Donald Trump’s proposal to shut down the nation’s borders to all Muslims — including Americans currently living abroad — could potentially lead to a swell of support for the presidential candidate, according to one political analyst.
"We have a whole bunch of Americans, Trump supporters — and his support I think will grow after this moment — who feel that no one is telling them the truth and no one is saying what is obvious to them," said political analyst Nicolle Wallace, a former communications director under President George W. Bush.
Trump on Monday called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” a ban that would include tourists and even Muslim American citizens trying to return to the United States.
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Trump defended his “common sense” proposal Tuesday on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe,"where he said his ban would be a “temporary move,” similar to proclamations President Franklin D. Roosevelt made against the Japanese, Germans and Italians Japanese during World War II.
But Trump’s typical interview style — in which he talks incessantly over anchors trying to ask him questions — led "Morning Joe" host host Joe Scarborough to cut to a commercial break.
“No, no, no, Donald, you got us to actually ask questions. You can't just talk," Scarborough said, before ultimately demanding that his producers “go to break, go to break.”
Earlier, on TODAY, Wallace said Trump has tapped into a base of people who have yet to be assured of their safety in the growing threat of terrorist acts.
"There are has been a void on both sides of the aisle of people who are willing to articulate the danger of the threat to this country," she said. "It’s not the 1.5 billion Muslims of the world, it’s radicalized terrorists."
Wallace noted that in contrast, President Bush, just days after the September 11 attacks, tried to calm the nation by holding an event at an Islamic center to "explain to the American people who the enemy is. The enemy is terrorism. The enemy is radicalized Islamic extremists."
MSNBC political correspondent Steve Kornacki agreed, saying Trump has tapped into "something that is going beyond the Republican base."
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He pointed out that most polls are measuring a broader pool of potential voters who have thrown their support for Trump.
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