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American political campaign
Donald Trump for President
Campaign2000 U.S. presidential election
CandidateDonald Trump
Chairman of The Trump Organization (1971–2017)
AffiliationReform Party
AnnouncedOctober 7, 1999
SuspendedFebruary 14, 2000
HeadquartersManhattan, New York City
Key peopleRoger Stone (director)
Website
www.DonaldJTrump2000.com (defunct)[a]

New York real estate magnate Donald Trump announced the creation of a presidential exploratory committee on the October 7, 1999, edition of Larry King Live on CNN. Although Trump had never held elected office, he was well known for his frequent comments on public affairs and business exploits as head of The Trump Organization. He had previously considered a presidential run in 1988 as a Republican, but chose not to run. For 2000, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura persuaded Trump to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, which was fracturing despite achieving ballot access and qualifying for matching funds as a result of businessman Ross Perot's 1996 presidential campaign on the party's ticket.

Trump focused his campaign on the issues of international trade, eliminating the national debt, and achieving universal healthcare as outlined in the campaign companion piece The America We Deserve, released in January 2000. He named media proprietor Oprah Winfrey as his ideal running mate and said he would instantly marry his then-girlfriend, Melania Knauss (Melania Trump), to make her First Lady. Critics questioned the seriousness of Trump's campaign and speculated that it was a tactic to strengthen his brand and sell books. Trump defended his candidacy as a serious endeavor and proclaimed that he had a chance to win the election. Although he never expanded the campaign beyond the exploratory phase, Trump made numerous media appearances as a candidate, travelled to campaign events in Florida, California, and Minnesota, and qualified for two presidential primaries. Veteran campaign strategist and later longtime Trump aide Roger Stone was hired as director of the exploratory committee.

Internal conflict caused Ventura to exit the Reform Party in February 2000, removing Trump's most vocal proponent. Trump officially ended his campaign on the February 14, 2000 airing of The Today Show on NBC. Although he believed he could still win the Reform Party presidential nomination, he felt the party was too dysfunctional to support his campaign and enable a win in the general election. A poll matching Trump against likely Republican nominee George W. Bush and likely Democratic nominee Al Gore showed Trump with 7% support. Despite his withdrawal, Trump won both primaries for which he qualified. Paleoconservative commentator Pat Buchanan would go on to win the nomination of the Reform Party, receiving 0.4% of the vote.

After the election, Trump gained greater fame as the host of The Apprentice on NBC. He also notably considered running as a Republican in the 2012 presidential election against incumbent Barack Obama, but instead endorsed and supported eventual nominee Mitt Romney. Four years later, he initiated a full-scale presidential campaign, became the Republican Party's 2016 presidential nominee and was elected as the 45th president of the United States. Following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Trump initiated another full-scale presidential campaign, became the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nominee and was elected as the 47th president of the United States.

Background

[edit]
Donald Trump with President Ronald Reagan in 1987, when Trump first considered running for president.

Trump, head of The Trump Organization since 1971, first dabbled in presidential politics in the early summer of 1987. Republican political organizer Mike Dunbar, unimpressed with the candidates for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination, founded the "Draft Trump for President" organization. Believing Trump had the makings of a president, Dunbar pitched Trump the idea of speaking at an event for Republican candidates in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire. According to Dunbar in a later interview, Trump was receptive to this idea.[1] Then a registered Democrat, Trump officially changed his registration to Republican in July 1987.[2] Speculation that he would actually run for president intensified when he purchased $94,801 (~$223,897 in 2024) worth of full-page advertisements in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post with the heading "There's nothing wrong with America's Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone can't cure." The advertisements reflected Trump's concerns that Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait were taking advantage of American money and protection without providing any benefit to the United States.[3] The next month, as Dunbar had proposed, Trump appeared at a Rotary Club luncheon in New Hampshire. There, he delivered what The New York Times described as an "impassioned speech," in which he expressed concern about the U.S. being "pushed around" by its allies and proposed that "these countries that are ripping us off pay off the $200 billion deficit." In the audience, college students held placards reading "Trump for President." Nevertheless, Trump proclaimed, "I'm not here because I'm running for President. I'm here because I'm tired of our country being kicked around and I want to get my ideas across."[4] Later, Trump appeared on The Phil Donahue Show on WNBC. After the appearance, he received a letter from former President Richard Nixon in which Nixon explained that his wife Pat, "an expert on politics," had seen Trump on the show and "predicts that whenever you decide to run for office you will be a winner!"[5] In November 1987, Trump released The Art of the Deal, which became a New York Times bestseller.[6]

