As we watch events across the pond begin to unfold, Donald Trump has made yet another allegation that he is being conspired against. In the past couple of hours he has claimed that there have been voting machine problems across the country, with Republican votes apparently being changed to Democrat. In fact, the Utah officials he cites have only reported technical problems in one Utah county alone.
This follows a long list of accusations, including a recent attempt to sue Nevada’s Clark County for keeping polls open too long, and a false claim that he has spent more than $100 million on his presidential bid – when, in fact, he has spent around $66 million. He has also recently claimed that Barack Obama is the founder of ISIS and that all Mexicans are rapists. His comments about women have also drawn a lot of attention, from his repeated inappropriate comments about his daughter Ivanka, to the now infamous “grab her by the pussy” comment.
Is this rhetoric acceptable for a presidential candidate? Why has there not been greater backlash against these comments, especially when he is running for such a prominent position?
He has also recently claimed that Barack Obama is the founder of ISIS and that all Mexicans are rapists
There has been a noticeable backlash to his comments about women, most obvious in the popularity of “pussy grabs back” online, but prominent politicians and officials have remained surprisingly quiet. News networks have also said worryingly little. This reluctance to criticize Trump’s comments is undoubtedly problematic as it means there is an absence of scrutiny – something which cannot be said of Hillary Clinton in the wake of her email scandal. Is this lack of scrutiny a contributing factor in Trump’s frequent comments, or are they just a central part of his character?
Either way, Trump’s melodramatic comments about everything from China to climate change – as well as his tendency to deny he ever made such comments – is certainly unconventional for a presidential candidate. Perhaps this is part of his appeal as a straight-talking, principled candidate? Even if it is – and even though exaggeration and manipulation of the truth are to be expected of politicians – Trump has shown himself to be an extreme example of this, going beyond the point at which this can be accepted. Is a president who regularly makes misogynistic comments and has a Twitter tantrum whenever things don’t go his way (and later denies the whole thing) a wise choice for America?
