86-634: The Trump Victory Committee was a joint fundraising committee for Donald J. Trump for President (the Donald Trump presidential campaign organization), the Republican National Committee (RNC), and 11 state Republican committees. The Committee's first fundraising dinners were held on May 24, 2016 in Albuquerque and May 25, 2016 in Los Angeles. Trump's 2020 reelection campaign merged with
172-636: A third-party candidacy. Eventually, in September 2015, Trump signed a pledge promising his allegiance to the Republican Party. On August 21, 2015, the Federal Election Commission released a list of filings from super PACs backing candidates in the 2016 presidential race, which revealed Trump to be the only major presidential candidate among the Republican candidates who appeared not to have
258-432: A Republican presidential candidate. The report showed assets above $ 1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $ 265 million. Shortly afterwards, Trump's campaign released a statement stating that his net worth is over $ 10 billion, although Forbes estimated it to be $ 4.5 billion. On August 6, 2015, the first Republican primary debate took place on Fox News . During the debate, Trump refused to rule out
344-569: A Trump supporter independent of the campaign gave Trump an advantage during the primaries. Univision announced it would no longer carry broadcasts of the Miss USA Pageant . In response, Trump indicated the matter would be handled by legal action, and followed through by filing a $ 500 million lawsuit against Univision. The complaint asserted that Univision was attempting to suppress Trump's First Amendment rights by putting pressure on his business ventures. NBC announced it would not air
430-501: A commanding lead in the number of state contests won and in the delegate count. After Trump won the Indiana contest, Cruz dropped out of the race. He had called Indiana a pivotal opportunity to stop Trump from clinching the nomination. Following Trump's Indiana win, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, among others, called Trump the party's presumptive nominee , though he noted that Trump still needed more delegates to clinch
516-488: A deadline specified by President Joe Biden's executive order to examine and reveal records from the FBI's investigation into the attack. In March 2022, the FBI declassified a 510-page report about 9/11 that it produced in 2017. The report found that "there is a 50/50 chance al-Bayoumi had advanced knowledge the 9/11 attacks were to occur," from the two Islamists he befriended that were involved in plotting 9/11. Al-Bayoumi also helped
602-494: A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought forward by survivors of, and the families of victims of, the 9/11 attacks, had "a reasonable basis" under JASTA and allowed it to move forward. The 9/11 Commission 's final report, the 9/11 Commission Report , published in July 2004 at the request of Bush administration and the U.S Congress , concluded that there was "no evidence" linking Saudi Arabian government or its senior officials to
688-668: A former employee of Liberty University , told The Wall Street Journal in January 2019 that Trump's "fixer" Michael Cohen hired him to manipulate the Drudge Report and CNBC online polls in favor of Trump in 2014 and 2015. In February 2015, Trump did not renew his television contract for The Apprentice , which raised speculation of his candidacy for President of the United States in 2016. According to an April 7, 2015, memo released by WikiLeaks , Hillary Clinton 's campaign instructed
774-407: A history of terrorism against the United States or its allies. This was also criticized for excluding countries which the U.S. has significant financial ties with, such as Saudi Arabia . Opposition to Trump grew during his campaign among both Republicans (who viewed Trump as irrevocably damaging to the party and its chances of winning elections during and after 2016, leading to the coalescence of
860-647: A large group of protesters who effectively shut down a major rally in Chicago . Trump himself was accused of inciting violence at his rallies. Trump's disdain for political correctness was a staple theme of his campaign and proved popular among his supporters. Many, including some mainstream commentators and some prominent Republicans, viewed him as appealing to racism , a charge that Trump repeatedly denied. Trump's most polarizing and widely reported proposals were about issues of immigration and border security, especially his proposed deportation of all illegal immigrants,
946-555: A lawsuit against the Saudi government claimed that the Saudi embassy in Washington DC may have funded flights to these students in 1999 to research about the flight deck security. Specifically, the suit, citing the FBI documents, alleges the Saudi government funded two individuals who asked flight attendants technical questions and tried to enter the cockpit of a domestic flight in the US, which caused
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#17328489676331032-482: A majority of the available delegates. In June 2016, two groups of Republican delegates opposed to Trump emerged. Free the Delegates sought to change the convention rules to include a 'conscience clause' that would allow delegates bound to Trump to vote against him. Delegates Unbound engaged in "an effort to convince delegates that they have the authority and the ability to vote for whomever they want". According to
1118-577: A period of six months. The first of these documents, a 16-page FBI report dated to 2016, is heavily redacted. The document found no evidence linking the Saudi government to the September 11 attacks. The document asserted that Omar al-Bayoumi was a frequent visitor to the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles who had provided "significant logistical support" and financial assistance to 9/11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar upon their arrival in
