The Slatest

Trump’s “October Surprise,’ Unsurprisingly, Isn’t One

Donald Trump’s big “October Surprise” didn’t turn out to be much of one, something that isn’t exactly a shocker for anyone familiar with the reality TV star’s publicity-seeking brand.

Trump’s self-hyped announcement this afternoon was that he’s offering to donate $5 million to a charity of President Obama’s choice—if the president releases his college application records and transcripts, along with his passport application by the end of the month.

The Donald’s quest for the president’s college records is far from new. In April of 2011, shortly after Obama released his long-form birth certificate, Trump quickly pivoted to the issue of the president’s grades, suggesting that they weren’t good enough to get into an Ivy League school.