Donald Trump has been called many things: a man-baby (the body of a man but the mental cognition of a baby) by John Stewart, a loser by Elizabeth Warren and a threat to national security by the Editorial Board of USA Today.
But with the Republican Presidential Nominee title looming near on the horizon, a renewed media storm has begun. One of the major catchphrases surrounding his nomination is “If Trump gets elected I’m moving out of the country.” Countless articles have been written advising how to relocate to Canada. There is even an entire website titled Cape Breton If Trump Wins inviting Americans to move to the island.
What started as a joke has become a serious fear for many, similar to Trump’s campaign itself. According to CNN, Google searches for “How Do I Move to Canada” have increased almost 400 percent since Trump’s success on Super Tuesday. It has even been acknowledged by Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who commented, “I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone that I stand firmly against the politics of division, the politics of fear, the politics of intolerance or hateful rhetoric.” In a separate interview Trudeau affirmed, “in the event of a mass exodus of American citizens, Canada will always be a hospitable country for people persecuted or fleeing difficult conditions.”
Some people have the opinion that Trump has an uncanny talent for sticking his racist foot into his misogynistic mouth (“If Ivanka weren’t my daughter perhaps I would be dating her,” anyone?). One of his most distressing platforms has been surrounding the status of immigrants and political refugees. More specifically, how he appears to be vehemently and sweepingly against aiding them. Now, I am no Poli-Sci buff, but isn’t one of the founding principles of democracy that people have the right and obligation to protest a government that has either ceased to serve them or done them harm?
Ethical debates aside, the real kicker here is that Trump’s potential election would, it seems, cause a swell of American emigrants. Though their circumstance would be vastly different from that of those in Syria, the term still applies. There would be citizens fleeing the country due to a fear of its governors. His adamance against refugees – which is somehow striking a chord – will have created an entire new class of refugees. But Trump won’t care; like a true “man-baby” he will have moved onto taking the next toy he wants.