The day Trump becomes president will be a sad day for liberals all across the world. Looking at the almost even election polls of a Trump vs Hillary 2016, it looks like such a day has become scarily likely.
Trump has become a globally infamous Republican presidential candidate. His most famous policy internationally is his proudly-proclaimed policy to restrict the freedom of movement rights of Muslims because of a simple, animalistic prejudice. Trump wished to ban 22% of the globe's population from entering the United States. This was, Trump claimed, because of the threat of ISIS - a force, using CIA estimates, only 53,000 fighters strong. Trump was scared of all Muslims, because 0.003% of them are part of ISIS, an astonishingly insignificant number.
Trump's fear was irrational, and totally disingenuous. As Cenk Uygur explained in a an episode of The Young Turks, it is clear that Trump will be performing a swift u-turn from this policy, describing it recently as just a 'suggestion'. He is attempting to steal yet more votes from disenfranchised Hillary supporters, and it is working.
However, for many of the world's leaders, it is far too late for Trump. Sadiq Khan is the first Muslim Mayor of London, and has been a very public and fierce critic of Trump's ex-policy. Mr. Kahn described Trump as someone 'who is trying to divide America from the rest of the world'. This divide would be detrimental to any hopes of America becoming the leader of the world again. Global opinion and willingness to co-operate with America has been in rapid decline since Iraq, such a choice of president will make America's influence yet more weak. Trump's support, and by extension, the American people, have had their reputation tarnished as bigoted, reckless and stupid.
It is not just Mr. Kahn or other Muslim leaders who are very open about how little value they see in Trump. Both the Paris Mayor and British Prime Minister David Cameron called him 'stupid'. Why do the American people wish to be represented by such stupidity? - a question asked by the rest of the world. How can you tackle ISIS, climate change or other global superpowers without the confidence and support of your allies? Are Americans really tired of the smooth, charismatic, international charm of Obama?
Islamophobia is a problem in Europe certainly, but Trump's reckless hatred and stupidity is just as worrying for most Europeans. Trump may have retreated from his policy, but it is already set in stone; if the people of America elect Trump this November, they will be the nervously laughing stock of the world.