Trump’s recent exchange with reporter April Ryan at last Thursday’s press conference has generated a ton of criticism.
Criticism that has been far too kind.
I saw Trump’s presser referred to as a “scream of consciousness.” I agree, but the presser included a scream of something else: racism.
In American politics these days, the unofficial rule is that as long as a politician doesn’t go so far as to use the “N” word, the press won’t use the “R” word. I will: Donald Trump is a flat-out, screaming racist. Racism is the only explanation for his exchange with reporter Ryan, his past birtherism, and countless other remarks. I remember an interview years ago in which he spoke of his “great relationship” with “the Blacks.” The Blacks? Really? Does Trump believe that all Black Americans think and feel the same way, or that they sit around a 40 million-person dinner table to discuss whom they like and don’t like?
Trump’s exchange with Ryan made his past statements look tame. For those who did not see clips of it, Ryan asked Trump if he intended to include the CBC is discussions about his agenda for addressing urban policy. When Trump appeared not to know what the CBC was, Ryan asked: “Are you going to include the Congressional Black Caucus…” Trump’s response: “Well, I would. Tell you what, do you want to set up a meeting? Do you want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours? Set up a meeting.”
On so many levels, those questions are offensive, insulting and racist, especially taking into account Trump’s tone, which reeked of disrespect. Would he make the same request of a White reporter? Would he make the same request if the Congressional reps were White? Would he surmise that White Congressional reps were friends of a White reporter simply because of their common skin color?
Trump knows he does not need a go-between to set up a meeting, especially one with members of Congress. That meeting, by the way, already had been requested by the Congressional Black Caucus. Why, then, did he make the request of Ryan in the first place?
When Trump made his request to reporter Ryan based on the supposition members of the CBC were “friends” of hers, what was he really saying? On that front, the first three words in Trump’s response to Ryan, “Well, I would,” have received little attention yet are so telling. Ryan’s question was a yes or no question. Trump is in the process of developing an agenda for addressing urban policy. He has purported to make it a priority. But when asked whether he intended to included the group of Congressional reps whose electorate would be most impacted by Trump’s urban agenda, he did not reflexively answer “yes.”
Reflect on that for a moment. If Trump were engaged in discussions regarding his policy on Israel-Palestine, and were asked if he was seeking input from Jewish leaders, would he respond by saying he would meet with those Jewish leaders if the reporter would set up the meeting? Would he ask the reporter if the Jewish leaders were friends of the reporter? Of course not. But, when it comes to his urban policy agenda, the input of Black leaders who most represent the population of America’s urban centers, Trump “would” be willing to meet with them if a reporter took the initiative to arrange the meeting. How big of him.
Ironically, Trump’s response to Ryan followed a gratuitous statement in response to a prior question (from a different reporter) that he was the “least racist person.” I’m guessing he believes he can prove that by providing a list of all the “Black friends” he has.
Collectively, Trump’s statements scream of racism, with or without N word use. Actually, there are reports of out takes from the Apprentice in which he was recorded using the N word. There is pressure to have those released. But why should we even care? If Trump did not use the N word in those out takes, he’s nevertheless shown himself to be a racist through other public statements. If he did use the N word, it merely would confirm something we already know. Either way, nothing changes.
My prediction: We’ve not seen the worst of Trump’s inner-racist. He has neither the self-awareness nor the self-control to conceal it. If he does well, he’ll resist the urge to use the N word publicly. But in the end that won’t be enough. Sooner or later, his racist mind will develop a thought that reveals his true feelings for all to see, and that weak filter between his mind and his mouth won’t keep it out of the public sphere.
as bad as the situation is in the black community the latino community situation right now is worse. woman and children are hiding in churches seeking sanctuary from the ice storm troopers. do we put up with the new nazism? the liberal democrats watch without fighting back. I and hopefully most here will refuse to sit on federal jurys until this attack on defenseless woman and children is stopped! their are many other ways to fight back as brown lives matter too!
