2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was won by Republican Donald Trump, who defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College.
Donald Trump: American politician and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States. He won the election by securing an Electoral College majority.
United States presidential election: The process by which voters and electors choose the president and vice president of the United States. The 2016 contest followed this system’s rules for nominations, voting, and electoral votes.
Presidency of Donald Trump: Donald Trump’s first term as president of the United States, from 2017 to 2021. The election placed Trump in office and began this administration.
Electoral College popular vote split: A U.S. presidential election outcome in which the Electoral College winner differs from the national popular-vote winner. Clinton received more votes nationally, while Trump won the electoral vote.
Opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election: Surveys estimating voter preferences before the 2016 U.S. presidential election. National polls largely reflected Clinton’s popular-vote lead, while many state polls underestimated Trump’s support.
Hillary Clinton: American politician who served as U.S. secretary of state and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. She won the national popular vote but lost the Electoral College.
Swing state: A U.S. state in which either major-party candidate has a plausible chance of winning an election. The campaign concentrated resources on competitive states whose electoral votes could decide the outcome.
2016 United States presidential election recounts: Post-election ballot reviews in several states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The recount effort tested whether close state results would change; none reversed Trump’s victories.
2000 United States presidential election: The election in which George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in the Electoral College after losing the national popular vote. Like 2016, it produced an Electoral College winner who lost the popular vote.
Bradley effect: A proposed polling error in which respondents overstate support for a nonwhite candidate because of social-desirability bias. It was invoked to explain polling error, though evidence does not establish it as the cause of 2016 misses.