Donald Trump retweets Mussolini quote as he faces criticism over Ku Klux Klan comments

DONALD Trump is a smart businessman but he’s not above being tricked, as his bid to be the Republican presidential candidate is making him look increasingly silly.

Profile pic of Twitter account @ilduce2016 which tricked Donald Trump into retweeting a Mussolini quote.

DONALD Trump is a smart businessman but he’s not above being tricked, as his bid to be the Republican presidential candidate is making him look increasingly “dumb” and “sad”.

It has been a controversial weekend for Trump, who was criticised for failing to condemn the Ku Klux Klan and made an embarrassing misstep when he retweeted a Benito Mussolini quote.

In recent months, academics and experts have been debating whether Trump is actually a fascist and the mogul didn’t help matters when he retweeted a quote from the Italian dictator this weekend.

What’s even more embarrassing, is that the Twitter account was actually set up by Gawker to post quotes from the fascist, which it attributes to Trump. As one text exchange published to its site shows, the account was specifically set up in the hopes Trump would retweet one of the posts.

We built a Mussolini-quoting Twitter bot to see if @realDonaldTrump was dumb enough to retweet it. He was! Sad!! https://t.co/n0m2eTTAhv

— Gawker (@Gawker) February 28, 2016

The twitter account even uses a photo of Mussolini wearing a Trump headpiece, and tweets under its handle is @ilduce2016, a reference to the former dictator’s title “Ill Duce”, which translates to “The Leader”.

The quote that Trump retweeted said: “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep”.

"@ilduce2016: “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” – @realDonaldTrump #MakeAmericaGreatAgain"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016

It actually came from Mussolini, whose Fascist party dismantled democratic institutions in Italy, promising to lead the country to glory during a time of political chaos.

While the Fascists opposed social class discrimination, the party also promoted nationalist sentiments. Under Mussolini, Italy invaded Ethiopia and Greece, sent fighters to the Spanish Civil War and signed an alliance with German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Although Mussolini’s program of public works and success in improving unemployment made him popular with his people at first, they eventually turned away from his megalomaniac vision, and he later died at their hands.

When Trump was asked whether he wanted to be linked to a fascist dictator, he told NBC’s Meet the Press: “I want to be associated with interesting quotes”.

Adding to his woes, was his refusal to condemn the Ku Klux Klan during a separate interview with CNN’s State of the Union.

The former grand wizard of the KKK, David Duke, and other white supremacist groups have implicitly endorsed Trump’s bid to be the Republican presidential candidate.

Duke told his radio followers last week that a vote against Trump was equivalent to “treason to your heritage.”

When asked what he thought of Duke’s recent comments, Trump said: “Just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke, OK?” he said.

“I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.”

It was a turnaround from Trump’s previous comment last week when he said: “I disavow, OK?”, when asked about Duke’s endorsement.

As I stated at the press conference on Friday regarding David Duke- I disavow. pic.twitter.com/OIXFKPUlz2

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016

It also jarred with an opinion column he wrote in 2000 when he declined to run for president as leader of the Reform Party because it “now includes a Klansman, Mr Duke, a Neo-Nazi, Mr Buchanan, and a communist, Ms Fulani”.

“This is not company I wish to keep,” he said at the time.

Trump’s wavering was quickly criticised by his rivals, senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.

“Really sad. @realDonaldTrump you’re better than this. We should all agree, racism is wrong,” Cruz tweeted.

Really sad. @realDonaldTrump you're better than this. We should all agree, racism is wrong, KKK is abhorrent. https://t.co/dn2D74c5dl

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 28, 2016

“We cannot be a party that nominates someone who refuses to condemn white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan,” Rubio posted.

We cannot be a party that nominates someone who refuses to condemn white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2016

A Boing Boing report in September also resurfaced, which published a newspaper article suggesting Trump’s father was arrested after a KKK riot in 1927, a report that Trump has denied in the past: “He was never arrested ... this never happened”.

Trump’s comments flared up a day after three people were stabbed during a KKK rally in Anaheim, with one in a critical condition.

Two counter-protesters scuffling with a KKK member in Anaheim on Saturday. Picture: Eric Hood/OC Weekly via AP

#KKK rally #Anaheim quickly turns #violent as counterprotesters beat and kick klansmen. At least two people stabbed. pic.twitter.com/GmkmUWDHjM

— luis sinco (@luissinco) February 27, 2016

But in another stunning coup, Trump’s latest controversies are expected to be overshadowed when he is endorsed by influential Senator Jeff Sessions. The senator, who is known for his tough views on immigration and trade, is seen as the most significant endorsement any Republican candidate can pick up.

Trump has also received the endorsement of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Maine Governor Paul LePage and former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.

With Trump dominating in the primaries, many are now starting to take the possibility of a Trump presidency seriously. This week’s Super Tuesday primaries, when 11 states vote on the nomination will be key.

But former CIA director Michael Hayden has cast doubt on whether Trump can even deliver on his rhetoric.

He told Real Time with Bill Maher he would be incredibly concerned if Trump governed “consistent with the language that candidate Trump expressed during the campaign”.

There was also the possibility that the US military would refuse to follow Trump’s orders if he tried to follow up on threats, for example to kill terrorist families and for the return of waterboarding, which is considered torture.

“Were (he) to order that once in government,” Hayden said, “the American armed forces would refuse to act.”

“You are required not to follow an unlawful order,” he explained, and said that it “would be in violation of all the international laws of armed conflict”.

Senior lecturer at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, David Smith told news.com.au that a Trump presidency could be a “global disaster”.

“It’s very likely that Trump is going to get the Republican nomination at this stage,” Dr Smith said. “His likely opposition would be Hillary Clinton, and instinctively most feel that Hillary Clinton would beat him fairly easily. But then again everyone felt he wasn’t going to get far in the nomination race either.”