=July 25, 2023}}</ref>

According to 2021 study in ''Public Opinion Quarterly'', Trump's candidacy simultaneously attracted whites with extreme views on race and made his white supporters more likely to express more extreme views on race.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Enns|first1=Peter K|last2=Jardina|first2=Ashley|date=2021|title=Complicating the Role of White Racial Attitudes and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment in the 2016 US Presidential Election|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfab040|journal=Public Opinion Quarterly|volume=85|issue=2|pages=539–570|doi=10.1093/poq/nfab040|issn=0033-362X|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116000000/https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfab040|archive-date=2022-01-16|pmc=11463333}} </ref>

=== r/The_Donald subreddit ===
{{Main|r/The_Donald}}

At over half a million subscribers, the ] r/The_Donald on ] faced controversy since its inception.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sarlin |first1=Benjy |title=Trump's Reddit Fan Club Grapples With Crackdown, Infighting |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-s-reddit-fan-club-faces-crackdown-civil-war-n601441 |access-date=July 25, 2016 |date=July 1, 2016}}</ref> Trump hosted an ] (AMA) on the subreddit during the ] on July 27, 2016, and answered thirteen of the thousands of questions posted on the subreddit.<ref>{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Hope |title=Donald Trump will host Reddit AMA |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/07/25/technology/trump-reddit-ama/ |access-date=July 25, 2016 |work=] |date=July 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lopez |first1=German |title=Reddit asked Obama and Trump the same question. You should see their answers side by side. |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/7/28/12319178/obama-trump-reddit-ama |access-date=July 29, 2016 |work=] |date=July 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name="subreddit">{{cite news |last1=Alfonso |first1=Fernando III |title=What To Expect When Donald Trump Invites Reddit Users To Ask Him Anything |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/fernandoalfonso/2016/07/26/what-to-expect-from-donald-trumps-reddit-visit/#f43966e714bf |access-date=July 27, 2016 |date=July 26, 2016}}</ref> Moderators of the subreddit claimed they banned more than 2,000 accounts during Trump's AMA session.<ref>{{cite web |title=Moderators banned 2,200 accounts during Donald Trump's AMA |date=July 28, 2016 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/28/donald-trump-reddit-ama-censorship/ |access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref>

The subreddit was criticized by ], which stated in an article that the subreddit was "authoritarian," "racist," "misogynistic," "homophobic," "Islamophobic," and a "hypocritical 'free speech' rallying point."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/what-is-rthedonald-donald-trump-subreddit |title=How /r/The_Donald Became a Melting Pot of Frustration and Hate |work=] |author=Jason Koebler |date=July 12, 2016 |access-date=July 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-drop-reddit-where-he-s-already-phenomenon-n617356 |title=Donald Trump to Drop In on Reddit, Where He's Already a Phenomenon |work=] |author=Benjy Sarlin |date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=July 30, 2016}}</ref> The publication '']'' described The_Donald as a "] ]".<ref name="slatehate">{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/07/28/how_donald_trump_s_reddit_ama_rewarded_hateful_trolls.html |title=Meanwhile, Donald Trump Did a Q&A Wednesday Night on a Hate Speech Forum |website=slate.com|date=July 28, 2016 }}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', "members respond to accusations of bigotry with defiant claims of persecution at the hands of critics. It is an article of faith among posters that anti-racists are the real bigots, feminists are the actual sexists, and progressive politics are, in effect, regressive."<ref name="nythate">{{cite web |author=Josh Herrman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/business/media/in-reddits-unruly-corners-trump-finds-support.html |title=Donald Trump Finds Support in Reddit's Unruly Corners |newspaper=] |date=April 9, 2016}}</ref>

== Supporter demographics ==
Surveys showed that significant proportions of Trump supporters hold negative views of immigrants, Muslims, and African-Americans. The ] found that 69 percent of Trump supporters viewed immigrants as a burden, rather than a benefit, to the US, and 64 percent believed that American Muslims should be subject to greater scrutiny solely on the basis of their religion.<ref name="pew-3-2016">{{cite web |publisher=Pew Research Center |url=http://www.people-press.org/2016/03/31/campaign-exposes-fissures-over-issues-values-and-how-life-has-changed-in-the-u-s/ |date=March 31, 2016 |title=Campaign Exposes Fissures Over Issues, Values and How Life Has Changed in the U.S.}}</ref> ] found that Trump supporters were more than twice as likely as Clinton supporters to view Islam negatively.<ref name="reuters-islam">{{cite news |work=] |title=Republicans, Democrats sharply divided over Muslims in America: Reuters/Ipsos poll |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll-muslims-idUSKCN0ZV20C |first1=Emily |last1=Flitter |first2=Chris |last2=Kahn |date=July 15, 2016}}</ref> Trump supporters were also more likely than supporters of other candidates to hold negative views of African-Americans. Reuters reported that 40–50 percent of Trump supporters viewed African-Americans as being more "lazy", "rude", "violent", or "criminal" than whites, compared to 25–30 percent for Clinton supporters; while 32 percent of Trump supporters believed that African-Americans were less intelligent than whites, compared to 22 percent of Clinton supporters.<ref name="reuters-race">{{cite news |work=] |first1=Emily |last1=Flitter |first2=Chris |last2=Kahn |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-race-idUSKCN0ZE2SW |title=Exclusive: Trump supporters more likely to view blacks negatively—Reuters/Ipsos poll |date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

] researchers, analyzing a national survey of likely Republican primary voters from December 2015, found that having an ] and a fear of terrorism were the only two variables among those tested that were ] predictors of Trump support.<ref name="LSEResearch">Matthew C. MacWilliams, , LSE US Centre (]) (January 27, 2016).</ref><ref name=Ehrenfreund020116>Max Ehrenfreund, , ''The Washington Post'' (February 1, 2016).</ref> Another study based on a different survey, conducted by professors at the ] and ], concluded that Trump supporters were no more authoritarian than supporters of other Republican candidates, but rather were characterized primarily by a strong nationalist identity and a mistrust of experts, intellectuals, and perceived elites.<ref name="RahnOliver">] & Eric Oliver, , ''The Washington Post'' (March 9, 2016).</ref>

A geographical study found support for Trump in the Republican primaries was correlated positively with the following factors (in order of statistical strength): (1) proportion of white lacking a high school diploma; (2) ethnicity reported as "American" on the census; (3) living in a mobile home; (4) jobs largely in agriculture, construction, manufacturing or trade; (5) having a history of voting for segregationists such as ] in 1968; and (6) residents born in the United States and being an evangelical Christian.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/upshot/the-geography-of-trumpism.html |title=The Geography of Trumpism |first1=Neil |last1=Irwin |first2=Josh |last2=Katz |date=March 12, 2016|newspaper=]}}</ref>

== Campaign finances ==

=== Primary campaign ===
{{as of|2016|January|31|df=US}}, the Trump campaign had received $7.5&nbsp;million in donations from individuals, $250,318 donated directly by Trump himself, and a $17.78-million loan from the candidate.<ref name="ABC7.5">{{Cite news |last=Keneally |first=Meghan |title=$7.5M in Donations Helping Trump's 'Self-Funded' Campaign |work=] |access-date=March 13, 2016 |date=March 5, 2016 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/75-million-donations-helping-trumps-funded-campaign/story?id=37403906}}</ref> The loaned amount can be repaid to Trump as other donations arrive.<ref name="ABC7.5" /> According to reports to the FEC, the campaign had $1.9 million on hand as of February 20.<ref>{{Cite news |issn=0362-4331 |title=Which Presidential Candidates Are Winning the Money Race |work=] |access-date=March 13, 2016 |date=February 22, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/election-2016-campaign-money-race.html}}</ref>

As of March 31, he had raised $48.4&nbsp;million, spent $46.3&nbsp;million, and had $2.1&nbsp;million cash on hand. His total spending including $3.2&nbsp;million by outside groups, total $49.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/candidate.php?id=N00023864 |title=Donald Trump, Candidate Summary, 2016 Cycle |publisher=OpenSecrets.org |date=April 21, 2016 |access-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref> As of May 31, he had raised $63.1 million, spent $61.8 million, and had $1.3 million cash on hand. His total spending including $3.0 million by outside groups, total $64.7 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/candidate.php?id=N00023864 |title=Donald Trump, Candidate Summary, 2016 Cycle |publisher=OpenSecrets.org |date=May 31, 2016 |access-date=July 15, 2016}}</ref> As of June 30, he had raised $89.0 million, spent $68.8 million, and had $20.2 million cash on hand. His total spending including $7.6 million by outside groups, total $76.4 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/candidate.php?id=N00023864 |title=Donald Trump, Candidate Summary, 2016 Cycle |publisher=OpenSecrets.org |date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=July 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>]</ref>

On June 23, Trump announced that he was forgiving $50 million in loans that he had made to his campaign for the primary.<ref>{{cite web |last=Swan |first=Jonathan |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/284651-trump-says-he-forgives-50m-campaign-loan/ |title=Trump says he forgives $50M campaign loan |work=] |date=June 23, 2016}}</ref> His campaign refused to release evidence to the press that would prove that he had forgiven these loans.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Melber |first1=Ari |last2=Jaffe |first2=Alexandra |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/after-saying-he-forgave-loans-campaign-trump-won-t-release-n601596 |title=After Saying He Forgave Loans to Campaign, Trump Won't Release Proof |work=] |date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2016}}</ref>

In October 2015 Trump had said: "I am self-funding my campaign and therefore I will not be controlled by the donors, special interests and lobbyists who have corrupted our politics and politicians for far too long. I have disavowed all super PACs, requested the return of all donations made to said PACs, and I am calling on all presidential candidates to do the same."<ref name=":3">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Says Super PACs Should Give Money Back, Criticizes Opponents For Campaign Finance |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/donald-trump-says-super-pacs-should-give-money-back-criticizes-opponents-campaign-2154127 |work=International Business Times |date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Johnson23Oct">{{cite news |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/23/donald-trump-tells-super-pacs-supporting-his-candidacy-to-return-all-money-to-donors/ |title=Donald Trump tells super PACs supporting his candidacy to return all money to donors |first=Jenna |last=Johnson |date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Demands Super Pacs Supporting Him Return Money, As Hillary Clinton Disavows Private Prison Pacs |url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-demands-super-pacs-return-money-386901 |work=] |date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref> ] reports that Trump's claims that he is "self-funding" his campaign are "half-true." By the end of 2015, Trump's campaign had raised $19.4 million, with almost $13 million (about 66 percent) coming in the form of a loan from Trump himself and the remainder (34 percent) coming from others' contributions.<ref>{{cite web |last=Carroll |first=Lauren |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/10/donald-trump/donald-trump-self-funding-his-campaign-sort/ |title=Is Donald Trump self-funding his campaign? Sort of |work=]|date=February 10, 2016}}</ref> The announcement came a day after a main super PAC backing Trump closed amid scrutiny about its relationship to the campaign itself.<ref name=Gold18Oct>{{cite news |newspaper=] |date=October 18, 2015 |access-date=October 23, 2015 |title=The inside story of Trump campaign's connections to a big-money super PAC |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-inside-story-of-donald-trumps-connections-to-a-big-money-super-pac/2015/10/18/532b61d4-72b5-11e5-8248-98e0f5a2e830_story.html |first1=Matea |last1=Gold |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger |first3=Jenna |last3=Johnson}}</ref><ref name="Gold20Oct">{{cite news |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-ties-emerge-between-trump-operation-and-super-pac/2015/10/20/80e7450a-7753-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html |title=New ties emerge between Trump operation and super PAC |date=October 20, 2015 |access-date=October 23, 2015 |first1=Matea |last1=Gold |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger}}</ref> Although Trump attended at least two Make America Great Again Super PAC fundraising events, including one at the home of his daughter Ivanka's in-laws,<ref name=Gold18Oct /> he later said he never gave his endorsement to the super PAC or any of the other eight super PACs supporting his run.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump: Return all donations made to super PACs |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/donald-trump-return-super-pac-donations-215105 |work=]|date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name=Haberman22Oct>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/22/super-pac-raising-money-for-donald-j-trump-to-shut-down/ |title='Super PAC' Raising Money for Donald J. Trump to Shut Down |work=] |access-date=October 23, 2015 |date=October 22, 2015 |first=Maggie |last=Haberman}}</ref> In addition to a $100,000 donation from Ivanka Trump's mother-in-law, the Make America Great Again super PAC accepted $1 million in seed money from casino mogul and longtime Trump business partner ] who, according to FEC filings, gave the money just two weeks after the super PAC was established; the super PAC spent about $500,000 on polling, consulting, and legal expenses before shutting down in the wake of ''The Washington Post''{{'}}s coverage.<ref name=Gold4Feb>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/04/longtime-trump-friend-seeded-pro-trump-super-pac-with-1-million/ |newspaper=] |date=February 4, 2016 |access-date=March 4, 2016 |first=Matea |last=Gold |title=Longtime Trump friend seeded pro-Trump super PAC with $1 million}}</ref><ref name=Gold20Oct />

=== General election campaign ===
According to '']'', Trump's general election campaign raised over $500 million, roughly half the sum raised by the Clinton campaign. By October 19, Trump had "put $56.2 million of his own into the campaign, leaving him with scant time to put in the rest of the $100 million he's pledged to spend."<ref>{{cite web |last=Allison |first=Bill|display-authors=etal|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2016-presidential-campaign-fundraising/ |title=Tracking the 2016 Presidential Money Race |work=] |date=October 28, 2016 |access-date=November 21, 2016}}</ref>

After becoming the presumptive nominee in early May, the Trump campaign announced that it would be seeking large donations for the general election,<ref name=voxfund>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/5/9/11640038/donald-trump-donations-big-money |work=] |date=May 9, 2016 |access-date=May 10, 2016 |first=Jeff |last=Stein |title=Donald Trump is now accepting the kind of big-money donations he thinks corrupts politicians}}</ref> and that Trump would not be self-funding his campaign in the general election.<ref>Monica Langley & Rebecca Ballhaus, , '']'' (May 4, 2016).</ref> By the end of May, Trump was reported to have had $1.3 million available for his campaign, while Clinton had $42 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/trump-finanzen-101.html |title=Der klamme Milliardär—Trump hat Geldprobleme |last=tagesschau.de |website=tagesschau.de |language=de-DE|access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref>

Wall Street banker ] was named finance chair of the Trump campaign in May 2016.<ref name="SorkinFundRaiser">{{cite news |last1=Sorkin |first1=Andrew Ross |title=Unlikely Fund-Raiser for Trump and Party (hardcopy) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/business/dealbook/donald-trumps-pick-for-fund-raiser-is-rife-with-contradictions.html |access-date=May 10, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=May 10, 2016}}</ref> In May 2016, the campaign established the ] to enable joint fundraising with the Republican National Committee and eleven state parties; longtime Republican financiers ], ], ], ], and ] (all of whom backed other candidates during the Republican primary) agreed to serve as vice chairs of the committee.<ref name="GoldFundraisers">Matea Gold, , ''The Washington Post'' (May 24, 2016).</ref><ref name="BallhausFundraisers">Rebecca Ballhaus, , '']'' (May 24, 2016).</ref>

In May 2016, casino billionaire ] announced that he would spend $100&nbsp;million in support of Trump's election.<ref name="Burleigh">Nina Burleigh, , ''Newsweek'' (May 16, 2016).</ref><ref name="AdelsonNYT">{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Martin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/us/politics/sheldon-adelson-donald-trump.html |title=Sheldon Adelson Is Poised to Give Donald Trump a Donation Boost |work=The New York Times |date=May 13, 2016 }}</ref> Several months later, the Federal Election Commission had not yet reported any donations to the Trump campaign by Adelson,<ref>{{cite news|last=Caldwell|first=Leigh Ann|date=August 22, 2016|title=GOP Kingmaker Sheldon Adelson Continues to Snub Donald Trump|work=]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/gop-kingmaker-sheldon-adelson-continues-snub-donald-trump-n635636|access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref> but Adelson eventually donated $25 million and was the campaign's largest donor.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McFadden|first=Robert D.|date=January 12, 2021|title=Sheldon Adelson, Billionaire Donor to G.O.P. and Israel, Is Dead at 87|language=en-US|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/business/sheldon-adelson-dead.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/business/sheldon-adelson-dead.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=January 12, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

A number of large-dollar donors who previously backed other candidates,<ref name="BallhausFundraisers" /> even some who were once mocked by Trump, changed their minds and joined Trump's campaign.<ref name="GoldFundraisers" /> Other prominent Republican megadonors, however, more staunchly opposed Trump and opted to "sit out" the election, withholding their support and financial backing. These include ], ], ],<ref>Nathan Guttman, , ''Jewish Daily Forward'' (June 17, 2016).</ref> and the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=DONALD TRUMP WON'T BE GETTING KOCH BROTHERS MONEY |url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-no-koch-brothers-money-486610 |website=newsweek.com |date=August 2, 2016 |publisher=] |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>

Several ]s were founded in support of Trump's campaign in the general election, including Great America PAC, Committee for American Sovereignty, and ].<ref name="rballhaus">{{cite news |last1=Ballhaus |first1=Rebecca |title=Who's Who: Meet the Super PACs Backing Donald Trump |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/06/07/whos-who-meet-the-super-pacs-backing-donald-trump/ |access-date=August 9, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=June 7, 2016}}</ref> Vice presidential nominee ] and former Trump campaign manager ] both endorsed Rebuilding America Now,<ref name="aisenstadt">{{cite news |last1=Isenstadt |first1=Alex |last2=Vogel |first2=Kenneth |title=Trump blesses major super PAC effort |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-super-pac-donors-225892 |access-date=August 9, 2016 |work=] |date=July 20, 2016}}</ref> and Trump agreed to headline fundraising events for the organization.<ref name="mgold1">{{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Matea |title=Trump reverses his opposition to super PACs and is now willing to headline events for a big-money group |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/21/trump-reverses-his-opposition-to-super-pacs-and-is-now-willing-to-headline-events-for-a-big-money-group/ |access-date=August 9, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=July 21, 2016}}</ref>

== Controversies ==
{{very long|section|date=October 2016}}
] in Wilmington, North Carolina]]

=== Comment about the Second Amendment and Hillary Clinton ===
At a campaign stop in ], on August 9, Donald Trump said that ] wanted to "essentially abolish the ]" because of her ]. He said if she nominates judges to the ], there would be nothing that could be done about it, and then added, "Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don't know".

