Trump Explores Reform Party Presidential Run

The Exploratory Committee

In October 1999, Donald Trump announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee to seek the nomination of the Reform Party, the political organization founded by Ross Perot after his independent presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1996. Trump switched his voter registration from Republican to the Independence Party, New York’s Reform Party affiliate, and began making the rounds on television talk shows to promote his potential candidacy.

The Reform Party was in disarray at the time, riven by factional disputes and struggling to maintain the relevance it had achieved during Perot’s campaigns. But it offered one irresistible asset: automatic ballot access in many states and, critically, approximately $12.6 million in federal matching funds for its presidential nominee. Trump was far from the only figure interested in the party; Pat Buchanan, the conservative commentator and former Republican primary challenger, was also seeking the Reform Party nomination.

A Surprisingly Progressive Platform

Trump’s policy positions during the 1999-2000 flirtation were strikingly different from the platform he would eventually run on in 2016. He proposed a one-time 14.25 percent tax on the net worth of individuals and trusts worth $10 million or more, which he claimed would raise $5.7 trillion and eliminate the national debt entirely. He expressed support for universal healthcare, describing himself as “liberal on health care” and advocating a system that would cover all Americans. He supported abortion rights and spoke favorably about the assault weapons ban.

Trump also used the campaign to position himself against Pat Buchanan, whom he denounced as a “Hitler lover” over Buchanan’s controversial writings about World War II. He described the Reform Party as being populated by figures he did not want to be associated with, including Buchanan and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

The Withdrawal

On February 14, 2000, Trump announced that he was withdrawing from the Reform Party race. He cited the party’s internal dysfunction and what he called its unsuitability as a vehicle for a serious presidential campaign. “The Reform Party is a total mess,” he said. “It includes a Klansman, Mr. Duke, a neo-Nazi, Mr. Buchanan, and a communist, Ms. Fulani. This is not company I wish to keep.”

Many observers viewed the entire exercise as a publicity stunt, a way for Trump to generate media attention and sell copies of his new book, “The America We Deserve,” which was published in January 2000 and outlined his policy positions. Whether or not the campaign was sincere, it established that Trump understood the power of a presidential campaign as a media platform.

Foreshadowing

The 1999-2000 flirtation was a preview of themes that would define Trump’s eventual successful campaign 16 years later. He demonstrated an ability to dominate media coverage, a willingness to say outrageous things to maintain attention, and an instinct for identifying voter anxieties about trade, immigration, and economic fairness. The policy positions were different, but the media strategy and the fundamental appeal to populist discontent were already visible. When Trump finally ran for real in 2015, he did so with a far more developed understanding of what worked on television and what issues could generate the most attention.