Donald Trump has captivated our minds like no other presidential candidate in recent history, albeit in a way that leaves very little to the imagination. He has vilified pretty much every single ethnic and religious group in the United States, including Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans, Muslims and even Mormons. He has openly made fun of disabled people in speeches and suggested the assassination of his political rivals, including the current front-runner in the race, Hillary Rodham Clinton. And yet there are millions of people who voted for him in the Republican primaries, who are ready to "shoot on order" for him so to speak. What makes this man so popular among certain sections of the American electorate? I attempt to answer this question in the next few paragraphs.
There has been a spike in the number of White supremacist groups in the recent months as a reaction to the Trump candidacy. These groups, who see White Americans as the true marginalized group in this country, have taken to him like a baby does to bathwater. David Duke, a prominent ex-Ku Klux Klan leader and others, have openly endorsed Trump's racist rhetoric, and are exhorting his divisive diatribe in speeches and media outlets. They see him as a champion and savior for the White race who will deliver them from their perceived nihilism at the hands of ethnic minorities, who they see as taking over this country. For instance, Duke recently said of Trump, "He's made it okay to talk about these incredible concerns of European Americans today, because I think European Americans know they are the only group that can't defend their own essential interests and their point of view. He's meant a lot for the human rights of European Americans."
This kind of talk does not bode well for the future of this country, especially if Trump is elected to the highest office of the land. Can you imagine what kind of strife and violence that would unleash given his openly racist rhetoric? I firmly believe that there will be race riots all over this country were this fateful day ever to happen in our lifetime. And it's not just me who is saying this. Consider this -- in a recent letter written by fifty senior security officials, most of them having served in the George W. Bush administration -- they warned Trump would "put at risk our country's national security and well-being", and also that he "would be the most reckless president in American history."
So where does this leave us about 90 days out from the polls in November? We are at a crossroads of sorts. We have a dangerous demagogue who aspires to become the next leader of the free world. We have a real choice to make, one that will define this country for generations to come. I just hope and pray that we choose wisely for the sake of humanity and our shared love of this great nation.