Trump's comment sparked condemnation from various Democrats and Republicans for being perceived as suggesting violence against Clinton or liberal jurists, instead of suggesting political action. Clinton Campaign spokesman Robby Mook released a statement that said, "what Trump is saying is dangerous", and that a person seeking the presidency "should not suggest violence in any way."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton.html |title=Donald Trump Suggests 'Second Amendment People' Could Act Against Hillary Clinton |date=August 10, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref> General ], who is the former head of the CIA, stated that "If someone else had said that outside the hall, he'd be in the back of a police wagon now with the Secret Service questioning him."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/09/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-second-amendment/index.html |title=Trump: Gun advocates could deal with Clinton |author1=Jeremy Diamond |author2=Stephen Collinson |date=August 9, 2016 |work=]}}</ref> Secret Service spokesperson Cathy Milhoan said in a statement that the ] was aware of Trump's comments.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/10/politics/trump-second-amendment/index.html |title=Secret Service spoke to Trump campaign about 2nd Amendment comment |author1=Tami Luhby |author2=Jim Sciutto |work=]|date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' opinion writer ] condemned Trump's comment, saying "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Israeli Prime Minister ] got assassinated."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/after-donald-trump-s-second-amendment-comment-there-anything-he-n627501 |title=Is There Anything Donald Trump Can't Say? |work=] |date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/opinion/trumps-ambiguous-wink-wink-to-second-amendment-people.html |title=Trump's Wink Wink to 'Second Amendment People' |date=August 10, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/.premium-1.736127 |title=American friends, trust an Israeli: Trump's Second Amendment remarks could get someone killed—U.S. Election 2016 |newspaper=Haaretz |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref>

] noted that some people saw it as a joke about assassination or a reference to political action, while others took it as a threat. Politifact also noted that the premise behind Trump's remark—that Clinton wants to "abolish the Second Amendment"—was factually false.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/aug/09/context-donald-trumps-second-amendment-people-comm/ |title=In context: Trump's 'Second Amendment' comment |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref> The Trump campaign responded with a statement that attributed the comment to the great political power that Second Amendment people have.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-campaign-statement-on-dishonest-media |title=Show Your Support for Donald Trump |access-date=August 11, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810105539/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-campaign-statement-on-dishonest-media |archive-date=August 10, 2016 }}</ref> House Speaker ] said Trump should clarify what seemed to him a joke gone wrong.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-ryan-says-trump-ought-to-clarify-second-1470798038-htmlstory.html |title=Donald Trump says '2nd Amendment people' can prevent Hillary Clinton from choosing judges |date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=August 11, 2016 |via=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Hillary Clinton responded to Trump's comments by saying, "words matter", and that Trump's comments were part of a long line of casual comments from Trump that had "crossed a line."<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

In September, Trump repeated the false statement that Clinton wanted to abolish the Second Amendment and suggested that Clinton's Secret Service detail disarm themselves and "let's see what happens".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/09/16/trump-clinton-secret-service-disarm/90523014/ |title=Trump: Clinton's Secret Service should disarm, 'see what happens to her' |website=] }}</ref> The comments were interpreted by many commentators as an incitement to violence.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton.html |title=Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton's Bodyguards Should Disarm to 'See What Happens to Her' |date=September 17, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>

=== Khizr and Ghazala Khan ===
During the ], one of the speakers was ], a Muslim U.S. citizen who immigrated from Pakistan in 1980. Khan is the father of ], a U.S. soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2004 by a suicide bomber, and later awarded the ] and a ]. Khan spoke about his son and criticized Trump for his ] proposals, asking if Trump had ever read the ], and offering to give him a copy. He stated that Trump had "sacrificed nothing and no one."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/us/elections/khizr-humayun-khan-speech.html |title=In Tribute to Son, Khizr Khan Offered Citizenship Lesson at Convention |last=Oppel |first=Richard A. Jr. |date=July 29, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref>

The following Sunday on ] with ], Trump was asked about Khan. Trump replied that Khan was, "you know, very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me."<ref name="auto">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-father-fallen-soldier-ive-made-lot/story?id=41015051 |title=Donald Trump to Father of Fallen Soldier: 'I've Made a Lot of Sacrifices |last=Turnham |first=Steve |date=July 30, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> Trump went on to wonder why Khizr Khan's wife Ghazala, who stood silently by her husband's side during his speech, did not speak and speculated that she might not have been allowed to speak. (Ghazala later responded by stating that at the time she was too emotional to speak.) When Trump was asked what he had sacrificed for his country, he told Stephanopoulos, "I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've had tremendous success." Trump also cited his work on behalf of veterans, including helping build a ] and raising "millions of dollars" for veterans.<ref name="auto"/>

Trump's comments touched off a firestorm of controversy by appearing to belittle the Khans, with public officials and commentators from all sides of the political spectrum arguing that he should show more respect to the parents of a fallen soldier.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/gop-reacts-donald-trump-s-controversial-remarks-khan-family-n620481 |title=GOP Reacts to Donald Trump's Controversial Remarks on Khan Family |last=Coleburn |first=Christina |date=July 31, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mccain-adds-latest-salvo-in-gop-dismay-over-trump-clash-with-khan-family/2016/08/01/10ca7e10-57e8-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html |title=Broad array of military luminaries condemn Trump over attacks on Khan family |last=Sullivan |first=Sean |date=August 1, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> A Fox News poll found that 69 percent of respondents who were familiar with Trump's comments, including 41 percent of Republicans, felt that Trump's response was "out of bounds".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/polls-donald-trump-khan-2016-8 |title=POLLS: Donald Trump's feud with the Khan family was very damaging |last=Smith |first=Allan |date=August 3, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 6, 2016}}</ref> The Khan controversy, along with Trump's initial refusal to endorse Speaker of the House ] for re-election, contributed to significant drops in Trump's poll numbers that week.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/05/donald-trump-campaign-terrible-week-paul-ryan-khan |title=The Trump campaign's terrible week: polls and experts indicate bleak future |last=Jacobs |first=Ben |date=August 5, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 6, 2016}}</ref>

Trump responded to the criticism on Twitter, stating that Khazir Khan "viciously attacked me" and tweeting: "This story is not about Mr. Khan, who is all over the place doing interviews, but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/08/01/488213964/gop-criticism-mounts-as-trump-continues-attacks-on-khan-family |title=GOP Criticism Mounts As Trump Continues Attacks On Khan Family |last=Detrow |first=Scott |date=August 1, 2016 |work=]|access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> Later, Trump released a written statement saying "Captain Humayun Khan was a hero to our country and we should honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe", adding "While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr. Khan, who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution (which is false), and say many other inaccurate things."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-pushes-back-against-father-of-fallen-muslim-soldier-1469986267 |title=Donald Trump Pushes Back Against Father of Fallen Muslim Soldier |first=Richard |last=Rubin |date=August 1, 2016 |newspaper=]}}</ref>

When questioned about the Khans during the ], Trump claimed that Humayun Khan would be alive had he been president in 2004 and referred to him as an "American hero". The Khans responded by saying that they know that their son is an American hero.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jacobo |first1=Julia |title=Trump: Fallen Soldier Whose Family He Criticized Would 'Be Alive' If He Were President |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-capt-humayun-khan-alive-president-2004/story?id=42692485 |access-date=October 10, 2016 |work=] |date=October 10, 2016}}</ref>

=== Campaign misstatements ===
In December 2015, ] named "the many campaign misstatements of Donald Trump" as its "2015 Lie of the Year", noting at the time that 76 percent of Trump statements rated by the factchecking website were rated "Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire", more than any other politician.<ref name="2015Lie">Angie Drobnic Holan & Linda Qiu, (December 21, 2015).</ref><ref>Eliza Collins, , ''Politico'' (December 25, 2015).</ref> ], a scholar at the conservative ], said that "Trump came into an environment that was ripe for bombastic, inflammatory, outrageous statements without having to suffer the consequences", citing the rise of partisan media, popular desensitization to inflammatory rhetoric, and "the assault on science and expertise" as contributing factors.<ref name="2015Lie" />

In March 2016, '']'' analyzed 4.6 hours of Trump stump speeches and press conferences over a five-day period and found "more than five dozen statements deemed mischaracterizations, exaggerations, or simply false."<ref>Daniel Lippman, Darren Samuelsohn & Isaac Arnsdorf, , ''Politico Magazine'' (March 13, 2016).</ref> Lucas Graves, a professor at the ], observed that Trump often speaks in a suggestive way that makes it unclear what exactly he meant and, in this regard, warned ] "to be really careful{{nbsp}}... to pick things that can be factually investigated and that reflect what the speaker was clearly trying to communicate."<ref>Graves, Lucas. , ] (August 10, 2016). This is an audio interview of Graves, author of '']'' (Columbia University Press 2016). Note particularly the portion of audio beginning at 50:30.</ref>

=== Praise for authoritarian foreign leaders ===
Trump's frequent praise for foreign leaders accused of being either ] or ] prompted significant criticism from members of both major political parties.<ref>{{cite news |author=Gregory Krieg |work=]|title=Donald Trump's soft spot for dictators |date=July 6, 2016 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/06/politics/donald-trump-favorite-dictators-and-strongmen/ |quote=From Vladimir Putin to Saddam Hussein, Donald Trump has regularly and openly expressed his admiration for a rogues' gallery of foreign dictators and autocrats. Does he have a soft spot for strongmen?{{nbsp}}... Critics have called it a fixation and a window into how Trump would govern if elected.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Jose A. DelReal |title=Trump's favorite dictators: In reviled tyrants, GOP nominee finds traits to praise |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-favorite-dictators-in-reviled-tyrants-gop-nominee-finds-traits-to-praise/2016/07/06/8debf792-4385-11e6-bc99-7d269f8719b1_story.html |date=July 6, 2016 |quote=Donald Trump's regular praise for authoritarian governments and dictators has come under fresh scrutiny this week following his latest laudatory comments about the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, whose human rights abuses and support for international terrorism made him a top enemy of the United States for decades.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Meghan Keneally |title=5 Controversial Dictators and Leaders Donald Trump Has Praised |work=] |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/controversial-dictators-leaders-donald-trump-praised/story?id=40373481 |date=July 6, 2016 |quote=Donald Trump's favorable mention of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on Tuesday is just the latest in a string of compliments he has paid to global strongmen.}}</ref>

Trump frequently praised Russia's ], calling him a strong leader, "unlike what we have in this country,"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/politics/donald-trump-praises-defends-vladimir-putin/ |title=Donald Trump lavishes praise on 'leader' Putin |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=December 18, 2015 |work=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref> "a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond,"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/putin-praises-trump-224485 |title=Putin repeats praise of Trump: He's a 'bright' person |last=Pager |first=Tyler |date=June 17, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref> and wondered if "he will become my new best friend."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (realDonaldTrump). June 18, 2013, 8:17 p.m. Tweet.</ref> He continued to praise Putin throughout the campaign, comparing him favorably to Obama, hailing Russia as an ally in fighting ], and downplaying any suggestion that Russia had behaved aggressively in the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-calls-for-defense-sequester-to-end/2016/09/07/7dda8548-7513-11e6-be4f-3f42f2e5a49e_story.html |title=Trump praises Putin at national security forum |date=September 8, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> He also dismissed the assertion by U.S. intelligence officials that Russia is responsible for the computer hacking of Democratic party organizations and individuals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-again-says-u-s-doesn-t-know-if-russia-n670186 |title=Trump Says He Doubts U.S. Intel Officials On Russian Hacking |last=Dilanian |first=Ken |date=October 20, 2016 |work=] |access-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> Trump called for closer relations with Russia and "has surrounded himself with a team of advisers who have had financial ties to Russia."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-trumps-financial-ties-to-russia-and-his-unusual-flattery-of-vladimir-putin/2016/06/17/dbdcaac8-31a6-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html |title=Inside Trump's financial ties to Russia and his unusual flattery of Vladimir Putin |date=June 17, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref>

In January 2016, Trump commented on North Korean leader ], first saying he's a "maniac", but then stating "you gotta give him credit" for the "incredible" way he eliminated his opponents to take charge of the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-gotta-give/story?id=36198345 |title=Trump on North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un: 'You Gotta Give Him Credit' |last=McMurry |first=Evan |date=January 10, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref>

During the Republican debate on March 10, 2016, Trump stirred controversy by saying that the Chinese government's ] of unarmed civilians in ] was "horrible" and "vicious" but also "shows you the power of strength." When challenged, he said he was not endorsing the massacre and proceeded to characterize the protest as a riot: "I was not endorsing it. I said that is a strong, powerful government that put it down with strength. And then they kept down the riot. It was a horrible thing. It doesn't mean at all I was endorsing it."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rauhala |first1=Emily |title=Trump just called Tiananmen Square a 'riot'. The Communist Party will be pleased. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/03/11/trump-just-called-tiananmen-square-a-riot-the-communist-party-will-be-pleased/ |newspaper=] |date=March 11, 2016}}</ref>

At a July 5 campaign rally, Trump again raised controversy by praising ] for being good at killing terrorists, saying Hussein was "a really bad guy" but "you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. It was over." ''The New York Times'' said that Trump's descriptions "are not grounded in fact", noting that ] itself had been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/us/politics/donald-trump-saddam-hussein.html |title=Donald Trump Praises Saddam Hussein for Being 'Good' at Killing Terrorists |last=Parker |first=Ashley |date=July 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/05/politics/donald-trump-saddam-hussein-iraq-terrorism/ |title=Trump praises Saddam Hussein's efficient killing of 'terrorists', calls today's Iraq 'Harvard for terrorism' |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=July 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref> Terrorism expert ] defended Trump: "Saddam Hussein repressed terrorist groups, as he did all forms of rebellion and dissent&nbsp;... Trump's claim that following the fall of Saddam, Iraq has emerged as the 'Harvard' of terrorism is correct because ] in 2004 merged his terrorist group with ] to create "Al Qaeda in Iraq," which is the parent organization of today's ISIS."<ref>{{cite web |author-link=Peter Bergen |last1=Bergen |first1=Peter |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/06/opinions/trump-comments-on-saddam-opinion-bergen/ |title=Trump Gets it Right on Saddam |work=] |date=July 7, 2016 |access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref> In October Trump said that both Iraq and Libya would be better off if their deposed dictators, Saddam and ], were still in power, and in December he described Saddam's use of poison gas against civilians as "throwing a little gas".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-praises-saddam-hussein-s-approach-terrorism-again-n604411 |title=Donald Trump Praises Saddam Hussein's Approach to Terrorism—Again |last=Vitali |first=Ali |date=July 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>, ] (December 30, 2015).</ref> His July{{nbsp}}5 comments were widely criticized. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan dissociated himself from the remarks, and a spokesman for Hillary Clinton said "Donald Trump's praise for brutal strongmen seemingly knows no bounds."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/05/donald-trump-praises-saddam-hussein-for-killing-terrorists-so-good/ |title=Donald Trump praises Saddam Hussein for killing terrorists 'so good' |last=Johnson |first=Jenna |date=July 5, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=July 23, 2016}}</ref>

Asked about the failed ], Trump praised Turkish President ], saying, "I give great credit to him for being able to turn that around."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/i-give-erdogan-great-credit-for-turning-the-coup-around-trump-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=101949&NewsCatID=358 |title=I give Erdoğan great credit for turning the coup around: Trump |date=July 22, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>

Trump has praised Syrian President ]. During the October 9 debate, Trump stated that he didn't like Assad, but also praised him, Russia, and Iran for their fight against ISIS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowley |first=Michael |date=October 10, 2016 |title=Trump’s praise of Russia, Iran and Assad regime riles GOP experts |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-praise-russia-iran-assad-criticism-229546 |access-date=October 26, 2024 |website=Politico}}</ref>

=== Support for fringe or conspiracy theories ===
During his campaign, Trump frequently gave voice to fringe or ].<ref name="HabermanJFK">{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/03/donald-trump-ted-cruz-father-jfk/ | title=Donald Trump Accuses Ted Cruz's Father of Associating with Kennedy Assassin | website=] | date=May 3, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Uscinski">Joseph E. Uscinski, , ''Newsweek'' (May 7, 2016).</ref><ref name="HabermanConspiracy">Maggie Haberman, , ''The New York Times'' (February 29, 2016).</ref><ref name="SarlinConspiracy">Benjy Sarlin, , ] (May 3, 2016).</ref> Professor ], the co-author of ''American Conspiracy Theories'', writes that Trump made "unabashed" and "deft and almost daily use of{{nbsp}}... conspiracy narratives" on the campaign trail.<ref name="Uscinski"/> According to political writer ], unlike past political leaders, Trump did not keep ] and their supporters at arm's length.<ref>Benen, Steve. , ] (December 3, 2015).</ref><ref>Shafer, Jack. , ''Politico'' (May 2016): "Trump's outrageous comments about John McCain, Muslims, the 14th Amendment and all the rest{{nbsp}}..."</ref><ref>Trump, Donald. ''The Art of the Deal'', p. 56 (1987): "If you are a little different, or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you."</ref>

Trump, for example, promoted the ] unless administered according to a lengthened schedule.<ref name=Mahoney>Mahoney, Emily. , '']'' (October 16, 2015).</ref> He alluded to the ] that President Obama is secretly a Muslim.<ref name="HabermanConspiracy" /><ref name="SarlinConspiracy" /> Trump also speculated that Supreme Court Justice ]'s death by natural causes was murder.<ref>Pearce, Matt. , '']'' (February 16, 2016).</ref>

=== Refusal to release tax returns ===
{{main|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}
{{See also|United States presidential election#Financial disclosures}}
]

Trump did not release his personal ], as nominees traditionally do, and said he does not plan to do so before the November election.<ref name="Rappeport">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/11/donald-trump-breaks-with-recent-history-by-not-releasing-tax-returns/ |title=Donald Trump Breaks With Recent History by Not Releasing Tax Returns |last=Rappeport |first=Alan |date=May 11, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref> Before declaring for president he said he would "absolutely" release them if he decided to run for office.<ref name = "Harwell"/> Early in the 2016 primary process he promised to put out "very big, very beautiful" returns.<ref name = "Harwell"/> He offered various reasons for not giving out the information. He says his lawyers told him not to release the returns because they are being audited. He contends that voters are not interested and "there's nothing to learn from them". He told one interviewer that his tax rate is "none of your business".<ref name= "Harwell">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-income-tax-returns-once-became-public-they-showed-he-didnt-pay-a-cent/2016/05/20/ffa2f63c-1b7c-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html |title=Trump once revealed his income tax returns. They showed he didn't pay a cent. |last=Harwell |first=Drew |date=May 21, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref> There is no requirement that presidential candidates release their tax returns but candidates are legally free to do so even when under audit.<ref name=release>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/11/donald-trump-breaks-with-recent-history-by-not-releasing-tax-returns/ | title=Donald Trump Breaks with Recent History by Not Releasing Tax Returns | website=] | date=May 11, 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Stockman>{{cite news |url=http://lawnewz.com/politics/legal-experts-side-with-trump-it-would-be-totally-stupid-to-release-his-taxes-during-audit/ |title=Legal Experts Side With Trump; It Would Be Crazy to Release His Taxes During Audit |last=Stockman |first=Rachel |date=May 13, 2016 |work=Law Newz |access-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> Tax lawyers differ as to whether releasing tax returns is legally advisable for someone like Trump who is under audit.<ref name=Stockman /><ref>Stewart, Emily. , ] (August 27, 2016).</ref> According to ], tax experts such as ] professor Daniel Shaviro say that "Trump's lawyers may advise him not to release the returns for legal strategy purposes."<ref>Zarroli, Jim. , ] (February 26, 2016).</ref>

=== Use of Twitter ===
{{See also|Donald Trump on social media}}
]

Donald Trump's prolific use of Twitter, which he started using in March 2009, earned him millions of followers. His almost daily use of ] as a vehicle for connecting to his audience is unprecedented as a campaign tool. On November 22, 2015, Trump retweeted an image containing racially charged and inaccurate ], cited to a non-existent group.<ref name="Annenberg">{{cite web |title=Trump Retweets Bogus Crime Graphic |author=Robert Farley |date=November 24, 2015 |url=http://www.factcheck.org/2015/11/trump-retweets-bogus-crime-graphic/ |publisher=FactCheck.org}}</ref><ref name="Greenberg">Jon Greenberg, , Politifact (November 23, 2015).</ref><ref>Eric Bradner, , ] (November 23, 2015).</ref> According to ''Newsweek'', the image appeared to originate with a ] Twitter account.<ref>Taylor Wofford, , ''Newsweek'' (November 23, 2015).</ref> When later asked by ] about his sharing of the image, Trump confirmed that he had personally retweeted the image and said that it came from "sources that are very credible."<ref name="Annenberg" /> ] reported that the image was a "bogus graphic."<ref name="Annenberg" />

On February 28, Trump re-tweeted ] that had been posted from a parody bot created by '']'': "It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep".<ref>{{cite web |last=Pareene |first=Alex |url=http://gawker.com/how-we-fooled-donald-trump-into-retweeting-benito-musso-1761795039 |title=How We Fooled Donald Trump Into Retweeting Benito Mussolini |work=Gawker |date=February 28, 2016 |access-date=July 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627191441/http://gawker.com/how-we-fooled-donald-trump-into-retweeting-benito-musso-1761795039 |archive-date=June 27, 2016 }}</ref> When informed that the source of the quote was Italian ] dictator ], Trump responded that the origin of the quote made no difference because "it's a very good quote."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |title=Donald Trump Retweets Post With Quote From Mussolini |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/28/donald-trump-retweets-post-likening-him-to-mussolini/ |newspaper=] |date=February 28, 2016}}</ref>

On July 2, 2016, Trump tweeted a picture originally created as a meme by ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/us/politics/hillary-clintons-campaign-calls-donald-trumps-star-of-david-tweet-anti-semitic.html |title=Hillary Clinton's Campaign Calls Donald Trump's Star of David Tweet Anti-Semitic |work=] |author=Katie Rogers |date=July 4, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Mic Chan">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mic.com/articles/147711/donald-trump-s-star-of-david-hillary-clinton-meme-was-created-by-white-supremacists|title=Donald Trump's Star of David Hillary Clinton Meme Was Created by White Supremacists|website=Mic|date=July 3, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="fishbone">{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/03/trump-s-hillary-meme-was-made-by-racist-twitter-user.html |title=Trump's Star of David Hillary Meme Was Made by Racist Twitter User|website=]|date=July 3, 2016 |last1=Resnick |first1=Gideon }}</ref> The tweet featured a photo of Clinton next to a star-shaped badge saying "Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!" with a background of $100 bills. The six-pointed star was interpreted as a ] and the tweet denounced as "blatantly anti-semitic" by many observers, ranging from the Hillary Clinton campaign to the ] to House Speaker ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/us/politics/hillary-clintons-campaign-calls-donald-trumps-star-of-david-tweet-anti-semitic.html |title=Hillary Clinton's Campaign Calls Donald Trump's Star of David Tweet Anti-Semitic |last=Rogers |first=Katie |date=July 4, 2016 |work=] |access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>Kornbluh, Jacob. ''Jewish Journal''. July 5, 2016.</ref> However, Trump's former campaign director Corey Lewandowski dismissed the attacks as "political correctness run amok" and compared the star to a sheriff's badge.<ref>{{cite web |last=Robillard |first=Kevin |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/corey-lewandowski-star-david-donald-trump-225072 |title=Lewandowski blames Star of David blowup on 'political correctness' |work=]|date=July 3, 2016 |access-date=July 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/02/politics/donald-trump-tweet-graphic-star-hillary-clinton/index.html |title=Trump tweet evoking anti-Semitic imagery first posted on fringe message board |date=July 3, 2016 |access-date=July 2, 2016 |author=Diamond, Jeremy |work=]}}</ref> The Trump campaign took down the image, then re-uploaded it with a circle replacing the star. However, the re-uploading of the image included the hashtag "#AmericaFirst", and so was criticized by many pundits as evoking the name of the ], the name of a ] organization in the United States that urged ] with ] and ] in the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-tweet-with-star-of-david-draws-social-media-backlash/ |title=Donald Trump tweet with Star of David draws social media backlash |author=Flores, Reena |date=July 2, 2016 |access-date=July 2, 2016 |publisher=CBS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-star-david-225058 |title=Trump tweets image depicting Clinton, cash and the Star of David |author=East, Kristen |date=July 2, 2016 |access-date=July 2, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>

