Despite Ample Muslim Bashing, Donald Trump Loses Out to Ben Carson in New GOP Poll
A new Iowa poll shows that Ben Carson has edged ahead of Donald Trump among likely Republican caucusgoers, with Carson leading the real estate mogul 20% to 19%. A poll released Thursday also found that Carson has shot ahead of Trump among likely GOP voters, 28%-20%.
Carson's increased popularity appears to come in part from evangelical voters, who (unsurprisingly) don't seem convinced by the New York City billionaire's claims of deep-seated devotion to the Christian faith. 32 percent thought Trump was a committed Christian, while 62 percent of Iowans polled said they liked that Ben Carson's was influenced by his religion, as the New York Times reported.Â
Trump's lack of appeal among evangelicals is not for lack of trying. Earlier this week, he made the ominous pledge to force store employees to say Merry Christmas instead of the more demonic Happy Holidays. And both candidates seem engaged in an arms race of escalating Muslim-bashing. On Wednesday, Trump voiced his enthusiastic support for shutting down Mosques. Ben Carson ratcheted up the Islamophobia to a whole new level recently by declaring he would not support a Muslim for President unless they renounced  their faith.Â