Months later, during an April 1988 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on ABC,[7] Trump discussed his displeasure with the U.S.'s status as a "debtor nation" and its seeming inability to compete with Japan. Winfrey asked Trump if he would ever run for president. He replied, "Probably not, but I do get tired of seeing the country get ripped off ... I just don't think I have the inclination to do it." Furthermore, he asserted that if he ever did run, he would win the election.[8] He later appeared at the 1988 Republican National Convention. In an interview on the floor, NBC News reporter Chris Wallace asked whether Trump's visit to his first national convention would induce him to "take the plunge" into a presidential campaign. In response, Trump downplayed his prior exploration into presidential politics, though repeated that he would win if he ever ran, and praised then-presumptive Republican presidential nominee George H. W. Bush.[9] During another convention interview on Larry King Live, Trump said, "I doubt I'll ever be involved in politics beyond what I do right now."[10] Talk of a potential Trump candidacy grew silent for much of the next decade.

Trump with President Bill Clinton at Trump Tower in 2000

In 1995, industrialist Ross Perot, who had received 18.9 percent of the vote during his independent 1992 run for president, formed the Reform Party of the United States of America.[11] Although Perot won the party's 1996 nomination and garnered 8.4 percent of the popular vote, rifts had begun forming within the party. Former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, who unsuccessfully challenged Perot for the 1996 presidential nomination, accused Perot of using the party as a personal vehicle, and broke off with his supporters to form a new party.[12] In 1998, former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota as a member of the Reform Party—the party's most significant victory—but Perot and his followers were not receptive to Ventura and his political allies.[13] The Perot faction adamantly, though unsuccessfully, attempted to prevent the election of Ventura supporter Jack Gargan as party chairman in 1999 when Perot backer Russ Verney chose not to stand for re-election for his term ending January 1, 2000.[14] Opting not to run for president himself in 2000,[13] Ventura searched for candidates.[15] Initially, he courted WWF Board Member and former Connecticut governor Lowell P. Weicker Jr. He then turned to Donald Trump.

Early stages

[edit]

In 1999, The New York Times reported that Jesse Ventura first approached Trump about a possible 2000 presidential run while both were in attendance at a wrestling event in Atlantic City.[16] But Trump's ambitions may have formed earlier. The America We Deserve co-writer Dave Shiflett said Trump first thought about running in late 1998, when he looked at his political advantages in money and name recognition, and concluded that he was "at least as competent" as then President Bill Clinton.[17] According to Shiflett, this prompted Trump to ask top aide Roger Stone to find the "most eminent hack writer in America" to put Trump's political ideas into a book. Stone reached out to Shiflett, a contributor to The American Spectator. In spring 1999, Shiflett met with Trump about the project that would later become The America We Deserve. During the initial meeting, Shiflett claims Trump raised concerns about a suitcase bomb destroying Manhattan.[17]

Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura privately encouraged Trump to run.

In July 1999, the Democratic[18] polling firm Schroth and Associates conducted a poll of 400 Reform Party leaders[19] and found Trump tied for third place for the Reform Party presidential nomination.[18] Both the Reform Party and Trump denied having commissioned the poll.[19] Days later, Newsweek raised speculation[19] when it cited an unnamed "close friend" of Trump who said Trump was "toying" with the idea of a presidential campaign, allegedly in response to rumors of Ventura's courting of Weicker for a run. Trump purportedly held a grudge against Weicker for blocking his plans to build a casino in Bridgeport[20] in 1994. The two had an exchange of insults in which Weicker labeled Trump a "dirt bag" and Trump referred to Weicker as "a fat slob who couldn't get elected dog catcher."[18] In response to the Newsweek report, Trump sent out a press release in which he criticized the two party system, praised the Reform Party, and stated "If the Reform Party nominated me, I would probably run and probably win." However, he added that if the party nominated him, he would ask for "an immediate recount."[18] In an interview, he told The New York Times, "I'm honored and I'm flattered [by the speculation], but the fact is I've never had more fun than I'm having right now, building the most spectacular buildings in New York."[18] Chairman Verney denied that the Reform Party had any interest in Trump, explaining that party members had "never spent one second thinking about him."[19] A CNN-Time poll conducted later in July showed Trump with seven percent support nationally in a match up against Republican candidate George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore.[21][22]

