Washington, DC – No longer can anyone try to explain away what has long been obvious: Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for President, is a racist.
Even before Trump began his campaign, he was cavorting with the so-called “birther” movement, which was a blatantly racist attack on President Obama. On the day Trump launched his campaign, he vilified Mexican immigrants. He has vowed to ban Muslims from entering the country. It was never about whether Obama had a birth certificate just as it isn’t about whether an immigrant has “papers.” It has always been about the color of their skin.
This past week, Trump put his racism on full display with his attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel – a U.S. citizen born in Indiana – solely because of his heritage. Think about this: Trump declared that a highly respected federal judge, with a record as afearless drug cartel-buster, is disqualified simply because he is “Mexican.” In America in 2016, that should be unacceptable.
As CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Trump about his attack on Judge Curiel, “if you are saying he can’t do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism?” The answer is yes.
The rest of the media should follow Tapper’s lead and continue to pin down Trump’s views and the rest of us must do our part to call out the GOP nominee’s racism as simply unacceptable. Because, that’s what it is.
In addition to Trump’s racism, it is also dangerous that Trump does not believe in the fundamental principle of what it means to be an American. Trump clearly does not believe that Judge Curiel’s family, who embody the American Dream, and millions of families like them, are real Americans.
Every Republican supporting Donald Trump is supporting a racist and wants a racist to become President. It doesn’t matter if Speaker Paul Ryan or Majority Leader Mitch McConnell or another Republicans says they disagree with what Trump said about Judge Curiel. They believe that the same person who thinks one’s ethnicity can disqualify someone from a job and doesn’t believe Mexican-Americans are real Americans, should be President of the United States.
There’s no separating Trump from his beliefs nor the GOP from Trump. They own the whole thing; they get the whole package. They want someone to lead this country who is incapable of treating Latinos and other immigrants fairly. They are actively working to elect Donald Trump and enact his agenda.
This election is now about the America we want to be. One side is making it clear that being a racist is an acceptable choice. We could not disagree more emphatically.
Follow Frank Sharry and America’s Voice on Twitter: @FrankSharry and @AmericasVoice
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