Exactly when could the Republican Party have stopped Trump from getting as far as he has?

As unsuitable as he is, as disastrous as a President Trump administration  may prove to be, I doubt that the GOP could have done much to stop it.

Trump did a superb job of selling himself to the grass-roots voters and it was THEY (rather than the more politically-astute Republican hierarchy) that put him where he is now. I don't think there was a point where the party could have legally intervened.

What's alarming is that in appealing to the baser instincts of the voters he released a lot of ugly prejudices that most decent Americans probably abhor. A friend from Minnesota (all the Asklings would know her) said she deplores Trump and everything he stands for. She said that she's a lifelong Republican but asserts that "he doesn't speak for me. I'm not like that."

So now we have a situation where a totally unsuitable candidate may end up in the White House unless faithful Republicans switch their allegiances. Clinton is not an inspiring alternative but is clearly the better of two poor choices.

The first day he told them he was campaigning. IMO, his 😲diarrhea of the mouth about illegal immigrants and Muslins, when trouble seem to becoming from these groups so he stirred the 🚽and hate overflowed and common sense was flushed. Hate and foolishness kept going and now look at the 💩 we're dealing with.😩

I agree with Didge Doo and his last statement.

So now we have a situation where a totally unsuitable candidate may end up in the White House unless faithful Republicans switch their allegiances. Clinton is not an inspiring alternative but is clearly the better of two poor choices.

In my very humble opinion: (Knuckles cracking)

For eight years, the Republicans failed to groom a worthy, inspiring candidate, and all their old establishment guys seem to be boring, unlikable, or nuts. They seem unable to even agree with each other of late. The electorate is seriously unhappy with the status quo, and all the GOP did was trot out a gaggle of DC lifers who are, in many ways, the status quo problem. Trump steamrolled them. If these politicians don't acknowledge the problem (Congress 7% approval rating) what can we expect them to do about it? The GOP frat failed its people. Clinton is running such a troubled campaign, it should be easier to compete here.

Conversely, the DNC has been all-in on Hillary since right after Obama's re-election, but they stomped on their own, ...(um)....tails (!) when they schemed to systematically elbow Bernie out of Clinton's way. Party unity looks pretty shaky on both sides; so sad that we are shown only the two sides.

When he tossed his hat into the ring ... Someone should have promptly tossed it back at him!!  He is NOT a politician and has no experience in that regard.  He is a dangerous man with an agenda that is designed to glorify him ..not help the rest of we peons!

They really couldn't.  The GOP has been cultivating this since Nixon's Southern Strategy (and perhaps a bit before that).  By actively encouraging (or passively allowing) racism, hate, misogyny, ignorance, religious bigotry and sheer stupidity, the GOP has created a monster, and that monster has gotten out if its cage and its "creators" cannot longer control it.   

As for Hillary.she is not my favorite candidate.  In all fairness however i have to point out that the GOP has been villainizing her for the last two and a half decades and investigating her for one imagined offence or other for most of that same period.  Goebbels would be proud of their efforts.