Trump is running as a Republican therefore every statement that can be distorted will be distorted and paraded before the public as evidence of his primitivism. Trump has historically set up this narrative with ill considered remarks about Mexicans etc.
Ronald Reagan did not run his campaigns as an in your face dare to label him a Neanderthal. Ronald Reagan expressed conservative views with a smile, with an anecdote, with an illustration, but he did it in such a way as not to alienate people with his tone.
When a candidate verges on religious bigotry he is opening himself up to enormous criticism. Word choice is critical, tone is critical. All the more so for a Republican. Even more so for a Republican with Donald Trump's checkered history. I want Trump to win this argument, as I said I have advocated barring non-citizen Muslims from entering the country for some time. Why make it harder to win the argument?
It's fun to piss off Muslims but it's more important to get elected.
