Newscast Old Newscast: How Donald Trump Won The Republican Nomination 2016 (Part 1)
Dec 31, 2025
Join Caitriona Perry, a seasoned political correspondent, and Anthony Zurcher, a BBC journalist, as they delve into the surprising rise of Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries. They discuss the pivotal moment of Trump's escalator announcement and how his celebrity status from 'The Apprentice' gave him an edge. The duo examines why commentators initially dismissed him and how his showmanship, including memorable campaign stunts, played a crucial role in capturing attention and support within the party.
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Escalator Moment Defined His Campaign
- Donald Trump's 16 June 2015 golden escalator launch set the visual and rhetorical template he would use across campaigns.
- The announcement packaged spectacle, branding and simple slogans into a durable political identity.
Journalists Initially Dismissed The Launch
- Caitriona Perry explains she missed the New York escalator event because she was covering a fatal balcony collapse in California.
- Her absence reflected how many journalists underestimated how seriously Trump's campaign would be taken.
Name Recognition Outweighed Early Negatives
- Early on many in the media saw Trump as a sideshow with high name recognition but huge negatives among Republicans.
- That misread underestimated his ability to change opinions and mobilise voters outside standard polling frames.