The 2016 election cycle has been one of the most startling and revealing times in our countries recent history. One of the main actors, and arguably the most interesting person, in this play has been Donald Trump and Donald Trump's words. Recently, Mr. Trump's words have put him the media spotlight in regards to comments about how he "seduced" women. I will not type out exactly what Trump said because those words are so vile and filled with the old misogynist rhetoric that, I personally, am tired of hearing about. Trump also has a history of bullying women who participated in swimsuit pageants that he financed. This is not the track record of a man who has the possibility of becoming the next President of the Untied States. Especially, a United States that is in the midst of its most public fight for women's rights since the 60's.
Along with the many other problematic things Trump has said throughout this campaign this one is his most egregious. The tone-deafness of Trump and his campaign has been a disastrous trend that will almost certainly affect his poll numbers. Recent incidents involving sexual assault (Brock Turner, Derrick Rose) have brought the issue of sexual assault to the forefront of the national conscience and people are demanding change. Many women, and men, who identify as victims of sexual assault have hidden these atrocities for fear of being ridiculed in the public eye. For years men like Donald Trump have gotten away with this so called "locker room talk" and have used their privilege to justify this brutish behavior. Like Donald Trump, this stuff isn't funny anymore.
Although I feel like its been covered, the raw politics of Trump are also worrying to me. The policies Trump has proposed about immigration and foreign policy are especially concerning because of their plain stupidity. A candidate for the President of the United States thinks that building a massive wall along the Mexican border of the country is a realistic and effective strategy. Let that sink in for a moment. Trump's foreign policy is also confusing because his strategy just seems to be "bomb the shit out of em". This is a man that clearly does not understand the intricacies of foreign policy and the damage that airstrikes have had on Middle-Eastern communities. Trump has also publicly supported Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been responsible for a brutal conflict that has been taking place in Ukraine for almost two years now. The policies of Trump show just how uninformed his whole campaign, and life has been.
Trump supporters have claimed that Trump has leadership experience because of his robust business portfolio. Trump's record of bankruptcies is concerning for anyone. And especially concerning for a candidate that has to deal with an american economy that is so complex. Trump also exhibits mannerisms that remind me of an angry little boy rather than a strong-willed leader. His recent strategy of meandering around the stage while debating his opponent, Hillary Clinton, also provides evidence to this theory.
This election has been remarkable in its ability to expose just how far this country still has to grow in understanding one another. This mindset has created
