Is This The End?

Over the past four months, Donald Trump has risen up to the top of the polls for the Republican National Convention. He has some straightforward economic policies with a simplified tax plan, but even their potential efficacy is dubious. He has maintained that he can deal with foreign crises with ease, however his lack of political experience provides him with no basis to support his claims. Nonetheless, millions have rallied behind his patriotic and charismatic campaign efforts. While a laundry list of other Republican candidates have captivated the attention of Americans for a few days, Trump has been able to sustain his appeal, mostly by causing controversy.

He has offended Senator John McCain, Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly, and millions of Latino Americans. Though his comments offend certain groups of Americans, the majority has remained beguiled by his spectacle.

On Monday night, however, it seems Trump has finally crossed the line for Americans. On Pearl Harbor Day, Trump hoped to rally some additional support with his characteristic patriotism. He called for the provisional ban of all Muslims from entering the United States during the current struggle against the Islamic State, referencing President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ban of Japanese, Italian, and German immigrants at the start of American involvement in World War II.

In the process, Trump managed to alienate much of the American population. Though his previous controversies have been aimed at more specific groups, this condemnation of a religion of over 1.6 billion people worldwide really resonated negatively with the American people. Not only could it cause him to lose support from independents, but also many Republicans. On a more global scale, his remark could increase the Islamic State’s ability to rally against the supposedly “anti-Islamic” nature of the West, and would certainly decrease his international influence were he to take office.

Time will tell if this proves the end of the Trump campaign. He has irked some voters before with his remarks, but this one in particular undoubtedly has the greatest potential to derail his campaign.