Donald Trump is getting a lot of flack for failing to correct a supporter at a town hall event in New Hampshire yesterday who asserted that President Obama is a Muslim and that the U.S. needs to "get rid" of all Muslims. Trump's roll-with-the-bigotry approach contrasted starkly with a similar episode in 2008, when presidential candidate John McCain flatly contradicted a voter who said Obama is an Arab.
But Trump's less than presidential response may actually work in his favor, serving to shore up his support after his uneven performance at the GOP debate on Wednesday. As the liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling recently showed, the false belief that Obama is a Muslim is held by more than half of Republicans.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulingsSpeed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americansspeed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protestersSpeed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trumpspeed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrestspeed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling Californiaspeed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county
-
Supreme Court lowers bar in discrimination casesspeed read The court ruled in favor of a white woman who claimed she lost two deserved promotions to gay employees
-
Trump-Musk relationship implodes in taunts, threatsspeed read Musk said Trump's multitrillion bill would cause a recession and accused the president of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein
