U.S. voters argue that the media is more biased against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump than against Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted in December 2015.
But any signs of bias against Trump have only proven to help him in the polls.
Through media coverage, Trump’s face, name and voice are all U.S. voters seem to be talking about lately. Love it or hate it, many people can’t seem to get Trump’s name out of their head.
Kenneth Fernandez, assistant professor of political science and policy studies and director of the Elon Poll, said the media is not solely to blame for Trump’s rise to fame.
“This phenomenon was very unpredictable,” Fernandez said. “When he announced his candidacy not that long ago, people were laughing. Now, he is nothing less than the most serious threat in the party. But a lot of this is because he is certainly the most flamboyant candidate up there.”
The flamboyance Fernandez describes is characterized by Trump’s now trademark loud voice and offensive statements. The businessman has openly attacked fellow candidates on debate stages, such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and more recently, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Trump has also denounced Muslim and Hispanic communities.
Three months after Rasmussen’s findings, Trump shows no signs of slowing down his negative commentary. On Super Tuesday, Trump won seven states while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won three and Rubio won one.
Anthony Hatcher, associate professor of communications, said many U.S. citizens are ready for a candidate like Trump.
“There are major frustrations in general with the politics of the United States,” Hatcher said. “Trump is the ultimate outsider in the political realm, and people are responding to that, especially the blue-collar, undereducated white men in this country.”
Trump is no stranger to the limelight. He has been at the forefront of news in countless situations and starred in his own reality television show, “The Apprentice.”
While Trump may be considered thin-skinned when being attacked, Fernandez said Trump has delegated blame to members of the media because of his seasoned position.
“The thing about Trump is you ask him to repeat or clarify, and he just tells you the same thing again, and he says it enough times so that people start to believe him,” Fernandez said.
And in this campaign, Trump has been the inescapable hot topic.