• Politics

10 TV Moments That Mattered in the 2016 Election

10 minute read

This election—perhaps more than any other—has been one conducted on television, from the endless procession of debates at its start to the final push of “closing argument” ads currently airing. And yet, if everything is a TV moment, nothing matters: Little on the medium that (apocryphally) elected Kennedy over Nixon seemed to alter the trajectory of the race. Much of what was on TV, from coverage of Trump’s rallies to the both-sides equivocations of Saturday Night Live to relentless round-tabling on cable news, came to feel so oppressively omnipresent as to be easily dismissed.

These moments, though, were different. Some improved Clinton’s prospects, and some improved Trump’s; a few did the more complicated work of reframing how we see a political issue, or—crucially for a medium that’s grown yet more entwined with the political process—how we see what television can do.

Brianna Keilar’s interview of Michael Cohen, August 17, 2016: Both CNN anchor Keilar and top Trump attorney Cohen enjoyed life at the center of one of the summer’s defining memes, as Cohen refused to even acknowledge his candidate’s sinking fortunes, and Keilar seemed relatably befuddled by his trutherism. “Says who?” Cohen repeatedly asked in response to being told the Trump campaign was down. Keilar’s reply, “Polls—most of them… all of them,” got a lengthy silence, then another “Says who?”

Keilar deserved kudos for her management of the moment, when so many other anchors might have been flummoxed and defended their premises unnecessarily. But the clip’s appeal here transcends its most viral qualities (palpable awkwardness; an anchor speaking with an unaffected candor unfamiliar on cable news). It also managed to crystallize, before Trump began questioning the election’s legitimacy, exactly what the Trump campaign’s response to falling fortunes would be. Trump had just suffered the two worst weeks of his campaign and shaken up his campaign staff—and yet one of his surrogates, on live TV, wouldn’t acknowledge that fact. The Keilar/Cohen interaction was a high-voltage television moment that could have gone anywhere—and in the months to come, it proved more relevant than anyone might have guessed.

Michelle Obama’s speech in New Hampshire, October 13, 2016: The First Lady had built a reputation as one of the Democratic Party’s most effective surrogates over time. She ratified that status with a speech at the Democratic National Convention over the summer, in which she dropped a campaign mission statement (“When they go low, we go high”) more stickily effective than anything Clinton herself managed. But a sitting First Lady speaking at a political convention, however effectively, is to be expected. Less so is a sitting First Lady speaking for half an hour, moved almost to the point of tears, over a political opponent’s rhetoric. That Obama made her position on Trump’s treatment of women clear without ever once using Trump’s name was the most meaningful proof yet of her political gifts; that it was carried live on cable news is proof of the power of a surrogate who carefully chooses her moments to speak.

Jimmy Fallon ruffles Donald Trump’s hair, September 15, 2016: There were two simultaneous trends in late-night comedy throughout the campaign, each seemingly in opposition to the other: Political comedians, led by Seth Meyers and Samantha Bee, were more emboldened than ever to speak frankly and angrily about the Trump campaign in particular, while Fallon and James Corden danced faster and faster to deny anything was out of the ordinary at all. (Stephen Colbert, as has so often been the case in his tenure at CBS, was caught in between.) Never was the divide in comic approaches so stark as in Fallon’s painful softball interview of Trump, in which Fallon asked Trump non-questions about fast food and his business background before ruffling his hair. The moment made many anti-Trump partisans more angry than would have a sympathetic news interview on cable news, and understandably so: Just as on his same-day appearance on Dr. Oz, Trump was able to use the soft landing of an “apolitical” talk show to soften and normalize his image in a way that felt very political indeed.