1204-657: A petition was begun on the British Parliament 's e-petition website , calling on the UK government's Home Secretary to bar him from entering the country. The total number of signatures exceeded the required half-million threshold to trigger a parliamentary debate. On January 18, the UK's House of Commons debated whether to ban Trump from the country; however, while some in the House condemned Trump's remarks and described them as "crazy" and "offensive", most were opposed to intervening in
1290-476: A place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks", adding "I'd like to punch him in the face." On March 9 a Trump supporter was charged with assault after he sucker-punched a protester who was being led out of the event. When Trump was asked if he would pay the man's legal fees, Trump said he was "looking into it", although he "doesn't condone violence in any shape". The local sheriff's office considered filing charges against Trump for "inciting
1376-684: A potential candidate for the Reform Party 's presidential nomination, but withdrew on February 14, 2000. In 2004, Trump said that he identified as a Democrat. Trump rejoined the Republican Party in September 2009, chose no party affiliation in December 2011, and again rejoined the GOP in April 2012. At the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference , Trump said he is "pro-life" and "against gun control". He also spoke before Tea Party supporters. Early polls for
1462-649: A riot" at that event, but concluded there was not sufficient evidence to charge him. On May 3, Trump became the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party after his victory in Indiana and the withdrawal of the last competitors, Ted Cruz and John Kasich , from the race. Some Republicans declined to support Trump's candidacy, including former primary rival Jeb Bush (who announced that he would not vote for Trump) and Bush's father and brother, former presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush (who announced that they would not endorse Trump). Paul Ryan announced that he
1548-479: A suit to move forward against Saudi Arabia brought by 9/11 survivors and victims' families, that the government should pay billions of dollars in damages to victims. The lawsuit is still ongoing as of 2024. Operation Encore was a secret FBI investigation launched in 2007 to investigate the alleged links of Saudi officials to the September 11 hijackers . According to The New York Times , "circumstantial evidence"
1634-682: A super PAC supporting his candidacy. Two months later, the Make America Great Again PAC, which had collected $ 1.74 million and spent around $ 500,000 on polling, consulting, and other activities, was shut down after The Washington Post revealed multiple connections to the Trump campaign. In his announcement speech, Trump promised that he would build "a great, great wall" on the United States–Mexico border , and emphasized that proposal throughout his campaign, further stating that
1720-399: A suspected Saudi government agent, had supported the 9/11 hijackers. In 2021, the FBI stated that Omar al-Bayoumi was a Saudi intelligence agent with ties to 9/11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar when they initially entered into the US. In 2022, the FBI stated that "there is a 50/50 chance al-Bayoumi had advanced knowledge the 9/11 attacks were to occur". Al-Bayoumi also helped
1806-466: A sworn statement from former LA-based FBI agent Catherine Hunt; during the investigation by the 9/11 Commission the FBI believed that MAJ was engaged in supporting and maintaining al-Thumairy. On September 11, 2020, US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered two members of the Saudi royal family, including Prince Bandar bin Sultan , to answer questions raised by the 9/11 lawsuit. The victims have called it
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#17328489676331892-485: A temporary ban on any Muslims entering the country. He issued a written statement saying, "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," which he repeated at subsequent political rallies. The next day, December 8, 2015, the Pentagon issued a statement of concern, stating Trump's remarks could strengthen
1978-589: A turning point in a long-running lawsuit. Relatives of the September 11 attack victims claim that the agents of Saudi Arabia knowingly supported al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden , before hijacking and crashing the planes into New York 's World Trade Center Twin Towers . On September 11, 2021, following an executive order by Joe Biden , the FBI started releasing a series of redacted documents which were related to alleged links of Saudi officials to 9/11 attacks, over
2064-552: Is wrong on this" and "to make these extraordinarily kind of ugly comments is not reflective of the Republican Party". While Trump acknowledged that Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus asked him to tone down his rhetoric on immigration reform, he stated that his conversations with the Republican National Committee on the matter were also "congratulatory". At a July 2015 rally in Phoenix, Arizona , Trump
2150-731: The 2016 Republican primaries . By early July 2015, Trump was campaigning in the West , giving rallies and speeches in Las Vegas and Los Angeles . On July 23, he visited the Mexican border and planned to meet with border guards. The meeting did not take place due to the intervention of the labor union of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection guards. In July, the Federal Election Commission released details of Trump's wealth and financial holdings, which he had submitted to them when he became
