It's been a torrid week for the Republican Party in what could turn out to be one of the defining moments of this year's US Presidential Election, with the latest Donald Trump faux pas proving a bridge too far for many members of the party.

The gap between the two presidential candidates has widened in recent days. However, it is not down to the positive nature of Hillary Clinton and the Democrat campaign that has changed many people's opinion, but a growing frustration at the antics of Trump and a sense of 'what could he possibly say next?'



Vulgarity and disrespect



Video tapes emerged in recent days that highlighted an extremely unsavoury side to Trump's personality in regard to women. His comments were crude, vulgar and unbefitting of a man who hopes to become the most powerful leader on the planet in the matter of just a few weeks.

Not just that, his derogatory and misogynist sentiment towards women will have no place in either US or world politics should he win the race for the White House and therefore the emergence of these tapes is all the more disturbing.

Indeed, many members of the Republican Party leadership saw the incident as the last straw in what has become an increasingly fraught relationship between the presidential candidate and his party backers in recent weeks.

Republican heavyweight Paul Ryan (current Speaker of the US House of Representatives) was among those to air their disapproval at the manner in which the Trump campaign has been so brazen in its response to drawing the party into disrepute.

However, during an exchange on Twitter between the pair, Trump highlighted the deep divisions that now exist within the Republican hierarchy and showcased his intent to continue to run his campaign as he sees fit - and not necessarily with all the party backing him.

Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty. ? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016

It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to. ? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016



A polarising character



Arguably, it has been the abrasive and combative character of Trump that has garnered him much of his support among a disenfranchised section of the American public throughout this campaign.

From his views on tightening immigration, to his rhetoric surrounding religion and its position in the public sphere, his opinions and policies have resonated with a large section of the public that feel their voices have not been heard during the years of the Obama administration.

He has tapped into a section of US society that feels let down in the wake of the global banking crisis and subsequent years of recession and hardship, while at the same time offering easy answers as to how he can make the nation 'great again'.

Let's ignore for a second the whole issue of whether America ever actually lost its 'greatness' (whatever indefinable quality that might be) and appreciate the fact that Trump has turned on a significant section of the public to the problems of a country that continues to struggle with issues of religion, race, gender and inequality.

Indeed, these are all areas where Trump has aired strong views in recent months and this is likely a key factor in his popularity with many.



The lesser of two evils



What is a remarkable development in the 2016 election cycle is the level of mistrust and anger that both major parties have demonstrated throughout, as well as the vehement support that each presidential candidate themselves receives.

Quite simply, Hillary Clinton is today viewed as the second-most disliked candidate to ever run for president and there is only one person that ranks above her in attracting the public's ire - Donald Trump.

Indeed, Clinton herself has been the subject of numerous scandalous stories during this hard-fought and unsavoury election year, but many of the voting public would still rather see her claim victory in the coming weeks.

Now, trailing by eight points in the polls to a Democrat candidate that herself is hated by a large section of the country's voters, it says more about the perceived character of Trump and the way both side's campaigns have been choreographed to date that the presidential hopefuls remain even this close.

America therefore needs to take a long hard look in the mirror when this campaign cycle reaches its conclusion on November 8. The election of the 45th President of the United States will likely go down in history as one of the most bitter and divisive elections the country has ever seen. It should be viewed as an opportunity for change in US politics, but that's by no means a guarantee.