Megyn Kelly vs. Newt Gingrich, October 25, 2016: The Fox News host’s segment with the former Speaker of the House descended into surrealism, as Gingrich accused his interlocutor of being “obsessed with sex” for having covered Trump’s Access Hollywood tapes. Kelly was dismissive of Gingrich’s attacks on her show and character, growing visibly frustrated with the politician as she said “As a media story—we don’t get to say that ten women are lying! We have to cover that story, sir.” It’s in the “sir” (which comes to sound like an epithet), as much as in the sentence that came before, that Kelly comes to stand in for many women who had grown frustrated of the tone of the election. That the segment presents Kelly as the complicated political figure she actually is—she defends her show’s aggressive coverage of Clinton scandals to Gingrich—rather than the “secret liberal” her fans on the left imagine makes it all the more effective.

Megyn Kelly’s debate question to Trump, August 6, 2015: The most impactful debate moment came very early, when Kelly posed to Trump a question about his treatment of women. The most obvious aftershocks of the moment were widely covered as they transpired: Trump’s long series of attacks on Kelly, whom he claimed had “blood coming out of her wherever” during the debate, helped define Trump’s adversarial strategy. But Trump’s rhetorical strategy during the debate—deflecting Kelly’s question with “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” a joke the audience in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena ate up, before decrying political correctness—was rewarded, until, in his debates against Clinton, it wasn’t. Had Trump been a less practiced TV star or less conditioned to respond to fans’ applause with more of the same, he might have been better able to pivot away from a strategy that, briefly, made Kelly a deeply unpopular figure among the Republican base.

Jeffrey Lord at the center of a pile-on, June 7, 2016: Trump surrogate Jeffrey Lord had a difficult 2016—or perhaps not! It all depends on quite how embarrassed one thinks Lord is by his appearances on CNN, in which he seemed perpetually behind the eight-ball. Conservative and liberal panelists alike on CNN’s telecast jumped in to correct Lord’s strange defense of Trump’s attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel. It was an interesting proxy attack of sorts: Respect for the Republican Party’s nominee, as well as the fact that like Clinton he rarely granted substantial access to TV interviewers, meant that Trump himself would likely never come under this sort of attack on TV. His surrogate, though, was fair game—and Lord appeared untroubled about his status in the conversation, that of sacrificial lamb to make sure that, no matter how ineptly, points unquestionably defensive of Trump got airing.

Ana Navarro on the offensive, October 8, 2016: Navarro, a Republican strategist, had an election as good as Lord’s was bad, though she seemed not to enjoy it a bit. The CNN commentator’s breakout moment may have come in the wake of the revelations about Donald Trump’s comments about women’s genitals on the Access Hollywood tape; asked by a co-panelist not to repeat Trump’s five-letter vulgarity to describe the female anatomy, Navarro blew up, asking why it was out-of-bounds for her if the Republican candidate could use it. The faces of her co-panelists say it all—this moment had gone substantially beyond the cutely chummy give-and-take of a typical CNN politics segment. It’s a stylistic contrast to Megyn Kelly’s slower burn against Gingrich, but then, Navarro is not a journalist by trade; what the clip shared with Kelly’s Gingrich moment was the sense of a dam breaking. Women, even those who were not Clinton supporters, had been pushed to the limit by the tone of the campaign, and responded, whatever the tone, with new rhetorical heights.

Clinton apologizes for her emails, September 8, 2015: The candidate had a vexed time explaining her emails—and, at least early in the campaign, an even harder time apologizing for them. In an interview with NBC News’s Andrea Mitchell, Clinton said she was “sorry this has been confusing to people and has raised a lot of questions, but there are answers to all these questions.” Mere days later, Clinton issued a more full-throated apology, telling ABC News anchor David Muir “even though it was allowed, I should have used two accounts. […] That was a mistake. I’m sorry about that. I take responsibility.” Clinton seemed uncomfortable discussing the matter in both instances. Her halting discomfort, and the stop-and-start nature of a conditional apology giving way to a (somewhat) more deeply felt one painted a picture of a candidate whose desire for privacy extended towards a press for whom she had no particular affinity, and augured her future difficulty in addressing the emails through the campaign’s final stretch.