2236-472: The Bridgegate scandal , Christie was dropped by Trump as leader of the transition team, in favor of Mike Pence . On June 20, 2016, Trump fired his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski , reportedly in response to lagging fundraising and campaign infrastructure (as well as power struggles within the campaign, according to multiple GOP sources). Paul Manafort , Trump's campaign chairman, who was brought in during
2322-645: The Democratic National Convention to focus on "Pied Piper candidates" Donald Trump, Ted Cruz , and Ben Carson . Trump formally announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015, with a campaign rally and a speech at Trump Tower in New York City . In the moments before his announcement, he came down a golden escalator at Trump Tower, which has since become a metonym for Trump's announcement. In his speech, Trump drew attention to domestic issues such as illegal immigration , offshoring of American jobs,
2408-470: The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) designed to create an exception to the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act was enacted, which caused fears of destabilizing the US dollar. U.S. president Barack Obama also warned against " unintended consequences ", while other economic analysts believed that this action would damage the Saudi government. In March 2018, a US judge allowed
2494-551: The Miss Universe or Miss USA pageant. Afterwards, the multinational media company Grupo Televisa severed ties with Trump, as did Ora TV , a television network partly owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim . Macy's announced it would phase out its Trump-branded merchandise. Serta , a mattress manufacturer, also decided to drop their business relationship with Trump. NASCAR ended its sponsorship with Trump by announcing it would not hold its post-season awards banquet at
2580-529: The New Hampshire primary , coming in first place with 35 percent of the vote, the biggest victory in a New Hampshire Republican primary since at least 2000. Trump "tapped into a deep well of anxiety among Republicans and independents in New Hampshire, according to exit polling data", running strongest among voters who feared "illegal immigrants, incipient economic turmoil and the threat of a terrorist attack in
2666-455: The November 2015 Paris attacks , Trump stated that he would support a database for tracking Muslims in the United States and expanded surveillance of mosques . Trump's support for an American Muslim database "drew sharp rebukes from his Republican presidential rivals and disbelief from legal experts." On December 7, 2015, in response to the 2015 San Bernardino attack , Trump further called for
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2752-472: The September 11 attacks . The Commission noted the presence of numerous private donors and sources of fundraising in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States for Al-Qaeda before 9/11. The alleged Saudi role in the September 11 attacks gained new attention after Bob Graham and Porter Goss , former U.S. congressmen and co-chairmen of the congressional inquiry into the attacks , told CBS in April 2016 that
2838-783: The Stop Trump movement ) and Democrats (who decried Trump's anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim policies, his behavior toward critics, his treatment of the media, and his support from the ethno-nationalist alt-right ). Although some prominent Republican leaders declined to endorse Trump after he won the Republican nomination, many Republican congress-members showed support for Trump and his policy positions despite major personal or political conflicts with him. Some such supporters of Trump's campaign were accused, by both conservatives and liberals, of prioritizing party loyalty and avoiding alienation of Trump supporters to ensure re-election, thereby refraining from condemning Trump's actions. On January 6, 2017,
2924-551: The Trump National Doral Miami . Among the American public, reactions to Trump's border-wall proposal were polarized by party, with a large majority of Republicans supporting the proposal and a large majority of Democrats against it; overall, a September 2015 poll showed 48 percent of U.S. adults supporting Trump's proposal, while a March 2016 poll showed 34 percent of U.S. adults supporting it. In remarks made following
3010-400: The U.S. national debt , and Islamic terrorism . The campaign slogan was announced as " Make America Great Again ". Trump declared that he would self-fund his presidential campaign, and would refuse any money from donors and lobbyists. Ladbrokes offered 150/1 odds of Trump winning the presidency. The campaign hired a casting company to supply paid actors to attend the event. Following
3096-461: The 2012 election had Trump among the leading candidates. In December 2011, Trump placed sixth in the "ten most admired men and women living of 2011" telephone survey conducted jointly by USA Today and Gallup . However, Trump announced in May 2011 that after what he termed "several months unofficially campaigning", he would not be a candidate for the office. In 2013, Trump was a featured speaker at
3182-468: The 9/11 attacks stated that FBI agents had uncovered evidence that Saudi diplomat Fahad al-Thumairy, a Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs official and radical cleric who served as the imam of the King Fahd Mosque in Los Angeles , and Omar al-Bayoumi (OAB) a suspected Saudi government agent, had been tasked to support the 9/11 hijackers by another individual; referred to as MAJ, whose name was redacted in
