The Jig Is Up, Trump

I’m back! I apologize for my brief hiatus due to being extremely busy with school but I’m back now. A lot has happened in my absence, particularly manifesting itself in a golden-headed man.

During a speech at a South Carolina rally on 7 December, Donald Trump released a policy brief, calling for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on”, including both immigrants and visitors. This policy brief was released in light of the recent shootings in San Bernardino and Paris. This statement has been highly criticized by politicians from both the right and left, as well as faith groups, NGOs, and international governments.

With this statement, Donald Trump should no longer be considered a legitimate candidate by any political party. It’s time to stop laughing at his antics. It’s time to stop making jokes about his campaign. It’s time to stop giving him the time of day to express his hate speech. As an American expat looking at the situation from the outside in, I implore my fellow citizens stop talking abut Donald Trump in any way other than to criticize his character. We need to stop talking about him as a source of comedy; it only fuels his campaign and his supporters. We must take a stand against hate speech and fear-mongering and it is now up to the American political parties to destroy his campaign so that it does not threaten the very roots of democracy and human decency.

My fear is that, if Trump is allowed to continue, there will be a split in the Republican party within the next year. While this would certainly result in a Democrat victory for the White House, it would decimate the American political system that so many people consider the “greatest democracy in the world”. Republican party officials are shaking in their boots every time Trump opens his mouth as it portrays their party badly. Even as a staunch Democrat, I most certainly do not want to see the Republican party destroyed by extremists such as Trump. I sense change coming in the near future in some form or another.

With 333 days until the election,

Phoebe Warren