| | In the '''2016 United States presidential election''', Republican [[Donald J. Trump]] defeated Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]]. The election was held on November 8, 2016. Trump will be inaugurated as the forty-fifth president on January 20. Indiana Governor [[Mike Pence]], Trump's running mate, will be inaugurated as vice president at the same time. Few predicted that Trump would win before the election and the result was a historic upset.<ref name="HistoricUpset"/> | | In the '''2016 United States presidential election''', Republican [[Donald J. Trump]] defeated Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]]. The election was held on November 8, 2016. Trump will be inaugurated as the forty-fifth president on January 20. Indiana Governor [[Mike Pence]], Trump's running mate, will be inaugurated as vice president at the same time. Few predicted that Trump would win before the election and the result was a historic upset.<ref name="HistoricUpset"/> |
| − | Trump was elected with an [[Electoral College]] majority of 304 votes. Hillary Clinton got 227, Colin Powell 3, Bernie Sanders 1, Ron Paul 1, John Kasich 1, and Faith Spotted Eagle 1.<ref name=schmidt>KIERSTEN SCHMIDT and WILSON ANDREWS, "[http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton]," ''New York Times''</ref> This result includes two "faithless" Republican electors who voted for minor candidates, five faithless Democrats.<ref name="schmidt" /> Trump received 45.95 percent of the popular vote (63.0 million votes) compared to 48.04 percent (65.8 million) for Clinton.<ref name=NationalPopular>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2016&off=0&f=1 2016 Presidential General Election Results]. ''Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections''. Retrieved January 12, 2016.</ref> Lax voting integrity laws, including laws in twelve states that allow an illegal immigrant to obtain a drivers' license, most likely resulted in over 800,000 ballots being cast by non-citizens.<ref name="Lucas800k">Lucas, Fred, "[http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/28/more-than-800000-noncitizens-could-have-voted-in-2016-election-experts-say/ More Than 800,000 Noncitizens May Have Voted in 2016 Election, Expert Says]," ''The Daily Signal''.</ref><ref name="O'ReillyIA">O'Reilly, Bill (November 29, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2016/11/29/bill-oreilly-amazing-amount-confusion-over-illegal-aliens-voting/ Bill O'Reilly: Amazing amount of confusion over illegal aliens voting]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 2016.</ref><ref name="Scarborough800k">Scarborough, Rowan (January 26, 2017). [http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/26/hillary-clinton-received-800000-votes-from-nonciti/ Trump argument bolstered: Clinton could have received 800,000 votes from noncitizens, study finds]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref> A total of 136.6 million votes were cast.<ref name="NationalPopular" /> In such key states as Ohio and Iowa, Trump spanked Hillary with landslide margins as wide as 9 percent, carrying working class voters that previously voted for Barack Obama, whom Democrats now openly derided as "deplorable racists." While, the margins within several tipping point states as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania (Trump wins), and New Hampshire (Clinton won) had margins around or less than one percent, just providing now-President Trump the needed electoral votes to win the presidency. | + | Trump was elected with an [[Electoral College]] majority of 304 votes. Hillary Clinton got 227, Colin Powell 3, Bernie Sanders 1, Ron Paul 1, John Kasich 1, and Faith Spotted Eagle 1.<ref name=schmidt>KIERSTEN SCHMIDT and WILSON ANDREWS, "[http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton]," ''New York Times''</ref> This result includes two "faithless" Republican electors who voted for minor candidates, five faithless Democrats.<ref name="schmidt" /> Trump received 45.95 percent of the popular vote (63.0 million votes) compared to 48.04 percent (65.8 million) for Clinton.<ref name=NationalPopular>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2016&off=0&f=1 2016 Presidential General Election Results]. ''Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections''. Retrieved January 12, 2016.</ref> Lax voting integrity laws, including laws in twelve states that allow an illegal immigrant to obtain a drivers' license, most likely resulted in over 800,000 ballots being cast by non-citizens.<ref name="Lucas800k">Lucas, Fred, "[http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/28/more-than-800000-noncitizens-could-have-voted-in-2016-election-experts-say/ More Than 800,000 Noncitizens May Have Voted in 2016 Election, Expert Says]," ''The Daily Signal''.</ref><ref name="O'ReillyIA">O'Reilly, Bill (November 29, 2016). [http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2016/11/29/bill-oreilly-amazing-amount-confusion-over-illegal-aliens-voting/ Bill O'Reilly: Amazing amount of confusion over illegal aliens voting]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 2016.</ref><ref name="Scarborough800k">Scarborough, Rowan (January 26, 2017). [http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/26/hillary-clinton-received-800000-votes-from-nonciti/ Trump argument bolstered: Clinton could have received 800,000 votes from noncitizens, study finds]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref> A total of 136.6 million votes were cast.<ref name="NationalPopular" /> In such key states as Ohio and Iowa, Trump soundly defeated Hillary with landslide margins as wide as 9 percent, carrying working class voters that previously voted for Barack Obama, whom Democrats now openly derided as "deplorable racists." While, the margins within several tipping point states as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania (Trump wins), and New Hampshire (Clinton won) had margins around or less than one percent, just providing now-President Trump the needed electoral votes to win the presidency. |
| | Trump's promises to crack down on illegal immigration and "repeal and replace Obamacare" were central campaign themes. Exit polls suggest that the issue of terrorism was a decisive factor for voters.<ref>William Saletan, [http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/11/debunking_myths_about_trump_voters_with_exit_polls.html Debunking Myths about Trump’s Voters with Exit Polls]</ref> Clinton's foundation had accepted multi-million dollar donations from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two Gulf Arab states that also finance [[ISIS]].<ref>"[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/264493/saudi-arabia-and-qatar-bankroll-isis-%E2%80%94-and-clinton-joseph-klein Saudi Arabia and Qatar bankroll ISIS -- and the Clinton Foundation]," ''Frontpage Mag''.</ref> | | Trump's promises to crack down on illegal immigration and "repeal and replace Obamacare" were central campaign themes. Exit polls suggest that the issue of terrorism was a decisive factor for voters.<ref>William Saletan, [http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/11/debunking_myths_about_trump_voters_with_exit_polls.html Debunking Myths about Trump’s Voters with Exit Polls]</ref> Clinton's foundation had accepted multi-million dollar donations from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two Gulf Arab states that also finance [[ISIS]].<ref>"[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/264493/saudi-arabia-and-qatar-bankroll-isis-%E2%80%94-and-clinton-joseph-klein Saudi Arabia and Qatar bankroll ISIS -- and the Clinton Foundation]," ''Frontpage Mag''.</ref> |