This Is Your Presidential Campaign So Far, Donald Trump
— -- Donald Trump has been a presidential candidate for only a little more than two weeks, and his White House bid so far has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride.
Trump has offended some, wowed others and managed to find himself running in second place in a crowded field of candidates -- just behind Jeb Bush -- in at least one major national poll.
Here’s a look back at Trump's brief, but eventful, campaign so far:
An Unforgettable Entrance
Trump kicked off his campaign on June 16 at Trump Tower in New York City in true Trump fashion: By grandly descending an escalator to the lobby for his speech.
Rockin’ the Boat
His kick-off theme song -- Neil Young’s "Rockin’ in the Free World" -- did not go unnoticed by the artist himself. Young lashed out at Trump for using his music without permission, expressing his support for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in the process.
On June 24, Trump offered a response in a series of tweets, adding that he "didn’t love" Young's song anyway.
A First Offense
It did not take long for Trump to stoke controversy. In his announcement speech he laid out his stance on immigration reform:
"When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best," Trump said. "They’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists."
He reinforced the sentiment in tweets like this:
Trump Gets His Own Piñata
Trump's comments did not go over well in many quarters. Mexican artist Dalton Avalos Ramirez unveiled a Donald Trump piñata on June 19, citing the “hatred Trump expressed for the Mexican people.”
Made in China?
Even before he was an official presidential candidate, Trump expressed support for returning jobs to the United States, but many items in his signature clothing line are manufactured overseas. In a recent interview, CNN's Jake Tapper, who was wearing a China-made Trump tie for the occasion, asked the real estate mogul whether it was hypocritical for him to talk of returning manufacturing to the United States while making his ties in China.
"Not at all," Trump responded. "They’ve cut their currency -- I talk about my ties in speeches. ... They’ve manipulated their currency to such a point that it’s impossible for our country to compete.”
Seeing Stars
On June 25, Univision announced it would not broadcast Trump's Miss USA pageant and would sever all business ties with Trump as a result of his comments. Trump responded with the threat of a $500 million lawsuit for breach of contract, claiming that “the Mexican government and others” were putting pressure on Univision -- accusations that Univision CEO Randy Falco called "ridiculous and "bordering on the bizarre."
Trump Turns the Tables
The next day, in a sternly-worded letter to Falco, Trump banned Univision employees from his Miami golf resort, located a block from Univision’s headquarters.
You're Fired!
NBC chose to end its business relationship with Trump on June 29.
"At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values," reads the company’s statement. "Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump."
Trump responded saying NBC was “weak” for firing him -- he has threatened to sue the company for breach of contract. The retail giant, Macy’s, followed suit shortly thereafter, announcing plans to phase out the sale of the Trump menswear collection from its stores. Macy’s said the company “stands for diversity” and has no tolerance for discrimination.
Gaining Ground
Despite his troubles, Trump is still ranked near the top of some polls. A recent national CNN poll shows Trump placing second among the Republican field nationwide. Trump would meet the threshold required to be able to appear in early presidential primary debates, the first of which is next month.