=== Opposition from Republicans ===
{{See also|List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign}}

An ] from 120<ref name="NatlSecOpenLetter">, ''War on the Rocks'' (March 2, 2016).</ref> conservative foreign-policy and national-security leaders, released in March 2016, condemned Trump as "fundamentally dishonest" and unfit to be president.<ref name="Gibbons-Neff">Thomas Gibbons-Neff, {{Dead link|date=November 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''The Washington Post'' (March 3, 2016).</ref><ref>Warren Strobel, Jonathan Landay and Matt Spetalnick, , Reuters (March 3, 2016).</ref> Signatories to the letter included a number of former high-level ] figures, and others, including ], ], and ].<ref name="NatlSecOpenLetter" /><ref name="Gibbons-Neff" /><ref>Daniel W. Drezner, , ''The Washington Post'' (March 3, 2016).</ref> Critics noted that the signers of the letter are "the exact type of establishment Republicans against whom Trump has been railing."<ref name="Gibbons-Neff" />

Also in March 2016, another group of foreign policy experts published a letter in '']'' magazine, entitled "Defending the Honor of the U.S. Military from Donald Trump", against Trump's statements that he would direct the military to torture suspected terrorists and their families and target the families of terrorists and other civilians, stating that "every reputable legal expert we know has deemed illegal."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/03/04/defending-the-honor-of-the-u-s-military-from-donald-trump/ |title=Defending the Honor of the U.S. Military From Donald Trump |website=Foreign Policy|date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=March 20, 2016}}</ref> The letter was signed by both ]s and prominent ], such as ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/opinion/sunday/the-neocons-vs-donald-trump.html&nbsp;|title=The Neocons vs. Donald Trump |work=The New York Times |date=March 10, 2016 |last1=Heilbrunn |first1=Jacob }}</ref>

Several incumbent Republican members of Congress announced they would not vote for Trump. South Carolina Senator ] says he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton in the fall and urged other Republicans to "un-endorse" Trump.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/06/politics/lindsey-graham-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-not-vote/ |title=Lindsey Graham won't vote for Trump or Clinton in 2016 |last=Bash |first=Dana |date=May 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lindsey-graham-donald-trump_us_575700fee4b0ca5c7b5038c2 |title=Lindsey Graham Wants Republicans To Unendorse Donald Trump |last=Lavender |first=Page |date=June 7, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref> Illinois Senator ] said he plans to write in a name, possibly ] or ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/sen-mark-kirk-changes-his-vote-for-president-anti-trump-tammy-duckworth-387682231.html |title=Sen. Mark Kirk Changes His Vote for President After Criticism Over Write-In |last=Schuba |first=Tom |date=July 20, 2016 |work=NBC Chicago |access-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref> New York Rep. ], who is retiring at the end of this term, was the first Republican to say he will vote for Hillary Clinton.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2016/08/gop_rep_richard_hanna_says_hell_vote_for_hillary_clinton.html |title=GOP Rep. Richard Hanna: I'll vote for Clinton; first House member to cross party line |last=Weiner |first=Mark |date=August 2, 2016 |work=New York Upstate |access-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref> Illinois Rep. ] said Trump "for me is beginning to cross a lot of red lines in the unforgivable on politics" and he will vote for a write-in candidate or not vote.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-rep-adam-kinzinger-says-he-cant-support-donald-trump/ |title=GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger says he can't support Donald Trump |last=Shabad |first=Rebecca |date=August 4, 2016 |work=] |access-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref> Pennsylvania Rep. ] said Trump crossed "a bridge too far"; he plans to vote for a write-in candidate.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mcall.com/news/local/elections/mc-pa-charlie-dent-vote-trump-clinton-20160803-story.html |title=Charlie Dent on not voting for Trump: He's crossed 'a bridge too far' |last=Olson |first=Laura |date=August 3, 2016 |work=The Morning Call |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-date=August 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812103315/http://www.mcall.com/news/local/elections/mc-pa-charlie-dent-vote-trump-clinton-20160803-story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Virginia Rep. ], also retiring at the end of this term, said he will vote for Libertarian candidate ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/08/06/republican-rep-scott-rigell-says-he-supports-libertarian-gary-johnson-for-president/ |title=Republican Rep. Scott Rigell says he supports Libertarian Gary Johnson for president |last=Portnoy |first=Jenna |date=August 6, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref>

A letter from 50 Republican ] was published on August 8. The senior officials, who included former White House officials and Cabinet secretaries, said Trump "lacks the character, values, and experience" to be president.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilkie |first1=Christina |title=50 Republican National Security Officials Eviscerate Trump in Open Letter |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-national-security_us_57a8d2dce4b0aae2a5a0ba36 |website=] |publisher=TheHuffingtonPost.com |date=August 8, 2016 |quote=Trump 'would be the most reckless President in American history', they write.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://doc-0o-9c-apps-viewer.googleusercontent.com/viewer/secure/pdf/geq08fjtiu763j6vtr723u92e9078vhf/2louikq3b51elh62a6gnj96guimfk4h0/1470787800000/lantern/00790276663516429489/ACFrOgBIelx2TwOYb7vnpwRsoN-ZVKaBLN48hX6ZtykvjO46cpvcKUxxy6wHeEZKC0nkmIzRnHe6kCE8fZxoA-_sIPqXV7UKCp42aZY26EGTpNf2ws3osR5jujTttP8=?print=true&nonce=4npi5it39mh3k&user=00790276663516429489&hash=psrhn2p9t3fivsl2b9pci15oh7o565jv|title=Statement by Former National Security Officials}} {{dead link|date=July 2023}}</ref> Trump responded the same day, saying "The names on this letter are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess, and we thank them for coming forward so everyone in this country knows who deserves the blame for making the world such a dangerous place."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hensch |first1=Mark |title=Trump slams GOP officials' national security letter |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/290801-trump-slams-gop-leaders-national-security-letter/ |work=] |publisher=Capital Hill Publishing Corp. |date=August 8, 2016}}</ref>

=== Trump University ===
{{Main|Trump University|Cohen v. Trump (Trump University)}}

], and Trump himself, were involved during the campaign in three ongoing lawsuits alleging fraudulent business practices. One of the suits was scheduled to be heard in San Diego in November, three weeks after the general election. In late July, the judge hearing that case denied a motion to dismiss it.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Christie |first1=Jim |title=Trump loses bid to end Trump University lawsuit before trial |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-university-idUSKCN10D2O8 |work=] |date=August 3, 2016 |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after Trump won the presidency, the parties agreed to a settlement of all three pending cases. In the settlement, Trump did not admit to any wrongdoing but agreed to pay a total of $25 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/trump-university.html |title=Donald Trump Agrees to Pay $25 Million in Trump University Settlement |last=Eder |first=Steve |date=November 18, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/donald-trump-nearing-settlement-trump-university-fraud-case-article-1.2878780 |title=Donald Trump Agrees to Pay $25 Million in Trump University Settlement |date=November 18, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref>

The lawsuits were active throughout the campaign and were invoked by Trump's rivals in Republican primary debates.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-trump-university-lawsuit-donald-trump-20160226-story.html |title=Lawsuits against Trump University claim students paid thousands for nothing |access-date=March 4, 2016 |work=]}}</ref> Hillary Clinton used the Trump University allegations against Trump in speeches and campaign ads.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/01/politics/hillary-clinton-trump-university/ |title=Clinton blasts Trump University, calls GOP rival a 'fraud' |date=June 1, 2016 |work=] |access-date=June 5, 2016}}</ref> Trump repeatedly criticized ], the presiding judge in two of the cases, stating that his Mexican heritage serves as a ].<ref name="wsj2016kendall">{{cite news |last1=Kendall |first1=Brent |title=Trump Says Judge's Mexican Heritage Presents 'Absolute Conflict' |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-keeps-up-attacks-on-judge-gonzalo-curiel-1464911442 |access-date=June 7, 2016 |work=] |date=June 3, 2016}}</ref><ref name=Finnegan>{{cite news |last1=Finnegan |first1=Michael |work=] |title=Trump trashes judge overseeing Trump University fraud case, says it's fine that he's Mexican |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-trailguide-05272016-trump-trashes-judge-overseeing-1464393140-htmlstory.html |date=May 27, 2016 |access-date=May 29, 2016}}</ref> During a June 3, 2016, interview with ] of ], Tapper asked Trump what Curiel's rulings have to do with his heritage. Trump answered, "I've been treated very unfairly by this judge. Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage. I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall."<ref>, ] (June 3, 2016).</ref> Trump also suggested that Curiel is a friend of a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, to which the lawyer responded that they had not been friends in any "social" setting.<ref name=KendallWSJ>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-keeps-up-attacks-on-judge-gonzalo-curiel-1464911442 |title=Trump Says Judge's Mexican Heritage Presents 'Absolute Conflict'. Republican's charge that Judge Gonzalo Curiel has a conflict of interest draws criticism from some legal observers |newspaper=] |last=Kendall |first=Brent |date=June 3, 2016|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>

Legal experts criticized Trump's comments,<ref>Jose A. DelReal & Katie Zezima, , ''The Washington Post'' (June 1, 2016).</ref> and ], who had endorsed Trump for president, disavowed the comments, saying that they were racist.<ref name="textbook">{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Deirdre Walsh |last2=Raju |first2=Manu |title=Ryan: Trump's 'textbook definition of a racist comment' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/07/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-racist-comment/ |access-date=June 7, 2016 |work=]|date=June 7, 2016}}</ref> Meanwhile, Governor ] defended Trump's comments, saying that Trump was not a "pre-programmed robotic politician".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Arco |first1=Matt |title=Christie defends Trump over judge comments: He 'is not a racist' |url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/christie_trump_is_not_a_racist.html |access-date=June 7, 2016 |work=NJ.com |date=June 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jordan |first1=Bob |title=Chris Christie says Donald Trump is not a racist |url=http://www.app.com/story/news/politics/new-jersey/chris-christie/2016/06/07/christie-says-trump-racist/85551082/ |access-date=June 7, 2016 |work=Asbury Park Press |date=June 7, 2016}}</ref>

Trump also accused Curiel of bias because of his membership in La Raza Lawyers of California, a ] of Hispanic attorneys.<ref>Flores, Reena. , ] (June 5, 2016).</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-06/trump-orders-surrogates-to-intensify-criticism-of-judge-and-journalists |title=Trump Orders Surrogates to Intensify Criticism of Judge and Journalists |date=June 6, 2016 |work=] |access-date=June 7, 2016}}</ref> Former ] ] wrote on June{{nbsp}}4 that some of Trump's aides alleged a link between the La Raza Lawyers of California and an advocacy organization called the ], which had organized protests at Trump rallies: "The two groups are unaffiliated, and Curiel is not a member of NCLR. But Trump may be concerned that the lawyers' association or its members represent or support the other advocacy organization".<ref>Gonzales, Alberto. , '']'' (June 4, 2016). This is an opinion piece.</ref>

On June 7, 2016, Trump said that his criticism of the judge had been "misconstrued" and that his concerns about Curiel's impartiality were not based on ethnicity alone, but rather on rulings in the case.<ref>, ''The New York Times'' (June 7, 2016). This includes the full text of the Trump statement.</ref> He said that he was not categorically attacking people of Mexican heritage.<ref>Sullivan, Sean and DeBonis, Mike. , '']'' (June 7, 2016): "Trump again seemed to allude to a potential association while continuing to suggest that Curiel's Mexican heritage may have affected the judge's decisions."</ref>

In 2013 Florida Attorney General ] requested a political donation from Trump while her office was "currently reviewing the allegations" in a New York class action suit. The ] sent her re-election campaign $25,000. Bondi's office decided not to pursue action.<ref>{{cite web |last1=LoBianco |first1=Tom |title=Florida AG sought donation before nixing Trump University fraud case |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/10/politics/pam-bondi-donald-trump-donation/ |website=] |date=June 11, 2016 |access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref>
'']'' reported in September 2016 that foundation was fined $2,500 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US|value=2500|start_year=2016}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) by the IRS for using the funds to make a political contribution to Bondi's PAC.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fahrenhold |first=David |title=Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/ |newspaper=] |access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref>

=== 2005 ''Access Hollywood'' video tape ===
{{Main|Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape}}

Video and accompanying audio were released by ''The Washington Post'' on October 7, 2016, in which Trump referred obscenely to women in a 2005 conversation with ] while they were preparing to film an episode of '']''. Trump said that he could ] "by the ]" and get away with it, because he is a "star". The audio was met with a reaction of disbelief and disgust from the media.<ref>Cassidy, John, , ''The New Yorker'', October 8, 2016.</ref><ref name="wp-lewd-conversation">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html |title=Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-10-07/2005-video-shows-donald-trump-saying-lewd-things-about-women |title=2005 Video Shows Donald Trump Saying Lewd Things About Women |access-date=October 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008100545/http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-10-07/2005-video-shows-donald-trump-saying-lewd-things-about-women |archive-date=October 8, 2016 }}</ref> Following the revelation, Trump's campaign issued an apology, stating that the video was of a private conversation from "many years ago".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-hot-mic-when-you-re-star-you-can-do-n662116 |title=Trump on hot mic: 'When you're a star ... You can do anything' to women |website=] |access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref>

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | video1 = , '']'', 12:44, October 8, 2016<ref name="wp-lewd-conversation"/>
| video2 = , Trump campaign video via '']'', 1:15, October 7, 2016<ref name="pbsnh">{{cite web |title=Donald Trump apologizes for sexist comments about groping women |work=Trump campaign video |publisher=] |date=October 7, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycfARBsz6_Y |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref> }}

The incident was condemned by numerous prominent Republicans. RNC Chairman ] said "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever." ] tweeted "Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world." ] called the remarks "indefensible." ] called them "reprehensible."<ref name="BIHarrington">{{cite news |last1=Harrington |first1=Rebecca |title=RNC Chair Reince Priebus condemns Trump for obscene comments about women in 2005 video |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/reince-priebus-statement-trump-2005-video-women-2016-10 |date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |website=]}}</ref> ] ] disinvited Trump to participate in a campaign event for Ryan in Wisconsin, saying that he was "sickened" by Trump's comments.<ref name=Lee>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-live-updates-trailguide-paul-ryan-disinvites-trump-to-campaign-1475889847-htmlstory.html |title=Speaker Paul Ryan disinvites Trump to his campaign event, says he's 'sickened' by tape |work=] |date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 7, 2016 |author=Lee, Kurtis}}</ref> Three days later Ryan indicated that he would no longer defend or support Trump's presidential campaign, and in a highly unusual move he freed down-ticket congressional members to use their own judgement, saying "you all need to do what's best for you and your district."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/paul-ryan-said-he-wont-defend-donald-trump/index.html |title=Paul Ryan said he won't defend Donald Trump |author1=Manu Raju |author2=Deirdre Walsh |author3=Kevin Liptak |website=]|date=October 10, 2016 |access-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref> Trump's wife ] called Trump's words "offensive" and "inappropriate."<ref>{{cite news |last=Schultheis |first=Emily |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/melania-trump-my-husband-and-i-are-moving-on-from-2005-tape/ |title=Melania Trump: My husband and I are 'moving on' from 2005 tape |work=CBS News |date=October 17, 2016 |access-date=October 17, 2016 }}</ref> By October{{nbsp}}8 several dozen Republicans had called for Trump to withdraw from the campaign and let Pence head the ticket.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/07/the-gops-brutal-responses-to-the-new-trump-video-broken-down/ |title=Here's the fast-growing list of Republicans calling for Donald Trump to drop out |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=October 8, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref> Trump insisted he would never drop out.<ref name="Washington Post">{{cite news |last1=Costa |first1=Robert |title=Amid growing calls to drop out, Trump vows to 'never withdraw' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/amid-growing-calls-to-drop-out-trump-vows-to-never-withdraw/2016/10/08/8c0b5b7a-8d68-11e6-bff0-d53f592f176e_story.html |access-date=October 8, 2016 |newspaper=] |date=October 8, 2016}}</ref>

Several hours after the initial report by ''The Washington Post'', the Trump campaign released a video statement in which Trump stated that "Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize."<ref name="wp-lewd-conversation"/><ref name="lewd-response-politico">{{cite web |last1=Goldmacher |first1=Shane |title=Donald Trump apologizes for aggressive, crude comments |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-apologizes-for-aggressive-crude-comments-229333 |website=]|date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref> Towards the end of the statement Trump also said that "there is a big difference between the words and actions", and then went on to say that "Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated his victims".<ref name="wp-lewd-conversation"/><ref name="lewd-response-politico"/> This apology was criticized severely by the media and members of the public as being insincere and attempting to divert the problem at hand with unsubstantiated accusations against his political opponents.<ref name="lewd-apology-nyt">{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |title=Donald Trump's Apology That Wasn't |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/donald-trump-apology.html |website=] |date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="lewd-apology-huff">{{cite web |last1=Lavender |first1=Paige |title=Donald Trump 'Apologizes' In Recording That Looks Like A Hostage Tape |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-women_us_57f8535ae4b0e655eab47f82/ |website=] |date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="lewd-apology-cnn">{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |title=Trump issues defiant apology for lewd remarks—then goes on the attack |newspaper=]|date=October 7, 2016 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/07/politics/donald-trump-women-vulgar/index.html |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref> Trump replied that "thousands and thousands" of supporters sent him letters after the controversial video was published.<ref name="Washington Post"/>

=== Sexual misconduct accusations ===
{{Main|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations}}

Following the October 7, 2016, revelation of Trump's 2005 remarks during a filming of an ''Access Hollywood'' episode and his denial that he had ever actually engaged in the behaviors he described, multiple women came forward with new stories of sexual misconduct, including unwanted kissing and groping. Sources for the stories included ''The New York Times'' and '']'' magazine. The stories received widespread national media coverage.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosiland |title=The growing list of women who have stepped forward to accuse Trump of touching them inappropriately |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-growing-list-of-women-who-have-stepped-forward-to-accuse-trump-of-touching-them-inappropriately/2016/10/15/a65ddf1c-92df-11e6-9c85-ac42097b8cc0_story.html |newspaper=] |access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-accusers-sexual-assault-153559631.html |title=The women who have accused Donald Trump |last=Stableford |first=Dylan |date=October 17, 2016 |work=] |access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref> Also, previous allegations and statements from other women resurfaced. In 1997, Jill Harth filed a lawsuit alleging Trump groped her in "intimate" parts and engaged in "relentless" sexual harassment.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Tierney |last=McAfee |url=http://people.com/politics/donald-trump-jill-harth-women-groped-kissed-consent/ |title=Donald Trump: Jill Harth and More Women Say He Groped and Kissed Them Without Consent |magazine=] |date=October 10, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2016}}</ref> Trump and his campaign denied all of these charges, and Trump claimed to have begun drafting a lawsuit against ''The New York Times'' alleging ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Byers |first=Dylan |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/10/12/media/new-york-times-donald-trump-lawsuit-threat/ |title=Donald Trump threatens to sue New York Times over sexual harassment report |publisher=] |date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Fox Trump demands retraction">{{ cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-demands-nyt-retract-libelous-article-as-new-allegations-of-sexual-assault-emerge |title=Trump demands NYT retracts 'libelous article' about alleged assault as new claims emerge |work=] |date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2016 }}</ref> On October 13, Trump denied all of the allegations, referring to them as "false smears" and alleging "a conspiracy against&nbsp;... the American people".<ref>{{cite news |first1=Patrick |last1=Healy |first2=Alan |last2=Rappeport |title=Donald Trump Calls Allegations by Women 'False Smears' |date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2016 |website=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html}}</ref>

