Yep, he did. I call 2016 the anti election. The election where one voted for the candidate they least wanted to lose, not the one they wanted to win, no choice there. But for the lesser of two evils, the least worst candidate, the candidate one least wants to lose.
Look at independents, 54% of them disliked and didn't want neither Trump nor Clinton. they made up around 40% of the total electorate. Independents put Trump into the white house. They voted for Trump 46-42 over Hillary with 12% voting third party, against both Trump and Hillary. What this simply means is among independents 23 of that 54% voted their convictions against both candidates by voting third party, the remaining 77% of those 54% of disliked and didn't want neither major party candidates voted for the candidate they least wanted to lose. Again, not for the one they wanted to win, but for the one they least wanted to lose.
One in Four Americans Dislike Both Presidential Candidates
If you add up those who voted against both major party candidates to the total of those who voted for the other candidate, you find 54% of all independents voted against Trump, 54% of all Americans also voted against Trump. Remember Trump received 46% of the total vote nationwide.
Yep, Trump won. No doubt about it. But you can see that those who disliked him on election day, even if they voted for him because they disliked Hillary more. You can see those 60% who disliked Trump on election pretty much continuing to disliked him through out his first two years of his presidency. Trump has been around 40% approval from day one through today, He can't even break 45%. The graph is just below all the polls.
RealClearPolitics - Election Other - President Trump Job Approval
You also seen it in the midterms with the Democratic congressional candidates receiving 54% of the total vote to Republican congressional candidates getting 45%.
To be fair, had Hillary won she would have had the same numbers as Trump as close to 60% of America didn't want her either.