A University of Maryland student journalist compared the unity behind Osama bin Laden’s death to the potential demise of Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy in an editorial titled “Donald bin Laden.”
The op-ed, which was written by senior Daniel Galitsky for the student newspaper The Diamondback, harkened back to the joyous day in 2011 when news broke that bin Laden had been found and killed. Galitsky recalled a sense of unity in the nation after the common enemy was vanquished, and speculated that Trump’s defeat would be capable of producing the same effect as the defeat of the Al-Qaeda leader.
Before he cast Trump as America’s most wanted, Galitsky rolled out a list of infamous figures and establishments such ISIS, Kim Jong-un, and Vladimir Putin, for superficial reasons.
Galitsky said the Islamic State has not produced a “similarly charismatic baddie,” Kim Jong-un’s “face doesn’t quite stir up the same feeling [as Trump’s],” and Putin is “too suave a criminal.”
The young journalist said the animosity for Trump would serve as a gateway for Democrats and “true conservatives” to become allies in Trump’s defeat.
“In turn, he brings together Democrats with ‘true conservatives’ by giving them a common enemy,” Galitsky wrote. “The effort to defeat him becomes a rallying point for the nation.”
Galitsky went on to detail some further similarities between Trump and bin Laden.
“[Trump’s] potential to inflict damage upon the United States is untold,” Galitsky wrote. “He has certainly enjoyed close-ups on all sorts of magazine covers. Both Trump and bin Laden are known for the distinctive features on top of their heads.”
The student ended his editorial with a quote from Trump, reassuring that he won’t be seen again if he loses this year’s general election.
Galitsky did not respond to a request for comment.
