The moment of truth at the GOP debate came when he was asked about a Buzzfeed report that suggested he told The New York Times editorial board that his hardline position on illegal immigration was negotiable. Trump attempted to discredit the source: “Buzzfeed,” he said, “they were the ones that said under no circumstances I would run for president.” This was a reference to a long, very unflattering 2014 profile of Trump by McKay Coppins called “36 Hours on the Fake Campaign Trail With Donald Trump,” which posited that Trump perennially faked interest in a presidential run to assuage his massive insecurities and feed his equally massive ego. The theory goes that with Coppins calling him out, Trump had to run for president to save face. Coppins, for his part, has graciously admitted defeat.
It's true, @realDonaldTrump. You showed me!
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) March 4, 2016