Trump won the 2016 election on a technicality.

[Tommy Carcetti]

26. Answer to your question:

If in 2016 Hillary Clinton had won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote, and by that virtue still been elected President, I would have:

1. Counted my lucky stars that Clinton won and Trump lost
2. Still view the Electoral College as an outdated, undemocratic technicality in need of abolition

Since the Constitution was ratified, there's always been a popular vote. Even in 1788, where turnout was ridiculously limited and you basically had no set uniform rules as to the choosing of electors (who in the end unanimously choose Washington), there was still a popular vote.

And yes, there were popular votes when people who were either US citizens (women) or should have been US citizens but instead were considered property or later actively disenfranchised (African Americans) could not vote.

But your idea that the President was never intended to be an elected position or that there's never been a popular vote component is just a rather bizarre claim.