Politics

Should Donald Trump be banned from the U.K.?

Donald Trump is inexplicably leading the race for the Republican nomination. The quote merchant, valued at $4.5 billion (according to Forbes), has never been one to shy away from voicing his opinions, however misguided, xenophobic or downright idiotic, but his recent political campaign has taken it to a new level.

The Donald’s regular spouting of vitriol and hate, whether it’s during a TV spot, rally or debate, has seen a petition calling for MPs to ban him from the U.K. attract more than 574,000 signatures – triggering a debate in the Commons. In a list that could be as long as Trump Tower is tall, these are a select few of his unfiltered outbursts that alone would justify turning him away at the border.

On Mexicans:

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”

What a way to stereotype and generalise a country’s whole migrating population. An early nugget from his political campaign set the tone for what was to come and cost Miss Universe Organisation, which he partially owns, a deal with Univision.

On Barack Obama’s heritage:

“An ‘extremely credible source’ has called my office and told me that @BarackObama’s birth certificate is a fraud.”

From Twitter. Indulging and believing in conspiracy theories is, of course, a bona fide way to increase political creditability; could also be construed as thinly veiled racism. Trump also claimed he’s sent investigators to Hawaii in one of many attacks on Obama’s supposed heritage and religion:

“I have people that have been studying [Obama’s birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they’re finding… I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can’t, if he wasn’t born in this country, which is a real possibility…then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics.”

Then when justifying his position, he said:

“I have a great relationship with the blacks.”

From a radio interview. Using “the” in this instance immediately segregates a whole sect of society, and the massive generalisation is hugely racist in itself. Well done Donald.

On gay marriage:

“It’s like in golf. A lot of people — I don’t want this to sound trivial — but a lot of people are switching to these really long putters, very unattractive. It’s weird. You see these great players with these really long putters, because they can’t sink three-footers anymore. And, I hate it. I am a traditionalist. I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am a traditionalist.”

From 2011. It may not of been his intention, although it likely was, but he successfully trivialised one of the most pertinent social issues in recent time.

On Muslims:

“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”

At a rally in Charleston, S.C. in December 2015, where Trump initially stated his radical, hardline and controversial policy on Muslim migration to the U.S., in the third person, which he has stuck to ever since.

On Asians:

“When these people walk in the room, they don’t say, ‘Oh, hello! How’s the weather? It’s so beautiful outside. Isn’t it lovely? How are the Yankees doing? Oh they’re doing wonderful. Great.’ [Asians] say, ‘We want deal!’”

More thinly veiled racism from that man at an August 2015 rally in Iowa.

On London’s supposed radicalisation:

“We have places in London and other places that are so radicalised that the police are afraid for their own lives. We have to be very smart and very vigilant.”

This came less than one month after the Paris attacks in November, insensitive as well as recklessly uninformed.

On the Paris tragedy in November:

“If I were there — I’m licensed to carry, I will tell you this — if I were there, if somebody were there, if we had some firepower in the opposite direction, those people would have been gone,”

He decided to use the events in France as advocacy for widespread gun ownership.