To many Americans, myself included, it is terrifying to think that Donald Trump is still leading the polls, despite his ludicrous, outlandish political ideals. From his proposal to build a wall along the southern U.S. border, to his support for defunding Planned Parenthood, Trump is not in any way suited to lead the country. His only experience lies in leading big businesses.

According to RealClearPolitics, Trump has received more than 27 percent of votes, over 5.5 percent ahead of running-mate Ben Carson and almost 20 percent higher than Marco Rubio, the third highest polling candidate. The numbers Trump is currently pulling can be largely attributed to his non-stop media attention since he declared his candidacy in June 2015.

One of the main reasons Trump continues to remain in the spotlight is his outlandish remarks and pokes at fellow candidates.

“Has this attention to Trump driven his poll numbers? Almost certainly. Voters don’t change their minds without new information. No one wakes up and randomly decides on their own that Trump should be the Republican nominee for president. People’s minds change because they hear information they haven’t heard before,” political scientist John Sides said in a Washington Post article.

It’s true. No president has had the guts to declare that they want to build a wall along the border to keep out illegal immigrants.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs, crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people,” Trump said in his June presidential announcement.

Trump fails to acknowledge the innumerable domestic problems in the nation and instead appeals to the impulsive minds of the public with extremist policies.

“The fact that someone so extreme can gain traction in American society is not a trend which we should applaud, or laugh at nervously as we watch the evening news. Trump represents the dangers that nationalism and sensationalism can wreck across a nation, dangers that if left unchecked, will bring ruin to our reputation abroad and at home,” senior Jonathan Hammond said.

The American people should pay attention to candidates’ views as the race for the GOP nomination continues. Our country doesn’t need radical change in the form Trump is advertising. The American people do not need backwards extremist policies – what we do need is forward-thinking to help us progress as a nation – and watching what the candidates advocate is an important step towards that.