It’s been a presidential election unlike any the nation has seen.
The Republican candidate, a former president himself, has survived impeachments, civil and criminal trials, ballot disqualification efforts and even assassination attempts in his effort to become the first president since Grover Cleveland to reclaim the White House after losing a reelection bid.
kAm%96 s6>@4C2E:4 42?5:52E6[ E96 4FCC6?E G:46 AC6D:56?E[ :D 24EF2==J E96 D64@?5 s6>@4C2E:4 7C@?E CF??6C :? E96 C246[ H:E9 =6DD E:>6 @? E96 42>A2:8? EC2:= E92? 96C 3@DD] %96 D:EE:?8 AC6D:56?E[ H9@ H@? 2? @G6CH96=>:?8 >2;@C:EJ @7 56=682E6D :? E96 s6>@4C2E:4 AC:>2C:6D[ DE6AA65 @FE @7 E96 C246 H:E9 ;FDE E9C66 7F== >@?E9D =67E 367@C6 t=64E:@? s2J 27E6C 2 5:D2DEC@FD 5632E6 E92E 2== 3FE 6?565 9:D d_\J62C A@=:E:42= 42C66C]k^Am
kAm%96 =625:?8 :?56A6?56?E 42?5:52E6[ H9@D6 72>:=J ?2>6 :D :?6IEC:423=J =:?<65 H:E9 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ 7@=<=@C6[ :D ?@H 42>A2:8?:?8 7@C E96 #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6 2?5 GJ:?8 7@C 2? :?7=F6?E:2= DA@E :? 9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :7 96 D9@F=5 H:? E@52J]k^Am
kAmp?J@?6 H9@ D2H 2== @7 E92E 4@>:?8 D9@F=5 3FJ 2 =@EE6CJ E:4<6E]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 <6J A=2J6CD H6==\<?@H? E@ G@E6CD[ 2?5 H:E9 <?@H? C64@C5D :? @77:46[ E96 BF6DE:@? G@E6CD 24C@DD }6H |6I:4@ 2?5 p>6C:42 H:== 2?DH6C E@52J :Di “p> x 36EE6C @77 E92? x H2D 7@FC J62CD 28@]â€k^Am
kAmp E@A :DDF6 :? E96 6=64E:@? :D :>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 3@C56C D64FC:EJ]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A :D AC@>:D:?8 E96 >@DE >2DD:G6 56A@CE2E:@? AC@8C2> @7 :==682= :>>:8C2?ED :? &]$] 9:DE@CJ[ 2? :?:E:2E:G6 96 ?2>65 “~A6C2E:@? pFC@C2[†:? C676C6?46 E@ 2=:6? 82?8D H9@ C6A@CE65=J E@@< @G6C 2A2CE>6?E 4@>A=6I6D :? E96 r@=@C25@ 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm':46 !C6D:56?E z2>2=2 w2CC:D[ H9@> !C6D:56?E y@6 q:56? 2DD:8?65 E96 E2D< @7 255C6DD:?8 :>>:8C2E:@? :? |2C49 a_a`[ :D AFD9:?8 E@ C6DFCC64E 3:A2CE:D2? :>>:8C2E:@? C67@C> =68:D=2E:@? E92E DE2==65 :? r@?8C6DD E9:D J62C 2?5 H9:49 H@F=5 92G6 8:G6? E96 6I64FE:G6 3C2?49 6>6C86?4J 2FE9@C:EJ E@ D9FE 5@H? E96 3@C56C[ 4=@D6 =@@A9@=6D :? E96 2DJ=F> AC@46DD 2?5 32C >@DE >:8C2?ED 7C@> D66<:?8 2DJ=F> :7 F?2FE9@C:K65 :>>:8C2E:@? 2E E96 3@C56C C624965 2? 2G6C286 @7 d[___ 6?4@F?E6CD 2 52J @G6C D6G6? 4@?D64FE:G6 52JD]k^Am
kAm%CF>A H2?ED E@ 4FE 7656C2= DA6?5:?8 E@ D2?4EF2CJ 4:E:6D =:<6 p=3FBF6CBF6 2?5 E@ E6>A@C2C:=J D9FE 5@H? E96 &]$\|6I:4@ 3@C56C E@ DE6> E96 7=@H @7 >:8C2?ED[ H9:=6 w2CC:D H2?ED E@ AC@G:56 >:8C2?ED E96 7F== D=6H @7 8@G6C?>6?E 36?67:ED]k^Am
kAm“(6 42? 4C62E6 2? 62C?65 A2E9H2J E@ 4:E:K6?D9:A 2?5 D64FC6 @FC 3@C56C[†D96 D2:5 2E E96 s6>@4C2E:4 }2E:@?2= r@?G6?E:@? :? r9:428@ :? pF8FDE]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ 42?5:52E6D 4@F=5?’E 36 72CE96C 2A2CE @? :==682= :>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 3@C56C D64FC:EJ]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E %CF>A :D AC@>:D:?8 >@C6 E2I 4FED[ 27E6C 56=:G6C:?8 E96 =2C86DE E2I 4FED :? 9:DE@CJ 5FC:?8 9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] }@ E2I @? E:AD[ ?@ E2I @? @G6CE:>6 2?5 ?@ E2I @? $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 4@F=5 C6DF=E :? D:8?:7:42?E 64@?@>:4 3@@DE 7@C 92C5H@C<:?8 p>6C:42?D 2?5 C6E:C66D]k^Am