3268-497: The Conservative Political Action Conference. In May 2013, it was reported that Trump had spent 1 million dollars on researching a presidential run in 2016. In October 2013, some New York Republicans, including Joseph Borelli and Carl Paladino (who later served as New York State Co-chairmen for the presidential campaign), suggested Trump should instead run for governor of the state in 2014. John Gauger,
3354-475: The Democratic nomination . Many of Trump's remarks were controversial and helped his campaign garner extensive coverage by the mainstream media , trending topics , and social media . Trump's campaign rallies attracted large crowds as well as public controversy. Some of the events were marked by incidents of violence between Trump supporters and protesters, mistreatment of some journalists, and disruption by
3440-522: The Islamists find housing in San Diego . In response, 9/11 Commission chairman and former New Jersey governor Tom Kean said that "If that's true I'd be upset by it", adding, "The FBI said it wasn't withholding anything and we believed them." Al-Bayoumi stated that he didn't know anything about the hijackers' plans and just befriended them after randomly meeting them. Saudi Arabia stated that al-Bayoumi
3526-616: The October 2012 update document in all but one instance. FBI agents suspected that MAJ had directed crucial support towards two of 9/11 hijackers; Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi , who participated on 9/11 in the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 77 . After Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi arrived in Los Angeles on January 15, 2000; FBI agents suspected that they were allegedly assisted by Saudi diplomat Fahad al-Thumairy and by OAB, with OAB finding them an apartment, lending them money and setting them up with bank accounts. According to
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3612-572: The PAC morphed into the "Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC". When the Trump campaign hired Conway, it referred to her as "widely regarded as an expert on female consumers and voters." Conway became the first woman to run a Republican general election presidential campaign. David Urban took a role as a senior advisor to the campaign, focusing on the effort to win Pennsylvania. On August 17, 2016, Trump announced Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon as
3698-486: The RNC into a single "Trump Victory" entity, sharing office space. By tying Trump's reelection campaign to the RNC, it unified 2020 Republican Party presidential campaign. The fund is nominally headed by Reince Priebus and led by RNC finance chair Lew Eisenberg and Trump campaign finance chair Steve Mnuchin . Its vice chairs were: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016 The 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump
3784-482: The Saudi government could have played a role". Florida Democratic Senator Bob Graham, who chaired the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at the time of the report said in his sworn statements that "there was evidence of support from the Saudi government for the terrorists." In 2017 a New York lawyer, Jim Kreindler, said that he had found "a link between Saudi officials and
3870-494: The September 11 attacks Since the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, allegations of Saudi government involvement in the attacks have been made, with Saudi Arabia regularly denying such claims. The 9/11 Commission Report , issued by the 9/11 Commission on July 22, 2004, "found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded Al-Qaeda " to conspire in
3956-578: The US government collaborated with Saudi Arabia in suppressing the revelation of evidence related to alleged Saudi links to the attacks, denying FOIA requests and allegedly supplying inside information to the lawyers representing the Saudis involved. Bob Graham characterised the strategy as not a 'cover up' but "aggressive deception". In March 2016, Saudi Arabia threatened the Obama administration to sell US$ 750 billion worth of American assets owned by Saudi Arabia if
4042-532: The US. Welcoming the release of the document, the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC issued a statement: "No evidence has ever emerged to indicate that the Saudi government or its officials had previous knowledge of the terrorist attack or were in any way involved in its planning or execution.. Any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11 attacks is categorically false". The United States Justice Department admitted on March 10 that it would miss
4128-508: The United States government's intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government interfered in the United States elections against the campaign of Clinton and in support of Trump. As president, Trump repeatedly rejected the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence agencies. Since the 1988 presidential election , Trump was discussed as a potential candidate for president in nearly every election. In October 1999, Trump declared himself
4214-546: The United States". Trump commented that in the run-up to the primary, his campaign had "learned a lot about ground games in a week". This was followed by another wide victory in South Carolina , furthering his lead among the Republican candidates. He won the Nevada caucus on February 24 with a landslide 45.9 percent of the vote, his biggest victory yet; Marco Rubio placed second with 23.9 percent. By May 2016, Trump held
