The 2016 presidential campaign became one of the most extraordinary elections in modern American history.
Trump faced Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
The contest was intensely polarized.
Trump presented himself as an outsider determined to disrupt Washington.
Clinton emphasized her experience and argued that Trump was unprepared for the presidency.
The campaign included controversies, investigations, leaked communications, fierce debates, and enormous media attention.
Trump’s political opponents believed he could not win.
But on Election Day, he secured victories in enough states to win the Electoral College.
He became the 45th president of the United States.
The result shocked many observers.
It also demonstrated the strength of a political coalition that had been underestimated by much of the political establishment.
Trump’s victory represented something larger than one candidate winning an election.
It showed that a political outsider with no previous government experience could use celebrity, media attention, populist messaging, and voter dissatisfaction to reach the highest office in the country.
The Trump Presidency
