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Stephen Hawking: Trump 'is a demagogue'
| CNN | - |
London
(CNN) As one of the world's most renowned scientists, Stephen Hawking
is regularly called on to help explain the universe's more mysterious
phenomena.
Stephen Hawking: Trump 'is a demagogue'
Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking says he can't explain Donald Trump's political rise.
Story highlights
- Famous physicist says Trump "seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator"
- He also urged Britons to vote to remain in the European Union next month
London (CNN)As
one of the world's most renowned scientists, Stephen Hawking is
regularly called on to help explain the universe's more mysterious
phenomena.
But asked to account for Donald Trump's political rise Tuesday, the British theoretical physicist was stumped.
"I can't," Hawking told CNN affiliate ITV's "Good Morning Britain" program.
"He is a demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."
The Trump campaign did not immediately reply to a message requesting comment.
Frosty response to Trump in UK
Hawking is not the first British public figure to make comments critical of the presumptive Republican nominee.
Donald Trump vs. Sadiq Khan 00:48
Trump's
comments on Islam on the campaign trail -- including a claim that
Britain has a "massive Muslim problem" -- have provoked a backlash in
the UK, with British Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Sadiq Khan among the many politicians weighing in against the businessman-turned-politician.
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: Stay in the EU
Hawking, who has previously joked about his dismay at the U.S. presidential race, also weighed in on the Brexit issue, saying he hoped Britons voted 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," the 74-year-old said.
"There
are two obvious reasons why we should stay in. The first is that it
promotes the mobility of people. Students can come here from EU
countries to study, and our students can go to other EU universities,"
he said.
"More
importantly, at the level of research, the exchange of people enables
skills to transfer more quickly, and brings new people with different
ideas. Without this exchange we would become more culturally isolated
and insular, and ultimately more remote from where progress is being
made."
Hawking also brushed off a
suggestion he had benefited from a surge of interest following actor
Eddie Redmayne's Oscar-winning portrayal of him in the 2014 movie "The
Theory of Everything."
"I had many fans before Eddie Redmayne played me," he said.
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