By Katy Higgins
Following steadfast to a code of ethics, the media often resorts to using ambiguous language to describe President Donald Trump’s divisive comments.
But Trump does not use “racially charged” language. He is a racist.
While in a meeting with leaders from both parties who presented a bi-partisan deal on immigration, the president allegedly referred to the nations of Haiti, El Salvador, and countries in Africa as “shitholes,” breaking away from the common etiquette not only of a diplomat but of a decent human being.
“Why do we need more Haitians?” Trump demanded, according to sources present at the meeting. “Take them out.”
His suggested alternative was to accept more immigrants from countries like Norway, a nation comprised almost exclusively of white people.
It comes as no surprise that the man who uttered such a phrase built his political legacy on the back of a sensationalized story that President Obama was not born in the United States. The Donald was no stranger to divisive language when he concocted the malicious and utterly fabricated birther movement. A former hotel executive that worked under the real-estate mogul claims Trump said of a black accountant that he was lazy, but “it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks.”
A group of black and Latino teenagers accused of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989, known as the Central Park Five, was met with a young Donald Trump advocating for swift and harsh judgement before the group had a chance to be seen in front of a jury of their peers. Driven by pure ego and an inability to admit poor judgment, Trump has remained vocal about their guilt as recently as Oct. 2016, despite DNA exonerating all five men over a decade ago.
President Trump entered his 2nd bid for President in Dec. 2015 when he declared that Mexican immigrants were largely criminals and “rapists.”
Though his presidency seems nothing short of erratic, one thing remains the same; he holds true to his deep-seated aversion to non-whites. The “shithole” comment did not finally prove this to be true. No, that happened back in the 1970s when his real-estate company attempted to avoid renting to African Americans, according to FBI records.
When a white-supremacist barreled into a group of counter-protestors at an Alt-Right rally, killing Heather Heyer and injuring others, Trump refused to use his platform to denounce white supremacy, and even went on to claim that there were “very fine people on both sides.”
Suffice to say the President has kept the American people on edge with his near constant attacks on minorities of all color and creed.
Racism is not new to the Oval Office.
Many a president has harbored resentment for people of color. Donald Trump very well might not be that last to have these feelings. What sets him apart from the rest, though, is that he expresses such unwarranted hatred.
Many white conservatives, feeling the power slip through their fingertips, are eager to cast blame on someone. Now a minority, these people had to suppress their racism, instead hiding behind the comfort of the internet to strike up political discourse.
Enter Donald Trump stage right.
Bombastic and crude, Trump stood for everything the racist white minority was waiting for. Suddenly it was safe to merge from their hole and verbally attack people at will. Hate crimes carried out by white males against minorities rose exponentially in 2016, according to FBI data. This is no coincidence.
During the 2016 election cycle, Trump regularly called for violence at his rallies. He even went so far as to assure the aggressor that his legal bills would be covered by then candidate Trump.
This type of blatant disregard for the welfare of a large group of Americans, during and after the election, comes in contrast with every other president since Woodrow Wilson, who was the last openly racist person to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
President Trump’s hate has begotten hate, and nothing can be done to stop him from such demagoguery except to show up to the polls and flip Congress.
— Katy Higgins is a journalism major and reporter
