A Donald Trump presidency poses an incredible risk to global stability, constituting a threat on par with Islamic terrorism, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The researchers suggested it’s Trump’s militaristic views on the Middle East and the fight against global jihad that will actually increase terrorist activities if he’s elected. A bigger danger is Trump’s tough talk on trade policy, particularly in regards to China, which could ignite a global trade war, according to the EIU, a global forecasting service partnered with The Economist.
“He has been exceptionally hostile towards free trade, including notably NAFTA, and has repeatedly labelled China as a ‘currency manipulator,'” reads the Thursday EIU report. “In the event of a Trump victory, his hostile attitude to free trade, and alienation of Mexico and China in particular, could escalate rapidly into a trade war.”
The ranking system combines measurements of the probability and impact of various world events on a number scale of one to 25 — 25 constituting the largest threat to global security. A Trump presidency yielded a “risk intensity” of 12 on the scale, the same number given to the threat of Islamic terrorism. The risk of terrorism will likely rise according to the report if Trump is elected to the oval office, reports CNBC.
“He has also taken an exceptionally right-wing stance on the Middle East and jiadhi terrorism, including, among other things, advocating the killing of families of terrorists and launching a land incursion into Syria to wipe out IS (and acquire its oil),” reads the EIU report. “His militaristic tendencies towards the Middle East (and ban on all Muslim travel to the US) would be a potent recruitment tool for jihadi groups, increasing their threat both within the region and beyond.”
Despite the intense criticism of Trump in the report, researchers expect the GOP primary front-runner to lose the general election if nominated. Researchers expect former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to clinch the Democratic nomination for November, however, they warn external factors could affect this prediction. A major economic downturn or terrorist attack on U.S. soil before the election, for example, could swing votes in Trump’s direction, according to the report.
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