From criminal cases to a record two impeachments, former President Donald Trump’s political career has been defined by episodes which, for others, might have been career-enders.
Yet the latest polling results from the New York Times and Siena College found that the former president is holding a slim lead over his rival, leading Kamala Harris 48 percent to 47, and give testimony to the resilience of his voter base.
His remarkable ability to survive scandals has earned him the nickname Teflon Don – to whom nothing sticks for too long – and his political endurance raises questions about what American voters do, and do not, truly care about.
According to Larry Sabato, founder of the Center for Politics and professor at the University of Virginia, Trump “has been judged from the beginning by a separate set of standards from regular politicians.”
“Even though he spent his pre-presidential life in New York, he benefits from ‘Hollywood metrics,'” Sabato told Newsweek. “Multiple wives, sordid affairs, anything-goes ethics—most people assume this is the norm for the star of The Apprentice.”
Alex Brandon/AP Photo
Borrowing the tactics of his long-time political ally Roger Stone, Trump has elected to “attack, attack, attack – never defend” when his comments and actions have landed him in hot water.
When U.S. Army officials last week accused Trump staffers of “abruptly” pushing aside an official during a campaign visit to Arlington Cemetery, Trump refused to acknowledge the incident, claiming that this was another “made up story” by Democrats.
“That’s classic ‘Trumpism,'” former Trump White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin told CNN on Tuesday. “You just have to double down, you can’t admit fault.”
However, while none of the numerous scandals have yet proven fatal, Trump’s actions have brought his career close to the edge several times.
The “Grab Them” Tape
In October 2016, a mere month before his victory in the presidential election, a tape emerged which many believed could be a clincher for Clinton in what was already a gender-focused race.
In the 2005 recording obtained by the Washington Post, Trump can be heard bragging to Access Hollywood anchor Billy Bush about his successes in seducing married women.
Trump said he “moved on” one “like a b—h,” before detailing how celebrities are able to do almost anything courtesy of their status.
“When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything,” Trump said. “Grab them by the p—y. You can do anything.”
Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
The leaked audio led to denouncements by leading figures from both parties, Trump’s his invitation to a scheduled campaign rally in Wisconsin was rescinded and the Republican National Committee temporarily halted its “Victory” program devoted to his election.
Trump, however, survived the controversy and went on the attack with a jibe at his opponent’s husband: “This was locker-room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course.”
Mocking a Disabled Reporter
In November 2015, months into his first campaign, Trump appeared to mock a reporter’s disability during a rally at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
At a previous rally, Trump claimed that he saw “thousands and thousands” of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey following the September 11 World Trade Center attacks.
To substantiate his disputed claim, the Trump campaign referred to a Washington Post article written by Serge Kovaleski and Fredrick Kunkle, in which the pair wrote: “Law enforcement authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river.”
Kovaleski later said: “I certainly do not remember anyone saying that thousands or even hundreds of people were celebrating. That was not the case, as best as I can remember.”
Scandal ensued during the November rally, when Trump raised his arms with dropped wrists and attempted an impression of Kovaleski.
“You’ve got to see this guy: ‘Uhh, I don’t know what I said. Uhh, I don’t remember,’ he’s going like ‘I don’t remember. Maybe that’s what I said.'”
Kovaleski has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition causing joint contracture in his right arm and hand. Trump was widely condemned for mocking Kovaleski’s condition.
The incident was voted his most reprehensible offense in an August 2016 Bloomberg poll, but Trump refused to apologize for his actions.
He instead insisted that he knew nothing of Kovaleski’s condition, claiming that he was imitating the reporter’s “groveling,” and that he “would never” mock someone’s disability.
Megyn Kelly “Blood” Comments
One of Trump’s most memorable controversies came following the first Republican primary debate in 2015.
“You call women you don’t like ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs,’ and ‘disgusting animals,'” Fox News’s Megyn Kelly said to Trump in the leadup to a question on his questionable appeal toward female voters.
While his response of “only Rosie O’Donnell” itself was widely circulated, the real scandal emerged from his comments after the debate.
“She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions,” Trump told CNN. “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever. In my opinion, she was off base.”
John Minchillo/AP Photo
While Trump later claimed he was referring to Kelly’s nose, and was not implying that her tough questions were the result of menstrual cycle hormones, the comment was criticized, with BBC News reporter Anthony Zurcher asking: “Could this be the moment Donald Trump has finally gone too far?”
The comment also led to Trump’s disinvitation from an Atlanta conference hosted by RedState, a conservative political forum.
During the conference, Erick Erickson, host of RedState, said: “I’ve got my wife here, I’ve got my daughter here, I’ve got 800 friends of mine here. It’s a family-friendly program, and if he’s not going to clarify that this isn’t what he meant, I don’t think I want him at my event.”
Insulting a Gold Star Family
After becoming the official Republican nominee for the 2016 election, Trump appeared to break a political taboo by criticizing a Gold Star family.
During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, two notable guests were Khizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son, Humayun Khan, was killed by a car bomb in 2004 while stationed in Iraq as a United States Army Officer.
Khizr’s speech, criticized Trump’s calls for a ban on Muslim immigration to the U.S.
“Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America,” Khan said. “If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America.”
J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
In response, Trump diverted attention to Khizr’s wife, who stood silently beside her husband as he accused the Republican of “consistently smearing the character of Muslims.”
“If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say,” Trump said in an ABC interview following the convention. “Maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.”
Both Democrats and Republicans criticized Trump’s remarks, with Ohio Governor John Kasich writing on Twitter: “There’s only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect.”
“In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement,” Arizona Senator John McCain wrote in a lengthy statement following the incident.
“I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”
Saying He Could Shoot Someone and Get Away With It
In an apparent reference to his ability to brush off the indiscretions that had defined his political career from the get-go, Trump joked that his loyal supporters would stay by his side even if he committed murder in a crowded street.
“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” Trump said at a campaign rally during a January 2016 campaign rally. “It’s like incredible.”
The comments came at a time when Trump held a commanding lead over the other Republican primary candidates.
In apparent corroboration of his claim, laughter erupted among the Iowa crowd following the remark, with an audience member loudly declaring their love for Trump.
“We love you, too, man,” Trump said.
Could Anything Derail Teflon Don?
“Mass murder, maybe. Hard to think of anything else,” professor Sabato told Newsweek, when asked what it would take for Trump’s voters to abandon him. “And even if he was holding a smoking AR-15, all Trump would need to do is deny it or make an excuse, no matter how feeble. His devotees would take to social media to call the whole thing a set-up.”
Newsweek has contacted the Trump-Vance campaign for comment on the former president’s enduring appeal to the American electorate.
Sabato believes that over eight years of Trump being entangled in scandals, and ultimately overcoming them, has shifted the paradigm on what is expected of presidential candidates and U.S. politicians more generally.
So significant has this change been, he believes the effects of Donald Trump will endure long after the president has hung up his hat.
“There are many Trump substitutes, including members of his family and JD Vance, waiting in the wings,” he said. “They’ll demand the same tolerance and will likely get it.”
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