Branstad says “Trump is a leader” (video)

DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Terry Branstad made an appearance Wednesday morning on Bloomberg TV and called divisive presidential candidate Donald Trump “a leader” and blamed President Barack Obama for the country’s problems.

According to Progress Iowa, a left-wing political group, Branstad disagreed with Trump’s assertion that American should ban Muslims from entering the United States, but also said we should look at his proposal in the proper context.

“A true leader doesn’t encourage hatred in the people he is trying to lead,” Progress Iowa said in a statement. “A true leader inspires confidence, not irrational fear. A true leader stands up to bigoted policies and statements, instead of making excuses for them.”

Donald Trump has garnered serious support for his candidacy for president, yet many followers of both the Democratic and Republican parties have blasted proposals he has made, such as blocking temporarily the influx of foreign Muslims into the country.  Trump has cited, in his defense, the policies of liberal Presidents such as Jimmy Carter, who banned Iranians at one time from entering the U.S., and Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose policies during World War II could be seen as extreme in today’s world.