Christopher Buckley: Donald Trump is a "demagogue"
Long before Donald Trump actually stepped onto the campaign trail, political satirist and author Christopher Buckley drafted what he imagined would be the business mogul's inaugural address, should he actually become president.
"This is a great day for me, personally. You're very smart to have voted for me," Buckley wrote back in 2000 in the Wall Street Journal.
Fifteen years later, Trump maintains a double-digit lead over his Republican opponents in polls -- this despite his relay of controversial comments since the beginning of his campaign, which Buckley calls "inflammatory" and "disgraceful."
"He maligned the war record of John McCain... then he makes an insulting comment about Megyn Kelly which I wouldn't even repeat on morning TV," Buckley said on "CBS This Morning" Tuesday. "(But) every time he says something, it drives up his ratings."
In his latest comment to spark fury, Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." This comes as the presidential candidate already faces backlash for other anti-Muslim remarks, including his suggestion to shut down mosques, have a "Muslim database," and allegations that Muslims were cheeringin New Jersey after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"I think once again, Mr. Trump has proved that he's not really a serious person. Serious people don't say things like that," Buckley said responding to Trump's latest remark. "Mr. Trump is a demagogue, and demagogues tend to use up all the oxygen in the room."
Buckley borrowed from the words of his father, conservative commentator William F. Buckley, to condemn Trump.
"My late father told me once an old rule is -- never debate with an amateur, they'll kill you every time," Buckley said. "An amateur would just shout and say anything, and it makes rational argument impossible."
The state of the current election cycle has led Buckley to put aside political satire for something new -- religious fiction. His new book, "The Relic Master," tells a comic tale of 16th-century rascal mercenaries who cash in on what they claim are the bones and possessions of saints.
"We've reached a point in this election cycle where American politics are self-satirizing," Buckley said "I don't think they need me."