Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Photo: Evan Vucci, STF
Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump has said some eye-opening things during his presidential run and the years leading up to it. Here's a look back at some of the most noteworthy conspiracy theories he's promoted.
lessRepublican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump has said some eye-opening things during his presidential run and the years leading up to it. Here's a look back at some of the most noteworthy conspiracy
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1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's father played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
In May 2016, Donald Trump told Fox News that he believes Sen. Ted Cruz' father, Rafael Cruz, could be linked to the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy. Trump cited an April 2016 National Enquirer story that claimed Rafael appeared in a 1963 photo in New Orleans with Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected shooter of JFK.
The younger Cruz denied that his father had any role in the assassination and called out Trump for being dishonest. Trump brought the theory up again in the days following the GOP convention.
less1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's father played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
In May 2016, Donald Trump told Fox News that he believes Sen. Ted Cruz' father, Rafael Cruz, could be linked to the
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2. President Barack Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists
Following the shooting at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Donald trump appeared on
NBC's "Today" show and said of President Barack Obama, "There are a lot of people that think maybe he doesn't want to get it. A lot of people think maybe he doesn't want to know about it. I happen to think he just doesn't know what he's doing, but there are many people that think maybe he doesn't want to get it."
Many interpreted the comments as Trump believing Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists.
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2. President Barack Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists
Following the shooting at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Donald trump appeared on
NBC's "Today" show and said of President Barack Obama, "There are
Photo: Nam Y. Huh, STF
3. Muslims celebrated 9/11 in New Jersey
Donald Trump once claimed that he saw "thousands of people" celebrating in New Jersey after the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11. This claim has
been disproven by several media outlets.
3. Muslims celebrated 9/11 in New Jersey
Donald Trump once claimed that he saw "thousands of people" celebrating in New Jersey after the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11. This claim has
been disproven by several
Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
4. Syrian refugees have no background checks and it's impossible to tell if they're terrorists
Donald Trump claimed that there are too many Syrian refugees coming into the United States and that "We don't know who they are. They have no documentation and we don't know what they're planning," according
to NPR.
NPR reports refugees "go through more security checks than any other traveler to the U.S.," dispelling another one of Trump's theories.
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4. Syrian refugees have no background checks and it's impossible to tell if they're terrorists
Donald Trump claimed that there are too many Syrian refugees coming into the United States and that "We don't know
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
5. President Barack Obama wasn't born in America
Donald Trump had serious doubts that President Barack Obama was actually born in America and eligible to be president. Trump publicized the theory so much that he became the forerunner of a new movement, called "
The Birthers." Trump insisted that Obama was born in Kenya so much that the president released
his birth certificate in order to squash any suspicion.
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5. President Barack Obama wasn't born in America
Donald Trump had serious doubts that President Barack Obama was actually born in America and eligible to be president. Trump publicized the theory so much that he
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
6. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have been murdered
While appearing on talk show host Mike Savage's program in February 2016, the topic of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death was discussed.
When asked if he believed Scalia was murdered, Trump responded, "They say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow. I can't tell you - I can't give you an answer," according to
The Hill.
less6. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have been murdered
While appearing on talk show host Mike Savage's program in February 2016, the topic of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death was
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7. Minorities commit the bulk of crimes against whites, according to the "Crime Statistics Bureau."
In November of 2015, Donald Trump tweeted that crime statistics show blacks are responsible for 81 percent of white homicide deaths. But as
Politifact pointed out, Trump quoted numbers from the "Crime Statistics Bureau," which doesn't exist. Politifact found Trump's numbers were about double the numbers they used from the FBI and U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics.
7. Minorities commit the bulk of crimes against whites, according to the "Crime Statistics Bureau."
In November of 2015, Donald Trump tweeted that crime statistics show blacks are responsible for 81 percent of
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
8. Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists
When Donald Trump
announced he was going to run for president, he began his speech by declaring most Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug addicts. There has been little to no evidence that Trump's claims are true.
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8. Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists
When Donald Trump
announced he was going to run for president, he began his speech by declaring most Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug addicts. There has
Photo: Keith Srakocic, STF
9. Climate change doesn't exist
On Nov. 6, 2012,
Donald Trump tweeted "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
9. Climate change doesn't exist
On Nov. 6, 2012,
Donald Trump tweeted "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Photo: Donald Trump Twitter
10. The U.S. unemployment rate is manipulated to make Obama look good
Donald Trump told Time magazine in August 2015 that the real unemployment rate for America is 42 percent. Trump believes the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics manipulates the unemployment rate to make President Barack Obama and his administration look good. But as a former BLS commissioner points out, it would take more
than 1,000 people to manipulate the unemployment rate in anyone's favor.
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10. The U.S. unemployment rate is manipulated to make Obama look good
Donald Trump told Time magazine in August 2015 that the real unemployment rate for America is 42 percent. Trump believes the U.S. Bureau of
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Photo: JIM WATSON, Staff
11. Vaccines cause autism
Although there have been no conclusive links that vaccines lead to autism, that hasn't stopped Donald Trump from pushing the theory.
READ MORE: Trump: Make America conspiratorial
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Both Donald Trump and Kanye West have said some pretty crazy things. Click the gallery to see if you can guess who said each quote.
Both Donald Trump and Kanye West have said some pretty crazy things. Click the gallery to see if you can guess who said each quote.
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Who said it: Donald Trump or Kanye West
Donald Trump says he will crack down on internet porn while in office
Earlier this summer, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump signed a pledge that he would fight internet porn and work to prevent the sexual exploitation of children online if elected president.
The pledge he signed was authored by Enough is Enough, a bipartisan group that says it's been fighting internet porn since 1994.
The organization says it has worked to combat "internet pornography, child pornography, sexual
predation and cyber-bullying."
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Trump signed the pledge July 16, according to the New York Post, promising to "give serious consideration to appointing a Presidential Commission to examine the harmful public health impact of Internet pornography on youth, families and the American culture and the prevention of the sexual exploitation of children in the digital age."
The New York Post reported on the pledge just a day after potential First Lady of the United States Melania Trump was featured on the cover of that paper in 1995 photos of then-Melania Knauss stripped down to her birthday suit for a now-defunct French men's magazine.
How this will sit with his base remains to be seen. The pledge's full text can be seen here.
No one will dispute that child pornography is an insidious crime, but some might be concerned with the pledge's language to crack down on porn that is created by adults and consumed by adults. Many bristle at legal pornography being lumped in with illegal acts, like child porn.
The group accuses internet porn of "deforming the sexual development of younger viewers."
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It appears that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has not signed the pledge, stating that she doesn't sign pledges.
According to the Washington Examiner, Enough is Enough President Donna Rice Hughes says that Clinton didn't sign the pledge due to a policy of the campaign to not sign pledges.
"Clinton agrees with the goals of the pledge. It's a good step," Hughes said.