Trump, who owned the ] franchise, was also accused to have walked into dressing rooms of contestants while they were in varying stages of undress without prior notice of his arrival.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/10/13/tasha-dixon-former-miss-arizona-intv-donald-trump-walking-backstage-naked-sot-lemon-ctn.cnn |title=Ex-beauty queen: Humiliating for Trump to be backstage |work=]|date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2016}}</ref> Trump said in an interview with ] in 2005, "no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant. And therefore I'm inspecting it{{nbsp}}... Is everyone OK? You know, they're standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that. I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else."<ref>{{cite web|access-date=September 21, 2021|title=More crude Donald Trump tapes surface from Howard Stern show|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-donald-trump-tapes-surface-from-howard-stern-show/|website=]|date=October 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first1=Laurie Collier|last1=Hillstrom|title=The #MeToo Movement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-mR2DwAAQBAJ|publisher=ABC-CLIO|date=December 1, 2018|isbn=978-1-4408-6750-7|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=September 21, 2021|title=Former Miss Arizona says Donald Trump used to 'stroll in' to see naked women in dressing room|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-former-miss-arizona-tasha-dixon-naked-undressed-backstage-howard-stern-a7357866.html|date=October 12, 2016|website=]}}</ref>

=== Uncertainty over accepting the election results ===
]
Trump repeatedly insinuated that the election was "rigged" against him, and he sowed doubt about the election certification process. Campaigning in ], Trump claimed that the ] {{nowrap|"}} the election at polling booths".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bowden |first1=Mark |last2=Teague |first2=Matthew |author-link1=Mark Bowden |year=2022 |title=The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It |location=New York City |publisher=Grove Press |isbn=978-0-802-15996-0|page=1}}</ref>

During the ], after Trump lost to ] in the ], Trump claimed that Cruz perpetrated "fraud" and "stole" the Iowa caucuses, because Cruz's campaign spread a false rumor "minutes before the began" that fellow candidate ] had dropped out of the race.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Flegenheimer |first2=Matt |date=2016-02-03 |title=Donald Trump Says Ted Cruz Stole Victory in Iowa Caucuses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/03/donald-trump-says-ted-cruz-stole-victory-in-iowa-caucuses/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tennery |first=Amy |date=2016-02-03 |title=Trump accuses Cruz of stealing Iowa caucuses through 'fraud' |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-trump-cruz-idUKL2N15I1HF |access-date=2023-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Byers |first=Dylan |date=2016-02-07 |title=Ted Cruz is wrong about CNN's reporting {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/06/politics/ted-cruz-cnn-republican-debate/index.html |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> In the final debate against ], Trump cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of the election should he lose, saying, "I'll keep you in suspense".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/politics/presidential-debate-highlights/ |title=Donald Trump refuses to say whether he'll accept election results |last=Collinson |first=Stephen |date=October 20, 2016 |work=] |access-date=October 21, 2016 |archive-date=October 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020182844/http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/politics/presidential-debate-highlights/ |url-status=live}}</ref> His comment touched off a media and political uproar in which he was accused of "threatening to upend a fundamental pillar of American democracy" and "rais the prospect that millions of his supporters may not accept the results on November&nbsp;8 if he loses".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/oct/19/debate-stunner-trump-wont-say-hell-accept-election/ |title=Debate Stunner: Trump Won't Say He'll Accept Election Result |date=October 20, 2016 |agency=] |first1=Julie |last1=Pace |first2=Lisa |last2=Lerer |work=] |access-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> ] described Trump's comments as "appalling and unprecedented" and feared there could be "violence in the streets from his supporters if Trump loses".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/20/donald-trump-refuse-concede-election-electoral-college |title=What would happen if Donald Trump refused to concede this election? |first=Lauren |last=Gambino |date=October 21, 2016 |work=The Guardian |access-date=November 22, 2020 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118014814/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/20/donald-trump-refuse-concede-election-electoral-college |url-status=live}}</ref> The next day Trump said, "Of course, I would accept a clear election result, but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result". He also stated that he would "totally" accept the election results "if I win".<ref name="if">{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/politics/donald-trump-i-will-totally-accept-election-results-if-i-win/ |title=Donald Trump: 'I will totally accept' election results 'if I win' |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=October 20, 2016 |work=] |access-date=October 21, 2016 |archive-date=October 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021013507/https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/politics/donald-trump-i-will-totally-accept-election-results-if-i-win/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Trump eventually won the election but lost the ]. He went on to claim, without evidence, that he had won the popular vote "if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally",<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38126438 |title=Trump claims millions voted illegally in presidential poll |work=BBC News |date=November 28, 2016 |access-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-date=November 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123120256/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38126438 |url-status=live}}</ref> asserting after ] that around four million ] had voted for Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-01-26|title=Trump orders wall to be built on Mexico border|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38740717|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref>

=== Allegations of promoting voter intimidation ===
In the weeks before the election, Trump urged his supporters to volunteer as ]s on Election Day, saying they were needed to guard against "voter fraud" and a "rigged" outcome. The rhetoric was seen as a call to intimidate minority voters or challenge their credentials to prevent them from voting.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/us/politics/donald-trump-voting-election-rigging.html |title=Donald Trump's Call to Monitor Polls Raises Fears of Intimidation |last=Gabriel |first=Trip |date=October 18, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gambino |first1=Lauren |title=Who's watching the poll watchers: what to expect on general election day |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/20/us-election-2016-poll-watchers-trump-vote-results |access-date=November 6, 2016 |work=] |date=October 20, 2016}}</ref>

Democratic Party officials sued Trump in Arizona, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, accusing him of voter intimidation, in violation of the ] and the ], with his calls for supporters to monitor polling stations in minority neighborhoods. The Ohio Democratic Party wrote in a legal filing, "Trump has sought to advance his campaign's goal of 'voter suppression' by using the loudest microphone in the nation to implore his supporters to engage in unlawful intimidation," Other lawsuits used similar language.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-intimidation-idUSKBN12V28G |title=Democrats sue Trump for alleged voter intimidation in four states |work=] |first=Andy |last=Sullivan |date=31 October 2016 }}</ref> A separate lawsuit in New Jersey accuses the Republican National Committee of cooperating with Trump's "ballot security" activities, which the RNC is prohibited from doing by a 1982 consent decree.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-orders-republican-national-committee-to-disclose-any-poll-watching-activities-1478016788 |title=Judge Orders Republican National Committee to Disclose Any Poll Watching Activities |last=Tau |first=Byron |date=November 1, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref>

A federal District Court judge in Nevada ordered Trump campaigners to make available any training materials they provided for "poll watchers, poll observers, exit pollsters or any other similarly tasked individuals."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/trump-camp-nv-gop-ordered-appear-court-voter-intimidation-lawsuit |title=Trump Camp And NV GOP Ordered To Appear In Court In Voter Intimidation Lawsuit |date=November 2, 2016 }}</ref> A District Court judge in Pennsylvania denied a request by the state Republican Party to allow poll watching by people from outside the immediate area, which is forbidden by the state election code.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/304228-judge-rules-against-pa-gop-in-poll-watching-suit/ |title=Judge rules against Pennsylvania GOP in poll watching suit |date=November 3, 2016 |work=] |access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref>

== Reactions ==

=== Domestic reactions ===
President ] congratulated Trump on winning the election and stated that although he and Trump had differences of opinion, it is his goal to ensure a smooth transition for the incoming president.<ref name="PBS World leaders">{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/world-leaders-react-to-donald-trumps-win/ |title=World leaders react to Donald Trump's win |website=] |author=Larisa Epatko |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> Trump also received congratulations from Republican primary rivals including Florida Governor ], Texas Senator ], and Ohio Governor ]. ], ], ], ] and ] also congratulated him.<ref name="CNN Old foes">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/12/politics/donald-trump-calls/ |title=Trump's old foes offer congratulations |author=Eugene Scott |date=November 13, 2016 |website=] |access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref>

=== World leaders ===
{{See also|International reactions to the 2016 United States presidential election}}
], ], held informal talks with the President-elect on November 17, 2016.]]

Mexican President ] offered his congratulations and stated that Mexico will continue to have positive working relationships with the United States.<ref name="TIME World leaders react">{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4563879/donald-trump-president-reactions-world-leaders/ |title=World Leaders React to Donald Trump Winning the U.S Election |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=November 9, 2016 |magazine=]|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> Leaders of the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Rwanda, Israel, Palestine, and other countries voiced similar messages.<ref name="PBS World leaders" /><ref name="TIME World leaders react" /><ref name="Fox World leaders" />

Chinese President ] stated to Trump that he placed "great importance on the China-U.S. relationship, and look forward to working with you to uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation."<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /> Japanese Prime Minister ] said "The stability of the Asia-Pacific region, which is a driving force of the global economy, brings peace and prosperity to the United States. Japan and the United States are unwavering allies tied firmly with the bond of universal values such as freedom, democracy, basic human rights and the rule of law."<ref name="CNN Russia's Putin" />

{{quote box| align=right|width=33%|text=The strategic partnership between the ] and the United States is rooted in our shared values of freedom, human rights, democracy and a belief in the ]{{nbsp}}... Today, it is more important than ever to strengthen transatlantic relations{{nbsp}}... when dealing with unprecedented challenges such as '']'', the threats to ], ] and ]{{nbsp}}... We should spare no effort to ensure that the ties that bind us remain strong and durable.|author=], President of the ]<ref name="TIME World leaders react" />}}

German Chancellor ] expressed that it was "difficult to bear" some of the confrontations during the Trump campaign. She expressed her interest in working with President-elect on shared values, such as respect for individuals irrespective of their religion, gender, or heritage.<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /> Merkel stated that the relationship with the U.S. is "a foundation stone of German foreign policy."<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /> French President ] said that his country would need to be strong in the face of an upcoming "period of uncertainty{{nbsp}}... What is at stake is peace, the fight against terrorism, the Middle East and the preservation of the planet."<ref name="TIME World leaders react" />

Russian President ] "expressed confidence that the dialogue between Moscow and Washington, in keeping with each other's views, meets the interests of both Russia and the U.S." After stating that the relationships between the United States and Russia had degenerated over time, he declared that "Russia is ready and wants to restore the fully fledged relations with the U.S."<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /> Putin said that the engagement should be "based on principles of equality, mutual respect and a real accounting each other's positions."<ref name="Fox World leaders">{{ cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/putin-congratulates-trump-via-telegram-as-world-leaders-react-to-election-victory/ | title=Putin congratulates Trump via telegram as world leaders react to election victory | website=] | date=November 9, 2016 | access-date=November 15, 2016 }}</ref>

Turkish President ] said that he hoped that the Trump presidency would be a "beneficial" step towards worldwide democracy, liberty, and fundamental rights.<ref name="TIME World leaders react" />

=== Foreign politicians ===
German Justice Minister ] tweeted: "The world won't end, but things will get more crazy". Germany's Defence Minister, ], wanted to know if the U.S. would maintain its ] commitments,<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /> since Trump had suggested during his campaign that the U.S. should consider NATO allies' level of military commitment before coming to their aid.<ref name="PBS World leaders" /> ], ], offered his congratulations and welcomed Trump to the ] in 2017 to discuss how to respond to the "challenging new security environment, including hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, the threat of terrorism."<ref name="PBS World leaders" />

], leader of the far-right ] party, sent her congratulations and exclaimed, {{Language with name/for|fr|peuple américain, libre! |free American people!}}<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /><ref name="CNN Russia's Putin" /> ], the outgoing leader of the ] and ]er, said he was handing his "mantle" over to Trump.<ref name="TIME World leaders react" /><ref name="CNN Russia's Putin" /> Trump was supported by other right-wing and far-right leaders including in ], ], ], the ], ], the ], and ].<ref name="CNN Russia's Putin">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/09/politics/us-election-the-world-reacts/ |title=Russia's Putin, others pleased as Trump win shocks world |author1=Nicole Gaouette |author2=Elise Labott |author3=Angela Dewan |website=] |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashkenas |first1=Jeremy |last2=Aisch |first2=Gregor |title=European Populism in the Age of Donald Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/05/world/europe/populism-in-age-of-trump.html |date=December 5, 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=December 5, 2016}}</ref>

=== Protests ===
{{Main|Protests against Donald Trump#Post-election protests}}
]|access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref>]]

After the 2016 election, protests against Trump were held in many cities across the United States.<ref name="CBS 7th day">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/millennials-march-against-trump-were-not-going-anywhere/ |author=CBS/AP |title=Anti-Trump protests roll into seventh day |website=] |date=November 15, 2016 |access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref> Trump said that some of the protesters were "professional protesters" who were protesting him because they did not know him. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, called the protesters "spoiled crybabies".<ref name="CBS 7th day" />

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{wikimedia | collapsible=true | wikt=no | d=Q20121517 | c=Category:Donald Trump | b=no | wikinews=Donald Trump | q=Donald Trump | v=Donald Trump | voy=no | species=no | s=no }}
* {{official website}} * {{official website}}
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* - ], June 16, 2015
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* at the ]
* on ]
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* {{cite episode|title=Trump's Road to the White House|series=Frontline|series-link=Frontline (American TV program)|network=]|station=]|date=January 24, 2017|season=35|number=9|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/trumps-road-to-the-white-house/|access-date=November 28, 2024}}

{{2016 United States presidential election}}
{{Donald Trump}}
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{{United States presidential election, 2016}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016}}
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Latest revision as of 20:29, 3 January 2025

American political campaign
This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. When this tag was added, its readable prose size was 18,000 words. Consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page. (August 2024)

Donald Trump for President 2016
General election logo Primary campaign logo
Campaign2016 Republican primaries
2016 U.S. presidential election
CandidateDonald Trump
Chairman of The Trump Organization
(1971–2017)
Mike Pence
50th Governor of Indiana
(2013–2017)
AffiliationRepublican Party
Status
  • Announced: June 16, 2015
  • Presumptive nomination: May 3, 2016
  • Secured nomination: May 26, 2016
  • Official nominee: July 19, 2016
  • Won election: November 8, 2016
  • Inaugurated: January 20, 2017
HeadquartersTrump Tower,
Manhattan, New York
Key peopleSteve Bannon (Chief executive)
Kellyanne Conway (Campaign manager)
David Bossie (Deputy campaign manager)
Michael Glassner (campaign manager)
Jason Miller (Communications director)
Katrina Pierson (National spokesperson)
Hope Hicks (Press secretary)
Dan Scavino (Director of social media)
Ben Carson (VP Selection Committee Leader)
Jeff Sessions (Chairman of National Security Committee)
Michael Flynn (Military Advisor)
Omarosa Manigault (Director of African American Outreach)
Tony Fabrizio (Pollster)
Rudy Giuliani (Senior Advisor)
David Urban (Senior Advisor)
Chris Christie (White House Transition Chairman)
Bill Palatucci (White House Transition Coordinator)
Michael Cohen (Special Counsel)
Arthur Culvahouse (VP Vetter)
Sam Clovis (National Co-chair)
Brad Parscale (Digital director) Steven Cheung (Rapid Response Director)
Roger Ailes (Debate Advisor)
Boris Epshteyn (Senior Advisor)
Anthony Scaramucci (Finance Committee)
George Papadopoulos (Foreign Policy Advisor)
Patrick Caddell (adviser)
Corey Lewandowski (Campaign manager; left campaign on June 20, 2016)
Roger Stone (Political adviser; left campaign on August 8, 2015)
Sam Nunberg (Political adviser; left campaign on August 3, 2015)
Paul Manafort (Campaign chairman; left campaign on August 19, 2016)
Rick Gates (Deputy Campaign Chairman; left campaign in August 2016)
Michael Caputo (Head of Communications; left campaign on June 20, 2016)
Carter Page (Foreign Policy Advisor; left campaign on September 24, 2016)
ReceiptsUS$350,668,435.70 (December 31, 2016)
SloganMake America Great Again
Lock Her Up
Build the wall
Make America One Again
Make America Proud Again
Make America Safe Again
Make America Strong Again
Make America Work Again
Make Manufacturing Great Again
The Silent Majority Stands with Trump
Trump Digs Coal
Chant
Website
www.donaldjtrump.com
(archived 29 June 2015)
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Donald Trump's signature Seal of the President of the United States

The 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump was formally launched on June 16, 2015, at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election, having won the most state primaries, caucuses, and delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. He chose Mike Pence, the sitting governor of Indiana, as his vice presidential running mate. On November 8, 2016, Trump and Pence were elected president and vice president of the United States. Trump's populist positions in opposition to illegal immigration and various trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, earned him support especially among voters who were male, white, blue-collar, working class, and those without college degrees. Many voters in the Rust Belt, who gave Trump the electoral votes needed to win the presidency, switched from supporting Bernie Sanders to Trump after Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination.

Many of Trump's remarks were controversial and helped his campaign garner extensive coverage by the mainstream media, trending topics, and social media. Trump's campaign rallies attracted large crowds as well as public controversy. Some of the events were marked by incidents of violence between Trump supporters and protesters, mistreatment of some journalists, and disruption by a large group of protesters who effectively shut down a major rally in Chicago. Trump himself was accused of inciting violence at his rallies.

Trump's disdain for political correctness was a staple theme of his campaign and proved popular among his supporters. Many, including some mainstream commentators and some prominent Republicans, viewed him as appealing to racism, a charge that Trump repeatedly denied. Trump's most polarizing and widely reported proposals were about issues of immigration and border security, especially his proposed deportation of all illegal immigrants, the proposed construction of a substantial wall on the Mexico–United States border at Mexican expense, his characterizations of many illegal Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc", and a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the U.S. After considerable backlash, he later modified the "Trump travel ban" to apply to people originating from countries which he described as having a history of terrorism against the United States or its allies. This was also criticized for excluding countries which the U.S. has significant financial ties with, such as Saudi Arabia.

Opposition to Trump grew during his campaign among both Republicans (who viewed Trump as irrevocably damaging to the party and its chances of winning elections during and after 2016, leading to the coalescence of the Stop Trump movement) and Democrats (who decried Trump's anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim policies, his behavior toward critics, his treatment of the media, and his support from the ethno-nationalist alt-right). Although some prominent Republican leaders declined to endorse Trump after he won the Republican nomination, many Republican congress-members showed support for Trump and his policy positions despite major personal or political conflicts with him. Some such supporters of Trump's campaign were accused, by both conservatives and liberals, of prioritizing party loyalty and avoiding alienation of Trump supporters to ensure re-election, thereby refraining from condemning Trump's actions.

On January 6, 2017, the United States government's intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government interfered in the United States elections against the campaign of Clinton and in support of Trump. As president, Trump repeatedly rejected the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence agencies.

2016 U.S. presidential election
Republican Party
Democratic Party
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Background

See also: Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign

Since the 1988 presidential election, Trump was discussed as a potential candidate for president in nearly every election. In October 1999, Trump declared himself a potential candidate for the Reform Party's presidential nomination, but withdrew on February 14, 2000. In 2004, Trump said that he identified as a Democrat. Trump rejoined the Republican Party in September 2009, chose no party affiliation in December 2011, and again rejoined the GOP in April 2012. At the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said he is "pro-life" and "against gun control". He also spoke before Tea Party supporters. Early polls for the 2012 election had Trump among the leading candidates. In December 2011, Trump placed sixth in the "ten most admired men and women living of 2011" telephone survey conducted jointly by USA Today and Gallup. However, Trump announced in May 2011 that after what he termed "several months unofficially campaigning", he would not be a candidate for the office.

In 2013, Trump was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference. In May 2013, it was reported that Trump had spent 1 million dollars on researching a presidential run in 2016. In October 2013, some New York Republicans, including Joseph Borelli and Carl Paladino (who later served as New York State Co-chairmen for the presidential campaign), suggested Trump should instead run for governor of the state in 2014. John Gauger, a former employee of Liberty University, told The Wall Street Journal in January 2019 that Trump's "fixer" Michael Cohen hired him to manipulate the Drudge Report and CNBC online polls in favor of Trump in 2014 and 2015. In February 2015, Trump did not renew his television contract for The Apprentice, which raised speculation of his candidacy for President of the United States in 2016. According to an April 7, 2015, memo released by WikiLeaks, Hillary Clinton's campaign instructed the Democratic National Convention to focus on "Pied Piper candidates" Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Ben Carson.

Announcement

Trump at an early campaign event in New Hampshire on July 16, 2015

Trump formally announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015, with a campaign rally and a speech at Trump Tower in New York City. In the moments before his announcement, he came down a golden escalator at Trump Tower, which has since become a metonym for Trump's announcement. In his speech, Trump drew attention to domestic issues such as illegal immigration, offshoring of American jobs, the U.S. national debt, and Islamic terrorism. The campaign slogan was announced as "Make America Great Again". Trump declared that he would self-fund his presidential campaign, and would refuse any money from donors and lobbyists. Ladbrokes offered 150/1 odds of Trump winning the presidency. The campaign hired a casting company to supply paid actors to attend the event.

