Commentary

How Bad Was Donald Trump's Week, Really?

It feels like ages since the Billy Bush “Access Hollywood” tape of Donald Trump came out. It was actually Friday, October 7, barely 11 days ago.

Since then, we’ve had another debate, nine women accused Donald Trump of sexual harassment, and the country’s beloved red cardigan-wearing debate attendee Ken Bone went from America’s savior to a creepy, depraved Reddit-user.

There are just under three weeks until November 8. My guess is a lot is going to happen.

The week of October 10 saw Donald Trump’s polling numbers plummet. Polling prior to the release of the now infamous video had Clinton up a strong, but not insurmountable five or six point lead nationally, depending on the poll.

The two most recent polls from CBS News and Monmouth University now have Clinton up 11 and 12 points, respectively.

An analysis of digital media also shows a bleak picture of the week for the Republican nominee.

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From October 7 through October 16, 18% of all digital content around Trump, as measured by Amobee Brand Intelligence, mentioned sexual assault. For reference, Trump’s signature policy issue, immigration, was mentioned in barely 6% of digital content around the candidate.

Trump’s chances have been severely hindered since the debates started, with his odds of winning the presidency in FiveThirtyEight’s NowCast — projecting odds if the election were held today — at just over 10%.

Even "SNL" last weekend had a prescient take on Trump’s tough week, with the fictional Hillary Clinton headquarters in a gleeful frenzy as Kate McKinnon, portraying Clinton, tried to keep herself from chuckling during the cold open.

Trump might be losing the election, but he’s not going out quietly. The Republican nominee has already questioned the outcome of the election. He is also preparing an army of vigilante poll watchers, who are likely to intimidate and pester voters across the country.

There are less than 22 days until November 8, but it feels like an eternity.

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