EJ MONTINI

Trump proving that bigotry still has appeal

EJ Montini
opinion columnist
Donald Trump at a speaking engagement.

Wait...What?

Donald Trump says this: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

And his Republican presidential campaign numbers go... UP?

According to several recent polls Trump is now in second place among the 14 (or is it 16?) Republican president candidates. Just behind Jeb Bush.

The Donald may have lost his beauty pageant deal with NBC, and Macy's department stores may have taken his designer clothes off their racks, but potential Republican voters are still buying the ugly stuff Trump has to say.

Or so it seems.

Trump said he would build a "great wall" on the border and make Mexico pay for it -- yeah, that will work -- because of all of these rapists, drug dealers and criminals that Mexico is "sending."

Come on, people. Really?

The guy said, "I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created."

Or the guy tweeted (after the social unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray): "Our great African American President hasn't exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying Baltimore!"

That's the kind of spiteful bile Republican voters will hear if and when Trump qualifies for the first GOP primary debate on Fox News.

While the party is trying to attract minorities voters?

Yeah, good luck with that.

When it comes to the broadening Republican appeal there is something Trump said about the Mexican border and Mexicans in general that applies.

He said: "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me..."