Trump. Talks like a White Supremacist, acts like a White Supremacist; he must be one. Photo: Gage Skidmore–Flickr.
In the wake of Friday’s horrific murders of 50 Muslims worshipping at two mosques in New Zealand the White House claims Donald Trump isn’t a White supremacist after the suspected mass murderer Brenton Tarrant called Trump “a symbol of renewed White identity.”
Trump is “a symbol of renewed White identity” for racists right here in America as well. White American bigots support Trump with their votes, voices—and violence.
Trump apologists who say he isn’t racist must answer this: why do White supremacists love Trump?
On Sunday, White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney stated, on Fox News, “The president is not a White supremacist. I’m not sure how many times we have to say that.” Apparently, Mr. Mulvaney thinks just saying Trump isn’t a White supremacist makes it so.
Are we supposed to forget Trump launched his presidential campaign championing the bigoted Birther ideology—which claims America’s first Black President Barack Obama isn’t a real citizen? Are we to forget Trump characterized Mexicans—and all Latinos by extension—as “rapists” and “drug dealers” who bring “crime and disease” to America? Perhaps, Mulvaney would also have us believe Trump’s call for a Muslim travel-ban had nothing to do with racism?
Let’s us never forget Trump called the Charlottesville White supremacists who killed Heather Heyer “very fine people.”
Mulvaney was forced to make his flimsy denial because White Australian terrorist Tarrant, 28, stated in his online manifesto that Trump was “a symbol of renewed White identity and common purpose.” Tarrant’s murderous rampage took the lives of 50 people at the Al Noor Mosque, and the Linwood Mosque, in the Christchurch area of New Zealand. Tarrant, who livestreamed his carnage on Facebook, was charged with murder on Saturday.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Tarrant as an “extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist” who was trying to “create an atmosphere of fear” to “incite violence” on members of the Muslim faith. Authorities say Tarrant hasn’t been traveling outside of Australia since his father died in 2011. During a trip to France, Tarrant allegedly complained of seeing an “invasion” of immigrants in France, and the rest of the West, by “non-Whites.”
President Trump downplayed the rise of right-wing racist terrorism exemplified in Tarrant’s attack. But statistics show White terrorism is on the rise around the world—and here in America.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “the number of White nationalist groups, those particularly electrified by Trump’s presidency, surged by almost 50 percent – from 100 groups to 148 – in 2018.”
“The numbers tell a striking story – that this president is not simply a polarizing figure but a radicalizing one,” said Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “Rather than trying to tamp down hate, as presidents of both parties have done, President Trump elevates it – with both his rhetoric and his policies. In doing so, he’s given people across America the go-ahead to act on their worst instincts.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center also noted that “President Trump has opened the White House doors to extremism. Not only consulting with hate groups on policies that erode our country’s civil rights protections, but also enabling the infiltration of extremist ideas into the administration’s rhetoric and agenda.”
Ironically—or willfully—only hours after the New Zealand attack, Trump said “Congress’ vote to deny the crisis on the southern border is a vote against reality…People hate the word ‘invasion,’ but that’s what it is. It’s an invasion of drugs, criminals, and people…in some cases, they are killers.”
Trump’s decision to use the word “invasion,” as Tarrant did, is incendiary—and dangerous. It is likely not accidental Trump used it hours after the New Zealand attacks. Isn’t this Trump’s way to give a wink and a nod to White racists that he has their backs even if they commit murderous atrocities?
In fact, there are times when Trump seems to be openly encouraging violence from supporters. In his mind, perhaps, this is the only way he can remain relevant to his base.
For example, in an interview last Wednesday, with Breitbart News, Trump said “You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny. I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher. OK? I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump—I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough—until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.”
What exactly is Trump expressing when he says, “until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad?” Isn’t his claim that right-wingers don’t “play it tougher” an open provocation for more violence? Moreover, what was he hinting at when he said he had “the support of the police” and the “support of the military?” To do what?
At many rallies, Trump has praised violence. There are many such incidents to chose from. Here are a few.
On May 24, 2017, The Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs was reportedly body-slammed by Montana Republican Greg Gianforte because Gianforte didn’t like being questioned by Jacobs. At a support rally for Gianforte, Trump complimented the Montana congressman saying, “any guy who can do a body slam, he is my type!” At a Las Vegas rally, in February 2016, Trump said of a protester “I’d like to punch him in the face.” And, in July 2017, Trump told police on Long Island, New York “please don’t be too nice” when they were arresting suspects—this in America where Black people are constantly being brutalized by police.
Now, Tarrant isn’t the only White supremacist murderer who talked about immigrant invaders.
On October 27, 2018, accused murderer Robert Bowers killed 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Bowers made delusional claims about a supposed “White genocide,” and on the day he perpetrated mass murder complained that the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) “likes to bring invaders that kill our people.”
The language of “invaders” and “invasion” is one that is tactically used by politicians to capitalize on the anxiety among Whites regarding racial demographic changes. America will soon be a majority non-White nation.
At the same time Trump was complaining about Africans “from shithole countries” he fantasized about getting White immigrants from nations like Norway. Trump knows he has a significant base of support among those who are fearful of non-White “others.” This is why he called the Charlottesville racists “very fine people,” while pretending not to know who David Duke was.
Sadly, ever so often politicians and pundits are debating whether Trump is racist. If Trump was caught on tape using the n-word professional spin-doctors, like White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, would probably still claim Trump isn’t racist. The evidence says he is.
Trump was sued by the Justice Department twice, first in 1973 and in 1978, for housing discrimination against African-Americans—where he directed subordinates to mark C, for colored, on the housing applications of African-Americans. In the Central Park Five case, Trump took out full-page ads in all four major newspapers in New York City demanding the reinstatement of the death penalty. Even after DNA evidence exonerated them, and New York City paid the men a multi-million dollar settlement, Trump continued to vilify these innocent men.
In a 1989 interview with Bryant Gumbel, Trump said “A well-educated Black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated White in terms of the job market.” According to author John O’Donnell, a onetime president of Trump’s Plaza Hotel and Casino, Trump once complained about a Black accountant saying “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys wearing yarmulkes.” O’Donnell also alleges that Trump said, “laziness is a trait in Blacks.”
For some time, its been obvious Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric is causing chaos—and violence—in America. Brenton Tarrant’s New Zealand mosques attacks tells us Trumpian racism is inspiring international racists too.