Clinton at Sept. 11 memorial, September 11, 2016: Video of the Democratic nominee appearing to collapse before entering a car showed, ultimately, nothing more serious than a person suffering from pneumonia. But the video gained currency even after Clinton’s diagnosis was revealed in part thanks to Clinton’s own protectedness from the press. In a news climate where truly unguarded moments from the candidate had grown vanishingly rare, and subject to endless repetition in conjunction with a similar video of a “coughing fit” on the stump, the footage took on a nearly-mythic quality—as though it were the missing link in a conspiracy Clinton’s hiddenness did little to dispel.

Trump’s birther announcement, September 16, 2016: Trump’s use of “earned media”—the press’s eagerness to cover whatever he did—reached its high point, or its low point, in this press conference, at which he showcased a new D.C. hotel property at length before, finally, dismissing his own role in the “birther” rumors about President Barack Obama in a few short sentences. Leaving aside his claim that “Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther movement,” Trump’s stringing the media along for a hotel showcase and a staged event about veteran support of the candidate before, finally, delivering the news he’d promised seemed to mark an inflection point in campaign coverage, with CNN’s Jake Tapper among those with criticism for Trump’s stunty manner of getting attention. It seemed to point a way forward: Perhaps the next candidate like Trump will see their rallies covered with marginally less wall-to-wall avidity. It was a television moment that didn’t really alter Trump’s trajectory—his base likely didn’t care, and the birther issue faded from view. But it may just have affected TV itself.

