Donald Trump has been called many things throughout the 2016 presidential campaign. He’ s been called a liar, a cheat, a hate-monger, xenophobe, and a walking Cheeto. But Fox News host Kennedy may be the first to compare him to an evil terrorist organization.
In the video, Kennedy says:
“It’s like Al Qaeda with a marketing degree, and ISIS has figured out how to brand themselves and do it pretty efficiently. And, it’s almost like, and this is not making a metaphor ideologically, but Donald Trump using technology to further his presidential campaign while spending very little money. ISIS has done essentially the same thing.”
Kennedy insisted that she wasn’t comparing Trump to ISIS. Dictionary.com defines comparing as:
“To examine (two or more objects, ideas, people, etc.) to note similarities and differences.”
So it’s clear that Kennedy was only noting the similarities between Trump and the terrorist organization, and not really “comparing” the two things at all. You understand that now right?
Like ISIS the billionaire commonly uses Authoritarian overtones whenever he speaks. He often threatens, bullies, and suggests things like banning Muslims and legalizing torture.
But the Washington Post finds that Trump and his supporters are not really Authoritarians, but rather populists. Here’s how they define Populism:
“Populism is a type of political rhetoric that casts a virtuous “people” against nefarious elites and strident outsiders. Scholars measure populism in a variety of ways, but we focus on three central elements:
- Belief that a few elites have absconded with the rightful sovereignty of the people;
- Deep mistrust of any group that claims expertise;
- Strong nationalist identity.”
Trump has also been compared to Hitler. The blind devotion his followers show him is often compared to the blind devotion Germans had to a charismatic fascist called Adolf Hitler. Biker gangs like Hell’s Angels have even volunteered to provide free security at his events to “protect” people from protestors. People began to compare overzealous supporters like them to Hitler’s brown shirts, who also provided “protection” at Nazi assemblies and rallies in the 1920s and 30s before Hitler came to power.
ISIS has lead people to believe they represent Islam while the greater Islamic community rejects and refuses to acknowledge them. While most Republicans, on the other hand, also claim to reject Donald Trump, but on July 18, 2016, they will most likely make him their party’s presidential nominee.
Featured image mashup Screengrabs via YouTube and YouTube.