Following the announcement, most of the media's attention focused on Trump's comment on illegal immigration: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best ... They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with . They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." The comment was interpreted and reported various ways. Trump's statement was controversial and led several businesses and organizations—including NBC, Macy's, Univision, and NASCAR—to cut ties with Trump. Reactions from other presidential candidates were mixed, with some Republican candidates disagreeing with the tone of Trump's remarks yet supporting the core idea that illegal immigration is an important campaign issue, while other Republican candidates, along with the leading Democratic candidates, condemning Trump's remarks and his policy stances as offensive or inflammatory.

After the public backlash, Trump stood by his comments, citing news articles to back his claims. Trump said that he intended his comments to be aimed solely at the government of Mexico, specifically for using the insecure border as a means of transferring criminals into the United States and said he did not intend his comments to refer to immigrants themselves.

Early campaign

Trump signs the Republican loyalty pledge promising to support the candidate nominated by the party and to not run as a third-party candidate, if he failed to clinch the nomination.

Following his June 2015 announcement, Trump traveled to several early primary states, including Iowa and New Hampshire, to campaign ahead of the 2016 Republican primaries. By early July 2015, Trump was campaigning in the West, giving rallies and speeches in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. On July 23, he visited the Mexican border and planned to meet with border guards. The meeting did not take place due to the intervention of the labor union of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection guards.

In July, the Federal Election Commission released details of Trump's wealth and financial holdings, which he had submitted to them when he became a Republican presidential candidate. The report showed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $265 million. Shortly afterwards, Trump's campaign released a statement stating that his net worth is over $10 billion, although Forbes estimated it to be $4.5 billion. On August 6, 2015, the first Republican primary debate took place on Fox News. During the debate, Trump refused to rule out a third-party candidacy. Eventually, in September 2015, Trump signed a pledge promising his allegiance to the Republican Party.

On August 21, 2015, the Federal Election Commission released a list of filings from super PACs backing candidates in the 2016 presidential race, which revealed Trump to be the only major presidential candidate among the Republican candidates who appeared not to have a super PAC supporting his candidacy. Two months later, the Make America Great Again PAC, which had collected $1.74 million and spent around $500,000 on polling, consulting, and other activities, was shut down after The Washington Post revealed multiple connections to the Trump campaign.

Border wall and illegal immigration

Further information: Immigration policy of Donald Trump and Mexico–United States barrier

In his announcement speech, Trump promised that he would build "a great, great wall" on the United States–Mexico border, and emphasized that proposal throughout his campaign, further stating that the construction of the wall would be paid for by Mexico. Trump proposed a broader crackdown on illegal immigration, and, in a July 6 statement, claimed that the Mexican government is "forcing their most unwanted people into the United States"—"in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc." In his first town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire on August 19, 2015, Trump stated: "Day 1 of my presidency, they're getting out and getting out fast." Trump's Republican rival Jeb Bush stated that "Trump is wrong on this" and "to make these extraordinarily kind of ugly comments is not reflective of the Republican Party". While Trump acknowledged that Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus asked him to tone down his rhetoric on immigration reform, he stated that his conversations with the Republican National Committee on the matter were also "congratulatory".

Trump and supporters attend a rally in Muscatine, Iowa, in January 2016

At a July 2015 rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump was welcomed by the Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, turning over the lectern for part of his speech to a supporter whose child was killed in Los Angeles in 2008 by a Mexican-born gang member. The brother of Kate Steinle, who was murdered in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant, criticized Trump for politicizing his sister's death, while a viral video related to her death produced by a Trump supporter independent of the campaign gave Trump an advantage during the primaries.

Univision announced it would no longer carry broadcasts of the Miss USA Pageant. In response, Trump indicated the matter would be handled by legal action, and followed through by filing a $500 million lawsuit against Univision. The complaint asserted that Univision was attempting to suppress Trump's First Amendment rights by putting pressure on his business ventures. NBC announced it would not air the Miss Universe or Miss USA pageant. Afterwards, the multinational media company Grupo Televisa severed ties with Trump, as did Ora TV, a television network partly owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.

Macy's announced it would phase out its Trump-branded merchandise. Serta, a mattress manufacturer, also decided to drop their business relationship with Trump. NASCAR ended its sponsorship with Trump by announcing it would not hold its post-season awards banquet at the Trump National Doral Miami.

Among the American public, reactions to Trump's border-wall proposal were polarized by party, with a large majority of Republicans supporting the proposal and a large majority of Democrats against it; overall, a September 2015 poll showed 48 percent of U.S. adults supporting Trump's proposal, while a March 2016 poll showed 34 percent of U.S. adults supporting it.

Temporary Muslim ban proposal

See also: Immigration policy of Donald Trump § Proposed Muslim immigration ban, and Executive Order 13769

In remarks made following the November 2015 Paris attacks, Trump stated that he would support a database for tracking Muslims in the United States and expanded surveillance of mosques. Trump's support for an American Muslim database "drew sharp rebukes from his Republican presidential rivals and disbelief from legal experts."

On December 7, 2015, in response to the 2015 San Bernardino attack, Trump further called for a temporary ban on any Muslims entering the country. He issued a written statement saying, "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," which he repeated at subsequent political rallies.

The next day, December 8, 2015, the Pentagon issued a statement of concern, stating Trump's remarks could strengthen the resolve of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, and the Prime Minister of France, Manuel Valls, both issued statements in response to Trump's press release condemning him. Trump was also criticized by leading Republican Party figures, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus.

Following Trump's controversial comments on Muslim immigration, a petition was begun on the British Parliament's e-petition website, calling on the UK government's Home Secretary to bar him from entering the country. The total number of signatures exceeded the required half-million threshold to trigger a parliamentary debate. On January 18, the UK's House of Commons debated whether to ban Trump from the country; however, while some in the House condemned Trump's remarks and described them as "crazy" and "offensive", most were opposed to intervening in the electoral process of another country, and a vote was not taken.

Trump later appeared to modify his position on Muslims. In May he stated that his proposed ban was "just a suggestion". In June he stated that the temporary ban would apply to people originating from countries with a proven history of terrorism against the United States or its allies. He also commented that it "wouldn't bother me" if Muslims from Scotland entered the United States.

Trump caused further controversy when he recounted an apocryphal story about how U.S. general John J. Pershing shot Muslim rebels with pig's blood-dipped bullets in order to deter them during the Moro Rebellion. His comments were strongly denounced by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Primary front-runner

Trump had high poll numbers during the primaries. A survey conducted by The Economist/YouGov released July 9, 2015, was the first major nationwide poll to show Trump as the 2016 Republican presidential front-runner. A Suffolk/USA Today poll released on July 14, 2015, showed Trump with 17 percent support among Republican voters, with Jeb Bush at 14 percent. A The Washington Post/ABC News poll taken on July 16–19, showed Trump had 24 percent Republican support, over Scott Walker at 13 percent. A CNN/ORC poll showed Trump in the lead at 18 percent support among Republican voters, over Jeb Bush at 15 percent, and a CBS News poll from August 4 showed Trump with 24 percent support, Bush second at 13 percent, and Walker third at 10 percent.

A CNN/ORC poll taken August 13–16, 2015, in the swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania showed Trump ahead of, or narrowly trailing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in direct match-ups in those states. In Florida, Trump led by two points, and in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, he was within five points of Clinton.

Surveys taken in late 2015 showed Trump polling unfavorably among women and non-white voters, with 64 percent of women viewing Trump unfavorably and 74 percent of non-white voters having a negative view of the candidate, according to a November 2015 ABC News/Washington Post poll. A Public Religion Research Institute survey in November 2015 found that many of his supporters were working-class voters with negative feelings towards migrants (in addition to holding strong financial concerns).

Trump's status as the consistent front-runner for the Republican nomination led to him being featured on the cover of Time magazine in August 2015, with the caption: "Deal with it."

Caucuses and primaries

Further information: 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries
Trump campaign logo during the primaries and prior to selection of Mike Pence as running mate
Percentage of vote received by Trump by state or territory.   0.0–19.9%   20.0–29.9%   30.0–39.9%   40.0–49.9%   50.0–59.9%   60.0–69.9%   70.0–79.9%   80.0%+

In the lead-up to the Iowa caucus, poll averages showed Trump as the front-runner with a roughly four percent lead. Ted Cruz came in first in the vote count, ahead of Trump. Cruz, who campaigned strongly among evangelical Christians, was supported by church pastors that coordinated a volunteer campaign to get out the vote. Before the Iowa vote, an email from the Cruz campaign falsely implied that Ben Carson was about to quit the race, encouraging Carson's supporters to vote for Cruz instead. Trump later posted on Twitter, "Many people voted for Cruz over Carson because of this Cruz fraud", and wrote, "Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he stole it."

Following his loss in Iowa, Trump rebounded in the New Hampshire primary, coming in first place with 35 percent of the vote, the biggest victory in a New Hampshire Republican primary since at least 2000. Trump "tapped into a deep well of anxiety among Republicans and independents in New Hampshire, according to exit polling data", running strongest among voters who feared "illegal immigrants, incipient economic turmoil and the threat of a terrorist attack in the United States". Trump commented that in the run-up to the primary, his campaign had "learned a lot about ground games in a week".

This was followed by another wide victory in South Carolina, furthering his lead among the Republican candidates. He won the Nevada caucus on February 24 with a landslide 45.9 percent of the vote, his biggest victory yet; Marco Rubio placed second with 23.9 percent.

By May 2016, Trump held a commanding lead in the number of state contests won and in the delegate count. After Trump won the Indiana contest, Cruz dropped out of the race. He had called Indiana a pivotal opportunity to stop Trump from clinching the nomination. Following Trump's Indiana win, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, among others, called Trump the party's presumptive nominee, though he noted that Trump still needed more delegates to clinch the nomination.

After becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump said regarding the Republican primaries: "You've been hearing me say it's a rigged system, but now I don't say it anymore because I won. It's true. Now I don't care."

Rallies and crowds

See also: List of rallies for the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign

Trump held large rallies during his campaign, routinely packing arenas and high school gymnasiums with crowds. A Trump rally on July 11, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump was introduced by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. During his speech, Trump invoked Richard Nixon's "silent majority" speech, saying "The silent majority is back." In the final month of his campaign, Donald Trump used the phrase "drain the swamp" in his rallies, pledging his supporters to "make our government honest once again." Trump said he originally "hated" the phrase, but when people reacted positively to it, he began "saying it like I meant it".

During the primaries, the Trump campaign sometimes required all attendants at its rallies to take an Loyalty oath. Fellow candidate Ted Cruz likened it pledging to a King.

Violence, protests and expulsions

See also: Protests against Donald Trump § 2016 presidential campaign, and 2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest
Trump rally at UIC Pavilion in Chicago on March 11, 2016, immediately after news of Trump's cancellation of attendance of the event
Anti-Trump protesters outside arena as Chicago rally is shut down on March 11, 2016

There were verbal and physical confrontations between Trump supporters and protesters at Trump's events, some committed by supporters and others by anti-Trump demonstrators. Some protesters were asked to leave, removed by security, or arrested for trespassing at Trump's events. Additionally, there were incidents near Trump properties related to the campaign.

On several occasions in late 2015 and early 2016, Trump was accused of encouraging violence and escalating tension at campaign events. Prior to November he used to tell his rallies "Get 'em (protesters) out, but don't hurt 'em." But in November 2015, Trump said of a protester in Birmingham, Alabama, "Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing." On February 1 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he told the crowd there might be tomato-throwing protesters, and urged his audience to "knock the crap out of 'em" if anyone should try. "I promise you, I will pay the legal fees", he added. On February 23, 2016, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump reacted to a protester by saying "I love the old days—you know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks", adding "I'd like to punch him in the face." On March 9 a Trump supporter was charged with assault after he sucker-punched a protester who was being led out of the event. When Trump was asked if he would pay the man's legal fees, Trump said he was "looking into it", although he "doesn't condone violence in any shape". The local sheriff's office considered filing charges against Trump for "inciting a riot" at that event, but concluded there was not sufficient evidence to charge him.

Presumptive nominee and party reaction

On May 3, Trump became the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party after his victory in Indiana and the withdrawal of the last competitors, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, from the race.

Some Republicans declined to support Trump's candidacy, including former primary rival Jeb Bush (who announced that he would not vote for Trump) and Bush's father and brother, former presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush (who announced that they would not endorse Trump). Paul Ryan announced that he was "not ready" to endorse Trump for the presidency. On May 8, Trump's campaign said that he would not rule out a bid to remove Ryan from his post as chairman of the 2016 Republican National Convention, and the following day, Ryan said that he would step down as convention chairman if asked by Trump to do so. On June 2, Ryan announced that he would vote for Trump.

Senator Jeff Sessions was the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump. Other prominent Republicans, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, governors Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry, and former senator and Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole, followed. McConnell stated, "The right-of-center world needs to respect the fact that the primary voters have spoken."

On May 26, Trump secured his 1,238th delegate, achieving a majority of the available delegates.

In June 2016, two groups of Republican delegates opposed to Trump emerged. Free the Delegates sought to change the convention rules to include a 'conscience clause' that would allow delegates bound to Trump to vote against him. Delegates Unbound engaged in "an effort to convince delegates that they have the authority and the ability to vote for whomever they want". According to the group, "There is no language supporting binding in the temporary rules of the convention, which are the only rules that matter" and "barring any rules changes at the convention, delegates can vote their conscience on the first ballot."

General election campaign staff

On May 9, Trump named New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to head a team to plan the transition of the presidency in the event of a Trump victory. In November 2016, after calls for his impeachment as Governor and felony convictions in U.S. federal court for high-ranking members of his staff in the Bridgegate scandal, Christie was dropped by Trump as leader of the transition team, in favor of Mike Pence.

On June 20, 2016, Trump fired his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, reportedly in response to lagging fundraising and campaign infrastructure (as well as power struggles within the campaign, according to multiple GOP sources). Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, who was brought in during the primary to prepare for a contested convention, assumed the role of chief strategist.

Kevin Kellems, a veteran GOP strategist and former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, resigned from Trump's staff after he was appointed to help inspect the campaign's surrogate operations. Erica Freeman, another aide to Trump who worked with surrogates, also resigned.

Kellyanne Conway at the Conservative Political Action Conference 2016

In June 2016, Trump hired Jason Miller to assist the communications operation. On July 1, 2016, Trump announced he hired Kellyanne Conway, a veteran GOP strategist and canvasser, for a senior advisory position. Conway, who formerly backed Cruz, was expected to advise Trump on how to better appeal to female voters. Conway had headed a pro-Cruz super PAC funded by hedge-fund tycoon Robert Mercer. After Trump won the Republican presidential nomination, the PAC morphed into the "Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC". When the Trump campaign hired Conway, it referred to her as "widely regarded as an expert on female consumers and voters." Conway became the first woman to run a Republican general election presidential campaign. David Urban took a role as a senior advisor to the campaign, focusing on the effort to win Pennsylvania.

On August 17, 2016, Trump announced Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon as the campaign chief executive and promoted Conway to campaign manager, replacing Paul Manafort who had been handling those duties unofficially. Manafort had been criticized in the media for connections to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and other dictators. Although Manafort initially retained the title of campaign chairman, he resigned from this position on August 19, 2016.

In September 2016, Trump hired David Bossie, longtime president of the conservative advocacy group Citizens United, to be his new deputy campaign manager.

Selection of running mate

Main article: 2016 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection
Donald Trump and his running mate for vice president, Mike Pence. They appear to be standing in front of a huge screen with the colors of the American flag displayed on it. Trump is at the left, facing toward the viewer and making "thumbs-up" gestures. Pence is at right, facing Trump and clapping.
Candidate Trump and running mate Mike Pence at the Republican National Convention, July 2016

From early to mid-July, various media outlets widely reported that Trump's short list for his pick as vice president and running mate had narrowed to Indiana governor Mike Pence, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

On July 15, 2016, Trump officially announced via Twitter that he had chosen Pence to be his running mate. Trump introduced Pence as his running mate at a press conference the next day. Pence formally accepted the nomination on July 20 at the Republican National Convention.

On October 27, 2016, Pence's Boeing 737-700 airplane fishtailed off the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York during landing. There were no injuries reported among those on board, which included members of the press in the back of the plane. As a result of the accident, Pence cancelled a campaign event that night, though said on Twitter that he would be back campaigning the next day on October 28.

Presidential debates

Main article: 2016 United States presidential debates

The first of three presidential debates took place on September 26, at New York's Hofstra University. The moderator was Lester Holt of NBC. A live-TV audience of 84 million viewers set a viewership record for presidential debates. Scientific polls showed that most voters thought Hillary Clinton performed better than Donald Trump in the debate. The second debate was held on October 9, at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The co-moderators were CNN's Anderson Cooper and ABC News' Martha Raddatz. Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning that "every poll" declared him the winner. The final debate took place on the campus of the UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19. The moderator was Chris Wallace of Fox News.

Endorsements

Main articles: List of Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign endorsements and List of Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign primary endorsements Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani and 2012 presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Trump.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal was the first and only major newspaper to endorse Donald Trump's campaign. Many Republican-leaning papers endorsed Clinton or urged readers not to vote for Trump while declining to endorse any other candidate.

The Houston Chronicle, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Dallas Morning News, and The Arizona Republic editorial boards, which normally endorse Republican candidates, endorsed Hillary Clinton. The New Hampshire Union Leader, which had endorsed the Republican in every election for the last 100 years, endorsed Gary Johnson. Several news reports, including one by Chris Cillizza, political reporter for The Washington Post, compared the 2016 Donald Trump political campaign to The Waldo Moment, a 2013 episode of the Black Mirror TV series; in September 2016, episode writer Charlie Brooker also compared the Trump campaign to the episode and predicted Trump would win.

USA Today, which never had endorsed a candidate in its 34-year history, took sides in the race with an editorial that had declared Trump to be "erratic", described his business career as "checkered", and called him a "serial liar" and "unfit for the presidency". The newspaper, however, said the "editorial does not represent unqualified support for Hillary Clinton."

Viktor Orban, the PM of Hungary, was the first foreign leader to endorse Trump before the elections.

Results

Main article: 2016 United States presidential election
Trump became the first Republican since the 1980s to win the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

As the results came in on election night, November 8, 2016, Trump won in multiple states that had been predicted to go to Clinton. In the early morning hours of November 9, media sources declared Trump the winner of the presidency, crediting him with 279 electoral college votes where 270 were needed to win. Clinton then phoned Trump to concede and to congratulate him on his victory, whereupon Trump gave a victory speech. His victory was widely described as a "stunning upset", since most pre-election polling had predicted a Clinton win.

As of November 28, Trump is credited with 306 electoral votes compared to 232 for Clinton. In the nationwide popular vote, Clinton received over 2.8 million (2.1%) more votes than Trump. Trump is the fifth presidential candidate in U.S. history to win the election but lose the popular vote. This is the biggest-ever raw-vote loss in the popular vote for a candidate who won the election, though not by percentage. The previous non-incumbent Republican to win the presidency, George W. Bush, had held the record with a loss of 543,895 votes.

Trump's share of the electoral vote was 56.9%; in a ranking of electoral votes in the 54 presidential elections since the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804 it is in 44th place.

Post-election

In an unprecedented move, Trump kept his presidential campaign organization in place after he assumed the presidency. As of January 2017 the campaign office in Trump Tower continued with a staff of about ten people, led by Michael Glassner. It focused on data-building and fundraising for a 2020 re-election campaign.

In May 2017, a senior aide to the campaign, Healy Baumgardner-Nardone, disclosed that she was lobbying for the Malaysian government. The former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, left a lobbying firm he had co-founded after the election, because it solicited in Eastern Europe.

A joint report published in June 2019 by the Center for Public Integrity, NBC News and CNBC detailed that the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns have yet to pay bills totaling over $800,000 to 10 city governments for costs incurred to ensure public safety with regard to Trump campaign rallies. The rallies took place from January 2016 to August 2016 in Burlington, Vermont, Tucson, Arizona, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Spokane, Washington, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and from September 2018 to February 2019 in Billings, Montana, Erie, Pennsylvania, Lebanon, Ohio, Mesa, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas.

Russian interference in the 2016 election

See also: Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and Links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies

Starting in 2015, several allied foreign intelligence agencies began reporting secret contacts between Trump campaigners and known or suspected Russian agents in multiple European cities. In November 2016, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov contradicted Trump's denials by confirming the Trump campaign had been in contact with Russia, stating in a 2016 Interfax news agency interview: "Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage," adding "I cannot say that all of them but quite a few have been staying in touch with Russian representatives."

Beginning on July 31, 2016, the campaign became the target of a covert FBI investigation known as Crossfire Hurricane, as well as several other independent FBI sources, to discover if any coordination existed between the campaign and Russia or other criminal activity occurred. On January 6, 2017, the United States government's intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 United States elections. A joint U.S. intelligence community review ordered by President Barack Obama stated with high confidence that "Russian President Vladimir V. Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," and boost the candidacy of Donald Trump.