The 82 Most Unforgettable Photos From the Election

Donald Trump supporter at a campaign rally held in the Robarts Arena, Sarasota, Fla. Nov. 28, 2015.
Donald Trump supporter at a campaign rally held in the Robarts Arena, Sarasota, Fla. Nov. 28, 2015.Landon Nordeman for TIME
A Trump rally in Sarasota, Fla., on Nov. 28. Defying all expectations, Trump has dominated the Republican nomination contest
Donald Trump supporters parade an elephant in front of a rally in Sarasota, Fla. Nov. 28, 2015.Landon Nordeman for TIME
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Hillary Clinton takes the stage to address supporters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, on June 7, 2016.Doug Mills—The New York Times/Redux
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Trump shows off the size of his hands as rivals Rubio and Cruz look on at the start of the U.S. Republican presidential candidates debate in Detroit
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump shows off the size of his hands as rivals Marco Rubio (L) and Ted Cruz (R) look on at the start of the U.S. Republican presidential candidates debate in Detroit, Michigan, on March 3, 2016. Jim Young—Reuters
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks about the FBI inquiry into her emails during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach
Hillary Clinton speaks about the FBI inquiry into her emails during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Oct. 29, 2016. Brian Snyder—Reuters
Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump Holds Ohio Campaign Rally
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 13, 2016. Luke Sharrett—Bloomberg/Getty Images
A poster depicting Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is mounted on a lawn in West Des Moine, Iowa, on Jan. 25, 2016.
A poster depicting Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is mounted on a lawn in West Des Moine, Iowa, on Jan. 25, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIME
Nick McNamara
Nick McNamara, 31, Donald Trump I’m a college graduate. That’s an investment I made to make a good future for myself. But the playing field I’m in right now feels like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ We’re becoming weakened in the face of the world. We’re not the global superpower that we used to be.From "Meet the First-Time Voters Who Are Changing the Presidential Election."Benjamin Rasmussen for TIME
The CPAC convention in National Harbor Maryland Feb 2015. KY Sen
Ted Cruz at CPAC in Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 26, 2015Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME
The wall of shame featuring Republican leaders who have criticized Trump, like former presidential candidate Mitt Romney inside the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump in New York City, on May 24, 2016.
The wall of shame featuring Republican leaders who have criticized Trump, like former presidential candidate Mitt Romney inside the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump in New York City, on May 24, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump autographs diner mugs after speaking to reporters at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump autographs diner mugs after speaking to reporters at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire.M. Scott Brauer
Kentucky senator and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul speaks to the media while eating ice cream during a campaign stop at Moose Scoops Ice Cream in Warren, New Hampshire.
Kentucky senator and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul speaks to the media while eating ice cream during a campaign stop at Moose Scoops Ice Cream in Warren, New Hampshire.M. Scott Brauer
Former Virginia governor and Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore (left), NH state director Anne Smith, and Gilmore's brother-in-law Lloyd Gatling, of Suffolk, Virginia, get in their car to travel to a polling location outside the Radisson Hotel in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on the day of primary voting, Feb. 9, 2016. Most television and radio organizations set up at the Radisson to broadcast their campaign coverage during the final days of the primary. Gilmore finished in last place among major Republican candidates still in the race with a total of 150 votes.
Former Virginia governor and Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore (left), NH state director Anne Smith, and Gilmore's brother-in-law Lloyd Gatling, of Suffolk, Virginia, get in their car to travel to a polling location outside the Radisson Hotel in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on the day of primary voting, on Feb. 9, 2016. M. Scott Brauer for TIME
NEW YORK - MAY 24: Scenes from Inside the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump on May 24, 2016, in Trump Tower in New York City. (Photo by Landon Nordeman)
John McEntee, Trump's Campaign Trip Director, rides a hoverboard at the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump in New York City, on May 24, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally while former rival Bernie Sanders stands on stage at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Tues., July 12, 2016. At the rally, Sanders officially endorsed Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president.
Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally while former rival Bernie Sanders stands on stage at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on July 12, 2016. At the rally, Sanders officially endorsed Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president.M. Scott Brauer
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate Mike Pence speak in an overflow room at a campaign event in Roanoke
Donald Trump and Mike Pence speak in an overflow room at a campaign event in Roanoke, Virginia, on July 25, 2016. Carlo Allegri—Reuters
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton welcomes Vice President Joe Biden as he disembarks from Air Force Two for a joint campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Hillary Clinton welcomes Vice President Joe Biden as he disembarks from Air Force Two for a joint campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 15, 2016. Charles Mistoller—Reuters
