I must admit, I did not think US presidential hopeful Donald Trump would come this far in his bid to occupy the White House.
I am probably not the only one who thought that.
Many of us were hoping that at some stage, Trump would put out a statement saying: “Just kidding, I don’t want to be president.”
That hasn’t happened. In fact, the opposite is true. His campaign seems to be growing stronger by the day.
Last week, during Super Tuesday – a day on which several states hold primary elections – Trump emerged victorious in the Republican (GOP) corner.
And if history is anything to go by, he will go on to be the next Republican presidential candidate. (In previous years, the candidate that wins on Super Tuesday, has gone on to be the presidential candidate for their respective parties).
While following the various tweets and reports on Trump’s growing success, it struck me: Trump could not have gone this far without people supporting and actually voting for him!
In simple language, it means there are people out there who actually think like Donald Trump.
There are people out there who believe building a wall to keep Mexicans out of America is a great idea. They also believe the Mexicans should pay for it.
There are actually people out there who make fun of people’s religious beliefs and see no problem with it.
There are people out there who, when Trump made fun of a journalist with a disability, did nothing but laugh at his unsavoury joke – effectively endorsing his view.
There are people out there who believe the only way to make “America great again” is taking up arms and invading foreign territory.
These people exist, and appear to be growing in number, emerging from the woodwork like they have been in hibernation, waiting for their “saviour”, Donald Trump.
It truly says something about our society if views such as the ones Trump holds have this much traction. What kind of men and women are we raising that endorse this manner of life?
Perhaps we shouldn’t just be concerned about Trump alone, but the masses who support him, throwing their financial resources behind him – all the way to the White House.
The question that remains is how will America respond?
Can Trump actually make it all the way to the White House? And if he does, surely the Americans would have to ask themselves: how did we get here?
I truly hope the Republicans do not endorse his effort, and that the world reaches its senses sooner than later.
Trump can only take us back and nowhere else.
What are your views on the American presidential race? Share them with us in the comments section.