Can Donald Trump plumb yet further depths of cynicism and bigotry in his quest for the White House? The answer on the basis of Monday's latest diatribe against Muslims is Yes. He has form. All you need is a blip in the polls, a sign that maybe a rival may pass him out, and 'The Donald' returns with a yet-more-outrageous play on prejudice to shore up his vote. Trump made his latest shortly after a poll of Iowa caucus goers found that he had slipped from his top spot among local Republicans – Senator Ted Cruz on 24 per cent to Trump's 19 per cent .
Responding to the attacks in San Bernardino, Trump, who in September had declared “I love the Muslims”, called on the US to bar all Muslims – including, apparently, its own citizens temporarily abroad – from entering the country until the nation’s leaders can “figure out what is going on”.
Mad or bad? Trump is "unhinged", said usually timid Republican rival, former Governor Jeb Bush. No. That is morally to give Trump a pass. He consciously, cynically plays up fear in a large section of the electorate, secure in knowing that the rest of those who support him, although perhaps "disagreeing with his views", give him credit for expressing bluntly what he feels. Whatever he feels. How refreshing it is, apparently, to hear political correctness defied ... and some of their best friends are Muslims too, no doubt.
This is the man who would also have voters believe that all Mexicans are rapists and drug dealers, that Obama’s birth status is uncertain, that Muslims should all be put on a database and mosques monitored, who attacks migrant women and their “anchor babies”, expresses enthusiasm for torturing enemies beyond water boarding, approves the roughing up of a protester at one of his rallies, repeats discredited rumours that thousands of Muslims cheered in New Jersey during 9/11, describes ex-prisoner of war John McCain as a “loser” for having been captured, and promises to “bomb the hell” out of enemies, invoking Hiroshima and Nagasaki ....
This is the man, a dangerous demagogue, who would be president.