Supporters are reflected in a teleprompter as Hillary Clinton addresses a campaign rally where former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly appeared with her, in Cincinnati, on Oct. 31, 2016.
Supporters are reflected in a teleprompter as Hillary Clinton addresses a campaign rally where former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly appeared with her, in Cincinnati, on Oct. 31, 2016. Doug Mills—The New York Times/Redux
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Bernie Sanders supporters at a campaign rally at Waterfront Park in Vallejo, Calif., on May 18, 2016.From "Bernie Sanders’ Californian Dreams"Carolyn Drake—Magnum Photos for TIME
A vendor outside a Trump Rally at the Greenville Convention center on September 6, 2016.Stacy Kranitz for TIME
Donald Trump tosses his coat aside during a fly-in campaign stop at the Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y., on April 12, 2016.
Donald Trump tosses his coat aside during a fly-in campaign stop at the Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y., on April 12, 2016. Nathaniel Brooks—The New York Times/Redux
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, disembarks his private plane at Baltimore?Washington International Airport in Maryland.
Donald Trump disembarks his private plane at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland, on Sept. 12, 2016. Damon Winter—The New York Times/Redux
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Santa Monica High School Football Field on May 23, 2016. From "The 82 Most Unforgettable Photos From the Election"Nate Gowdy for TIME
Attendees listen as Hillary Clinton speaks during an organizing event in Baldwin, Iowa, on Aug. 26, 2015. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Supporters John Nelson and Dan Stifler cheer for U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she speaks at the UFCW Union Local 324 in Buena Park
Supporters John Nelson, 32, (L) and Dan Stifler, 32, cheer for Hillary Clinton as she speaks at the UFCW Union Local 324 in Buena Park, California, on May 25, 2016. Lucy Nicholson—Reuters
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A young supporter wears socks with the image of Donald Trump ahead of his press conference at the Trump International Hotel, in Washington, DC, on Sept. 16, 2016.Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images
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Donald Trump holds Kellen Campbell(R) and Evelyn Keane during a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, on July 29, 2016.Evan Vucci—AP
Republican presidential candidate, Florida. Sen. Marco Rubio greets supporters during a campaign event at the Allard Center on Feb. 7, 2016, in Manchester, N.H.
Florida. Sen. Marco Rubio greets supporters during a campaign event at the Allard Center in Manchester, N.H. on Feb. 7, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
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Donald Trump walks on stage after his daughter, Ivanka Trump, introduced him on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 21, 2016.Ben Lowy for TIME
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat Christie seated at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on July 19, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
Republican presidential candidate Rubio at the “Growth and Opportunity Party” In Des Moines Iowa. 10 GOP presidential hopefuls were in Des Moines Saturday for the “Growth and Opportunity Party”. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Lindsey Graham, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum and Carly Fiorina all received 15 minutes to address the crowd.
A Jeb display at the “Growth and Opportunity Party” In Des Moines Iowa. 10 GOP presidential hopefuls were in Des Moines Saturday for the “Growth and Opportunity Party”. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Lindsey Graham, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum and Carly Fiorina all received 15 minutes to address the crowd. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME
January 26, 2016. Des Moines Iowa. A Donald Trump Rally at Marshalltown Community School District - Roundhouse Gymnasium. As Iowa's Caucuses approach, candidates converge on the state for campaign events. On Monday evening democratic candidates Clinton, O'Malley and Sanders held a Town Hall sponsored by CCN at Drake University in Des Moines. (Natalie Keyssar)
Donald Trump waves to supporters as he leaves from a rally at Marshalltown Community School District - Roundhouse Gymnasium on Jan. 26, 2016. Natalie Keyssar for TIME
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton talks to reporters about the explosion in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, as she arrives at the Westchester County airport in White Plains
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton talks to reporters about the explosion in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, as she arrives at the Westchester County airport in White Plains, on Sept. 17, 2016. Carlos Baria—Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio appears with his family at his caucus location on Feb. 1, 2016, in Clive, Iowa.
Marco Rubio appears with his family at his caucus location in Clive, Iowa, on Feb. 1, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIME
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Ted Cruz embraces his wife before boarding the campaign bus at a stop at Greene County Community Center in Jefferson, Iowa, on Feb. 1, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIME
People wait for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to speak at a campaign event on the tarmac of the airport in Kinston
People wait for Donald Trump to speak at a campaign event on the tarmac of the airport in Kinston, North Carolina, on Oct. 26 2016. Carlo Allegri—Reuters
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 18: Republican presidential nominee Donald
Donald Trump arrives on stage to introduce his wife Melania during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 18, 2016. Ricky Carioti—The Washington Post/Getty Images
A delegate from Texas wears a cowboy hat with a campaign bumper sticker for Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 20, 2016.
