This has been a hell of a week in the United States, politically. Yet somehow, in the last three years and change - ever since the bizarre and, frankly, disastrous 2016 election even well before Trump was elected to the White House - we seem to have grown used to it.
Of course, that has been particularly true since Trump took the White House. There was shock after he actually won the election (even though he lost the popular vote by 2.7 million, let us not forget), but there were plenty of shocks for after he officially took power, as well.
So much has this been the case, that the controversy generated since this weekend, and his ridiculous tweets which smacked of racism. Trump, of course, denied that they were racist. But almost no one outside of his most loyal supporters believes that. Even political allies are less than thrilled, but that likely will not prevent Trump from doing this kind of thing again. After all, does anyone really believe that Trump learned any lessons from this?
Far from it. In fact, it seems almost orchestrated to me, as once again, Trump seems inclined to make this coming election about identity politics, about differentiating whole groups of people who most Trump supporters (who are overwhelmingly white) would view as "outsiders" or "other." That clearly was the case with Trump's comments this weekend, and the knee jerk reactionary assumption that the four Congresswomen are from other countries.
Trump doubled down and suggested that one of them was a terrorist sympathizer, and that all of them hated America, before again suggesting that they should leave this country.
Then, during his rally, his crowd took up the chant of "Send her back!"It was more or less reminiscent of the "Lock her up!" cries towards Hillary a few years ago, although in this case, it was actually advocating for a sitting, democratically elected Congresswoman to be deported to another country all together. It was taking Trump's message farther, and Trump is at least claiming that he was not a fan of the chant.
Funny, because he did not seem to mind during the actual rally. He said nothing, and had clearly been inciting the obviously highly charged Trump supporters in attendance.
After all, just prior to that, Trump had suggested that Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was an anti-American leftist who had spoken in “vicious, anti-Semitic screeds.” It was then that the crowd took up that ugly chant, which is apparently a source of embarrassment even among Trump's fellow Republicans, who fear it might hurt the party's image.
And so Trump did something rare, and criticized his own supporters, for a change.
Does he really believe it? Does he actually care or did he view it with distaste, or was that just a political necessity that he needed to take, and which very conveniently, he can typically divorce himself from the responsibility of and claim that it was out of his control.
Don't believe it. Don't believe him. He is a liar and a shameless opportunist. He incited his crowd, which is already filled with hate and anger, and he directed that hatred towards somebody specific. That much is very clear. And they responded in what is, frankly, a predictable manner. Trump is playing his typical, predictable game, pushing the envelope as far as he can, but being so cowardly and indirect about it, that he can act like the victim, just as he always does. Even if this time, it is his own supporters who apparently put him in an awkward and clearly uncomfortable situation.
Again, though, this man set this up. While he might not be the "very stable genius" that he boasts of being, he is shrewd and capable in his own way, which is manipulation. He knows just the right buttons to push to get serious political support. That is how he got where he is now.
Yet, it is no mystery. It is all too clear what he does, and who he is. Perhaps most importantly, it is transparent who he appeals to, and the racism and anger that follows him everywhere he goes is no accident. It is orchestrated by him, for his benefit.
And to the detriment of the country, and our fast eroding democracy.
Trump Disavows ‘Send Her Back’ Chant as G.O.P. Frets Over Ugly Phrase by Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Maggie Haberman and Michael Crowley, July 18, 2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/us/politics/ilhan-omar-donald-trump.html
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