Tellingly, in June last, fewer than six months into Trump's presidency, rising Islamophic sentiment exploded and anti-Sharia rallies were held in some 28 cities across the country.
The marches were called by ACT for America, which the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) watchdog describes as the largest grassroots anti-Muslim group in the US.
Claiming to have more than 500,000 members, ACT for America supports Trump. Its members have campaigned for strict legislation that targets Muslims and refugees in recent years.
Those rallies drew the participation of white supremacists, armed militia groups and neo-Nazis. Yet, participants of the anti-Sharia marches were massively outnumbered by counter-protesters, among them anti-racists and anti-fascists who clashed with the anti-Muslim demonstrators.
Although the anti-Sharia movement was born in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001, critics say Trump has effectively energized it.
Problematically worded questions
Question about Sharia is one of the many problematically worded questions in the GOP survey:
Q. 9 Do you think legal immigration should be reduced until unemployment drops?
Q. 15 Do you think universities today indoctrinate rather than teach students?
Q. 17 Do you trust the media?
Q. 21 Do you hold more socially conservative views?
Q. 22 Do you feel that you cannot publicly admit that you support Trump?
Q. 24 Do you believe that the Second Amendment is unfairly targeted as the reason for increased gun violence?
Q. 25 Do you want to see more done to stop radical Islamic terrorists from coming to our shores?
Q. 26 Do you support President Trump's temporary restriction on immigration from terrorism-compromised countries?
Q. 29 Has illegal immigration had a negative impact on your community?
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