Public Agrees with Trump, Elites Disagree

Virtually every pundit and political figure in both parties has criticized Donald Trump's notion of a pause in the admission of Muslim immigrants and tourists until such time as the government "figures out what is going on." Given the general cluelessness of government, that could prove to be a very long time ... but no great loss nevertheless.

An exception is The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto, who writes:

Trump’s proposal for a pause in Muslim immigration “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on” strikes this columnist as entirely reasonable. That’s not to say it’s necessarily a good idea.

Instead of debating the proposal in a reasoned way, the political class—both parties—and many in the media are treating it as a thoughtcrime. Yet the PRRI poll suggests a large majority of Americans are thinking along similar lines. 

As we noted yesterday, many Americans agree with Trump; very likely a majority of Republican primary voters and caucus attendees do.