Trump spits defiance in the face of onslaught

We are seeing a candidate facing the full onslaught of the media, the Establishment, his accusers, the political elites in both parties, the President, the First Lady, and many others.

His response? Trump is spitting defiance, blaming everyone apart from himself for his predicament. It is outrageous and disturbing political theatre.

Some of his remarks about a global conspiracy appear to be anti-Semitic in tone or innuendo.

Yesterday, for example, he railed against a global elite that has "stripped" America of its wealth. He claimed Hillary and Bill Clinton are at the centre of this power structure.

"Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks," he declared, "to plot the destruction of US sovereignty in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends and her donors."

For the respected Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens, Trump has now moved from being a maverick into a much more dangerous political space, calling him a "full-on fascist."

We wait to see if more accusers come forward. Already several women have alleged that Trump was abusive and sexually predatory in his behaviour.

Trump's campaign is in danger of collapse. But his loyalists are standing by him, buying into his nationalist, anti-Washington, anti-Wall Street rhetoric.

It appears he is laying the groundwork for claiming his likely defeat next month is a conspiracy against him; that the system is rigged; that the election was stolen.

To state the obvious, that is extremely dangerous terrain.

If his millions of passionate and angry supporters accept that argument, then Trump is not the only loser. America itself will have lost some if its cohesion and any remaining sense of national unity.

The whole political and party system would be in a state of shock and confusion.