Time for Republicans to dump Trump

Trump's xenophobia is well known. He ratcheted up his anti-immigrant rhetoric with calls for erecting a wall on the Mexican border and expulsion of around 11 million undocumented residents.

Published: Sat 28 Nov 2015, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 30 Nov 2015, 8:48 AM

Is Donald Trump a viable presidential candidate? Is it not time the US Republican Party asked this question? At the beginning, everyone thought the maverick tycoon was something of a nuisance who will fade away on his own. But that was not to be. Given his frontrunner status in the race several months into the campaign, it is highly unlikely he will fall on his own. This presents a big challenge to the Grand Old Party (GOP), which is battling to stay relevant in the face of increasing inflammatory rhetoric by some of the frontrunners.

Trump's xenophobia is well known. He ratcheted up his anti-immigrant rhetoric with calls for erecting a wall on the Mexican border and expulsion of around 11 million undocumented residents. Now he has another feather in his cap. The ingenuous real estate tycoon has launched a fiery anti-Muslim tirade after the Paris attacks. He claimed he saw on TV 'thousands' of Arab Americans celebrating while the buildings were falling after the September 11 attacks in 2001. A search of the archives of the day nailed his lie. But he continues to insist his lie is truth. He believes all Muslims should be tagged and all mosques should be put under surveillance for the safety of America. He is getting weirder by the day. But that is not denting his image. He continues to enjoy a great connect with white Americans who think their country is being snatched away from them.

But is it possible for the GOP to persist with this guy and still entertain hopes of walking into White House. That looks unlikely. Putative Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton is smiling away as the crowded Republican field is dominated by intellectual lunacy and bigotry. Another Democratic dispensation at Washington looks very much possible if this slide, which appears inexorable now, is not arrested and sanity restored in the Republican race. The GOP establishment should pool all its resources and halt the mad march of this clown.