Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has continued to surge in the polls. While I would mostly agree that Trump is perhaps the most exhausted political conversation out there at the moment, my reason for writing about him is legitimate.

First, given my original prediction about Trump a matter of months ago, it seems I made a slight miscalculation. I thought Trump would be done by December, and it is now mid-January, but he hasn’t gone away. But that is nothing new; everyone knows that. Trump’s most recent comments in Iowa are definitely worthy of comment.

Speaking to a crowd of people, Trump said, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” The comment is not only extremely offensive, given this country’s recent outbreak of mass shootings, but it strikes a nerve with many Americans.

Interestingly enough, it seems as if the comment says as much, if not more, about Trump supporters than it does about Trump. The comment suggests that the American people are stupid.

Perhaps they are, given the cognitive dissonance that has taken over. The vast majority of Americans believe Trump’s policies are ludicrous and unrealistic, and yet his popularity persists. Most Republicans find Trump out of touch and yet Trump has been largely successful in moving other presidential candidates further to the right. But this has made it difficult for many conservatives to explain how the number one candidate, who is out of touch with the American public, is also the number one choice for the nominee.

Trump’s comment is careless. It suggests that he comes with a cloak of invisibility. He is a person who answers to no one, while claiming to have a great relationship with everyone. He can’t be bought and is always unfiltered. But this most recent comment suggests that his supporters do not care about his actions. For more than six months, they have validated Trump’s comments. His supporters have essentially given him a blank slate. Based on Trump’s most recent comment, they also don’t care what he does.

This time, Trump has threatened violence. Both he and his campaign have been standing by this statement. He was also quick to deem his opponents soft candidates with little loyalty and support. This comment becomes a testament to their loyalty, a validation that he will stop at nothing for more support. This also confirms the confidence that Trump has when it comes to retaining the supporters he has already garnered.

The term politician is now almost always equated with some sort of negative connotation, and though Trump has only strengthened this general distaste for politicians, it goes well beyond this.

Trump has proven something no other presidential candidate has ever done. He has proven that you can be both a high profile candidate leading in the polls, and a joke at the same time. I don’t believe anyone thinks Trump will shoot somebody, let alone shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, but the fact that he gets away with whatever he says speaks volumes about the political atmosphere we live in.

He receives more media attention, along with air time on news and public affairs programs, than any other candidate. Over the past six debates, he has talked more than most of the other candidates onstage. Perhaps this most recent statement is an example of Trump sending us a message. He could be saying that we should all open our eyes and see what’s going on. It might be time to understand that Trump cannot be controlled. Voters like candidates who do not hold back, who are not afraid to be bullies and say unpopular opinions. But weaponized fear is certainly something that sits well with very few members of the electorate.

The once invisible blank check that this country has given to Trump is becoming more and more visible. He is no longer making fun of Rand Paul’s poll numbers or trying to give Ted Cruz legal advice. Now, he is talking about what he could do: in this case, end the lives of innocent people and get away with it. He is representing a call to action. He is saying that if nothing happens to him after he says something as disgusting as this, then nothing can stop him.

I hope that people understand what Trump is doing. Despite everything he has said so far, his most recent rhetoric matters. But regardless of how his language is being received, it is worth noting that nothing Trump says will make America great again.

Isaac Simon is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at [email protected].