Two months later, amid reports that paleoconservative political commentator and adviser Pat Buchanan was about to join the Reform Party to seek the nomination, Trump announced that he would consider running as a sign of respect for Ventura. He labeled the views of Buchanan as "prehistoric",[23] and commented that even though he liked Pat, "I'm on the conservative side, but Buchanan is Attila the Hun."[24] He expected that a primary battle between the two would be "nasty."[25] According to columnist Robert Novak, Bush operatives concerned about a third party run by Buchanan contacted Ventura indirectly about preventing Buchanan's nomination. Novak argued that Trump "seems a bad match with Perot's party, but he may be the GOP's last hope to stop Buchanan."[26] When Weicker decided not to seek the party's nomination due to internal bickering, Ventura reportedly went all in for Trump.[27] The media capitalized on a potential Trump versus Buchanan challenge,[25] and Saturday Night Live satirized it with a skit in which Darrell Hammond portraying Trump and Chris Parnell as Buchanan pitched their candidacies to Ross Perot, played by Cheri Oteri. The segment also featured an appearance by Will Ferrell as Ventura.[28][29]

Trump further increased speculation of a full-scale campaign when his publisher Renaissance Books announced a January 2000 release date for The America We Deserve. The publisher's press release announced a book tour and teased, "Donald Trump for President? Run or not, Donald Trump's ideas will have a major impact on the next presidential election."[30] Trump set January also as the month on which he would decide whether to run. He expressed, "I'm not interested in being the [third-party] candidate who gets the most votes in the history of the world outside of the Democratic and Republican parties, I would only consider this if I thought I could win."[31] On September 30, Trump wrote an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal titled, "America Needs a President Like Me" in which he argued that he would be "the kind of president America needs in the new millennium." He cited the "repugnant" comments of Buchanan and Ventura's personal encouragement as factors contributing to his decision.[32] In an October 6 interview on Dateline NBC, Trump affirmed that he was "very serious" about his run.[33]

Announcement

[edit]
Melania Knauss was touted as Trump's potential First Lady.

On October 7, Trump announced on Larry King Live that he planned to form an exploratory committee to explore a Reform Party presidential bid.[34][35] It was reported on the same day that the committee had been formed. Trump planned to use the committee, not to raise money—he would personally fund his campaign—but to advise him on political matters in preparation for a run. In the interview with Larry King, Trump was optimistic about his chances indicating a "very strong possibility" of victory.[36] He referenced a non-scientific National Enquirer poll of 100 individuals, showing him in first place against his Democratic and Republican counterparts.[21] When pressed, Trump identified Oprah Winfrey as his ideal choice for a running mate,[37] describing her as "somebody that is very special," and that if she agreed to run, "she'd be fantastic ... she's popular, she's brilliant, she's a wonderful woman."[38] Oprah's spokesperson later responded "Oprah is not running ... at this point in time."[39] Trump labeled Rudy Giuliani the greatest Mayor of New York and spoke admirably of Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, saying that Reagan had a demeanor that contributed to a phenomenal spirit in the nation. Trump argued that President Bill Clinton could have been a great president, but destroyed his legacy with the Lewinsky scandal. As for the Reform Party, Trump offered praise for both Perot and Ventura, and attacked potential primary opponent Buchanan as someone "enamored" with Adolf Hitler, based on Buchanan's thesis that Hitler presented no military threat to the U.S. ahead of World War II.[38]

On the issues, Trump labeled himself "very conservative," but described his views on healthcare as "quite liberal" and "getting much more liberal", explaining "I believe in universal health care. I believe in whatever it takes to make people well and better. ... [I]t's an entitlement to this country if we're going to have a great country." He expressed opposition to NAFTA, gun control, and said he would like to see alcohol corporations sued in the same manner as tobacco corporations. For his first presidential term, he proclaimed, "I want to do the right job: straighten out Social Security, get the trade deficits in order, and lower taxes."[38] As for the lack of a first lady, Trump said he could solve the issue "in 24 hours" by marrying his 29-year-old girlfriend, model Melania Knauss. In a later interview, Knauss said she would marry Trump under such notice.[40] In the role, she said, "I would be very traditional. Like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy. I would support him."[41] Trump described Knauss as "a woman of great style and elegance ... very poised and gracious and able to get along with everyone."[40]

