For a moment there, it looked like John Heilemann might go Absolut Olbermann and call Donald Trump a "fascist" for his proposal which would for the time being bar the entry of all Muslims into the United States.
But Heilemann backed off that f-word. While noting "some will say fascist" about Trump or his policy, Heilemann declared "I'm not saying that." Instead, he settled for asserting that there are "many voters in the country who are in fact reactionary" and that there is no way to describe Trump's policy "other than reactionary."
Note that, without smearing them as reactionaries or otherwise, Mark Halperin made the incontestable observation that "a lot of voters will think this is a perfectly sensible idea."
Question: If the loved ones of those killed by Islamic terrorists in America expressed the wish that such a ban had been in place, would Heilemann call them "reactionaries" to their face?
JOHN HEILEMANN: We apply a political lens to everything on this show, and I'm as inclined to do that is anybody, and certainly as inclined to do it as you are, but in this case I really do feel like you have to stop and take a breath and say wait a second, this is a presidential candidate and by almost every measurement the front runner for the Republican party who's saying that the American immigration policy should be determined by a strictly religious test. Not Syrian refugees, not suspected terrorists. All Muslims, French Muslims, Belgian Muslims, Muslim tourists, all Muslims should be barred from entering the United States because they all pose some kind of a threat to the United States.
I think it is genuinely a dangerous, irresponsible, horrible thing to say that will have bad ramifications around the world. This will make headlines all over the world and it's a huge win for Islamic State to have a presidential candidate of Donald Trump's stature, and I say that because of his standing in the polls, saying something that is I think genuinely un-American.
MARK HALPERIN: For all the reasons you said, I think this could be a turning point. And what's interesting in history here, of the Trump candidacy is, this is not in a gaggle. He was not goaded by a reporter. He chose to put out a statement, and in any other campaign of any Republican or Democrat who has ever run for president, if a candidate said I want to take a position that immigration policy should be based on a religious test, they would be stopped by their staff. And this shows that Mr. Trump has no one around him who will stop him from doing things. But I will say again, I think a lot of voters will think this is a perfectly sensible idea.
HEILEMANN: Well, the fact there are many voters in the country who are in fact reactionary and will embrace a reactionary policy, we know that as true. But there's no other way to describe this than reactionary. Some will say, and they already are saying, some will say "fascist." I'm not saying that, but I am saying there is no way to describe this other than reactionary. And as I say, against I think the best ideals, the best traditions of what the country has always tried to be about.
