US presidential hopeful Donald Trump today gave an interview to Piers Morgan where the headline was his claim that British Muslims were covering up extremism in their communities. It was swiftly dismissed.
But in his ITV Good Morning Britain broadcast also made two other remarks worthy of inspection: that by independent verification the property tycoon is "very intelligent" and that he has "many friends that are Muslims".
Firstly, the billionaire TV star felt the need to burnish his intellectual credentials when asked whether British people who wanted to see him banned from the UK should be "terrified" of his presidency.
Trump said:
“Well I don't think too many are, I mean honestly, I'm a very normal person, I happen to be intelligent, very intelligent I guess based on certain results that I get at doing things."
Quite what "certain results that I get at doing things" are remains unclear.
And when arguing British Muslims need to report extremism more often, he offered the line many do when about to criticise a social group.
“I have great respect for Muslims, I have many friends that are Muslims, I'm just saying that there is something with a radicalised portion that is very, very bad and very dangerous. One of the things I say is, you have to turn people in.
Some will question that building a wall on the US-Mexican border undermines both claims.