After the announcement, Trump and Knauss had dinner with Ventura and were joined by actor Woody Harrelson.[39] Ventura later commented that Trump's chances of success depended on his impression of the Reform Party.[21] Onlookers questioned Trump's motive in running. Democratic pollster Harrison Hickman expressed doubts about the authenticity of Trump's campaign, saying "It's all marketing of his name."[39] Matt Bai of Newsweek commented "Most serious-minded people think Trump's flirtation with the Reform Party's presidential nomination is just a publicity stunt."[42] Trump's ex-wife Ivana Trump doubted he would actually run.[43] Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch commented that people would likely not flock to Trump's campaign, suggesting that Trump was merchandising his brand.[44] Trump disagreed with the critics, arguing that even though his sales had increased as a result of media coverage, he was serious about the campaign.[42] Roger Stone was hired as director of the exploratory committee.45

Withdrawal

[edit]

So the Reform Party now includes a Klansman—Mr. Duke, a Neo-Nazi—Mr. Buchanan, and a Communist—Ms. Fulani.
This is not company I wish to keep.

Donald Trump[109]

On February 14, Trump withdrew from the race.[110] In a press release, he cited infighting in the Reform Party as not "conducive to victory," concluding he could not win the election as the party's nominee and so, as pledged, would not continue his campaign. He expressed concerns about the direction of the party, particularly its membership, referring to David Duke, Pat Buchanan, and Lenora Fulani as a Klansman, a Neo-Nazi, and a Communist, respectively. However, he lauded party members Russ Verney, Jack Gargan, and others as "wonderful people" he was honored to meet. Trump lamented the exit of Jesse Ventura from the party, arguing "without Jesse, the Reform Party is just an extremist shell and cannot be a force or even a factor in 2000." Trump declined to seek the nomination of Ventura's new Independence Party, finding it "healthy" but too young to win. He expressly kept open the possibility of running for president in 2004.[109] Trump publicly announced his withdrawal on The Today Show in an interview with Matt Lauer. He explained that though he still could have won the Reform Party nomination, he believed he would only win 20 percent in the general election, which he did not want. He claimed the party was on the verge of "self-destructing" and referred to it as a "total mess."[103] In response, Pat Choate, who became the new Reform Party chairman after the unseating of Gargan, disputed Trump's claim about the party[111] and said Trump's campaign was meant only "to smear Pat Buchanan."[112] He declared Trump "unwelcome" to seek the party's 2004 presidential nomination.[111] Choate later remarked that he believed Trump's campaign was a "Republican dirty trick" orchestrated by Roger Stone "to disgust people and drive them away from the Reform Party."[113] Stone argued that John McCain "running on Trump's message" and surging in the polls signaled an end to the Trump campaign.[74]

Several days after withdrawing, Trump reflected on his campaign in an op-ed published in The New York Times titled "What I Saw at the Revolution." Disputing the claim that he ran for the publicity, Trump countered that he felt the nation was ready for a non-establishment "businessman president" who offered "straight talk." He cited three reasons for dropping out: (1) the criteria of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which would have made it "impossible" for him to qualify for general election debates; (2) the rise of the presidential campaign of John McCain, whose similar message would have made a contrast difficult; and (3) the exit of Ventura from the Reform Party. Trump called his run the "greatest civics lesson that a private citizen can have," but said it was "enormous fun" and a "great life experience," though it "doesn't compare with completing one of the great skyscrapers of Manhattan."[114]

Results

[edit]

During the campaign, Trump qualified for the Michigan and California Reform Party presidential primaries. Both of these elections were held after Trump exited the race.[115] On February 22, Trump won the Michigan Primary with 2,164 votes defeating uncommitted with 948 votes.[116] Trump won the California primary on March 7 with 15,311 votes (44.28%) defeating perennial candidate George D. Weber who received 9,390 votes (27.16%), former Director of Advanced Space Programs Development Robert M. Bowman who received 4,879 (14.11%), former Congressman John B. Anderson who received 3,158 (9.13%), and political activist Charles E. Collins who received 1,837 (5.31%).[117] Pat Buchanan was not listed on either ballot. A slate of Trump supporters petitioned to list Trump on the New York Independence Party presidential primary ballot but were denied on a technicality.[118]

