the Political Aficionado’s Guide to ... P R I M E T I M E Despite the crowded stage, now-President-elect Donald Trump managed to stand out and create controversy during the first Republican Debate in August 2015. It was one of the all-time unique political years ever, mostly because of the phenomenon known as Donald J. Trump. His presence alone made the 2016 election campaign Must See TV. Here’s a subjective list of some of our favorite TV moments of the campaign that wouldn’t end. WINTER 2016 INFLUENCE | 33 THE FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON FOX NEWS Cleveland, Ohio > 8/06/15 This debate generated monster ratings for Fox, with a record 24 million viewers, nearly eight times larger than Fox’s audience for the first GOP primary debate four years earlier. The debate will be remembered for two classic exchanges the Fox moderators had with Trump. The first demonstrated (if someone still wasn’t clear) that like Frank Sinatra, Trump would do it his way. Brett Baier asked if anyone on stage was unwilling to pledge their support for the eventual GOP nominee, or not commit to running as an independent against the nominee. Clearly not concerned with the sort of peer pressure that those questions always seem to pose, Trump raised his hand. “To be clear,” Baier intoned. “I fully understand,” Trump said, cutting him off. The second explosive exchange came about 10 minutes into the contest, when Megyn Kelly brought up a series of insults Trump had said about women over the years. “Only about Rosie O’Donnell,” Trump suggested. “It was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell,” Kelly said intently. “Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?” Kelly asked Trump. Trump responded by saying he wasn’t politically correct. >> PHOTO: Via newsela.com Political Reality TV From debates to conventions to the election night shocker, the presidential campaign was appointment watching in 2016 BY MITCH PERRY
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