President of the United States



Presidency



Prior to Presidency

On LGBTQ equality:

-- Says: "No, I'm just not in favor of gay marriage. I live in New York. New York is a place with lots of gays, and I think it is great. But I'm not in favor of gay marriage."

-- Compared gay people to golfers who use "unattractive" putters: "It's like in golf," he said. "A lot of people-I don't want this to sound trivial-but a lot of people are switching to these really long putters, very unattractive," said Trump. "It's weird. You see these great players with these really long putters, because they can't sink three-footers anymore. And, I hate it. I am a traditionalist. I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am a traditionalist."

-- Says he would "strongly consider" Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality.

-- Told Christian Broadcasting Network that evangelicals can "trust me on traditional marriage": "I think they can trust me. They can trust me on traditional marriage. I was very much in favor of having the Court rule that it goes to states and let the states decide. And that was a shocking decision for you and for me and for a lot of other people. But I was very much in favor of letting the states decide...."

-- Says he will rescind federal directives that protect transgender people in schools and healthcare.

-- Defended people criticizing openly gay football player Michael Sam by saying: "We've become so politically correct in this country that the country is going to hell - people are afraid to talk."

-- Vowed to sign and enact the First Amendment Defense Act, a piece of legislation that would allow federal contractors to circumvent protections for LGBTQ workers.

-- Spoke at virulently anti-LGBTQ Family Leadership Summit, where he declared himself for "traditional marriage." (*More background on Trump's speech and the anti-LGBTQ activities of the Family Leadership Summit can be found here)



On race/religion/national origin:

-- Has promised "a total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the country. Has also suggested a nationwide database to keep tabs on Muslim Americans.

-- Said of Mexican immigrants: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending the best. They're not sending you, they're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists… And some, I assume, are good people."

-- Engaged in years-long hunt for first African American president's birth certificate: "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that Barack Obama's birth certificate is a fraud."

-- First caught national headlines for Justice Department accusations that he and his father refused to rent their properties to African Americans (the Trumps later settled out of court).

-- In comments that Trump himself once confirmed as "probably true," former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino President John R. O'Donnell claims the president told him that "laziness is a trait in blacks," adding: "Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yarmulkes every day." (*Two years after telling Playboy magazine that O'Donnell's claims were "probably true," Trump denied he ever said such a thing.)

-- Once claimed that "A well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market. . . . If I were starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated black, because I believe they do have an actual advantage.''

-- Conflated his disagreement with President Obama's policies with an assertion that skin color will factor into future elections: "Sadly, because president Obama has done such a poor job as president, you won't see another black president for generations!"

-- Suggested African Americans need some sort of controlling (and that the first black president has failed to do it): "President Obama has absolutely no control (or respect) over the African American community; they have fared so poorly under his presidency."



A history of attacking women:

-- Tweeted: "Arianna Huffington is unattractive, both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision."

-- Told New York Times columnist Gail Collins she has "the face of a dog."

-- Tweeted that Bette Midler is "an extremely unattractive woman" with an "ugly face [and] body"

-- Said: "If I were running 'The View', I'd fire Rosie O'Donnell. I mean, I'd look at her right in that fat, ugly face of hers, I'd say 'Rosie, you're fired.'"

-- Tweeted: "If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?"

-- Said of presidential rival Carly Fiorina: "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that - the face of our next president!?"

-- Insinuated about Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly: "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever."

-- Attacked a pageant winner for gaining weight. She also claims he called her "Miss Housekeeping," an attack on her Latin heritage.

-- Bragged about sexual assault, saying, "I moved on her like a b*tch, but I couldn't get there, and she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she's now got the big phony t*ts and everything." And "I'm automatically attracted to beautiful [women]-I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab them by the pu**y. You can do anything."



On climate change:

-- Claimed: "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."

-- Claimed: "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice"

-- Tweeted: "Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee - I'm in Los Angeles and it's freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!"

-- Tweeted: "It's freezing and snowing in New York – we need global warming!"



On civil liberties:

-- Suggested Americans who burn a flag should serve a year in jail and/or lose their citizenship



On vaccinations:

-- Claimed: "I am being proven right about massive vaccinations-the doctors lied. Save our children & their future."

-- Claimed: "Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases!"