Investigations about potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials were started by the FBI, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee. In May 2017, Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III as Special Counsel to oversee an investigation into "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associates with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and (ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation." Many suspicious links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies were identified by the FBI, Special counsel and several United States congressional committees, as part of their investigations into the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. As of July 2018, the Mueller investigation obtained indictments or guilty pleas from 32 individuals and three Russian companies.

As president, Trump has repeatedly rejected the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russian government interfered in the election and has also denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia.

The March 2019 report issued by special council Robert Mueller at the conclusion of his investigations did not conclude that President Trump, whether as a candidate or President elect, had committed a crime, but described multiple instances of possible obstruction of justice and left it up to Congress to deal with the issue.

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Donald Trump

Trump has stated that he is a "conservative Republican". Commentators Norman Ornstein and William Kristol labeled his collective political positions as "Trumpism". The Wall Street Journal used the term in drawing parallels with populist movements in China and the Philippines. From an external political perspective, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel termed Trump a right-wing populist similar to Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders or Silvio Berlusconi. The New York Times Magazine analogized Trump's positions with that of past populist figures George Wallace and George McGovern in terms of the us-versus-them approaches.

Opposition to trade agreements

See also: Balance of trade, Peter Navarro, and Carrier Air Conditioner move to Mexico

Opposition to international trade agreements on the grounds that they hurt American workers by moving jobs abroad was one of the central themes of Trump's campaign. Trump's chief trade advisor during the campaign was Peter Navarro.

Director Peter Navarro addresses President Donald Trump's promises to American people, workers, and domestic manufacturers (Declaring American Economic Independence on June 28, 2016) in the Oval Office with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross before President Trump signs Executive Orders regarding trade in March 2017

Navarro and the international private equity investor Wilbur Ross authored a short economic endorsement plan for the Donald Trump presidential campaign in September 2016 which was published without academic references and criticized in the press. Navarro was invited to be an adviser after Jared Kushner saw on Amazon that he co-wrote Death by China, while he was researching China for Trump. and told when the Tax Policy Center assessed that Trump's economic plan would reduce federal revenues by $6 trillion and reduce economic growth in the long term, Navarro said that the analysis demonstrated "a high degree of analytical and political malfeasance". When the Peterson Institute for International Affairs estimated that Trump's economic plan would cost millions of Americans their jobs, Navarro said that writers at the Peterson Institute "weave a false narrative and they come up with some phony numbers." According to MIT economist Simon Johnson, the economic plan essay authored by Navarro and Wilbur Ross for Donald Trump during the campaign had projections "based on assumptions so unrealistic that they seem to have come from a different planet. If the United States really did adopt Trump's plan, the result would be an immediate and unmitigated disaster." When 370 economists, including nineteen Nobel laureates, signed a letter warning against Donald Trump's stated economic policies in November 2016, Navarro said that the letter was "an embarrassment to the corporate offshoring wing of the economist profession who continues to insist bad trade deals are good for America."

In October 2016, with Wilbur Ross and Andy Puzder, Navarro coauthored the essay "Economic Analysis of Donald Trump's Contract with the American Voter". On December 21, 2016, Navarro was selected by President-elect Donald Trump to head a newly created position, as director of the White House National Trade Council. He endorsed President Trump's trade policy as aiming to create jobs, revive the manufacturing sector, and improve the country's trade balance. He warned that trade deficits could jeopardize U.S. national security by allowing unfriendly nations to encroach on American supply chains. One of his main missions is to focus on behaviors by other countries that he considers abusive, cheating, illegal, and unfair against the U.S.

Campaign branding

The initial campaign wordmark was featured extensively in campaign merchandise.

The campaign drew heavily on Trump's personal image, enhanced by his previous media exposure. Prior to his presidential bid, The Trump Organization also relied on the 'Trump' surname as a key part of its marketing strategy. Consequently, the 'Trump' name was in widespread use in the U.S. well before the presidential campaign itself started. Due to successful branding and media coverage, Trump soon gained a leverage in the race despite spending comparatively little on advertising himself.

Initial updated Trump campaign logo reflecting the adoption of Mike Pence as Donald Trump's vice-presidential candidate, but later replaced

Before the announcement of Mike Pence as running mate in July 2016, the campaign relied on a wordmark of the 'Trump' surname capitalised and set in the bold Akzidenz-Grotesk typeface. Following the announcement, the campaign unveiled a new logo combining the names of the two candidates by featuring an interlocking 'T' and 'P', formed to create the image of the American flag. The logo became the subject of parodies that interpreted the symbol as being sexually suggestive; the campaign revised the logo shortly afterward to remove the flag and interlocking symbol, leaving the wordmark.

Make America Great Again slogan worn by a Trump supporter

The primary slogan of the Trump campaign, extensively used on campaign merchandise, is Make America Great Again. The red baseball cap with the slogan emblazoned on the front became a symbol of the campaign, and is frequently donned by Trump and his supporters. The hats were so important to the campaign that it spent more money to make them than on polling, consultants, or television advertisements.

In addition, UK big data voter opinion influencer Cambridge Analytics was hired by the Trump campaign in 2016. In March 2018, it was revealed through undercover footage that Cambridge Analytica used seductive women to entice a rival candidate while secretly videotaping the encounter. The firm also sent impostors who acted like wealthy individuals only to give them bribes.

Ground game

In October 2016, the Trump campaign had 178 field offices compared to Clinton's 489. The Trump campaign's number of field offices lagged far behind those Romney and Obama in 2012. Political science research showed that field offices had a modest positive effect on a candidate's vote share. The Trump campaign was reportedly almost fully reliant on the Republican National Committee for field offices in swing states. As the field offices are organized by state and local Republican parties, they may not have been strategically located in terms of boosting turnout for the Republican presidential candidate.

Music

During the 2016 campaign, Trump reportedly programmed his own campaign rally playlists. Trump's musical preferences have been well-documented in several of his books. In his book Think Like a Billionaire he states that he returns to favorites like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, while also appreciating a more diverse catalogue including rap artist Eminem and reggae group Toots and The Maytals. The campaign playlist was as diverse, and included the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," Queen's "We Are the Champions," the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" and Luciano Pavarotti's "Nessun Dorma". The Trump campaign's "warm-up music"—a track played before rallies began with the intention of energizing the crowd—regularly included:

The Trump campaign was publicly criticized for unauthorized use of music by several artists including the Rolling Stones, R.E.M.'s frontman Michael Stipe, Queen's music publisher, and George Harrison's estate, whose music was played at campaign rallies.

Media coverage

Trump spent only a modest amount on advertising during the primary—$10 million through February 2016, far behind opponents such as Jeb Bush ($82 million), Marco Rubio ($55 million), and Ted Cruz ($22 million). Trump benefited from free media more than any other candidate. From the beginning of his campaign through February 2016, Trump received almost $2 billion in free media attention, twice the amount that Hillary Clinton received. Trump earned $400 million alone in the month of February. According to data from the Tyndall Report, which tracks nightly news content, through February 2016, Trump alone accounted for more than a quarter of all 2016 election coverage on the evening newscasts of NBC, CBS and ABC, more than all the Democratic campaigns combined. Observers noted Trump's ability to garner constant mainstream media coverage "almost at will".

In response, a petition to "Stop promoting Donald Trump" accused the media of giving Trump endless airtime for the purpose of increasing viewership and ratings and quickly amassed over 200,000 signatures. The media's coverage of Trump generated some disagreement as to its effect on his campaign. Writing in The Washington Post, John M. Sides argued that Trump's success was because of the mass news coverage, yet a later article in The Washington Post stated that he remained successful in spite of the drop in media attention. On September 21, 2015, Politico said, "blaming the press for the Trump surge neglects the salient fact that so much of the coverage of him has been darkly negative." However, Barry Bennett—senior adviser to Trump—said in response to the high number of interviews Trump has given:

Well the demand is pretty high so it's hard not to do them. And it's free media. And we've literally gotten hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free media. No other candidate can talk when everybody is talking about you. So there's some strategic benefit to it.

Trump speaks at an Arizona rally in March 2016.

In a January 2016 interview with CBS, Trump said of his campaign's plans to purchase advertising; "I think I'm probably wasting the money. But I'm $35 million under budget. Look, I was going to have 35 or 40 million spent by now. I haven't spent anything. I almost feel guilty ... I'm leading by, as you all say, a lot. You can take the CBS poll. You can take any poll and I'm winning by a lot. I don't think I need the ads. But I'm doing them. I almost feel guilty."

In February 2016, in response to complaints from Trump that Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly would be unfair to him in a Republican primary debate preceding the Iowa caucuses, Fox released a sarcastic statement about Trump, saying they were "surprised he's willing to show that much fear", regarding Kelly. Trump responded by criticizing the "wise-guy press release" and withdrew from the debate, instead hosting a competing event in the state designed to raise money for wounded veterans on the day of the debate. In a November 2019 court settlement, Trump was ordered to pay a $2 million (~$2.35 million in 2023) fine for misusing his Trump Foundation for political and business purposes. In the settlement, Trump acknowledged that the veterans fundraiser had actually been a campaign event and the $2.8 million in raised funds were placed under the full control of his campaign.

Trump frequently criticized the media for writing what he alleged to be false stories about him and referred to them as being the "worst people" and he has called upon his supporters to be "the silent majority", apparently referencing the media. At a rally in Fort Worth, Texas, in February 2016, Trump stated that if elected he would "open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money". Trump specifically alleged that reporting about him by The New York Times and The Washington Post has included falsehoods. Trump says the media "put false meaning into the words I say", and says he does not mind being criticized by the media as long as they are honest about it.

After Trump won the nomination, historians Fredrik Logevall and Kenneth Osgood noted that, "Hardly a day passes without some columnist comparing Donald J. Trump to Huey Long, Father Coughlin or George Wallace."

A 2018 study found that media coverage of Trump led to increased public support for him during the primaries. The study showed Trump received nearly $2 billion in free media, more than double any other candidate. Political scientist John Sides argued that Trump's polling surge was "almost certainly" due to frequent media coverage of his campaign. Sides concluded "Trump is surging in the polls because the news media has consistently focused on him since he announced his candidacy on June 16".

Relationships with people and groups

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Black communities

It appeared Trump was receiving little support from African Americans: in a poll in August 2016, only 5% of black voters said they intended to vote for him. Trump ended up receiving 8% of the African-American vote (about half a million more than Mitt Romney in 2012). Starting in July and August, in an effort to improve his appeal to black Americans, Trump was vocal in expressing concern for their situations. Speaking in Virginia in August, 2016, Trump said, "You're living in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed—what the hell do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump?....Look. It is a disaster the way African-Americans are living ... We'll get rid of the crime ... You'll be able to walk down the street without getting shot." He accused Clinton of racism and bigotry.

On September 3, Trump visited a black congregation in Detroit, Michigan, accompanied by former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson. Trump was interviewed afterward by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson for the church's cable channel. On September 15, as Trump was addressing an assembly at Bethel United Methodist Church in Flint, Michigan, the pastor, Faith Green Timmons, interrupted him as he criticized Clinton, asking him not to "give a political speech". Trump complied.

Business community

See also: 2016 Republican National Convention § Attendance and officials skipping convention

No Fortune 100 CEO donated to Trump's presidential campaign. Eleven donated to Trump's rival Clinton, and 89 contributed to neither. This represented a shift from 2012 when Republican nominee Mitt Romney received major support from American business executives.

In May 2016, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce commented that the business community was cautious about Trump and Clinton. Members of the community who endorsed Trump include investors T. Boone Pickens, Carl Icahn and Wilbur Ross, Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone, and entrepreneur and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. As of January 2016, small and mid-size business owners and officers were second to retirees as the most common donors to Trump's campaign. Reasons cited for their support of Trump included opposition to Obamacare, immigration and feeling "fed up with politicians". In a survey conducted in late January 2016, 38 percent of small business owners indicated that they believed Trump would be the best president for small business, while 21 percent selected Hillary Clinton.

Other members of the business community were critical. In June 2016, the Clinton campaign released a list of endorsements from 50 current and former business leaders, including longtime Republicans. The group included longtime Democrats and Clinton supporters, like Warren Buffett and Marc Benioff, as well as independents or Republicans who had switched sides, like Daniel Akerson and Hamid R. Moghadam.

Conservative movement

Trump delivering a speech in August 2016

Trump's right-wing populist positions—nativist, protectionist, and semi-isolationist—differ in many ways from traditional conservatism. He opposes many free trade deals and military interventionist policies that conservatives generally support, and opposes cuts in Medicare and Social Security benefits. While insisting that Washington is "broken" and can only be fixed by an outsider, Washington-based conservatives were surprised by the popular support for his positions.

Trump polled well with Tea Party voters, and politicians with tea party ties, such as Sarah Palin, similarly endorsed Trump.

Some prominent conservatives praised Trump. Newt Gingrich described him as the latest incarnation of the Reagan Revolution, and said his election would be "very healthy for America". In the aftermath of Trump's statements regarding the Khan's, Gingrich said Trump was making himself a less acceptable candidate for the presidency than Clinton, but that "Trump is vastly better than Hillary as President". Rush Limbaugh, while clearly favoring Ted Cruz, relished the degree to which Trump exposed the conservative establishment as an elitist self-interested clique. Sean Hannity was an unapologetic advocate for Trump and endorsed him.

In July and August 2015, U.S. Senator John McCain and Trump criticized each other, primarily over immigration. At a July 18, 2015, event Trump described McCain as a "loser" and added, "He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured." His comments were criticized; some of his primary rivals said he should withdraw from the race. Trump later denied having said McCain is not a war hero, saying "If somebody's a prisoner, I consider them a war hero." He criticized McCain for not having done enough for veterans. In 2014, McCain worked with senator Bernie Sanders to create the Veterans Choice program, which Trump later claimed more than 150 times he had created. McCain said Trump should apologize, not to him personally, but to former American prisoners of war and "the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict". Trump declined to issue any apology.

Eventually, McCain endorsed Trump because he was the nominee of the Republican party. On August 2, Trump stated he was not endorsing McCain for the Republican nomination for his Senate seat. Three days later, however, he did endorse him, saying in prepared remarks, "I hold in the highest esteem Sen. John McCain for his service to our country in uniform and in public office and I fully support and endorse his reelection." McCain later withdrew his endorsement following the Access Hollywood controversy in October 2016.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a primary rival, was "one of Trump's fiercest critics". He called Trump a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot" and asserted that Trump doesn't have the temperament or judgment to be president. After Trump attacked a federal judge for his Mexican heritage, Graham urged people who had endorsed Trump to rescind their endorsements, saying "This is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy."

The Jeb Bush–Trump dynamic was one of the more contentious relationships among Republicans. Bush's campaign spent tens of millions of dollars on anti-Trump ads, while Trump mocked Bush as "low energy". During an exchange with Bush in the ninth Republican primary debate, the audience (most favoring Bush) repeatedly booed Trump. Trump scoffed that the audience was made up of "Jeb's special interests and lobbyists". According to The Washington Post, the most telling aspect of the Bush–Trump duel may have been that, "No candidate in the race was prepared for GOP voters' opposition to immigration, with the exception of Trump", and the anti-illegal immigration sentiment that Trump tapped into, including with the Act of Love advert.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz was a rival for the Republican nomination. In the early days of the primary Cruz showered praise on Trump. But as the primary season went on, Cruz called Trump a "bully" and a "pathological liar", and Trump took to referring to Cruz as "Lyin' Ted". Trump claimed Cruz was not eligible to be president because he was born in Canada. However, on September 23, 2016, Cruz publicly endorsed Trump for president because he was the nominee of the Republican party.

Stop Trump movement

Main article: Stop Trump movement

A concerted effort by some Republicans and other prominent conservatives to prevent Trump from obtaining the Republican Party presidential nomination gained momentum following Trump's wins in the Super Tuesday primaries on March 15, 2016.

On March 17, 2016, several dozen conservatives met at the Army and Navy Club of Washington DC to discuss preventing Trump from securing the nomination. Among the strategies discussed were a "unity ticket", a possible third-party candidate and a contested convention, especially if Trump did not gain the 1,237 delegates necessary.

In June 2016, activists Eric O'Keefe and Dane Waters formed a group called Delegates Unbound, attempting to convince delegates to vote for whomever they want. By June 19, hundreds of delegates to the Republican National Convention calling themselves Free the Delegates had begun raising funds and recruiting members in support of an effort to change Party convention rules to free delegates to vote however they want—instead of according to the results of state caucuses and primaries. However, the convention's Rules Committee voted down, by a vote of 84–21, a move to send a "minority report" to the floor allowing the unbinding of delegates, thereby defeating the "Stop Trump" activists and guaranteeing Trump's nomination. The committee then endorsed the opposite option, voting 87–12 to include rules language specifically stating that delegates were required to vote based on their states' primary and caucus results.

Other conservative commentators were strongly opposed to him. National Review released a January 2016 special issue called "Against Trump", in opposition to Trump's bid for the presidency. William Kristol, publisher of The Weekly Standard, was highly critical of Trump and carried on a public search for an independent candidate to run against Trump and Clinton in the general election, citing a "patriotic obligation to try and offer the American people a third way".

Mitt Romney

Main article: Mitt Romney's 2016 anti-Trump speech

On February 24, 2016, Romney called on Trump to release his tax returns, suggesting they contain a "bombshell". On March 3, Romney expanded his criticism in a widely reported speech in which he said Trump's economic plans would cause profound recession, criticized his foreign policy proposals as reckless and dangerous, and called him a "con man", a "fake", and a "phony", joking that Trump's promises are "as worthless as a degree from Trump University". In June he expressed concern that some of the things Trump says could legitimize racism, and that Trump as president could cause "trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry, trickle-down misogyny, all these things (that) are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America".

Unlike many other Republican critics who came around after Trump was confirmed as the presumptive nominee, Romney continued his "increasingly lonely" challenge to Trump. He explained, "I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn't ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world." He hinted he might vote for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. In contrast, while Romney was running for president in 2012, he praised Trump and sought his endorsement.

After Trump won the election, Romney congratulated him by phone and on Twitter. In November he met Trump to discuss the position of Secretary of State.

Paul Ryan

Speaker Paul Ryan meets with Donald Trump and Mike Pence on Capitol Hill after their election victory

Paul Ryan, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, was initially critical of Trump. In December 2015 when Trump called for a ban on foreign Muslims entering the country, Ryan said "What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for." Even after endorsing Trump, Ryan continued to criticize Trump's religion-based immigration proposals. In early March 2016 Ryan condemned Trump's failure to repudiate the support of white supremacists, and in mid March he strongly objected to Trump's suggestion that there could be "riots" at the Republican convention if he is not the nominee. In June when Trump said the judge hearing a lawsuit against him was biased because he was of Mexican extraction, Ryan said Trump's remarks were "absolutely unacceptable" and "the textbook definition of a racist comment".

In May when Trump was declared the presumptive nominee, Ryan told CNN that he was not ready to endorse Trump, saying "I'm not there right now." He questioned Trump's commitment to conservative values but added he hoped to back him eventually. Trump and Ryan met once during May, and on June 2 Ryan published an op-ed endorsing Trump and stressing the need to prevent Hillary Clinton's election. Ryan later explained that as Majority Leader he feels obligated to support the Republican nominee in the interest of party unity.

On August 2, 2016, one week before Ryan faced a primary for re-election to his house seat, Trump declined to endorse him, saying "I'm just not quite there yet." He praised Ryan's primary opponent. Trump's comments infuriated Republican officials, particularly GOP chairman Reince Priebus. Three days later Trump endorsed Ryan, reading from a prepared statement, "So in our shared mission, to make America great again, I support and endorse our speaker of the House, Paul Ryan."

In October 2016, following the Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy, Ryan disinvited Trump from a scheduled campaign rally, announced that he would no longer defend or support Trump's presidential campaign, and in a highly unusual move he freed down-ticket congressional members to use their own judgment, saying "you all need to do what's best for you and your district." In the final weeks of the campaign, Trump went on the attack against Ryan, accusing him and other "disloyal" Republicans of deliberately undermining his candidacy as part of "a whole sinister deal". Despite his reluctance to publicly support Trump, Ryan ultimately announced that he cast his vote for Trump a week before election day. In March 2017, Breitbart News released a tape recording with Ryan telling fellow Republican congressmen that he was "not going to defend Donald Trump—not now, not in the future."

Economists

On November 1, 2016, The Wall Street Journal published an open letter signed by 370 economists, including eight Nobel laureates, who stated that Trump would be a "dangerous, destructive" choice and encouraged voters to vote for another candidate. The letter stated that Trump "misinforms the electorate, degrades trust in public institutions with conspiracy theories, and promotes willful delusion over engagement with reality"; that "If elected, he poses a unique danger (...) to the prosperity of the country"; and that he "promotes magical thinking and conspiracy theories over sober assessments of feasible economic policy options".

