Yesterday, Senator Richard Burr was asked to respond to Trump’s recent attacks on Judge Curiel, which have been widely condemned across the country as the textbook definition of racism. In a bizarre twist of linguistic gymnastics and moral flexibility, Burr was able to simultaneously declare that the comments were inappropriate but saw no reason to reconsider his endorsement of Trump.
Asked why he would not rescind his endorsement, Burr demurred, “If they were inconsistent with things we’ve seen up to this point in the election, I would tell you it might. But I think we’re all sort of used to remarks being made that we don’t expect.”
So let’s break that down. According to Burr, as long as there is a consistent pattern of off-the-cuff racist remarks by Trump, as long as he routinely defies expectations in his commitment to a racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic vision for America that pits all of us against each other, then it is okay.
As an elected official for all North Carolinians, Burr must recognize the real life consequences of Trump’s hateful rhetoric, and, instead of working to elect Donald Trump, he must rescind his endorsement — following the lead of Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), who rescinded his endorsement, Senator Lindsey Graham, who urged other Republicans to rescind their endorsements, and Senators Ben Sasse and Jeff Flake who have remained adamant in their opposition to Trump.
According to Tim Eakins, Director of North Carolina’s Voice, “What’s at stake in this election is a battle for the very soul of America. Trump stands for an America where some people are privileged and others are the problem, and his policies reflect that disturbing view. It’s simply not enough for Senator Burr to express disagreement with Trump’s comments when our core values are at stake. He must rescind his support for Trump, stop working to elect him to the highest office in the land, and end the untenable ‘he’s a racist, but I support him’ explanations.”