Trump Surges In Polls Despite Vowing To Kill Everyone Who Votes For Him

RALEIGH, NC--Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s increasingly heated rhetoric does not seem to be scaring off his supporters, according to a new Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday. The poll shows Trump climbing to 27 percent, good for first place, despite last week’s frightening promise to kill everyone who votes for him.

Trump made the promise at a campaign rally in Raleigh, NC.

“I will kill every single person who votes for me,” Trump told the enthusiastic crowd. “I will murder you all. You, you, you, you….even you, the little old lady with the Make America Great Again baseball cap. You’ll all die, and I’ll dance on your graves. And don’t think I’ll stop there. I’ll go after your families, too. And dogs and cats. That is my vow to you, if you vote for me.”

After the crowd interrupted with a raucous, extended ovation, Trump continued.

“I know a lot of politicians stand up here and make promises that they can’t keep, but that’s not me. When I say I’m going to do something, I mean it. And believe me when I tell you, every one of you people will be dead – dead – if you vote for me. So only vote for me if you don’t want to live anymore, because I will kill you.”

The crowd gave another enthusiastic ovation and chanted Trump's name as he left the stage.

His vow was roundly criticized from within his own party, with rival nominees taking to Twitter to voice their disgust. Jeb Bush, far behind in the polls, took the opportunity to lash out at Trump at a campaign stop in Iowa.

“It is completely unacceptable for Donald Trump to threaten to kill his supporters,” Bush said to the sparse crowd. “That kind of rhetoric is counterproductive and does not reflect the values that made America great. I personally am offended by it. Look how angry I am. Are you getting that, camera 2? This is my angry face. And frankly, if he’s going to kill anyone, it should be Muslims... Anyone? No? I thought you guys hated Muslims. Ah, I give up.”

Ted Cruz scolded his rival as well, but also chided the liberal media for blowing the matter out of proportion.

“Mr. Trump’s comments were inappropriate and unnecessary,” Cruz told Fox News today, “and I think he’s owes some people an apology. Having said that, the liberal media has blown this way out of proportion. If Hillary Clinton said something like this it would barely register. Heck, last week she stomped a kitten to death and then smeared the blood all over her face at a rally in Des Moines, but that barely gets a mention.”

Pundits were at a loss to explain Trump’s appeal after the most recent controversy, and were shocked that his campaign has lasted this long. For many, the realization is starting to creep in that Donald Trump could be the Republican nominee for President.

“I don’t understand any of this,” said Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer. “It’s inexplicable. Do these people want to die? He’s really serious about this, and people are still supporting him. I mean I guess I kind of get it in a way. I’d rather die than vote for Ben Carson, too, but still.”

While most Trump supporters insist they don’t want to die, they do appreciate the candidate’s candor and bluntness in an age of political correctness and talking points.

“Most candidates come in and pander to you,” said Cody Boyd, 47, who attended the Raleigh campaign event. “They tell you what you want to hear, butter you up, and recite some bland talking points. But Trump really shoots from the hip. If he wants to kill us all, he just says it. Contrast that to Marco Rubio, who clearly wants to murder every single one of us, but instead stands there and tells lame ass stories about his father the bartender."