2016 United States presidential election

== Debates ==

=== Primary election ===
{{Main|2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums|2016 Republican Party presidential debates and forums|2016 Libertarian Party presidential debates and forums|2016 Green Party presidential debates and forums}}

=== General election ===
{{Main|2016 United States presidential debates}}
{{Location map+
| USA
| width = 320
| caption = Sites of the 2016 general election debates
| alt = Map of United States showing debate locations
| places =
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''Hofstra University<br />Hempstead, NY'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = top
 | lat_deg = 40.712167
 | lon_deg = -73.599529
 }}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''Longwood University<br />Farmville, VA'''
 | mark = Green pog.svg
 | label_size = 75
 | position = bottom
 | lat_deg = 37.301556
 | lon_deg = -78.394194
 }}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''Washington University in St. Louis''', MO
 | label_size = 75
 | position = top
 | lat_deg = 38.648
 | lon_deg = -90.305
 }}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''University of Nevada<br />Las Vegas'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = bottom
 | lat_deg = 36.10779
 | lon_deg = -115.14376
 }}
}}

The [[Commission on Presidential Debates]] (CPD), a non-profit organization, hosted [[United States presidential election debates|debates]] between qualifying presidential and vice-presidential candidates. According to the commission's website, to be eligible to opt to participate in the anticipated debates, "in addition to being Constitutionally eligible, candidates must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning a majority vote in the Electoral College, and have a level of support of at least 15 percent of the national electorate as determined by five selected national public opinion polling organizations, using the average of those organizations' most recently publicly-reported results at the time of the determination."<ref>[http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=overview "The Commission on Presidential Debates: An Overview"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926232716/http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=overview |date=September 26, 2016 }}, Debates.org.</ref>

The three locations ([[Hofstra University]], [[Washington University in St. Louis]], [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]]) chosen to host the presidential debates, and the one location ([[Longwood University]]) selected to host the vice presidential debate, were announced on September 23, 2015. The site of the first debate was originally designated as [[Wright State University]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]]; however, due to rising costs and security concerns, the debate was moved to [[Hofstra University]] in [[Hempstead, New York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/wright-state-university-set-to-make-major-debate-a/nr2Jw/ |title=Hofstra University offers debate spots for WSU students |work=[[Dayton Daily News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304003848/http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/hofstra-university-offers-debate-spots-for-wsu-students/kuGdjGPbiU3iKsXQsQFg5I/ |archive-date=2017-03-04 |date=July 19, 2016 |access-date=July 21, 2016 |author=Hulsey, Lynn}}</ref>

On August 19, [[Kellyanne Conway]], Trump's campaign manager confirmed that Trump would participate in a series of three debates.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flores |first1=Reena |title=Campaign manager: Trump will attend all three presidential debates |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/campaign-manager-kellyanne-conway-trump-will-attend-all-three-presidential-debates/ |work=[[CBS News]] |date=August 19, 2016 |access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref><ref name=CPD>{{cite web |url=http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2016debates |title=CPD Announces 2016 Debate Host Applicants |publisher=[[Commission on Presidential Debates]] |access-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403010620/http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=2016debates |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sanchez |first1=Stephen M. |title=Three Texas Locations Vie For 2016 Presidential Debates |url=http://www.satxdailynews.com/national-politics/three-texas-locations-vie-for-2016-presidential-debates/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403202820/http://www.satxdailynews.com/national-politics/three-texas-locations-vie-for-2016-presidential-debates/ |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |website=San Antonio Daily News |access-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name="CPD decision">{{cite web |title=Commission on Presidential Debates announces sites and dates for 2016 general election debates |url=http://www.debates.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=57&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01detailtemplate=newspage&cntnt01returnid=80 |publisher=Commission on Presidential Debates |access-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018233608/http://debates.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=57&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01detailtemplate=newspage&cntnt01returnid=80 |archive-date=October 18, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Trump had complained two of the scheduled debates, one on September 26 and the other October 9, would have to compete for viewers with [[National Football League]] games, referencing the similar complaints made regarding [[Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, 2016#Dates with low expected ratings|the dates with low expected ratings]] during the [[Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, 2016|Democratic Party presidential debates]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-debate-schedule-226464 |title=Trump wants three presidential debates, accuses Clinton of rigging schedule |work=[[Politico]] |date=July 29, 2016 |access-date=July 30, 2016 |last=Lima |first=Cristiano}}</ref>

There were also debates between independent candidates.

{| class="wikitable" style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"
|+ Debates among candidates for the 2016 U.S. presidential election
|- <sup>†</sup>
|-
!No.|| Date || Time || Host || City || Moderator(s) || Participants
!Viewership
(millions)
|-
|P1
| September 26, 2016
| 9:00&nbsp;p.m. EDT
| [[Hofstra University]]
| [[Hempstead (village), New York|Hempstead, New York]]
| [[Lester Holt]]
|[[Donald Trump]]<br />[[Hillary Clinton]]
|84.0<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.debates.org/debate-history/2016-debates/|title=CPD: 2016 Debates|website=www.debates.org|access-date=April 21, 2019}}</ref>
|-
|VP
| October 4, 2016
| 9:00&nbsp;p.m. EDT
| [[Longwood University]]
| [[Farmville, Virginia]]
| [[Elaine Quijano]]
|[[Mike Pence]]<br />[[Tim Kaine]]
|37.0<ref name=":7"/>
|-
|P2
| October 9, 2016
| 8:00&nbsp;p.m. CDT
| [[Washington University in St. Louis]]
| [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| [[Anderson Cooper]]<br />[[Martha Raddatz]]
|[[Donald Trump]]<br />[[Hillary Clinton]]
|66.5<ref name=":7"/>
|-
|P3
| October 19, 2016
| 6:00&nbsp;p.m. PDT
| [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]]
| [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]
| [[Chris Wallace (journalist)|Chris Wallace]]
|[[Donald Trump]]<br />[[Hillary Clinton]]
|71.6<ref name=":7"/>
|}