Trump: ‘The establishment is foolish’

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Thursday that the Republican elite are ignoring the will of the people at their own peril.

“The establishment is foolish,” he said on “Fox and Friends.” “These are foolish people. The establishment is against me. I’ll tell you who is not against me — the voters.”

{mosads}Trump dismissed criticism from other Republicans skeptical of his proposed ban on admitting Muslims into the U.S.

“I certainly didn’t do it for the poll numbers,” he said of the controversial measure he first mentioned Monday.

“I was ahead in every state poll or every national poll,” Trump continued. “Now my poll numbers are even higher because a lot of people like my idea.”

Trump argued that his suggested freeze is necessary for preventing radical Islamic terrorism within America’s borders.

“I want this to be temporary,” he said. “You have many people out there sitting in their units with tremendous amounts of ammunition and pipe bombs.”

Trump’s policy proposal has drawn global criticism amid worries it violates the religious liberty of the world’s Muslims.

Multiple Republican White House hopefuls have rebuked the idea by characterizing it as impractical and unconstitutional. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), meanwhile, criticized the potential ban as antithetical to the Republican Party and conservative values earlier this week.

Trump contended Thursday, however, the idea could find surprising backers.

“I’ve gotten calls from Muslims that are very supportive at a high level,” he said.