Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016

Donald Trump, an American businessman, politician, television personality, and author, is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for President of the United States in 2016, having won the most state contests and delegates. Trump's primary campaign strategy is to win enough primaries and caucuses to achieve a majority of delegates on the first round of voting at the party's convention, clinching the nomination for president. Trump's populist positions in opposition to illegal immigration, free trade agreements, and military interventionism earned him particular support among blue-collar voters. Trump has become the consistent Republican front-runner in public opinion polls. Many of his remarks have been highly controversial among the public, other political candidates, the media, and Trump's business partners, some of whom have ended their business relationships with him as a result. Several world leaders have also expressed concerns about the prospect of his becoming president. His campaign has been extensively covered by most mainstream media sources, allowing him to eschew large campaign contributions and supporting political action committees (super PACs), which Trump has criticized along with politicians who use them. His abstention from what he considers to be political correctness has been a staple theme of his campaign, and has proved to be popular among his supporters. Trump's most polarizing and widely reported statements have been on issues of immigration and border security, on which he has proposed deportation of all illegal immigrants, construction of a substantial wall on the Mexico–United States border, and a temporary ban on alien Muslims entering the U.S., while speaking extensively about perceived issues pertaining to illegal immigrants traveling over the Mexican border into the U.S. Trump's campaign rallies have attracted large crowds, as well as public controversy. Some of the events have been marked by incidents of violence against protesters by Trump supporters, mistreatment of some journalists, and disruption by a large group of protesters who effectively shut down a major rally in Chicago. Trump said he himself wished to punch protesters, and has defended their ejection from his events, but has also said he hopes that he has not encouraged physical force to subdue or remove protesters. Trump is opposed to the broad protection currently afforded to journalists against legal accusations of libel. Background: Since the 1988 presidential election, Trump has been considered 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, Donald Trump identified as a Democrat, openly supported Hillary Clinton, and donated a large sum of money to Democratic groups. 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 2012 election. However, Trump announced in May 2011 that he would not be a candidate for the office. At the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Trump said he is "pro-life" and "against gun control". He has spoken before Tea Party supporters. 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. Trump opposed granting "fast track" trade-negotiation authority to President Barack Obama to negotiate the international trade agreements. Trump expressed a desire for stronger negotiations with China on trade, plus the imposition of tariffs if necessary. Trump has called for a policy of leadership to deal with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which he has criticized for causing high oil prices. 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. A February 2011 Newsweek poll placed Trump within a few points of President Obama in a potential 2012 presidential contest, with many voters undecided. 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. In December 2011, Trump placed sixth in the "ten most admired men and women living of 2011" USA Today/Gallup telephone survey.[ Trump has been a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In 2013, Trump researched a possible run for President of the United States in 2016. In October 2013, New York Republicans suggested Trump should run for governor of the state in 2014. 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. History- 2015: Announcement: Trump formally announced his candidacy for the upcoming race for president in the 2016 election on June 16, 2015. His announcement was held at a campaign rally at Trump Tower in New York City. In the speech, Trump drew attention to domestic issues such as illegal immigration, offshoring of American jobs, the U.S. national debt, and Islamic terrorism, in a campaign strongly emphasized by the slogan "Make America Great Again."[62] Trump declared that he would self-fund his presidential campaign, and would refuse any money from donors and lobbyists. Following the announcement, most of the media's attention focused on Trump's comment on illegal immigration where he stated: "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 [them]. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." Trump's statement was controversial and led several businesses and organizations—including NBC, Macy's, Univision, and NASCAR—to cut ties with Trump in the following days. 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 by saying that such comments are meant to inflame and incite. After the public backlash, Trump stood by his comments by citing news articles to back his claims up. Trump later clarified 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 out of their own country, and says he did not intend his comments to refer to immigrants themselves in general. Early campaign: After his announcement in New York, Trump immediately traveled to several states including Iowa and New Hampshire to campaign ahead of the 2016 Republican primaries. In early July 2015, Trump also began campaigning in the West, giving rallies and speeches in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. On July 23, he visited the Mexican border to highlight his stance with regards to opposition towards illegal immigration. In July, the Federal Election Commission released details of Trump's wealth and financial holdings that he submitted 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 claiming his net worth to be over US$10 billion, but Forbes estimates that it is US$4 billion. On August 6, 2015, the first Republican primary debate took place on Fox News. During the debate, Trump notably refused to rule out a third-party candidacy. When pressed, he also refused to say he would endorse the eventual Republican nominee. In September 2015, Trump eventually 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. John McCain comments: On July 18, 2015, Trump received criticism for saying of McCain: "He's not a war hero" and "He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured." 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. Trump declared his support for veterans and pledged to "build the finest and most modern veterans hospitals in the world." 