He started off as seemingly the novelty contender for the American Republican Party. The businessman, the media mogul, not somebody with any true grounding in politics. In comparison with other more serious and respectful candidates such as Ted Cruz, it seemed unlikely he would go far. Even for those who identify as right wing and support the respective political parties in their countries (For example, the Republican Party in America and the Conservative (Tory) Party in the UK), his views are considered by most as unspeakably extreme-right. Yet he ended up winning the most primary votes in the history of the Republican Party, with almost 14 million votes. Yet as the months of his campaign have worn on, his notoriety and the controversy surrounding him has only increased. Here we are, only a month away from the election, and Trump is still standing and still has an unprecedented amount of support. So what will it take to truly break him?
Even from before his campaign started, he has been surrounded by controversy. In 2011, Trump raised questions about current president Barack Obama’s citizenship, even claiming that he was possibly a Muslim. Perhaps his comments which have stood out the most however, are those which are derogatory about ethnic minorities. In the first speech he delivered in his bid for the White House, a main topic of focus was illegal immigration, in particular from Mexico and even wanted to build a wall covering the entire expanse of the American/Mexican border. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists”. His Islamaphobia has long since been shown in his unfeasible task of temporarily banning all Muslims from the U.S. Such a generalisation should have been a sign of the brutality of his campaign to come.
‘Make America Great Again’ was revealed as Trump’s official slogan not long afterwards. When this catchphrase was used by Ronald Reagan in 1980 its meaning was to improve the economy. Yet for Trump, it represents his wish to go back to a ‘nostalgic’ America; where political correctness doesn’t exist, where there are racial divides and superior and inferior races. The obvious flaw, is that this old America was not great for everyone; purely the elite, wealthy and privileged. Trump’s campaign therefore seems to have a firm basis and hatred, and yet he still has support.
More recently, his lewd and misogynistic comments about women (including members of his own family). Of his fellow Republican candidate Carly Fiorina, he said “Could you imagine that, the face of our next president?” Yet his remarks about his own daughter were on the opposite end of the spectrum; complimentary to the point of being incestuous. “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter perhaps I’d be dating her” and “She’s very voluptuous”. The content of these unsettling comments (focusing on women’s bodies as sexual objects) have been repeated in interviews where Trump said he would have “no problem” with “banging 24 year [women]” who he sees as “pieces of a*s”. Perhaps most disturbing of all are the comments in the recently surfaced decade old video of Trump in which he talks about “grabbing women by the p***y”, implying sexual assault. This is the man who could potentially lead the United States of America for the next four years, minimum.
Other Trump-isms include “when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families” and “the answer [for women who have abortions] is there must be some form of punishment”. All the comments, it must be noted, that Trump has made over the years have been aimed at somebody who is in some way a minority; different races, different religions, disabled people, women. However, people who fall into this broad range of categories are numerous, and therefore he has offended many people from such a wide range of backgrounds in his comments, but somehow still has supporters. So what will it take to actually stop him?
The only people supposedly ‘safe’ from his wrath filled views are those who aren’t in need of any support from the government anyway, such as those living in Trump’s elite social circle. However, Trump’s comments have made it obvious that those who are disadvantaged are not high on his agenda for support should he ascend to the White House. It is a very good question why Trump has progressed as far as he has; the terrifying realisation is that he might now actually become president. What more will this man have to do before even his most loyal supporters realise what a nasty and derogatory person he is?
He has already fulfilled almost every taboo possible, and offended almost every group, so what will he do next? Your guess is as good as mine. However, to give the majority of America a chance under the next president, the way forward is obvious; by not voting for Trump. Although Hillary Clinton too divides opinions, her campaign has not involved offending and belittling millions of people with such obscene comments and ideas for America’s future as Trump’s has. The only action now that could possibly stump Trump is by placing a tick in a box that doesn’t contain Donald Trump’s name. Make America Great Again; don’t vote this homophobic, misogynistic, racist man as the next leader of one of the world’s greatest and most powerful countries.
