The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan writes in her latest column that one of the Republican presidential candidates should begin a forceful campaign against political correctness, but she seems to exclude Donald Trump, who may be the most vocal anti-P.C. candidate running.
Noonan would prefer a “thoughtful” candidate take up the task.
Referring to the recent spate of protests across college campuses related to free speech, Noonan wrote Thursday that Trump’s anti-P.C. rhetoric has enthralled Republican voters, aiding his “so far unstoppable rise.”
But Noonan suggests that Trump is losing interest in his own campaign, talking less about his trademark issues and is “trying to keep himself awake.”
She wrote, “Why doesn’t some thoughtful candidate on the Republican side address the issue of shaming and silencing? Why doesn’t someone give a deep and complete speech on what the First Amendment means, how it must be protected, how we pay a daily price for it in terms of anger, hurt, misunderstandings and crudity, but it’s worth it. Why doesn’t someone note that you fight bad speech with better speech, you don’t try to tape up the mouths of an entire country.”
Anti-political correctness has been a staple of Trump’s campaign since it began in June, where the billionaire real estate developer declared that many illegal immigrants were “rapists” and “criminals.”
Just on Wednesday, Trump said that the U.S. is currently engaged in a “politically correct war” against the Islamic terrorist group ISIS.
During the first GOP debate in August, Trump was asked to answer for past comments he has made disparaging women.
“I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct,” he said to applause from the audience. “I’ve been challenged by so many people and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness and to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either.”
A new CNN poll released Friday showed Trump leading the GOP field nationally with 36 percent. In second place was Ted Cruz with 16 percent.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign did not return a request for comment.
