He lied and ranted more than usual, he insulted and offended, his friends used the press to criticize him, and his enemies in his own party said they were voting for Hillary Clinton, while anonymous reports ran rampant that his campaign was falling apart at the seams. Meanwhile, his poll numbers were going down.

But the rules and customs of American politics have not and do not apply to Trump; therefore, we cannot judge his presidential campaign within their context.

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