I agree, but does it matter? It’s the same fight. If you expose Trump’s racism towards Black Americans, it hampers his ability to persecute Muslims and immigrants as well.
bob the situation in the immigrant community is desperate right now as bad as things are in the black community their woman children are not nearly as in danger right now. I am not saying black lives are not in danger just not as endangered right now.
bob the situation in the immigrant community is desperate mothers and their children are being rounded up like nazi germany. hopefully the african-american community will not get this desperate under are fuhrer trump and his nazi republican henchman. no more paster nemollers now!
How do you know a liberal is dead? He stops accusing you of being a racist.
Keep screaming at the top of your lungs because if Trump gains among Black voters in this next election, Dems are in big trouble.
And to think this was done during Black History Month. Donald doesn’t know
how bad his racism is viewed. Nor does he care. He’s an ignorant fool.
IMPEACH NOW! We need to play hardball and have our government officials start following and enforcing the laws that everyone, that isn’t a millionaire, is held accountable .
Well said!
Impeach Trump for what?
For breaking his sworn oath to the Constitution by blatantly violating the Emoluments Clause? Not the Ryan & McConnell have any copulations (keeping it clean here) to give about that. At least as long as Trump signs off on their horrible agenda of getting rid of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, all in the service or more tax cuts for people and entities that don’t need them.
Once he fails to deliver on that then say hello to President Pence.
On edit that’s supposed to read “…service of more tax cuts… Nobody’s fault but mine.
That’s okay, I knew what you meant…
“For breaking his sworn oath to the Constitution by blatantly violating the Emoluments Clause?”
The last I heard that was a dead issue. Did I miss something?
“At least as long as Trump signs off on their horrible agenda of getting rid of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, all in the service or more tax cuts for people and entities that don’t need them.”
That’s not going to happen. Even with everything seeming to go their way, they would not be that stupid. They like being in office too much.
“Once he fails to deliver on that then say hello to President Pence.”
That wouldn’t bother me at all. A President Pence would work out just fine!
No, it’s not a dead issue, at least outside the right media/blogosphere.
I wouldn’t say that’s not going to happen. Republicans have been trying to kill Social Security since it’s inception in 1935. And Medicare along with Medicaid since 1965(?). What the Republicans would really like to do is kill those programs and blame the fallout on the Democrats. Remember the past elections when the Republicans cynically campaigned on Democrats wanting to kill Medicare and Medicaid since the Democrats were wanting to replace Medicare Advantage with straight Medicare since Medicare has lower costs? Their main beef with those programs is that they’re successful government programs and that runs counter to “government can’t do anything right so we must privatize” philosophy.
A President Pence is troubling since he’s signed onto the Republican domestic agenda. And he strikes me as part of the American Taliban.
“And he strikes me as part of the American Taliban.”
There is no such thing as the “American Taliban”. I have not heard of a single incident in America where the throats of the opposition were cut on live television to make a point. I have not heard of a single incident where young girls were forced to stay home on the threat of death rather than go to school because women should not be educated. I have not heard of a single instance where homosexuals were murdered by the GOP because they were gay. I have not heard of a single incident where a woman was stoned to death because she had committed adultery. I could go on, but you get my point. The Taliban are terrible people who commit extremely violent acts in the name of their religion and have done so since their inception by Mullah Omar. We have nothing of comparison here in America, and you minimize the true evil of the genuine Taliban by throwing the term around so loosely.
“I wouldn’t say that’s not going to happen. Republicans have been trying to kill Social Security since it’s inception in 1935.”
Don’t you think the GOP could have killed Social Security by now if they were genuinely of a mind to do so? It has been 80+ years. They have had numerous opportunities to do it and Social Security is still with us. I think that is one of the perenial lies carried forward by generations of leftists to frighten the elderly into supporting the democrats.
“A President Pence is troubling since he’s signed onto the Republican domestic agenda.”
Yes, he would be for the left. I think he would be rather effective at getting the job done AND he wouldn’t be near as controversial as Trump. That would be a dealy combination for the plans of the leftists. Right now, leftists are having things handed to them on a platter by the outrageous antics of Trump. Pence is much more subtle and knows how Washington works. From my perspective, Pence would be better than Trump, so impeachment of Trump is not really a big threat.