A delegate from Texas wears a cowboy hat with a campaign bumper sticker for Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 20, 2016. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Melania Trump kisses her husband, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, to the applause of the ecstatic crowd, on July 18, 2016.
Melania Trump kisses her husband, Donald Trump in front of an ecstatic crowd, on July 18, 2016.Ben Lowy for TIME
Supporters of Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump attempt to obscure a protestor from the activist group Code Pink at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio
Supporters of Donald Trump attempt to obscure a protestor from the activist group Code Pink, who is holding an anti-racism and anti-hate banner, as she interrupts the proceedings during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 19, 2016. Aaron Bernstein—Reuters
Hillary Clinton joins President Barack Obama on stage after he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Hillary Clinton joins President Barack Obama on stage after he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 27, 2016. In his speech, Obama praised Clinton as the most qualified person for the office, ever. "I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what's best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States," Obama said. Doug Mills—The New York Times/Redux
Security backstage on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July 28, 2016.Natalie Keyssar for TIME
Donald Trump delivers a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 21, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
A delegate wears a dress covered in photos of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the Wells Fargo Center on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
A delegate wears a dress covered in photos of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the Wells Fargo Center on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 27, 2016. Damon Winter—The New York Times/Redux
Donald Trump takes the stage at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on July 18, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
Republican National Convention, Cleveland, Ohio.
Scenes from the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, on July 21, 2016.Christopher Morris—VII for TIME
Members of College Democrats of America pose for pictures in the Instagram/ Facebook lounge at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Monday, July 25, 2016.
Members of College Democrats of America pose for pictures in the Instagram/ Facebook lounge at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 25, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
An ecstatic Hillary Clinton celebrates at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention where she accepted the nomination in Philadelphia, on July 28, 2016.Benjamin Lowy for TIME
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks to attendees during a campaign event at the Great American T-Bone Diner in Derry, N.H., on Feb. 9, 2016.Landon Nordeman for TIME
Two women take pictures on stage before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Springfield,
Two women take pictures on stage before Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Springfield, Ohio, on Oct. 27, 2016. Carlo Allegri—Reuters
Remote control plane builder Otto Diefffenbach III flies his plane resembling U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Carlsbad, California
Remote control plane builder Otto Diefffenbach III flies his plane resembling U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Carlsbad, California, on Sept. 15, 2016. Mike Blake—Reuters
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From left Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, Donald Trump, Melania Trump and others listen as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at Waldorf Astoria in New York, New York, on Oct. 20, 2016.Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images
Steaks and chops described as 'Trump meat' are shown near the podium with Trump branded wines and water before U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was scheduled to appear at a press event at his Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter
Steaks and chops described as 'Trump meat' are shown near the podium with Trump branded wines and water before Donald Trump was scheduled to appear at a press event at his Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, on March 8, 2016. Joe Skipper—Reuters
Donald Trump comforts Shalga Hightower, center, as she hugs family spokesman Charmil Davis during a meeting in Philadelphia, on Sept. 2, 2016. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard.
Donald Trump comforts Shalga Hightower, center, as she hugs family spokesman Charmil Davis during a meeting in Philadelphia, on Sept. 2, 2016. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. Evan Vucci—AP
Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton Campaigns In Las Vegas
A U.S. Secret Service agent pulls a man's arm from the shoulder of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she greets workers inside the employee dining room at Harrah's Las Vegas on Feb. 20, 2016. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin covers his face before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump attends a campaign roundtable with small business leaders in Altoona
WI Governor Scott Walker covers his face before Donald Trump attends a campaign roundtable with small business leaders in Altoona, Wisconsin, on Nov. 1, 2016. Carlo Allegri—Reuters
Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is seen after it was vandalized in Los Angeles
Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is seen after it was vandalized, on Oct. 26, 2016. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters
Hillary Clinton campaigning in the N.H. presidential primary at Winnacunnet High School, in Hampton, N.H., on Feb. 3, 2016.
Hillary Clinton campaigning in the N.H. presidential primary at Winnacunnet High School, in Hampton, N.H., on Feb. 3, 2016.James Nachtwey for TIME
U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arrives at a campaign event in Manchester
Donald Trump arrives at a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire on Oct. 28, 2016. Carlo Allegri—Reuters
