News Analysis: Trump's populist remarks irk Republican Party

Brazen U.S. billionaire Donald Trump is making waves again, this time irritating the Republican Party (GOP), whose nomination he aims to clinch.

The wealthy populist has in recent days made several controversial remarks about Muslims and recent suggestions that he might run as an independent -- a move that would split the GOP vote and virtually guarantee a Democratic White House win in 2016.

In the wake of the brutal Islamist terror attacks on California and Paris that together left dozens dead, the GOP front-runner in recent days called for a ban on Muslim immigration to the United States.

The statement drew ire from several other Republican candidates, who said the plan was not a serious one and that the measure, if implemented, would amount to a draconian move that runs counter to American ideals.

Some pundits noted that such a move would hurt the fight against terror, as Washington needs moderate Muslim countries such as Egypt and Jordan to fight terror, and banning all Muslims from coming to the United States would make such countries very unhappy.

Despite the fact that U.S. federal courts would likely strike down such a measure, the GOP views those statements as an embarrassment, at a time when it is trying to market itself to minorities and promote an image of inclusiveness.

At the same time, Republicans are annoyed that Trump also in recent days suggested he might run as an independent candidate despite his previous pledge not to quit the party.

If Trump leaves the party, it is sure to split the GOP vote and could hand the election win to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state under the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and wife of former president Bill Clinton.

Bombastic comments are more the norm than the exception for Trump, who has raised hackles from critics for what they called anti-Mexican statements. Trump even called for Mexico to pay for a wall to keep illegal migrants from coming to the United States through its southern border.

That begs the question of why, despite such controversy, Trump is still going strong, according to the latest Real Clear Politics average of polls.

"I think Americans are drawn to outsiders like Trump ... because there is a widespread distrust of what is seen as the political establishment," Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua.

Experts noted that polls in recent years have shown that Americans' approval of Congress is at an all-time low, and Americans are looking for someone who can buck the status quo.

"For a wide swath of Americans who are concerned by terrorism abroad, immigration to the United States, and an uncertain economic future, they see the traditional political leadership as unable to deal with these issues, and are drawn towards populist outsiders," Mahaffee said.

Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua that Americans like outsiders when they feel the status quo is not going well.

"Domestic problems and global turmoil encourages voters to go for candidates outside the political establishment who will shake up politics as usual. Outsiders have more credibility with voters as agents of change," he said. Endit