The 14 Election Moments That Left Our Jaws on the Floor

Republicans and Democrats can unite around at least one issue from this election: how tumultuous, unique, and straight-up ridiculous it has been. Beginning the moment Donald Trump announced his candidacy in a bizarre self-aggrandizing press conference in June 2015, this race has been exhaustingly outrageous. And Hillary Clinton announced her campaign in April 2015, stretching out the race even longer. Many moments have left Americans aghast, but these are the most head-scratching instances from both Clinton and Trump.

Clinton's most shocking campaign moments

  1. When the FBI opened, then closed, then reopened an investigation into her use of a private email server. The current scandal surrounding Clinton's emails is tied to the FBI's probe into Anthony Wiener's inappropriate messages to underage girls — yes, that guy again.
  2. When she described "half" of Trump supporters as belonging in a "basket of deplorables" during a fundraiser in a leaked September video that triggered immediate uproar.
  3. When she admitted that she was suffering from pneumonia after video, recorded by an onlooker, showed her apparently unable to stand at the 9/11 memorial event.
  4. When her campaign chairman John Podesta's email got hacked and revealed just how scripted her campaign was. The trove of emails were published by WikiLeaks and also showed how difficult it was to get her to apologize for using a private email server.
  5. When major Republican donors like Meg Whitman and Michael Bloomberg abandoned their party in support of Clinton.

Trump's most shocking campaign moments

  1. When Trump announced his candidacy and insulted Mexicans, saying those entering the United States illegally were rapists and criminals.
  2. When a tape surfaced of Trump describing how he "grabs women by the p*ssy" on a hot mic during an Access Hollywood interview. He also explained how he's allowed to do so because he is famous.
  3. When he slut-shamed the former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado, whom he had previously fat-shamed.
  4. When Melania Trump plagiarized part of her RNC speech from none other than Michelle Obama.
  5. When Trump bashed Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim parents of a fallen American solider.
  6. When he called Clinton a "nasty woman" during the final presidential debate.
  7. When Ted Cruz refused to endorse Trump at the RNC.
  8. When he brought up his d*ck size during a Republican primary debate.
  9. When The New York Times obtained a copy of Trump's 1995 tax returns, which revealed he reported a $916 million loss and could have avoided paying income taxes for up to two decades.

There may only be a few days left until the election, but we wouldn't be surprised if more shocking moments happen between now and then.