kAm':46 !C6D:56?E w2CC:D ;@:?65 E96 “}@ E2I @? E:AD†32?5H28@?[ 3FE DFAA@CED 6?5:?8 E96 E2I 4FED @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ D2J:?8 E96J 5:DAC@A@CE:@?2E6=J H6?E E@ E96 H62=E9J] w@H6G6C[ 6=:>:?2E:?8 E96 %CF>A E2I 4FED H@F=5 D:8?:7:42?E=J 27764E 2== E2IA2J6CD[ ?@E ;FDE E96 H62=E9J]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D AC@A@D6D :?4C62D:?8 E96 E2I C2E6 @? =@?8\E6C> 42A:E2= 82:?D E@ agT 7@C E9@D6 62C?:?8 2E =62DE S` >:==:@? 2 J62C[ 2 c_T :?4C62D6[ 2?5 6IA2?5:?8 E96 7656C2= 49:=5 E2I 4C65:E E@ Se[___ 7@C 72>:=:6D H:E9 ?6H3@C?D] $96 2=D@ H2?ED E@ :?4C62D6 E96 4@CA@C2E6 E2I C2E6 7C@> a`T E@ agT] %92E bb]bT :?4C62D6 H@F=5 36 A2DD65 2=@?8 E@ 4@?DF>6C H:E9 9:896C AC:46D @? ;FDE 23@FE 6G6CJE9:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ 42?5:52E6D 4@F=5?’E 36 72CE96C 2A2CE @? E2I A@=:4:6D]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E %CF>A D2JD 96 H2?ED E@ F?=62D9 p>6C:42’D 7F== 6?6C8J AC@5F4E:@? A@E6?E:2= 2?5 5C:G6 5@H? 6?6C8J 4@DED[ C65F4:?8 E96 4@DED @7 8@@5D 2?5 D6CG:46D 24C@DD E96 3@2C5]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D 92D D2:5 D96 “23D@=FE6=J DFAA@CED†2? 6?5 E@ 7C24<:?8[ 2=E9@F89 96C 42>A2:8? 92D D:?46 D@7E6?65 96C @AA@D:E:@? E@ 7@DD:= 7F6= 6IEC24E:@?]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E %CF>A AC@>:D6D E@ :>>65:2E6=J 6?5 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6 >2?52E6D :>A@D65 3J E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2?5 E@ 2==@H 4@?DF>6CD E@ 5C:G6 :??@G2E:@? C2E96C E92? 3FC62F4C2ED]k^Am
kAm':46 !C6D:56?E w2CC:D :D 2 =@?8E:>6 4=:>2E6 92H< H9@ 324<65 E96 @C:8:?2= vC66? }6H s62=]k^Am
kAm%CF>A’D 42>A2:8? >2?EC2 :D “sC:==[ 323J[ 5C:==]†w2CC:D 6>A92D:K6D D96 8C6H FA :? 2 >:55=6 4=2DD H@C<:?8 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ 42?5:52E6D 4@F=5?’E 36 72CE96C 2A2CE @? 6?6C8J A@=:4:6D]k^Am
kAmpD 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= @7 r2=:7@C?:2[ ':46 !C6D:56?E w2CC:D 3C28865 23@FE >2<:?8 E96 v@=56? $E2E6 E96 7:CDE :? E96 ?2E:@? E@ 7F?5 86?56C\277:C>:?8 962=E9 42C6[ 2<2 D6I 492?86 @A6C2E:@?D[ 7@C :?>2E6D :? r2=:7@C?:2 AC:D@?D]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E %CF>A[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ AC@>:D6D E@ “<66A >6? @FE @7 H@>6?’D DA@CED]â€k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ 42?5:52E6D 4@F=5?’E 36 72CE96C 2A2CE @? EC2?D86?56C :DDF6D]k^Am
kAm%CF>A E2=<D 23@FE A2J:?8 5@H? @FC 2DE@F?5:?8 Sbe EC:==:@? 7656C2= 563E[ H9:=6 w2CC:D AC@A@D6D Sad[___ :? 5@H? A2J>6?E DFAA@CE 7@C 7:CDE\E:>6 9@>63FJ6CD]k^Am
kAm%CF>A E2=<D @7 >2<:?8 6?6C8J >@C6 277@C523=6[ H9:=6 w2CC:D[ H9@ 92D 42==65 4=:>2E6 492?86 2? 6I:DE6?E:2= E9C62E 2?5 D2JD E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D ?665D E@ 24E FC86?E=J[ 6?G:D:@?D >@C6 C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J D@FC46D =:<6 H:?5 2?5 D@=2C E@ 4FE 42C3@? 6>:DD:@?D]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D 42DE E96 564:5:?8 G@E6 @? E96 x?7=2E:@? #65F4E:@? p4E[ E96 3:886DE 4=:>2E6 3:== :? 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 9:DE@CJ[ H9:49 #6AF3=:42?D D2J H2D A2CE @7 >2DD:G6 7656C2= DA6?5:?8 5FC:?8 E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? E92E 5C@G6 :?7=2E:@? E@ c_\J62C 9:89D]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ :DDF6 27E6C :DDF6[ E96 EH@ 42?5:52E6D 4@F=5?’E 36 72CE96C 2A2CE]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ G@E6CD H:== 564:56 H9@D6 286?52 :D >@C6 2AA62=:?8[ @C H9:49 :D =6DD 56D:C23=6] %96 y@FC?2=[ H9:49 282:? 42??@E 86E 369:?5 6:E96C @7 E96 AC6D:56?E:2= ?@>:?66D[ 92D 4@?7:56?46 }6H |6I:4@ G@E6CD H:== >2<6 H:D6 564:D:@?D 2?5 49@@D6 H9:49 42?5:52E6 :D 36EE6C 7@C E96>D6=G6D[ E96:C 72>:=:6D 2?5 E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D — 2?5 :?5665 :7 E96J 2C6 36EE6C @77 E92? E96J H6C6 7@FC J62CD 28@]k^Am
This editorial first appeared in the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.