4300-558: The United States. Trump caused further controversy when he recounted an apocryphal story about how U.S. general John J. Pershing shot Muslim rebels with pig's blood-dipped bullets in order to deter them during the Moro Rebellion . His comments were strongly denounced by the Council on American-Islamic Relations . Trump had high poll numbers during the primaries. A survey conducted by The Economist / YouGov released July 9, 2015,
4386-596: The United States. Trump's populist positions in opposition to illegal immigration and various trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership , earned him support especially among voters who were male, white , blue-collar , working class , and those without college degrees. Many voters in the Rust Belt , who gave Trump the electoral votes needed to win the presidency, switched from supporting Bernie Sanders to Trump after Hillary Clinton won
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#17328489676334472-452: The announcement, most of the media's attention focused on Trump's comment on illegal immigration : "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best ... They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with [them]. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." The comment was interpreted and reported various ways. Trump's statement
4558-493: The attacks, or that it funded the attackers; however, according to the BBC, the report identified Saudi Arabia as the primary funding location for Al-Qaeda, and that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens. In 2012, the FBI stated that it had evidence that Saudi diplomat Fahad al-Thumairy, a Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs official and radical cleric who served at the King Fahd Mosque in Los Angeles , and Omar al-Bayoumi (OAB),
4644-470: The campaign chief executive and promoted Conway to campaign manager, replacing Paul Manafort who had been handling those duties unofficially. Manafort had been criticized in the media for connections to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and other dictators. Although Manafort initially retained the title of campaign chairman, he resigned from this position on August 19, 2016. In September 2016, Trump hired David Bossie , longtime president of
4730-512: The campaign. On several occasions in late 2015 and early 2016, Trump was accused of encouraging violence and escalating tension at campaign events. Prior to November he used to tell his rallies "Get 'em (protesters) out, but don't hurt 'em." But in November 2015, Trump said of a protester in Birmingham, Alabama, "Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he
4816-411: The communications operation. On July 1, 2016, Trump announced he hired Kellyanne Conway , a veteran GOP strategist and canvasser, for a senior advisory position. Conway, who formerly backed Cruz, was expected to advise Trump on how to better appeal to female voters. Conway had headed a pro-Cruz super PAC funded by hedge-fund tycoon Robert Mercer . After Trump won the Republican presidential nomination,
4902-467: The conservative advocacy group Citizens United , to be his new deputy campaign manager. From early to mid-July, various media outlets widely reported that Trump's short list for his pick as vice president and running mate had narrowed to Indiana governor Mike Pence, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich . Alleged Saudi government role in
4988-502: The consistent front-runner for the Republican nomination led to him being featured on the cover of Time magazine in August 2015, with the caption: "Deal with it." In the lead-up to the Iowa caucus , poll averages showed Trump as the front-runner with a roughly four percent lead. Ted Cruz came in first in the vote count, ahead of Trump. Cruz, who campaigned strongly among evangelical Christians,
5074-580: The construction of the wall would be paid for by Mexico. Trump proposed a broader crackdown on illegal immigration, and, in a July 6 statement, claimed that the Mexican government is "forcing their most unwanted people into the United States"—"in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc." In his first town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire on August 19, 2015, Trump stated: "Day 1 of my presidency, they're getting out and getting out fast." Trump's Republican rival Jeb Bush stated that "Trump
5160-588: The course of 1999–2000 MAJ was a mid-level Saudi Foreign Ministry official who was working in the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC. Former embassy officials said MAJ reported to the Saudi ambassador to the U.S, Prince Bandar , and managed employees of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs at Saudi-funded mosques and Islamic centers. The October 2012 FBI update to the FBI's own investigation of possible Saudi involvement in
5246-440: The electoral process of another country, and a vote was not taken. Trump later appeared to modify his position on Muslims. In May he stated that his proposed ban was "just a suggestion". In June he stated that the temporary ban would apply to people originating from countries with a proven history of terrorism against the United States or its allies. He also commented that it "wouldn't bother me" if Muslims from Scotland entered
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#17328489676335332-420: The first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump. Other prominent Republicans, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , governors Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry , and former senator and Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole , followed. McConnell stated, "The right-of-center world needs to respect the fact that the primary voters have spoken." On May 26, Trump secured his 1,238th delegate, achieving