A group of people fill a seated area before U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in an airplane hangar in Rome, New York
A group of people fill a seated area before Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in an airplane hangar in Rome, New York, on April 12, 2016.Carlo Allegri—Reuters
Campaign signs left on the seats before Donald Trump's campaign rally at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
Campaign signs left on the seats before Donald Trump's campaign rally at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, on June 15, 2016. Damon Winter—The New York Times/Redux
Hillary Clinton poses for selfies at an Orlando, Fla., event on Sept, 21, 2016.
Hillary Clinton poses for selfies at an Orlando, Fla., event on Sept, 21, 2016.Barbara Kinney—Hillary for America
Donald Trump attends a roundtable discussion of child care issues before a campaign event in Aston, Pa.
Donald Trump attends a roundtable discussion about child care issues before a campaign event in Aston, Pa., on Sept. 13, 2016.Damon Winter—The New York Times/Redux
A paramedic's stretcher sits backstage with a Trump campaign sign on it as Trump holds a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
A paramedic's stretcher sits backstage with a Trump campaign sign on it as Donald Trump holds a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 21, 2016. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and vice presidential nominee Senator Tim Kaine attend a campaign rally in Pittsburgh
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine attend a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, U.S., on Oct. 22, 2016. Carlos Barria—Reuters
Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Donald Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sept. 30, 2016. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters
A fight between protestors at City Hall in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon to watch speaker Jill Stein and protest the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center on July 26, 2016.
A fight between protestors at City Hall in Philadelphia to watch speaker Jill Stein and protest the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center on July 26, 2016. Natalie Keyssar for TIME
Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump Holds Ohio Campaign Rally
A vendor sells an inflatable punching bag bearing a caricature of Hillary Clinton next to a man begging for money outside a campaign event for Donald Trump in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 13, 2016. Luke Sharrett—Bloomberg/Getty Images
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Kendra Wright, of Auburn, Wash., listens to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speak during a campaign rally at Xfinity Arena of Everett in Washington on Aug. 30, 2016. Evan Vucci—AP
Dominick Vaglica, age 7, looks at a home displaying signs supporting U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump and criticizing U.S. Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Bellmore, NY
Dominick Vaglica, 7, looks at a home displaying signs supporting Donald Trump and criticizing Hillary Clinton in Bellmore, NY, on Oct. 29, 2016. Stephanie Keith—Reuters
Trump for President rally in Lakeland, Florida
Trump for President rally in Lakeland, Florida.Christopher Morris—VII for TIME
Chelsea Clinton and her father, former President Bill Clinton watch Hillary Clinton speak at a campaign rally at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Feb. 19, 2016.
Chelsea and Bill Clinton, watch Hillary Clinton speak at a campaign rally at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Feb. 19, 2016.David Becker—Reuters
Jeff Muller of Wilmington, N.C., salutes as Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally in Kinston, N.C., on Oct. 26, 2016.
Jeff Muller of Wilmington, N.C., salutes as Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally in Kinston, N.C., on Oct. 26, 2016.Evan Vucci—AP
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to an overflow crowd during a campaign rally, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016, in Greenville, N.C.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to an overflow crowd during a campaign rally in Greenville, N.C., on Sept. 6, 2016.Evan Vucci—AP
Supporters holding "Women For Trump" signs during the national anthem before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, N.C.
Donald Trump supporters wait for the Republican presidential candidate's campaign rally at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2016.Damon Winter—The New York Times/Redux
Omarosa Manigault at an election night party for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough. Trump faces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the contest for president of the United States.
Omarosa Manigault at an election night party for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME
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Trump arrives with his family to greet the crowd at his victory celebration in New York on Nov. 9Christopher Morris—VII for TIME
NEW YORK - NOV 8: Supporters attend an election night party for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York’s Manhattan borough.(Photo by Landon Nordeman)
A balloon shaped like a donkey is seen at an election night party for Hillary Clinton at the Javits Center, on Nov. 8, 2016, in New York.Landon Nordeman for TIME
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Scenes from President-elect Donald Trump's Victory Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough.Dina Litovsky for TIME
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President-elect Donald Trump speaks during his Victory Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough.Dina Litovsky for TIME
TIMEPOL Election
Scenes at an election night party for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough. Clinton faces Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the contest for president of the United States.Ben Lowy for TIME
TIMEPOL Election
Scenes from President-elect Donald Trump's Victory Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough.Dina Litovsky for TIME

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