Donald Trump is both a narcissist and a naïf, a volatile combination that has made the Republican presidential nominee unusually susceptible to hearsay that flatters his ego. Since crushing his G.O.P. primary opponents, Trump’s conspiracy-addled mind has focused primarily on Hillary Clinton, whose evasiveness has proved fertile ground for Trump’s wild imagination. Naturally, the vast majority of the billionaire’s biggest conspiracy theories about Clinton—from his suggestion that Clinton and Barack Obama founded ISIS to the insinuation that Clinton allowed Americans to die in Benghazi—are without a whit of evidence. Here, Vanity Fair takes a closer look at Trump’s many fervid claims, and finds them wanting.

The Art of the Donald: Alison Jackson Pictures Trump’s “Me Time”



1 / 6 Chevron Chevron Photograph by Alison Jackson. DIGITAL ENHANCEMENT The torch will be passed, and a new leader must be capable of gripping it securely. Will he prove equal to the challenge?