Donald Trump's call for "a ban on all Muslims" entering the US has done nothing to damage his support among Republicans, a poll has revealed.
Despite his remarks in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting causing outrage across the political spectrum, damaging the mogul's global brand and sparking a UK petition to bar him from the country, Mr Trump still leads the Republican race to the White House.
A Saudi prince and billionaire has added his condemnation to the international outcry against the real estate billionaire, saying Mr Trump was "a disgrace" to America.
Yet 35 per cent of Republican voters still back the 69-year-old - with only 29 per cent saying they found Mr Trump's remarks offensive, against 64 per cent who did not.
Mr Trump said in comments on 6 December that he was calling "for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on."
According to a national Reuters/Ipsos poll, 41 per cent of Republican voters were more concerned that Mr Trumps "bluntness" could damage his election chances.
"He's really saying what everybody else is feeling," said Donna Fee, 57, a personal caregiver from Missouri.
"But I really think he needs somebody to calm him down, you know. I really think he needs to learn to use a filter."
In a sign of the sharp polarisation Mr Trump creates, a significant majority of Democrats said they were offended by his comments.
Seventy-two percent of Democrats, and 47 percent of voters overall, said they were offended by his proposal to ban immigrants from joining American Muslims, who make up less than 1 per cent of the population.
And now a Saudi prince has added his own strongly worded criticism, and demanded that the Republican frontrunner withdraw from the presidential race.
"You are a disgrace not only to the GOP [Grand Old Party, another name for the Repulicans] but to all America," Prince Alwaleed, the chairman of Kingdom Holding, said on his Twitter account.
"Withdraw from the U.S presidential race as you will never win," the prince said.
Figures show that 136 people died in mass shootings last year completely unrelated to Islamist extremism, compared to 50 people who have been shot by Islamist terrorists over an entire 14 year period, CNN has reported.
Yet Mr Trump and his stance on Muslims has more than double the support of his nearest rivals in the online poll of 481 Republicans.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson came in second among Republicans with 12 per cent, and US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush tied with 10 per cent.
