Donald Trump’s success is frightening: Tony Blair

DonaldTrump'swinsintheU.S.primaryelectionsareworryingandhighlighttherisingpopularityofinsurgentpoliticalmovementsaroundtheworld,formerU.K.PrimeMinisterTonyBlairsaidWednesday.

TrumpsurprisedsomepunditswithhissuccessintheRepublicanSuperTuesdayprimaries,winninginVirginia,Georgia,Tennessee,Arkansas,Massachusetts,VermontandAlabama.RivalTedCruzwoninhishomestateTexasandinOklahomaandAlaska.

ThebusinessmanisknownforhisdivisiveviewsonimmigrationandwaspreviouslyviewedastoomaverickandextremisttosucceedinhisbidfortheleadershipoftheRepublicanParty.

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(CNBC) RepublicanpresidentialcandidateDonaldTrumpspeakstosupportersduringarallyatValdostaStateUniversityFebruary29,2016inValdosta,Georgia.

OnWednesday,Blair,whogovernedtheU.K.between1997and2007,expressedbemusementanddismayatthepopularityofTrumpandotherpolarizingpoliticiansintheU.S.andBritain.

"SometimesIlookatpoliticstodayandwonderifIstillunderstandit,"BlairsaidinaconferenceinterviewattheGlobalFinancialMarketsForuminAbuDhabi.

Headdedthattheriseofsocialmediahadhelpedcreate"insurgentmovementsthatareoftenaroundverypolarizingpoliticalpositions."

"IgetreallyanxiouswhenIthinkthatpolicyisbeingmadebyTwitterfeed,"Blairsaid."Thosethatshoutloudestdonotnecessarilydeservetobeheardthemost."

BlairledtheU.K.'sLabourPartytoalandslidevictoryin1997after18yearsoutofpower,steeringthepartyawayfromsocialismtothecenterleft.

TheformerpoliticianhasexpressedsurpriseattherecentsuccessofmoreleftistpoliticianslikeJeremyCorbynintheU.K.andBernieSandersintheU.S.,doubtingtheirelectabilityascountryleaders.

OnWednesday,hedrewparallelsbetweeninsurgent,populistpoliticalmovementsofboththeleftandtheright.

"Itisclearthatthesepoliticalmovementscantakeoverparties—butcantheywinelections?…Mybetisthatintheend,thepublicasawholeisstillmorecenter-leftandcenterright,"Blairsaid.

Blair'sreputationwashitintheU.K.byhisdecisiontosendtroopsintoIraqin2003,afterdoubtwascastonassertionsthatSaddamHussein'sregimepossessednuclearcapabilitiesandposedarisktotheWest.Nonetheless,hehasgarneredanumberofadvisoryrolesinconflictandpost-conflictcountriesafterleavinggovernment,basedonhissuccessinbuildingapeaceagreementinNorthernIreland.

Thisweek,hewasagaininthespotlightafteranarticleintheconservativeDailyMailallegedhehadusedhisroleasapeaceenvoyforcommercialgain.

BlairdidnotcommentontheallegationsduringtheconferenceinAbuDhabi.However,onTuesday,hisofficepublishedastatementsayingtheclaimswerea"litanyofinventionandmalice."

"TheallegationsthatMrBlairblursthelinebetweencharityandbusinessareabsolutelyfalse.TherearestrictrulesgoverningcharitiesandMrBlairadherestothemcompletely,"itsaid.