OPINION:
Donald Trump took the fateful escalator ride that changed the course of the world 10 years ago. As he descended with his wife, Melania, a supportive crowd lined the Trump Tower lobby and offered encouragement as he announced his presidential ambition.
“Well, you need somebody, because politicians are all talk, no action. Nothing’s going to get done. They will not bring us, believe me, to the promised land,” he said on June 16, 2015. “They will never make America great again. They don’t even have a chance. They’re controlled fully — they’re controlled fully by the lobbyists, by the donors and by the special interests, fully.”
For the first time in recent memory, a true outsider was making a viable bid for the nation’s highest elected office. As a billionaire, he wasn’t beholden to anyone for financial support. He bankrolled his primary campaign, freeing him to challenge the establishment.