Pat Buchanan eventually won the Reform Party presidential nomination at a chaotic[119] National Convention in Long Beach in August 2000.[120] Buchanan had lost the support of the Perot faction, which accused Buchanan of fraud and held a counter-convention, nominating Buchanan's only major opponent physicist John Hagelin of the Natural Law Party.[121] According to Russ Verney, the Perot faction lost faith in Buchanan when he emphasized anti-abortion and anti-homosexual issue positions after promising to respect the party's neutral stance on social issues.[122] After the filing of a complaint over the party's matching funds, the FEC ruled against the Perot faction and invalided the Hagelin selection.[123] The decision was affirmed on appeal. On Election Day, Buchanan appeared on the ballot in all 50 states and received 448,895 votes, 0.42% of the popular vote. George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in a close contest[124] that required a recount and Supreme Court intervention.[125] The Bush campaign recruited Roger Stone to oversee the recount.[126]

Reform Party presidential primary results by county
Michigan
  Uncommitted
  Tie
  No votes

Aftermath

[edit]
Trump speaks at a campaign event in 2016.

After the election, Trump returned to his real estate business, rekindled his relationship with Melania Knauss, whom he married in 2005,[127] and hosted NBC's The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice for 14 seasons from 2004 to 2015.[128] In addition, he continued an involvement in politics. He changed his voter registration from the New York Independence Party (Reform Party affiliate) to the Democratic Party in August 2001[2] as the Reform Party continued its decline. By 2004, the party had lost ballot access in all but seven states, which it gave to Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader.[129] Trump was critical of the George W. Bush administration's handling of the Iraq War[130] and publicly endorsed Bush's impeachment.[131] He considered challenging Bush in the 2004 Republican presidential primaries, but ultimately decided against it.[132] Jesse Ventura, who chose not to run for re-election as Governor of Minnesota in 2002,[133] also considered a 2004 presidential run and publicly asked for and received Trump's support at WrestleMania XX.[134] However, Ventura did not run.

In 2009 after Barack Obama took office, Trump changed his voter registration from Democrat back to Republican.[2] He seriously considered running for president as a Republican in 2012 and led in an April 2011 Rasmussen Reports survey.[135] While considering a run, Trump emphasized China's currency manipulation and criticized the trade policies of the Obama administration.[136] Additionally, he questioned the legitimacy of Obama's citizenship and birth certificate.[137] He decided not to run in May 2011,[138] but proclaimed "I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and, ultimately, the general election."[139] After reports that a group in Texas was attempting to create the "Make America Great Again Party" with the intention of running Trump as a candidate,[140] Trump briefly considered a 2012 Independent bid and changed his voter registration from Republican to "I do not wish to enroll in a party."[2][141] Trump said he would run if the Republicans selected the "wrong candidate."[140] Ultimately, he again decided against running. Trump re-registered as a Republican in 2012[2] and publicly endorsed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for president.[142]

After much speculation, Trump officially decided to run for president as a Republican for the 2016 election, using the motto "Make America Great Again." In his announcement speech in June 2015, Trump took a tough stance against illegal immigration and promised to build a wall on the U.S.–Mexico border if elected president.[143] After announcing, Trump became the front-runner for the nomination, taking the lead in nearly every national poll, ahead of his rivals for the Republican nomination including Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.[144] Trump styled himself as the candidate of anti-establishment Republicans and received praise from former rival Pat Buchanan, who compared Trump's run to Buchanan's 1992 and 1996 campaigns.[145] His attacks on the Republican establishment included a slight against the war hero status of John McCain, whom Trump complimented during his 2000 campaign.[146] Republican voters favored the purported honesty of Trump's message and his abrasive approach,[147] which eschewed political correctness.[148] Roger Stone, who headed Trump's 2000 presidential committee, served as an adviser for the 2016 campaign until a much publicized split in August 2015.[149] The campaign generated major media attention and attracted large crowds to campaign events. Trump won multiple Republican primaries, receiving more votes than any previous Republican candidate, and earned the party's presidential nomination at the 2016 Republican National Convention. In the general election, Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to be elected the 45th president of the U.S.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. The homepage of the now-defunct site can be seen at the 1:00 minute mark of the November 28, 1999 edition of C-SPAN's Washington Journal

References

[edit]
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