Trump's Words

Donald Trump, 45th President of these United States, is a racist.  He has always been a racist, a trait he likely picked up from his KKK supporting father.  He's learned to keep the racist voice in his head quiet as he navigated his way through the NY business and social scene.  But that voice that we heard during yesterday's self-immolation of a press event was always there.

The most obvious immediate fictional narrative of Obama's election was that we were no longer a racist country because Obama.  In fact, Trump himself became the leading voice of the racist Birther movement - a movement that sought to delegitimize the first African American president as being de facto un-American.

In fact, Obama's presidency got under the skin of the racists in our country, in much the same way BLM does.  Today's racists "have black friends" and "don't see color" but they get very upset when African Americans express agency over their own lives or - the horror! - agency over white lives.

But they had to keep those voices inside their head, like Trump did for all those years.

They won't feel they have to any longer.

The President has made their case for them.  He's let the voice inside his head have the world's biggest microphone.  Everyone else who believes what he believes but has learned not to say it aloud will feel fine saying it aloud.

Fine.  Mark yourself with that.  Put the Confederate battle flag on your truck. Show the world who you are.

The problem is that we live in such hyperpartisan times that even those who might not want to defend Trump on this will find themselves rationalizing their defense.  It was heartening to see so many people - including Fox News pundits - express their dismay at the fact that the President is defending Nazis and Klansmen.  I hope they continue to do so. I have my doubts.  As attacks on Trump increase, the Right Wing Wurlitzer will do the only thing it knows how: creak into action to defend the in-group against "them."

Trump is the loudmouth racist uncle who lives off of Fox News and Alex Jones.  We know this.  We've always known this.  Many of us tried to tell people this.  Being right brings no succor.

His words have made a bad situation worse, at least in the short run.  Our task is to keep a ledger of those who use this moment to excuse or defend the inexcusable and indefensible.