Peter Navarro of the University of California, Irvine, one of Trump's senior economic advisers, called the letter "an embarrassment to the corporate offshoring wing of the economist profession who continues to insist bad trade deals are good for America." He pointed to a letter signed in September by other economists, 305 in total, including a Nobel laureate, which stated "Clinton's economic agenda is wrong for America." Navarro's endorsement of the Trump economic platform was met with criticism by economists.

Fox News and Megyn Kelly

Trump was one of ten candidates in a Fox News debate on August 6, 2015. Chris Wallace asked him about Mexican illegal immigrants, and Megyn Kelly asked about how he would respond to the Clinton campaign saying that he was waging a "war on women". Trump replied, "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct." In a later interview with Don Lemon on CNN Tonight, Trump said that Kelly is a "lightweight" and had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her ... wherever." Trump tweeted that his remark referred to Kelly's nose but was interpreted by critics as a reference to menstruation. Trump retained his first place standing after the debate, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll at 24 percent.

Following the Kelly incident, Roger Stone, Trump's veteran political adviser, left the campaign, citing "controversies involving personalities and provocative media fights". Despite this, Stone remained a Trump confidant and said to National Review that he is "the ultimate Trump loyalist". In March 2016, Trump resumed his feud with Kelly in Twitter messages disparaging Kelly and calling for a boycott of her show. Fox News responded with a statement saying that Trump's behavior was an "extreme, sick obsession" beneath the dignity of a presidential nominee. In April 2016, Kelly met with Trump at Trump Tower at her request to "clear the air". Following the meeting, Trump stated that Kelly was "very, very nice" and regarding the meeting: "Maybe it was time ... By the way, in all fairness, I give her a lot of credit" for requesting it.

Hispanic and Latino Americans

Donald Trump speaking at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona

Trump's popularity among Hispanic and Latino Americans was low; a survey conducted in February 2016 showed 80 percent of Hispanic voters had an unfavorable view of Trump, more than double the percentage of any other candidate. These low rankings were attributed to Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Alarm at Trump's rise prompted an increase in eligible Latino immigrants who to naturalize to vote against him. Despite his poor national standing with Hispanic and Latino Americans, he garnered higher numbers than Republican rivals, along with other minority groups. Trump received pockets of Hispanic support, winning around 45% of the Hispanic vote in the Nevada Republican caucuses, and receiving support among Cuban Americans in Florida. Despite expectations of low Latino support, Trump received about 29% of the Hispanic vote, more than Romney in 2012.

In August 2016, Trump created and met with a Hispanic advisory council. He hinted publicly he might soften his call for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants. On August 31, 2016, he visited Mexico and met with President Enrique Peña Nieto, saying he wanted to build relations. However, in a speech later that night, Trump laid out a 10-step plan reaffirming his hardline positions, and used harsh rhetoric to portray many illegal immigrants as a danger to Americans. In reaction, one member of Trump's Hispanic advisory council resigned, and other Hispanic supporters said they were reconsidering their support.

Military

According to the Atlantic, "mong prominent ex-military and national-security leaders, the edge clearly belongs to Clinton." Trump's most prominent ex-military supporter was retired Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn. An open letter endorsing Trump, signed by 88 retired generals and admirals, was released in September 2016. 500 retired military officers endorsed Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012.

Trump led in polling of military veterans and military households in September 2016, although his performance with this group trailed "well behind that of other recent Republican candidates".

Religious community

Trump is a Presbyterian and says he attends Marble Collegiate Church, although the church said in a statement that he is "not an active member". In campaign speeches, he had routinely praised the Bible and sometimes carried it, often saying that his own book Trump: The Art of the Deal is his "second-favorite book after the Bible". On occasion, Trump "reflected a degree of indifference" to religion, causing unease among some social conservatives.

Trump solicited the support of religious leaders, inviting dozens of Christian and Jewish leaders to his New York City offices for a meeting and laying on of hands prayer gathering in September 2015. Trump praised prominent national evangelical leaders of the Christian right, including Tony Perkins and Ralph Reed, and received a blessing and endorsement from Greek Orthodox priest and hedge fund manager Emmanuel Lemelson.

Other figures made more direct religious-based critiques of Trump, including from the American Christian right. Russell D. Moore, the head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public-policy arm, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, is a prominent Trump critic and argued that Christians should vote for a conservative third party. Peter Wehner of the Ethics and Public Policy Center said that Trump "embodies a Nietzschean morality rather than a Christian one", writing that Trump is "characterized by indifference to objective truth (there are no facts, only interpretations), the repudiation of Christian concern for the poor and the weak, and disdain for the powerless". On the Christian left, a number of commentators, including Shaun King, criticized Trump's racially charged rhetoric as inconsistent with Christianity.

Trump struggled with Mormon voters, affecting his party's grip on Utah, where Mormons constitute a majority, and Nevada, where they are a significant minority. Reasons for this include Trump's rhetoric concerning Muslims, which Mormons see as a parallel to their own historic persecution. Following the release of the 2016 Access Hollywood tape, several high-profile Mormon political leaders from Utah, including Utah governor Gary Herbert and representative Jason Chaffetz, withdrew their endorsements for Trump. The Deseret News, a media outlet owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, broke with an 80-year tradition of refraining from presidential endorsements to publish an editorial calling on Trump to step aside.

The phrase "One people under one God" was noted as having been used repeatedly in Trump speeches, especially to religious groups. Christian Today termed the use of the phrase "a rare mention of religion by the Republican presidential nominee" in early September. At about the same time, Reuters also said Trump "rarely mentions religion" and used the phrase as an illustration that Trump's campaign, previously centered around confrontational issues, had begun to invoke religion to appeal to voters and build a unified base.

Tea Party movement

Trump praised the U.S. Tea Party movement throughout his 2016 campaign. In August 2015, he told a Tea Party gathering in Nashville that "The tea party people are incredible people. These are people who work hard and love the country and they get beat up all the time by the media." In a January 2016 CNN poll at the beginning of the 2016 Republican primary, Trump led all Republican candidates modestly among self-identified Tea Party voters with 37 percent supporting Trump and 34 percent supporting Ted Cruz.

Trump family

Trump, his wife Melania, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Eric Trump, February 1, 2016

Trump called his wife Melania "my pollster" and had said that she supported his presidential run. Melania appeared at her husband's June 2015 campaign announcement and at the Fox News debate in Cleveland. She has also conducted several televised interviews and appeared at a Trump rally in South Carolina along with other family members. Trump's adult children Donald Jr, Ivanka, and Eric, as well as Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, were all involved in his campaign and are regarded as key advisers. They were reportedly influential in persuading Trump to fire his controversial campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in June 2016. Melania, Donald Jr, Eric, and Ivanka were "Headliner" speakers at the Republican National Convention. If elected president, Trump said that he would hand over control of his company to his children instead of placing it in a blind trust.

Wikileaks

Having called Wikileaks "disgraceful" in 2010, Trump praised Wikileaks in October 2016, saying, "I love Wikileaks."

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, WikiLeaks released emails and other documents from the Democratic National Committee and from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, showing that the party's national committee favoured Clinton over her rival Bernie Sanders in the primaries, leading to the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and an apology to Sanders from the DNC. These releases caused significant harm to the Clinton campaign, and have been cited as a potential contributing factor to her loss in the general election against Donald Trump. The U.S. intelligence community expressed "high confidence" that the leaked emails had been hacked by Russia and supplied to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks said that the source of the documents was not Russia or any other state.

Also during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, Assange only exposed material damaging to the Democratic National Committee and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Wikileaks popularized conspiracies about the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton, such as tweeting an article which suggested Clinton campaign chairperson John Podesta engaged in satanic rituals, which was later revealed to be false implying that the Democratic Party had Seth Rich killed, suggesting that Clinton wore earpieces to debates and interviews, claiming that Hillary Clinton wanted to drone strike Assange, promoting conspiracy theories about Clinton's health, and promoting a conspiracy theory from a Donald Trump-related internet community tying the Clinton campaign to child kidnapper Laura Silsby. According to Harvard political scientist Matthew Baum and College of the Canyons political scientist Phil Gussin, Wikileaks strategically released e-mails related to the Clinton campaign whenever Clinton's lead expanded in the polls.

Women

There was a large gender gap in support for Trump, with women significantly less likely to express support than men. A March 2016 poll showed that half of U.S. women had a "very unfavorable" view of Trump. A separate March 2016 poll showed women favoring Hillary Clinton 55 percent to 35 percent over Trump, "twice the gender gap of the 2012 presidential election", while a Gallup poll showed a 70 percent unfavorable rating. A May 2016 NPR article, citing a poll that showed Clinton leading Trump among women by 17 percentage points while Trump led among men by five points—a 22-point gender gap—suggested that "the Trump–Clinton gender gap could be the largest in more than 60 years". By mid-October 2016 an average among 12 polls showed Trump trailing by 15 percentage points among women but ahead by five points among men. Both before and during his presidential campaign, Trump made a number of comments about women that some viewed as sexist, or misogynistic. Trump won among white women overall, winning nearly twice as many non-college educated white women than Clinton, although Clinton outperformed Trump with votes from college-educated white women.

White nationalists and white supremacists

See also: Racial views of Donald Trump

From the outset of his campaign, Trump was endorsed by various white nationalist and white supremacist movements and leaders. On February 24, 2016, David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon, expressed vocal support for Trump's campaign on his radio show. Shortly thereafter in an interview with Jake Tapper, Trump repeatedly claimed to be ignorant of Duke and his support. Republican presidential rivals were quick to respond on his wavering, and Senator Marco Rubio stated the Duke endorsement made Trump un-electable. Others questioned his professed ignorance of Duke by pointing out that in 2000, Trump called him a "Klansman". Trump later blamed the incident on a poor earpiece he was given by CNN. Later the same day Trump stated that he had previously disavowed Duke in a tweet posted with a video on his Twitter account. On March 3, 2016, Trump stated: "David Duke is a bad person, who I disavowed on numerous occasions over the years. I disavowed him. I disavowed the KKK."

On July 22, 2016 (the day after Trump's nomination), Duke announced that he will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana. He commented, "I'm overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I've championed for years." A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said Trump "has disavowed David Duke and will continue to do so."

On August 25, 2016, Clinton gave a speech saying that Trump is "taking hate groups mainstream and helping a radical fringe take over the Republican Party." She identified this radical fringe with the "Alt-right", a largely online variation of American far-right that embraces white nationalism and is anti-immigration. During the election season, the Alt-right movement "evangelized" online in support of racist and anti-semitic ideologies. Clinton noted that Trump's campaign chief executive Stephen Bannon described his Breitbart News Network as "the platform for the alt-right." On September 9, 2016, several leaders of the alt-right community held a press conference, described by one reporter as the "coming-out party" of the little-known movement, to explain their goals. Speakers called for a "White Homeland" and expounded on racial differences in intelligence. They also confirmed their support of Trump, saying "This is what a leader looks like."

Richard Spencer, who runs the white nationalist National Policy Institute, said, "Before Trump, our identity ideas, national ideas, they had no place to go". The editor of the Neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer stated, "Virtually every alt-right Nazi I know is volunteering for the Trump campaign." Rocky Suhayda, chairman of the American Nazi Party said that although Trump "isn't one of us," his election would be a "real opportunity" for the white nationalist movement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center monitored Trump's campaign throughout the election and noted several instances where Trump and lower-level surrogates either used white nationalist rhetoric or engaged with figures in the white nationalist movement.

According to 2021 study in Public Opinion Quarterly, Trump's candidacy simultaneously attracted whites with extreme views on race and made his white supporters more likely to express more extreme views on race.

r/The_Donald subreddit

Main article: r/The_Donald

At over half a million subscribers, the subreddit r/The_Donald on Reddit faced controversy since its inception. Trump hosted an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) on the subreddit during the 2016 Democratic National Convention on July 27, 2016, and answered thirteen of the thousands of questions posted on the subreddit. Moderators of the subreddit claimed they banned more than 2,000 accounts during Trump's AMA session.

The subreddit was criticized by Vice, which stated in an article that the subreddit was "authoritarian," "racist," "misogynistic," "homophobic," "Islamophobic," and a "hypocritical 'free speech' rallying point." The publication Slate described The_Donald as a "hate speech forum". According to The New York Times, "members respond to accusations of bigotry with defiant claims of persecution at the hands of critics. It is an article of faith among posters that anti-racists are the real bigots, feminists are the actual sexists, and progressive politics are, in effect, regressive."

Supporter demographics

Surveys showed that significant proportions of Trump supporters hold negative views of immigrants, Muslims, and African-Americans. The Pew Research Center found that 69 percent of Trump supporters viewed immigrants as a burden, rather than a benefit, to the US, and 64 percent believed that American Muslims should be subject to greater scrutiny solely on the basis of their religion. Reuters found that Trump supporters were more than twice as likely as Clinton supporters to view Islam negatively. Trump supporters were also more likely than supporters of other candidates to hold negative views of African-Americans. Reuters reported that 40–50 percent of Trump supporters viewed African-Americans as being more "lazy", "rude", "violent", or "criminal" than whites, compared to 25–30 percent for Clinton supporters; while 32 percent of Trump supporters believed that African-Americans were less intelligent than whites, compared to 22 percent of Clinton supporters.

University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers, analyzing a national survey of likely Republican primary voters from December 2015, found that having an authoritarian personality and a fear of terrorism were the only two variables among those tested that were statistically significant predictors of Trump support. Another study based on a different survey, conducted by professors at the University of Chicago and University of Minnesota, concluded that Trump supporters were no more authoritarian than supporters of other Republican candidates, but rather were characterized primarily by a strong nationalist identity and a mistrust of experts, intellectuals, and perceived elites.

A geographical study found support for Trump in the Republican primaries was correlated positively with the following factors (in order of statistical strength): (1) proportion of white lacking a high school diploma; (2) ethnicity reported as "American" on the census; (3) living in a mobile home; (4) jobs largely in agriculture, construction, manufacturing or trade; (5) having a history of voting for segregationists such as George Wallace in 1968; and (6) residents born in the United States and being an evangelical Christian.

Campaign finances

Primary campaign

As of January 31, 2016, the Trump campaign had received $7.5 million in donations from individuals, $250,318 donated directly by Trump himself, and a $17.78-million loan from the candidate. The loaned amount can be repaid to Trump as other donations arrive. According to reports to the FEC, the campaign had $1.9 million on hand as of February 20.

As of March 31, he had raised $48.4 million, spent $46.3 million, and had $2.1 million cash on hand. His total spending including $3.2 million by outside groups, total $49.5 million. As of May 31, he had raised $63.1 million, spent $61.8 million, and had $1.3 million cash on hand. His total spending including $3.0 million by outside groups, total $64.7 million. As of June 30, he had raised $89.0 million, spent $68.8 million, and had $20.2 million cash on hand. His total spending including $7.6 million by outside groups, total $76.4 million.

On June 23, Trump announced that he was forgiving $50 million in loans that he had made to his campaign for the primary. His campaign refused to release evidence to the press that would prove that he had forgiven these loans.

In October 2015 Trump had said: "I am self-funding my campaign and therefore I will not be controlled by the donors, special interests and lobbyists who have corrupted our politics and politicians for far too long. I have disavowed all super PACs, requested the return of all donations made to said PACs, and I am calling on all presidential candidates to do the same." Politifact reports that Trump's claims that he is "self-funding" his campaign are "half-true." By the end of 2015, Trump's campaign had raised $19.4 million, with almost $13 million (about 66 percent) coming in the form of a loan from Trump himself and the remainder (34 percent) coming from others' contributions. The announcement came a day after a main super PAC backing Trump closed amid scrutiny about its relationship to the campaign itself. Although Trump attended at least two Make America Great Again Super PAC fundraising events, including one at the home of his daughter Ivanka's in-laws, he later said he never gave his endorsement to the super PAC or any of the other eight super PACs supporting his run. In addition to a $100,000 donation from Ivanka Trump's mother-in-law, the Make America Great Again super PAC accepted $1 million in seed money from casino mogul and longtime Trump business partner Phil Ruffin who, according to FEC filings, gave the money just two weeks after the super PAC was established; the super PAC spent about $500,000 on polling, consulting, and legal expenses before shutting down in the wake of The Washington Post's coverage.

General election campaign

According to Bloomberg News, Trump's general election campaign raised over $500 million, roughly half the sum raised by the Clinton campaign. By October 19, Trump had "put $56.2 million of his own into the campaign, leaving him with scant time to put in the rest of the $100 million he's pledged to spend."

After becoming the presumptive nominee in early May, the Trump campaign announced that it would be seeking large donations for the general election, and that Trump would not be self-funding his campaign in the general election. By the end of May, Trump was reported to have had $1.3 million available for his campaign, while Clinton had $42 million.

Wall Street banker Steven Mnuchin was named finance chair of the Trump campaign in May 2016. In May 2016, the campaign established the Trump Victory Committee to enable joint fundraising with the Republican National Committee and eleven state parties; longtime Republican financiers Diane Hendricks, Woody Johnson, Mel Sembler, Ray Washburne, and Ron Weiser (all of whom backed other candidates during the Republican primary) agreed to serve as vice chairs of the committee.

In May 2016, casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson announced that he would spend $100 million in support of Trump's election. Several months later, the Federal Election Commission had not yet reported any donations to the Trump campaign by Adelson, but Adelson eventually donated $25 million and was the campaign's largest donor.

A number of large-dollar donors who previously backed other candidates, even some who were once mocked by Trump, changed their minds and joined Trump's campaign. Other prominent Republican megadonors, however, more staunchly opposed Trump and opted to "sit out" the election, withholding their support and financial backing. These include Norman Braman, Paul Singer, Seth Klarman, and the Koch Brothers.

Several Super PACs were founded in support of Trump's campaign in the general election, including Great America PAC, Committee for American Sovereignty, and Rebuilding America Now. Vice presidential nominee Mike Pence and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort both endorsed Rebuilding America Now, and Trump agreed to headline fundraising events for the organization.

Controversies

This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page. (October 2016)
Supporters and protesters outside the August 9, 2016, campaign event at UNC-Wilmington's Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, North Carolina

Comment about the Second Amendment and Hillary Clinton

At a campaign stop in Wilmington, North Carolina, on August 9, Donald Trump said that Hillary Clinton wanted to "essentially abolish the Second Amendment" because of her support for gun control. He said if she nominates judges to the Supreme Court, there would be nothing that could be done about it, and then added, "Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don't know".

Trump's comment sparked condemnation from various Democrats and Republicans for being perceived as suggesting violence against Clinton or liberal jurists, instead of suggesting political action. Clinton Campaign spokesman Robby Mook released a statement that said, "what Trump is saying is dangerous", and that a person seeking the presidency "should not suggest violence in any way." General Michael Hayden, who is the former head of the CIA, stated that "If someone else had said that outside the hall, he'd be in the back of a police wagon now with the Secret Service questioning him." Secret Service spokesperson Cathy Milhoan said in a statement that the U.S. Secret Service was aware of Trump's comments. The New York Times opinion writer Thomas Friedman condemned Trump's comment, saying "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin got assassinated."

Politifact noted that some people saw it as a joke about assassination or a reference to political action, while others took it as a threat. Politifact also noted that the premise behind Trump's remark—that Clinton wants to "abolish the Second Amendment"—was factually false. The Trump campaign responded with a statement that attributed the comment to the great political power that Second Amendment people have. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Trump should clarify what seemed to him a joke gone wrong. Hillary Clinton responded to Trump's comments by saying, "words matter", and that Trump's comments were part of a long line of casual comments from Trump that had "crossed a line."

In September, Trump repeated the false statement that Clinton wanted to abolish the Second Amendment and suggested that Clinton's Secret Service detail disarm themselves and "let's see what happens". The comments were interpreted by many commentators as an incitement to violence.

Khizr and Ghazala Khan

During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, one of the speakers was Khizr Khan, a Muslim U.S. citizen who immigrated from Pakistan in 1980. Khan is the father of Captain Humayun Khan, a U.S. soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2004 by a suicide bomber, and later awarded the Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart. Khan spoke about his son and criticized Trump for his Muslim ban proposals, asking if Trump had ever read the U.S. Constitution, and offering to give him a copy. He stated that Trump had "sacrificed nothing and no one."

The following Sunday on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Trump was asked about Khan. Trump replied that Khan was, "you know, very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me." Trump went on to wonder why Khizr Khan's wife Ghazala, who stood silently by her husband's side during his speech, did not speak and speculated that she might not have been allowed to speak. (Ghazala later responded by stating that at the time she was too emotional to speak.) When Trump was asked what he had sacrificed for his country, he told Stephanopoulos, "I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've had tremendous success." Trump also cited his work on behalf of veterans, including helping build a Vietnam War memorial in Manhattan and raising "millions of dollars" for veterans.

