Donald Trump knows that violent attacks like Wednesday’s shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California, which left 14 people dead, are good for his presidential campaign. In the early morning hours on Thursday, he retweeted a post from a supporter who said that “his poll numbers jump every time instances like this occur.”
“@DLake66675: @ChateauEmissary @trumpettes16 @realDonaldTrump his poll numbers jump every time instances like this occur.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2015
The deceased suspects in Wednesday’s shooting were identified as Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife or fiancee, Tashfeen Malik, 27. Co-workers told The Los Angeles Times that Farook was a devout Muslim.
The Twitter user Trump retweeted, who went by the name Mobious, was responding to another user who pointed out that Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric boosted his standing in the polls.
If @realDonaldTrump says tomorrow “that’s it, no more muslim immigration to america” his poll numbers jump 5-10 points.
— ChateauEmissary (@ChateauEmissary) December 3, 2015
After a series of coordinated terrorist attacks struck Paris in mid-November, Trump amped up that rhetoric, calling for a national database of all Muslims living in the U.S. and passing around a debunked story about Muslims celebrating the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New Jersey. He saw a spike in his national poll numbers as a result.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released days after the Paris massacre, he was also tied with Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton as the candidate best equipped to address terrorism.
Trump has thus far responded to the San Bernardino shooting by applauding the police officers involved in rescuing the victims and tracking down the suspects.