Donald Trump Tries To Ride Anti-Muslim Sentiment To The Presidency, Can He Be Stopped?

As the people of San Bernardino struggle with the devastating shooting that the FBI recently deemed an act of terror, politicians on both sides of the aisle are staking their territory in the renewed War on Terror. Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and former reality star who announced his candidacy in June 2015, is at the front of the line.

In an appearance on the CBS show Face the Nation, Trump insisted that his calls to force all American Muslims to register in a database are common sense. Trump also called for investigations and possible charges against family members of San Bernardino shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.

Trump had particularly harsh words about the sister of Syed Farook, who has said that she had no idea what her brother was planning.

“I would go after a lot of people and I’d find out whether or not they knew. I’d be able to find out. Because I don’t believe the sister.”

So far, Donald Trump has not acknowledged that of the four mass shootings universally agreed to have occurred in the United States in 2015, only the San Bernardino shooting was carried out by Muslims. Donald Trump playing fast and loose with facts to support his position isn’t new. In June 2015, Macy’s cut ties with Donald Trump. Many assumed that Macy’s caved to public pressure after Trump made disparaging remarks against Mexicans who immigrate to the United States, but Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren told CNBC that the decision was rooted in Trump’s status as a presidential candidate. Apparently, Macy’s decided not to carry products from any nominee. Whatever the reason for the acrimonious split, Trump called for a boycott of Macy’s and is no claiming credit for a huge decline in the company’s stock.

Yet, the Motley Fool points out that many department store stocks have plummeted in 2015. In addition to Macy’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, and Kohl’s are all down drastically from their July 2015 prices — a fact which Donald Trump doesn’t acknowledge. Trump’s followers don’t seem to care either.

Not everyone is ready to accept the possibility of Donald Trump taking the Republican nomination. In an interview with CNN, Ohio Governor John Kasich pooh-poohed recent CNN/ORC polls that peg Trump with a 36 percent lead over the rest of the Republican field, pointing out that the poll measured Republicans and Republican leaning independents, but not likely voters.

“When you attack Hispanics, when you characterize all Muslims in a negative way, when you insult women, we don’t think that that’s good. We think, at this point in time more than any other time, we need to have America united, and we need to have an American president that’s going to unite us and not divide us.”

Kaisch may have a point. According to the Washington Post, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the early frontrunner in the race for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination. Like Trump, Giuliani favored a no-nonsense approach to politics, and took made fighting terrorism a central part of his campaign. Like Trump, Giuliani billed himself as an outsider who stood a chance bringing a beleaguered Republican party to the masses. And like Trump, the GOP establishment didn’t buy Giuliani’s argument. But in the end, Giuliani’s campaign didn’t survive the primary. Could the same fate await Donald Trump?

The presidency of the United States is meant to be a position that combines the position of leader and mentor. Through their actions, and occasionally through their misdeeds, presidents have set examples for the American people of what a statesman should be. Donald Trump may be less than one year away from taking the next Presidential Election. At least, until the first caucuses begin.