So, after those racist tweets which Trump sent, and then double-downed on, last weekend, it became clear that he was not about to apologize, much less back down.
Was he embarrassed or bothered by the perception that his words were racist? Here is his answer:
“It doesn’t concern me, because many people agree with me,” he said. “All I’m saying is if they want to leave, they can leave now.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to Trump's statements, making clear that she feels he goes on personal attacks because he cannot defend his own policies. And she made the easy link between the "love it or leave it" message, and the historic racism that this message is connected to:
It’s important to note that the President’s words yday, telling four American Congresswomen of color “go back to your own country,” is hallmark language of white supremacists.
Trump feels comfortable leading the GOP into outright racism, and that should concern all Americans.
231K 8:40 AM - Jul 15, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez called Trump’s words the “hallmark language of white supremacists,” and said, “It is extremely disturbing that the *entire* GOP caucus is silent. Is this their agenda?”
Trump claimed that his Sunday tweets "were NOT Racist. I don't have a Racist bone in my body!"
Ocasio-Cortez responded, taking indirect aim both at his intelligence, and at his racism:
"You're right, Mr. President - you don't have a racist bone in your body. You have a racist mind in your head, and a racist heart in your chest," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a tweet.
Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, one of the four women who Trump attacked, also responded:
“He’s launching a blatantly racist attack on four duly elected members of the United States House of Representatives, all of whom are women of color.”
“This is the agenda of white nationalists, whether it is happening in chat rooms, or it is happening on national TV, and now it’s reached the White House garden.”
She went on to add:
"His 'locker room' talk is now Oval Office talk."
Yup. Sounds about right.
Yet once again, we find ourselves facing the largely silent complicity of the GOP. Yes, again, they seem to be giving their silent approval by not speaking out and clearly stating that Trump crossed a line this time. And that has many people wondering if the Republican party itself has crossed a line, growing more comfortable with racism.
A recent poll showing that Trump's approval ratings actually spiked after his racist tweets over the weekend would seem to reinforce this notion.
Are we winning yet?
What's going on in this country? Are we really allowing Trump to speak for us as a nation? Is the GOP trying to promote his message of division and, yes, racism?
It sure seems like it.
They say that the first step in addiction is to admit that you have a problem. And right now, it is clear that many Americans are addicted to racist attitudes, which have proven incredibly stubborn. The fact that the Republican party right now seems willing to encourage racism seems, indeed, to be a sign that racism is indeed alive and well here in the United States. And as this recent poll illustrates, it seems to have the solid backing of one of the two major parties, to boot.
Here are the links to the articles that I used in writing this particular blog entry:They say that the first step in addiction is to admit that you have a problem. And right now, it is clear that many Americans are addicted to racist attitudes, which have proven incredibly stubborn. The fact that the Republican party right now seems willing to encourage racism seems, indeed, to be a sign that racism is indeed alive and well here in the United States. And as this recent poll illustrates, it seems to have the solid backing of one of the two major parties, to boot.
Trump’s Approval Among Republicans Went Up After His Racist Tweets Trump's Approval Among Republicans Went Up After His Racist Tweets By Tim Marcin, Jul 17, 2019:
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/gy4ay3/trumps-racist-tweets-make-republicans-like-him-more?utm_source=vicenewsfacebook&fbclid=IwAR1fzEUlMP3CTp_1QGRW-opgsFODHZ2ROwQbdsKAd3wmJLR78MvMC_uvol0
Ocasio-Cortez fires back at Trump, cites sexual assault allegations Devan Cole byline By Devan Cole, CNN Updated 2:11 AM ET, Wed July 17, 2019:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-trump-tweet/index.html
Trump Doesn't Know How To Defend Policies, Attacks Us Instead by Lisette Voytko, Forbes Staff Breaking News Reporter, Jul 15, 2019:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/07/15/pelosi-will-force-house-vote-condemning-trumps-xenophobic-tweets/#65c32a0b498b
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