Background As the political parties began their nomination process in 2015, the Republican Party (GOP) looked to be in a solid position. Many voters expressed a desire for change. Moreover, Democrats seemed likely to put forward an uninspiring candidate. Outgoing Pres. Barack Obama had presided over eight years of steady economic expansion following the 2008 worldwide financial meltdown, but many new jobs were not full-time, and the recovery was slow by historical standards. The president’s signature domestic accomplishment, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” was failing financially. With Chinese, Russian, and Iranian influence surging, the U.S. appeared to be in retreat from its traditional foreign policy dominance. Republican prospects appeared so promising that an unprecedented 17 presidential candidates, many of them successful governors or senators, threw their hats into the ring, guaranteeing a complicated winnowing-down process. 2016 Republican U.S. presidential nomination candidates Candidates for the 2016 Republican U.S. presidential nomination: (top row, left to right) Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Rand Paul; (bottom row, left to right) Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, and John Kasich. L to R: Office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz; © Christopher Halloran/Shutterstock.com; Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio; © Rich Koele/Shutterstock.com; Office of U.S. Senator Rand Paul; Courtesy of Scott Walker 2016 Campaign; Office of Gov. Chris Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today By contrast, with her mainstream credentials burnished by four years as Obama’s secretary of state, Clinton enjoyed solid backing from the Democratic establishment. A surprising and spirited challenge emerged, however, from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist. He campaigned on reducing economic inequality, opposing trade agreements, easing student debt, and cracking down on Wall Street interests, a significant source of Clinton support. Sanders, who energized both young and grassroots voters, stayed in the race until the convention, pushing Clinton to adopt more-progressive policies. Sanders, Bernie U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders speaking with supporters at a rally at Southern New Hampshire University in Hooksett, New Hampshire, January 2016. Gage Skidmore Trump’s initial decision to run was greeted with derision by some GOP strategists. He had never held elective office and appeared out of sync with the party’s conservative base. Trump was a onetime supporter of abortion rights who had only recently changed his views, and he openly acknowledged having made campaign contributions to Democrats to buy political influence. He ridiculed opponents in both parties—often in personal terms that were widely viewed as politically incorrect—and made inflated promises and statements whose likelihood or veracity was questioned by major media.

Republican primaries As the primary process began in 2015, Clinton and former Florida governor Jeb Bush each quickly raised over $100 million in campaign contributions and were strong favourites for their party’s nomination. Trump soon emerged at the top of the crowded GOP field, however, thanks to a brash antiestablishment style that proved irresistible to cable-television news outlets and magnetized middle-income voters. Even as aides and advisers urged caution, Trump was unpredictable and rarely scripted. Remarks that he made about Mexican immigrants (“They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people”) alienated Latino voters. He repeatedly promised to build “a big, beautiful” border wall and to force Mexico to pay for it. He called for a ban on Muslim immigration. He employed unscripted humour, telling one rally, “We’re gonna win, win, win! And we’re gonna make America great again!” “Make America Great Again” became the oft-repeated slogan of Trump’s campaign. Trump’s use of personal invective was, at times, devastating. The “laid-back” Bush had no effective comeback for Trump’s accusation that he was “low energy,” and he was among the early primary dropouts. Trump’s assaults on Sen. Marco Rubio (“Little Marco”) and Sen. Ted Cruz (“Lyin’ Ted”) were equally telling. Even when he outraged many observers by insulting rival Carly Fiorina’s physical appearance, Trump refused to apologize. Cruz won Iowa, the first caucus state, but Trump followed up with victories in New Hampshire and across the South, including South Carolina, where evangelical Christians were numerous. Cruz won several additional states, mostly lower-turnout caucus battles. Trump won Florida, Rubio’s home state, and Cruz withdrew in early May, effectively ceding the nomination to Trump. His abrasive tactics, however, helped to build a solid core of “Never Trumpers” among the GOP establishment, including officials from the presidential administrations of both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and large donors to their campaigns. Additionally, Trump’s constant ridicule of national news media (whom he called “among the most dishonest people that I’ve ever met”) was met with unprecedented negative news stories and press opposition.