Trump's comments touched off a firestorm of controversy by appearing to belittle the Khans, with public officials and commentators from all sides of the political spectrum arguing that he should show more respect to the parents of a fallen soldier. A Fox News poll found that 69 percent of respondents who were familiar with Trump's comments, including 41 percent of Republicans, felt that Trump's response was "out of bounds". The Khan controversy, along with Trump's initial refusal to endorse Speaker of the House Paul Ryan for re-election, contributed to significant drops in Trump's poll numbers that week.

Trump responded to the criticism on Twitter, stating that Khazir Khan "viciously attacked me" and tweeting: "This story is not about Mr. Khan, who is all over the place doing interviews, but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!" Later, Trump released a written statement saying "Captain Humayun Khan was a hero to our country and we should honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe", adding "While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr. Khan, who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution (which is false), and say many other inaccurate things."

When questioned about the Khans during the second presidential debate, Trump claimed that Humayun Khan would be alive had he been president in 2004 and referred to him as an "American hero". The Khans responded by saying that they know that their son is an American hero.

Campaign misstatements

In December 2015, Politifact named "the many campaign misstatements of Donald Trump" as its "2015 Lie of the Year", noting at the time that 76 percent of Trump statements rated by the factchecking website were rated "Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire", more than any other politician. Norman Ornstein, a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said that "Trump came into an environment that was ripe for bombastic, inflammatory, outrageous statements without having to suffer the consequences", citing the rise of partisan media, popular desensitization to inflammatory rhetoric, and "the assault on science and expertise" as contributing factors.

In March 2016, Politico Magazine analyzed 4.6 hours of Trump stump speeches and press conferences over a five-day period and found "more than five dozen statements deemed mischaracterizations, exaggerations, or simply false." Lucas Graves, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication, observed that Trump often speaks in a suggestive way that makes it unclear what exactly he meant and, in this regard, warned fact checkers "to be really careful ... to pick things that can be factually investigated and that reflect what the speaker was clearly trying to communicate."

Praise for authoritarian foreign leaders

Trump's frequent praise for foreign leaders accused of being either authoritarian or totalitarian prompted significant criticism from members of both major political parties.

Trump frequently praised Russia's Vladimir Putin, calling him a strong leader, "unlike what we have in this country," "a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond," and wondered if "he will become my new best friend." He continued to praise Putin throughout the campaign, comparing him favorably to Obama, hailing Russia as an ally in fighting ISIS, and downplaying any suggestion that Russia had behaved aggressively in the world. He also dismissed the assertion by U.S. intelligence officials that Russia is responsible for the computer hacking of Democratic party organizations and individuals. Trump called for closer relations with Russia and "has surrounded himself with a team of advisers who have had financial ties to Russia."

In January 2016, Trump commented on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, first saying he's a "maniac", but then stating "you gotta give him credit" for the "incredible" way he eliminated his opponents to take charge of the country.

During the Republican debate on March 10, 2016, Trump stirred controversy by saying that the Chinese government's 1989 massacre of unarmed civilians in Tiananmen Square was "horrible" and "vicious" but also "shows you the power of strength." When challenged, he said he was not endorsing the massacre and proceeded to characterize the protest as a riot: "I was not endorsing it. I said that is a strong, powerful government that put it down with strength. And then they kept down the riot. It was a horrible thing. It doesn't mean at all I was endorsing it."

At a July 5 campaign rally, Trump again raised controversy by praising Saddam Hussein for being good at killing terrorists, saying Hussein was "a really bad guy" but "you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. It was over." The New York Times said that Trump's descriptions "are not grounded in fact", noting that Saddam Hussein's Iraq itself had been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. Terrorism expert Peter Bergen defended Trump: "Saddam Hussein repressed terrorist groups, as he did all forms of rebellion and dissent ... Trump's claim that following the fall of Saddam, Iraq has emerged as the 'Harvard' of terrorism is correct because Zarqawi in 2004 merged his terrorist group with al Qaeda to create "Al Qaeda in Iraq," which is the parent organization of today's ISIS." In October Trump said that both Iraq and Libya would be better off if their deposed dictators, Saddam and Muammar Gaddafi, were still in power, and in December he described Saddam's use of poison gas against civilians as "throwing a little gas". His July 5 comments were widely criticized. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan dissociated himself from the remarks, and a spokesman for Hillary Clinton said "Donald Trump's praise for brutal strongmen seemingly knows no bounds."

Asked about the failed 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying, "I give great credit to him for being able to turn that around."

Trump has praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. During the October 9 debate, Trump stated that he didn't like Assad, but also praised him, Russia, and Iran for their fight against ISIS.

Support for fringe or conspiracy theories

During his campaign, Trump frequently gave voice to fringe or conspiracy theories. Professor Joseph Uscinski, the co-author of American Conspiracy Theories, writes that Trump made "unabashed" and "deft and almost daily use of ... conspiracy narratives" on the campaign trail. According to political writer Steve Benen, unlike past political leaders, Trump did not keep fringe theories and their supporters at arm's length.

Trump, for example, promoted the discredited belief that vaccines can cause autism unless administered according to a lengthened schedule. He alluded to the unfounded notion that President Obama is secretly a Muslim. Trump also speculated that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death by natural causes was murder.

Refusal to release tax returns

Main article: Tax returns of Donald Trump See also: United States presidential election § Financial disclosures
A protester holding a sign toward Trump supporters asking for Trump to publicly release his tax returns, at an August 9, 2016, campaign event in Wilmington, North Carolina

Trump did not release his personal income tax returns, as nominees traditionally do, and said he does not plan to do so before the November election. Before declaring for president he said he would "absolutely" release them if he decided to run for office. Early in the 2016 primary process he promised to put out "very big, very beautiful" returns. He offered various reasons for not giving out the information. He says his lawyers told him not to release the returns because they are being audited. He contends that voters are not interested and "there's nothing to learn from them". He told one interviewer that his tax rate is "none of your business". There is no requirement that presidential candidates release their tax returns but candidates are legally free to do so even when under audit. Tax lawyers differ as to whether releasing tax returns is legally advisable for someone like Trump who is under audit. According to NPR, tax experts such as New York University Law School professor Daniel Shaviro say that "Trump's lawyers may advise him not to release the returns for legal strategy purposes."

Use of Twitter

See also: Donald Trump on social media
Donald Trump's tweet activity from his first tweet in May 2009. His tweet activity pattern has changed from 2013.

Donald Trump's prolific use of Twitter, which he started using in March 2009, earned him millions of followers. His almost daily use of social media as a vehicle for connecting to his audience is unprecedented as a campaign tool. On November 22, 2015, Trump retweeted an image containing racially charged and inaccurate crime data between blacks and whites, cited to a non-existent group. According to Newsweek, the image appeared to originate with a neo-Nazi Twitter account. When later asked by Bill O'Reilly about his sharing of the image, Trump confirmed that he had personally retweeted the image and said that it came from "sources that are very credible." FactCheck.org reported that the image was a "bogus graphic."

On February 28, Trump re-tweeted a Mussolini quote that had been posted from a parody bot created by Gawker: "It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep". When informed that the source of the quote was Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, Trump responded that the origin of the quote made no difference because "it's a very good quote."

On July 2, 2016, Trump tweeted a picture originally created as a meme by white supremacists. The tweet featured a photo of Clinton next to a star-shaped badge saying "Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!" with a background of $100 bills. The six-pointed star was interpreted as a Star of David and the tweet denounced as "blatantly anti-semitic" by many observers, ranging from the Hillary Clinton campaign to the Anti-Defamation League to House Speaker Paul Ryan. However, Trump's former campaign director Corey Lewandowski dismissed the attacks as "political correctness run amok" and compared the star to a sheriff's badge. The Trump campaign took down the image, then re-uploaded it with a circle replacing the star. However, the re-uploading of the image included the hashtag "#AmericaFirst", and so was criticized by many pundits as evoking the name of the America First Committee, the name of a fascist organization in the United States that urged appeasement with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Opposition from Republicans

See also: List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign

An open letter from 120 conservative foreign-policy and national-security leaders, released in March 2016, condemned Trump as "fundamentally dishonest" and unfit to be president. Signatories to the letter included a number of former high-level George W. Bush administration figures, and others, including Eliot A. Cohen, Max Boot, and Daniel W. Drezner. Critics noted that the signers of the letter are "the exact type of establishment Republicans against whom Trump has been railing."

Also in March 2016, another group of foreign policy experts published a letter in Foreign Policy magazine, entitled "Defending the Honor of the U.S. Military from Donald Trump", against Trump's statements that he would direct the military to torture suspected terrorists and their families and target the families of terrorists and other civilians, stating that "every reputable legal expert we know has deemed illegal." The letter was signed by both neoconservatives and prominent realists, such as Andrew J. Bacevich and Richard K. Betts.

Several incumbent Republican members of Congress announced they would not vote for Trump. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton in the fall and urged other Republicans to "un-endorse" Trump. Illinois Senator Mark Kirk said he plans to write in a name, possibly David Petraeus or Colin Powell. New York Rep. Richard Hanna, who is retiring at the end of this term, was the first Republican to say he will vote for Hillary Clinton. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Trump "for me is beginning to cross a lot of red lines in the unforgivable on politics" and he will vote for a write-in candidate or not vote. Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent said Trump crossed "a bridge too far"; he plans to vote for a write-in candidate. Virginia Rep. Scott Rigell, also retiring at the end of this term, said he will vote for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

A letter from 50 Republican national security officials was published on August 8. The senior officials, who included former White House officials and Cabinet secretaries, said Trump "lacks the character, values, and experience" to be president. Trump responded the same day, saying "The names on this letter are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess, and we thank them for coming forward so everyone in this country knows who deserves the blame for making the world such a dangerous place."

Trump University

Main articles: Trump University and Cohen v. Trump (Trump University)

Trump University, and Trump himself, were involved during the campaign in three ongoing lawsuits alleging fraudulent business practices. One of the suits was scheduled to be heard in San Diego in November, three weeks after the general election. In late July, the judge hearing that case denied a motion to dismiss it. Shortly after Trump won the presidency, the parties agreed to a settlement of all three pending cases. In the settlement, Trump did not admit to any wrongdoing but agreed to pay a total of $25 million.

The lawsuits were active throughout the campaign and were invoked by Trump's rivals in Republican primary debates. Hillary Clinton used the Trump University allegations against Trump in speeches and campaign ads. Trump repeatedly criticized Gonzalo P. Curiel, the presiding judge in two of the cases, stating that his Mexican heritage serves as a conflict of interest. During a June 3, 2016, interview with Jake Tapper of CNN, Tapper asked Trump what Curiel's rulings have to do with his heritage. Trump answered, "I've been treated very unfairly by this judge. Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage. I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall." Trump also suggested that Curiel is a friend of a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, to which the lawyer responded that they had not been friends in any "social" setting.

Legal experts criticized Trump's comments, and Paul Ryan, who had endorsed Trump for president, disavowed the comments, saying that they were racist. Meanwhile, Governor Chris Christie defended Trump's comments, saying that Trump was not a "pre-programmed robotic politician".

Trump also accused Curiel of bias because of his membership in La Raza Lawyers of California, a professional association of Hispanic attorneys. Former United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wrote on June 4 that some of Trump's aides alleged a link between the La Raza Lawyers of California and an advocacy organization called the National Council of La Raza, which had organized protests at Trump rallies: "The two groups are unaffiliated, and Curiel is not a member of NCLR. But Trump may be concerned that the lawyers' association or its members represent or support the other advocacy organization".

On June 7, 2016, Trump said that his criticism of the judge had been "misconstrued" and that his concerns about Curiel's impartiality were not based on ethnicity alone, but rather on rulings in the case. He said that he was not categorically attacking people of Mexican heritage.

In 2013 Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi requested a political donation from Trump while her office was "currently reviewing the allegations" in a New York class action suit. The Donald J. Trump Foundation sent her re-election campaign $25,000. Bondi's office decided not to pursue action. The Washington Post reported in September 2016 that foundation was fined $2,500 (~$3,174 in 2023) by the IRS for using the funds to make a political contribution to Bondi's PAC.

2005 Access Hollywood video tape

Main article: Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape

Video and accompanying audio were released by The Washington Post on October 7, 2016, in which Trump referred obscenely to women in a 2005 conversation with Billy Bush while they were preparing to film an episode of Access Hollywood. Trump said that he could grab women "by the pussy" and get away with it, because he is a "star". The audio was met with a reaction of disbelief and disgust from the media. Following the revelation, Trump's campaign issued an apology, stating that the video was of a private conversation from "many years ago".

External videos
video icon Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005, The Washington Post, 12:44, October 8, 2016
video icon Donald Trump apologizes for sexist comments about groping women, Trump campaign video via PBS Newshour, 1:15, October 7, 2016

The incident was condemned by numerous prominent Republicans. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever." Mitt Romney tweeted "Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world." John Kasich called the remarks "indefensible." Jeb Bush called them "reprehensible." Speaker of the House Paul Ryan disinvited Trump to participate in a campaign event for Ryan in Wisconsin, saying that he was "sickened" by Trump's comments. Three days later Ryan indicated that he would no longer defend or support Trump's presidential campaign, and in a highly unusual move he freed down-ticket congressional members to use their own judgement, saying "you all need to do what's best for you and your district." Trump's wife Melania called Trump's words "offensive" and "inappropriate." By October 8 several dozen Republicans had called for Trump to withdraw from the campaign and let Pence head the ticket. Trump insisted he would never drop out.

Several hours after the initial report by The Washington Post, the Trump campaign released a video statement in which Trump stated that "Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize." Towards the end of the statement Trump also said that "there is a big difference between the words and actions", and then went on to say that "Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated his victims". This apology was criticized severely by the media and members of the public as being insincere and attempting to divert the problem at hand with unsubstantiated accusations against his political opponents. Trump replied that "thousands and thousands" of supporters sent him letters after the controversial video was published.

Sexual misconduct accusations

Main article: Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations

Following the October 7, 2016, revelation of Trump's 2005 remarks during a filming of an Access Hollywood episode and his denial that he had ever actually engaged in the behaviors he described, multiple women came forward with new stories of sexual misconduct, including unwanted kissing and groping. Sources for the stories included The New York Times and People magazine. The stories received widespread national media coverage. Also, previous allegations and statements from other women resurfaced. In 1997, Jill Harth filed a lawsuit alleging Trump groped her in "intimate" parts and engaged in "relentless" sexual harassment. Trump and his campaign denied all of these charges, and Trump claimed to have begun drafting a lawsuit against The New York Times alleging libel. On October 13, Trump denied all of the allegations, referring to them as "false smears" and alleging "a conspiracy against ... the American people".

Trump, who owned the Miss Universe franchise, was also accused to have walked into dressing rooms of contestants while they were in varying stages of undress without prior notice of his arrival. Trump said in an interview with Howard Stern in 2005, "no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant. And therefore I'm inspecting it ... Is everyone OK? You know, they're standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that. I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else."

Uncertainty over accepting the election results

Trump at a campaign rally on October 20, 2016, stating that, "I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election, if I win."

Trump repeatedly insinuated that the election was "rigged" against him, and he sowed doubt about the election certification process. Campaigning in Colorado, Trump claimed that the Democratic Party " the election at polling booths".

During the 2016 Republican primaries, after Trump lost to Ted Cruz in the Iowa Republican caucus, Trump claimed that Cruz perpetrated "fraud" and "stole" the Iowa caucuses, because Cruz's campaign spread a false rumor "minutes before the began" that fellow candidate Ben Carson had dropped out of the race. In the final debate against Hillary Clinton, Trump cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of the election should he lose, saying, "I'll keep you in suspense". His comment touched off a media and political uproar in which he was accused of "threatening to upend a fundamental pillar of American democracy" and "rais the prospect that millions of his supporters may not accept the results on November 8 if he loses". Rick Hasen described Trump's comments as "appalling and unprecedented" and feared there could be "violence in the streets from his supporters if Trump loses". The next day Trump said, "Of course, I would accept a clear election result, but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result". He also stated that he would "totally" accept the election results "if I win".

Trump eventually won the election but lost the popular vote. He went on to claim, without evidence, that he had won the popular vote "if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally", asserting after taking office that around four million illegal immigrants had voted for Clinton.

Allegations of promoting voter intimidation

In the weeks before the election, Trump urged his supporters to volunteer as poll watchers on Election Day, saying they were needed to guard against "voter fraud" and a "rigged" outcome. The rhetoric was seen as a call to intimidate minority voters or challenge their credentials to prevent them from voting.

Democratic Party officials sued Trump in Arizona, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, accusing him of voter intimidation, in violation of the 1965 Voters Rights Act and the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, with his calls for supporters to monitor polling stations in minority neighborhoods. The Ohio Democratic Party wrote in a legal filing, "Trump has sought to advance his campaign's goal of 'voter suppression' by using the loudest microphone in the nation to implore his supporters to engage in unlawful intimidation," Other lawsuits used similar language. A separate lawsuit in New Jersey accuses the Republican National Committee of cooperating with Trump's "ballot security" activities, which the RNC is prohibited from doing by a 1982 consent decree.

A federal District Court judge in Nevada ordered Trump campaigners to make available any training materials they provided for "poll watchers, poll observers, exit pollsters or any other similarly tasked individuals." A District Court judge in Pennsylvania denied a request by the state Republican Party to allow poll watching by people from outside the immediate area, which is forbidden by the state election code.

Reactions

Domestic reactions

President Barack Obama congratulated Trump on winning the election and stated that although he and Trump had differences of opinion, it is his goal to ensure a smooth transition for the incoming president. Trump also received congratulations from Republican primary rivals including Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Mitt Romney, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush also congratulated him.

World leaders

See also: International reactions to the 2016 United States presidential election
Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held informal talks with the President-elect on November 17, 2016.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto offered his congratulations and stated that Mexico will continue to have positive working relationships with the United States. Leaders of the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Rwanda, Israel, Palestine, and other countries voiced similar messages.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated to Trump that he placed "great importance on the China-U.S. relationship, and look forward to working with you to uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe said "The stability of the Asia-Pacific region, which is a driving force of the global economy, brings peace and prosperity to the United States. Japan and the United States are unwavering allies tied firmly with the bond of universal values such as freedom, democracy, basic human rights and the rule of law."

The strategic partnership between the European Union and the United States is rooted in our shared values of freedom, human rights, democracy and a belief in the market economy ... Today, it is more important than ever to strengthen transatlantic relations ... when dealing with unprecedented challenges such as Da'esh, the threats to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, climate change and migration ... We should spare no effort to ensure that the ties that bind us remain strong and durable.

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed that it was "difficult to bear" some of the confrontations during the Trump campaign. She expressed her interest in working with President-elect on shared values, such as respect for individuals irrespective of their religion, gender, or heritage. Merkel stated that the relationship with the U.S. is "a foundation stone of German foreign policy." French President François Hollande said that his country would need to be strong in the face of an upcoming "period of uncertainty ... What is at stake is peace, the fight against terrorism, the Middle East and the preservation of the planet."

Russian President Vladimir Putin "expressed confidence that the dialogue between Moscow and Washington, in keeping with each other's views, meets the interests of both Russia and the U.S." After stating that the relationships between the United States and Russia had degenerated over time, he declared that "Russia is ready and wants to restore the fully fledged relations with the U.S." Putin said that the engagement should be "based on principles of equality, mutual respect and a real accounting each other's positions."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he hoped that the Trump presidency would be a "beneficial" step towards worldwide democracy, liberty, and fundamental rights.

Foreign politicians

German Justice Minister Heiko Maas tweeted: "The world won't end, but things will get more crazy". Germany's Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, wanted to know if the U.S. would maintain its NATO commitments, since Trump had suggested during his campaign that the U.S. should consider NATO allies' level of military commitment before coming to their aid. Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, offered his congratulations and welcomed Trump to the NATO Summit in 2017 to discuss how to respond to the "challenging new security environment, including hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, the threat of terrorism."

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National party, sent her congratulations and exclaimed, peuple américain, libre! (French for 'free American people!') Nigel Farage, the outgoing leader of the UK Independence Party and Brexiter, said he was handing his "mantle" over to Trump. Trump was supported by other right-wing and far-right leaders including in Austria, Germany, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Protests

Main article: Protests against Donald Trump § Post-election protests
A protest sign in New York City

After the 2016 election, protests against Trump were held in many cities across the United States. Trump said that some of the protesters were "professional protesters" who were protesting him because they did not know him. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, called the protesters "spoiled crybabies".

Notes

  1. Recent historical examples: Johnson'12/Roemer'12/Goode'12, Barr'08/Keyes'08, Buchanan'00/Smith'00, Perot'92, Paul'88, and Anderson'80, see also Chafee'16.

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