2016 United States presidential election (McMullining)

The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The election results were inconclusive, as no candidate managed to secure a majority of the electoral vote. Because none of the candidates for president garnered an electoral vote majority, the U.S. House of Representatives, under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment, held a contingent election for the presidency, and the U.S. Senate held a contingent election for the vice-presidency. On January 18, 2017, the House elected Independent political activist Evan McMullin as the 45th President, while the Senate elected Democratic Senator Tim Kaine as the Vice-President.

Per the Twenty-second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution incumbent President Barack Obama was ineligible to seek a third term. Early frontrunner Hillary Clinton defeated Senator and self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination. Businessman Donald Trump emerged as his party's front-runner amidst a wide field of candidates in the Republican primary defeating Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Marco Rubio, and Ohio Governor John Kasich among other candidates. Former CIA agent and anti-Trump activist Evan McMullin announced his candidacy focusing on winning over Republican and moderate Democratic voters in the West. Other candidates included Libertarian nominee and former Governor Gary Johnson and Green nominee Jill Stein. Donald Trump was widely criticised for his inflamatory rhetoric during the campaign, his bid for the presidency was characterised by protectionist and nationalist views. Clinton emphasized her experience, denounced Trump and advocated the expansion of President Obama's policies; racial, LGBT, and women's rights; and inclusive capitalism. McMullin ran on a conservative, moderate platform, advocating a return to a less polarised political enviroment and more bipartisanship in governance.

Both major party candidates were heavily unpopular, Trump faced controversy over sexual misconduct allegations, his views on migration and race and incidents of violence against protestors at his rallies. Clinton was considered by many voters to be untrustworthy, her improper use of a private e-mail server and the subsequent FBI investigation into her conduct as Secretary of State became the most publicised topic of her campaign.

Hillary Clinton was leading most nation-wide and swing-state polls by slim margins. On Election Day, no candidate became a clear winner, with Trump overperforming polls in numerous states, however being unable to secure a 270 majority necessary to win the presidency due to Evan McMullin carrying the safe Republican state of Utah. Per the Twelfth Amendment the election went to a contingent election for the presidency in the House, and one for the vicepresidency in the Senate. Ultimately Trump received 262 electoral votes, Clinton received 268 and McMullin received 8, 6 from the state of Utah and two from faithless electors from Idaho and Arizona.

Due to a deal between Democrats in the House and moderate Republicans opposed to a Trump presidency McMullin was elected President on the 40th ballot. The Democratic majority in the Senate elected Senator Tim Kaine as the vice-president. McMullin became the second independent U.S. President in history, the first one being George Washington and the only one elected to receive less than 5% of the popular vote.