Republicans must decide if Donald Trump really stands for them

If US Republicans still stand for anything at all, they must come out in opposition to Donald Trump, a man who openly disparages all the values they once held dear, writes Kaushik Basu

President Donald Trump stands for himself and nothing else. When called out for paying almost no federal income taxes, his response was 'That makes me smart,' implying that people who do pay taxes are stupid.  Picture: AP/Alex Brandon

The United States is about to make a choice as consequential as any we have seen in recent history. The US election on November 3 will have global implications as dangerous as the looming climate crisis, or as promising as a major scientific breakthrough that enables shared prosperity. But this depends not on the wiles of nature or the mysteries of science. It depends on US voters.

The election will mark a turning point for the US and the world. The fact that President Donald Trump still has some chance of winning a second four-year term leaves me baffled. Why do Republican voters and leaders support him?