Trump Wins Coveted Key Endorsement From … A Holocaust Denier
https://tr.im/sDRNL
Donald Trump has ridden a wave of far-right American populism to front-runner status in the Republican presidential primaries. It may be an ugly, sexist, xenophobic, racist wave, but that has not stopped him from defying expectations and going from a reality TV star buffoon dismissed by the mainstream to reality TV star buffoon that is now inches away from being the Republican nominee for president. In America many are bewildered and are struggling to answer the question, ‘how did we get here?’ Some are looking to the growth of extreme-right populism in Europe for explanations.
The ongoing repercussions of the economic crisis and poor response from government to migration issues and the refugee crisis have driven many voters in Europe toward extreme-right parties. Parliamentary systems that require broad coalitions and often allow small parties to be kingmakers have helped to strengthen European populism by giving small parties an often disproportionately important voice.
A recent Politico article suggested that to understand the current political rise of Mr. Trump and his extreme rhetoric as well as the success of Bernie Sanders’s socialist-leaning policies, Americans need to look to Europe,
Trump’s support of the social safety net coupled with unabashed xenophobia and protectionism might not be familiar to American voters, who are used to having their “conservative” politics be strictly anti-welfare, pro-trade, and low-tax. But it is immediately recognizable to supporters of the plethora of right-wing parties topping polls across Europe.
One of the reasons that Mr. Trump continues to elicit strong reactions of disgust among Europeans in spite of the fact that there are no shortage of extreme-right parties in Europe is the boldness with which he declares his hateful rhetoric. In France many have noted the rise of the extreme-right party Le Front National, headed by Marine Le Pen. Ms. Le Pen has dragged up the party once led by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, by making it over, which included ousting the Holocaust-denying Le Pen Senior. Over the weekend Mr. Le Pen endorsed Donald Trump. It should sit nicely next to his endorsement from former KKK grand wizard David Duke.
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