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." Trump later stated that he did not owe the Senator an apology. Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson 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." Politifact rated Trump's claim that the quote was taken out of context as "mostly false". Trump's comments generated disagreement among the other Republican presidential candidates, including Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee, and Chris Christie. Two candidates, George Pataki and Rick Perry, openly called on Trump to withdraw from the race over his comments. Conversely, two other candidates came to Trump's defense: Ben Carson 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. Border wall and illegal immigration: In his announcement speech, Trump promised that he would build "a great, great wall" on the United States–Mexico border, and has continued to lay emphasis on this proposal throughout his campaign, further stating that the construction of the wall would be paid for by Mexico. He proposed a broader crack-down 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." These statements elicited considerable controversy. José Antonio Meade Kuribreña, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, said that Trump "is a politician who ignores the context in which it is participating", with regard to U.S. international economic relations and Trump's comments. 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." Trump acknowledged that Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus asked him to tone down his rhetoric on immigration reform and stated that his conversations with the RNC were "congratulatory" as well. At a July 2015 rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump was welcomed by the Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, turning over the lecturn 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, has criticized Trump for politicizing his sister's death, telling Anderson Cooper Trump's platform "isn't exactly what our family believes in." U.S. Senator Ted Cruz praised Trump for giving attention to illegal immigration, while Congressman Steve King also defended Trump's remarks about illegal immigration and crime. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh 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 immigration reform back to the foreground, while also not backing down against media scrutiny and businesses severing ties with him. Former Arizona governor Jan Brewer said, "I believe that Mr. Trump is kind of telling it like it really, truly is." On July 10, 2015, Limbaugh cited a report which he claimed supports Trump's remarks about illegal immigration and crime. 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 US$500 million lawsuit against Univision. The complaint asserts that Univision is 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. Trump gave the rights to broadcast the Miss Universe and Miss USA Pageants to the Reelz Channel. Paulina Vega, the current Miss Universe and former Miss Colombia, said that, although she repudiates the immigration remarks of Trump, who in turn called her a "hypocrite", she cannot give up the crown because her contract forbids it, and she could be sued. Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica will not send representatives to the Miss Universe competition. 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 sponsorship with Trump by announcing it would not hold their post season awards banquet at the Trump National Doral Miami. ESPN 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. Reuters journalists found that Trump's companies sought to import 1,100 workers on H-2B visas since 2000. The Trump-owned Palm Beach, Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago is notable for the large number of guest workers employed. Pew Research found 59% of Americans oppose the wall. Temporary Muslim ban proposal: In remarks made following the November 2015 Paris attacks, Trump stated that he would support a database tracking Muslims in the United States and expanded surveillance of mosques. Trump's support for a database of American Muslims "drew sharp rebukes from his Republican presidential rivals and disbelief from legal experts." Trump justified his proposals by repeatedly saying that he recalled "thousands and thousands of people ... cheering" in Jersey City, New Jersey, when the World Trade Center towers fell on September 11, 2001. Politifact noted that this statement was false, giving it a "Pants on Fire" rating and reporting that it was based on debunked and unproven rumors. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop called Trump's claim "absurd" and said that Trump "has memory issues or willfully distorts the truth." On December 7, 2015, Trump further called for a "total and complete shutdown on Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." Following these remarks, on December 8, 2015, the Pentagon 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." 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. However, Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom in the Netherlands applauded his remarks calling them "brave" and "good for Europe". Among the European right wing, Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party called it "perhaps a political mistake too far" and even Marine Le Pen of the far-right French National Front distanced herself from the idea. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also rejected Trump's proposal, prompting Trump to "postpone" a planned trip to Israel. Trump was widely criticized by leading Republican Party figures, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus and Republican leaders in South Carolina and Iowa. 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." London's Metropolitan Police Service responded by stating "we think it's important to state to Londoners that Mr Trump could not be more wrong." London Mayor Boris Johnson, a member of the UK Conservative Party, demanded an apology and described Trump's comments as "ill-informed" and "complete and utter nonsense." Following Trump's controversial comments on Muslim immigration, a petition with the title "Block Donald J Trump from UK entry" was opened in the UK, on the Parliament's e-petition website, calling on the UK government's Home Office to ban him from entering the country. By 5:00 am on December 11, the total number of signatures exceeded 500,000, far above the threshold of 100,000 required for a Parliamentary debate. On January 18, the UK's House of Commons debated whether to ban Trump, but ended without a vote, as such a decision is reserved to the Home Secretary. The three-hour long debate saw members on all sides of parliament describe Trump as "a buffoon", "crazy", "offensive", and "a wazzock". Trump caused further controversy when he recounted an uncorroborated, apocryphal story about how U.S. general John J. Pershing shot Muslim terrorists 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.