Stephen Hawking Rips Into Trump, Calls Him a ‘Demagogue’

Hawking also spoke of the Brexit issue, saying he hoped Britain would stay in the union.

Stephen Hawking, the man who has the answers to many mysteries of the world, is alarmingly baffled when it comes to Republican nominee Donald Trump. In an interview on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, Hawking said he could not fathom why Trump was popular. When asked to explain the ‘Trump phenomenon’, the scientist simply said “I can’t.”

“He is a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator,” Hawking said in pre-recorded comments on Trump.

Hawking is not the first British public figure to criticise the 69-year-old real estate billionaire. Trump’s comments on Islam – including a claim that Britain has a “massive Muslim problem” – have provoked a backlash in the UK, with British Prime Minister David Cameron among the many politicians weighing in against him. British parliamentarians even debated a potential ban on Trump from the UK – which was triggered by a public petition – for alleged hate speech over his comments.

Hawking, who has previously joked about his dismay at the US presidential race, also weighed in on the Brexit issue, saying he hoped Britons would vote to remain in the European Union when a referendum is held on the issue next month.

Gone are the days we could stand on our own, against the world. We need to be part of a larger group of nations, both for our security, and our trade.

(With inputs from PTI.)