THE CONSPIRACY CANDIDATE? 13 outlandish theories Donald Trump has floated on the campaign trail

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Mike Nudelman/Samantha Lee/Business Insider

In May 2011, reporters swarmed Donald Trump as he exited the Hyatt in Washington, DC, after the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Many wanted a response from Trump, who had just watched President Barack Obama deliver jokes that night about Trump's constant questioning of the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate.

Trump now refuses to address his skepticism of the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate. But it was perhaps the first of numerous debunked or unverified conspiracy theories that Trump has entertained during his time in the political spotlight.

Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump has floated theories fueled by the conspiratorial-minded corners of supermarket tabloids and the internet, something unprecedented in modern politics. He has often used them as weapons against his opponents. For instance, he accused Sen. Ted Cruz's father of having ties to President John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, mused about whether Sen. Marco Rubio was constitutionally eligible to run for president, and revived a disproved theory about the death of a former aide to President Bill Clinton.

Critics say it's disturbing, even dangerous, behavior for a presumptive presidential nominee.

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"Donald Trump is fueling conspiracy theories out on the campaign trail. Can you imagine that in the Situation Room?" Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton's campaign recently tweeted.

Supporters praise him for going beyond the limits of traditional campaigns, and Trump often says he's simply punching back at opponents who are slinging mud at him.

Here are 13 of the most notable conspiracy theories Trump has entertained.