5418-531: The flight to make an emergency landing in Ohio and the individuals to be interrogated by the FBI. The two individuals were later released after initial interrogation by the FBI. Mentioning FBI documents, the complaint alleged that the students were part of a network of Saudi Arabian agents in the US, and "participated in the terrorist conspiracy". The documents stated that Qudhaeein and Shalawi were trained in Afghanistan at
5504-548: The group, "There is no language supporting binding in the temporary rules of the convention, which are the only rules that matter" and "barring any rules changes at the convention, delegates can vote their conscience on the first ballot." On May 9, Trump named New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to head a team to plan the transition of the presidency in the event of a Trump victory. In November 2016, after calls for his impeachment as Governor and felony convictions in U.S. federal court for high-ranking members of his staff in
5590-489: The hijackers find housing in San Diego . Al-Bayoumi stated that he simply befriended the hijackers and also denied being a Saudi government agent. The Saudi government also denied that Al-Bayoumi was an agent. The Saudi government had broad immunity from lawsuits in the US under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act until it was amended in 2016 by the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). In 2018
5676-425: The hijackers." In July 2016, the U.S. government released a document, compiled by Dana Lesemann and Michael Jacobson, known as "File 17", which contains a list naming three dozen people, including Fahad al-Thumairy, Omar al-Bayoumi, Osama Bassnan, and Mohdhar Abdullah, which connects Saudi Arabia to the hijackers. According to the former Democratic US Senator Bob Graham , "Much of the information upon which File 17
5762-520: The lead at 18 percent support among Republican voters, over Jeb Bush at 15 percent, and a CBS News poll from August 4 showed Trump with 24 percent support, Bush second at 13 percent, and Walker third at 10 percent. A CNN/ORC poll taken August 13–16, 2015, in the swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania showed Trump ahead of, or narrowly trailing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in direct match-ups in those states. In Florida, Trump led by two points, and in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, he
5848-631: The leading Democratic candidates, condemning Trump's remarks and his policy stances as offensive or inflammatory. After the public backlash, Trump stood by his comments, citing news articles to back his claims. Trump said that he intended his comments to be aimed solely at the government of Mexico , specifically for using the insecure border as a means of transferring criminals into the United States and said he did not intend his comments to refer to immigrants themselves. Following his June 2015 announcement, Trump traveled to several early primary states, including Iowa and New Hampshire , to campaign ahead of
5934-423: The nomination. After becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump said regarding the Republican primaries: "You've been hearing me say it's a rigged system, but now I don't say it anymore because I won. It's true. Now I don't care." Trump held large rallies during his campaign, routinely packing arenas and high school gymnasiums with crowds. A Trump rally on July 11, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona , Trump
6020-524: The primaries, the Trump campaign sometimes required all attendants at its rallies to take an Loyalty oath . Fellow candidate Ted Cruz likened it pledging to a King. There were verbal and physical confrontations between Trump supporters and protesters at Trump's events, some committed by supporters and others by anti-Trump demonstrators. Some protesters were asked to leave, removed by security, or arrested for trespassing at Trump's events. Additionally, there were incidents near Trump properties related to
6106-470: The primary to prepare for a contested convention, assumed the role of chief strategist. Kevin Kellems, a veteran GOP strategist and former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney , resigned from Trump's staff after he was appointed to help inspect the campaign's surrogate operations. Erica Freeman, another aide to Trump who worked with surrogates, also resigned. In June 2016, Trump hired Jason Miller to assist
6192-479: The proposed construction of a substantial wall on the Mexico–United States border at Mexican expense, his characterizations of many illegal Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc", and a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the U.S. After considerable backlash, he later modified the " Trump travel ban " to apply to people originating from countries which he described as having
6278-444: The redacted 28 pages of the congressional inquiry's report refer to evidence of Saudi Arabia 's substantial involvement in the execution of the attacks, and calls renewed to have the redacted pages released. The panel's findings 'did not discover' any role by 'senior, high-level' Saudi government officials, but the "commission's narrow wording", according to critics, suggests the possibility that "less senior officials or parts of
6364-673: The resolve of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , David Cameron , and the Prime Minister of France , Manuel Valls , both issued statements in response to Trump's press release condemning him. Trump was also criticized by leading Republican Party figures, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus . Following Trump's controversial comments on Muslim immigration,
