New Delhi:
Republican Party on Tuesday formally declared Donal Trump as its candidate for the upcoming US-Presidential elections later this year. Trump’s nomination comes after a ferocious round of primaries, which were studded with controversial remarks.
The billionaire Trump has always been known for his controversial stance on major domestic and international issues. Let’s have a look at his recent remarks which left the world gasping.
1. Mexican immigrants bring drugs and crime: The Republican party candidate claimed Mexican immigrants to be ‘criminal’ and ‘rapists’ on the day he announced his intentions to run for president at Trump Tower Atrium in Manhattan on June 16, 2015, setting a tone for his campaign.
"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. 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."
2. The Wall: The flagship of his campaign, Donald Trump has promised to build a wall between US and Mexico to stop immigration. He plans to fund the wall with Mexican money.
"It's an easy decision for Mexico: Make a one-time payment of 5 to 10 billion dollars to ensure that $24 billion continues to flow into their country year after year," Trump says on donaldjtrump.com. The $24 billion is remittance money that Mexican immigrants send home to their families. Trump threatens to start cancelling existing visas, if Mexico doesn’t pay for the wall.
3. People cheered during 9/11 attack: During a rally in Birmingham, Ala., on November 21, 2015, Trump allegedly asserted that "thousands of Muslims were cheering" when the World Trade Centre collapsed in 9/11 attacks. The claim has been debunked.
"I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering."
4. Ban entry of Muslims to US: On December 7, 2015, the republican candidate advocated for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, especially refugees, since their homes were breeding grounds for terrorists.
"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population."
5. Donald Trump can shoot people and he will not lose voters: During his primary campaign in Iowa in January, 2016, the real-estate giant claimed that he could shoot people in the streets without losing voters.
"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot people and I wouldn't lose voters," Trump said at a rally in Iowa, pointing his finger at the crowd like he was shooting a handgun, as he expressed confidence that he would remain atop the Republican field.
6. Islam hates US: In a televised interview to CNN on March 9, 2016, Donald Trump said, "I think Islam hates us." On being asked whether he thinks Islam is at war with the West, he said, "There's a tremendous hatred. We have to get to the bottom of it. There is an unbelievable hatred of us."
7. Torture worse than waterboarding: During Republican presidential debate in Manchester, N.H. on Feb. 6, 2016, Trump said that he will bring back banned torture techniques to give a fitting answer to killing of Christians in the Middle East.
"In the Middle East, we have people chopping the heads off Christians, we have people chopping the heads off many other people. We have things that we have never seen before -- as a group, we have never seen before, what's happening right now. The medieval times -- I mean, we studied medieval times -- not since medieval times have people seen what's going on. I would bring back waterboarding and I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding."
8. Hillary is only a candidate because she is a woman: During the peak of primary race in April 2016, the republican candidate had accused democratic leader Hillary Clinton to be unfit to even run for a city council position.
"She's playing that card like I've never seen anyone play it before. All I'm doing is bringing out the obvious, that without the woman card, Hillary would not even be a viable person to even run for a city council position."
As the race for US presidential election warms up between Republican Billionaire Donald Trump and Democratic veteran Hillary Clinton, we are likely to be in for a new volley of controversial remarks.
