Moderate Republicans have recoiled at frontrunner Donald Trump’s plan to ban all Muslims from entering America, saying it could cripple the party’s long-term ability to scaremonger.

Candidate Jeb Bush said it was typical of Mr Trump not to think policies through. “I find it a little unhinged. It’s all well and good to ban Muslims from coming into the country. But what do we do five, ten years from now when there are no Muslims left to turn the rest of the voting public against? It’s short-termism at its worst,” he said.

Republican advisor Ron Duluth said Mr Trump was going down a very dangerous path. “This is getting extreme, and it’s certainly not what the mainstream Republican movement stands for. What we need to do – what we’ve always done – is to demonize Muslims without actually running them out of the country. It’s a more level-headed, sensible approach”.

Long-time Republican voter Sandy Longman said the policy idea had turned him off voting for Mr Trump. “I find it unpalatable. If he had a plan to replace Muslims with another minority to use to whip up fear, then fine. But all I’m seeing is a slapdash, makeshift policy with no vision for the future”.

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