6450-469: The same time with some other al-Qaeda operatives that participated in the 9/11 attacks and that "both worked for and received money from the Saudi government, with Qudhaeein employed at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs." In April 2020, the FBI neglected to redact one of the several instances of the Saudi diplomat name, Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah (MAJ), in a court filing in the lawsuit brought by 9/11 families. Over
6536-402: Was "not ready" to endorse Trump for the presidency. On May 8, Trump's campaign said that he would not rule out a bid to remove Ryan from his post as chairman of the 2016 Republican National Convention , and the following day, Ryan said that he would step down as convention chairman if asked by Trump to do so. On June 2, Ryan announced that he would vote for Trump. Senator Jeff Sessions was
6622-406: Was controversial and led several businesses and organizations—including NBC , Macy's , Univision , and NASCAR —to cut ties with Trump. Reactions from other presidential candidates were mixed, with some Republican candidates disagreeing with the tone of Trump's remarks yet supporting the core idea that illegal immigration is an important campaign issue, while other Republican candidates, along with
6708-528: Was doing." On February 1 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he told the crowd there might be tomato-throwing protesters, and urged his audience to "knock the crap out of 'em" if anyone should try. "I promise you, I will pay the legal fees", he added. On February 23, 2016, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump reacted to a protester by saying "I love the old days—you know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in
6794-517: Was formally launched on June 16, 2015, at Trump Tower in New York City . Trump was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election , having won the most state primaries, caucuses, and delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention . He chose Mike Pence , the sitting governor of Indiana , as his vice presidential running mate. On November 8, 2016, Trump and Pence were elected president and vice president of
6880-480: Was introduced by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio . During his speech, Trump invoked Richard Nixon 's " silent majority " speech, saying "The silent majority is back." In the final month of his campaign, Donald Trump used the phrase " drain the swamp " in his rallies, pledging his supporters to "make our government honest once again." Trump said he originally "hated" the phrase, but when people reacted positively to it, he began "saying it like I meant it". During
6966-628: Was not an agent of theirs. The Saudi government has long denied any connection. Relatives of victims have tried to use the courts to hold Saudi royals, banks, or charities responsible, but these efforts have been thwarted partly by the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act . According to Gawdat Bahgat , a professor of political science, following the September 11 attacks the so-called "Saudi policy of promoting terrorism and funding hatred" faced strong criticism by several "influential policy-makers and think-tanks in Washington ". According to Caleb Hanna,
7052-565: Was supported by church pastors that coordinated a volunteer campaign to get out the vote . Before the Iowa vote, an email from the Cruz campaign falsely implied that Ben Carson was about to quit the race, encouraging Carson's supporters to vote for Cruz instead. Trump later posted on Twitter , "Many people voted for Cruz over Carson because of this Cruz fraud", and wrote, "Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he stole it." Following his loss in Iowa, Trump rebounded in
7138-426: Was the first major nationwide poll to show Trump as the 2016 Republican presidential front-runner. A Suffolk/ USA Today poll released on July 14, 2015, showed Trump with 17 percent support among Republican voters, with Jeb Bush at 14 percent. A The Washington Post /ABC News poll taken on July 16–19, showed Trump had 24 percent Republican support, over Scott Walker at 13 percent. A CNN / ORC poll showed Trump in
7224-533: Was welcomed by the Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio , turning over the lectern for part of his speech to a supporter whose child was killed in Los Angeles in 2008 by a Mexican-born gang member. The brother of Kate Steinle , who was murdered in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant, criticized Trump for politicizing his sister's death, while a viral video related to her death produced by
7310-558: Was within five points of Clinton. Surveys taken in late 2015 showed Trump polling unfavorably among women and non-white voters, with 64 percent of women viewing Trump unfavorably and 74 percent of non-white voters having a negative view of the candidate, according to a November 2015 ABC News/ Washington Post poll. A Public Religion Research Institute survey in November 2015 found that many of his supporters were working-class voters with negative feelings towards migrants (in addition to holding strong financial concerns). Trump's status as
7396-516: Was written was based on what's in the 28 pages." According to the New York Post in 2017, the Saudi embassy in Washington DC was accused of performing a "dry run" by paying two Saudi nationals, al-Qudhaeein and Hamdan al-Shalawi, "living undercover in the US as students, to fly from Phoenix to Washington ," two years before the attacks. According to journalist Rachael Revesz, "evidence submitted" to
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