With her wonderful turn of phrase — a “basket of deplorables” — Ms. Clinton sparked some outrage by describing half of Trump supporters as bigots and racists. Subsequently, she both stood her ground and walked back the comment somewhat by suggesting that 50% may have been too high of an estimate.
While I wouldn’t recommend this as a helpful question for Ms. Clinton to pursue (as a campaign matter), it did remind me of a good faith question I’ve long had: Can any Trump supporter not be considered a racist and bigot?
I ask, in part, because like many I have family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors who support Trump. Some are openly racist, but most (by far) are not. A good number of them also get furious and offended when they are called racists for supporting Trump. It is a complaint that Mr. Trump himself has exploited.
But . . . it is undeniable that Mr. Trump has led a campaign fueled by appeals to racism, bigotry, xenophobia, misogyny and prejudice. Ms. Clinton did a terrific job summarizing this case, and I won't try to repeat everything here. Nonetheless, without much effort, it is easy to recall that Trump:
- has chosen to staff his senior campaign management with the “alt-right,” racists of Breitbart fame;
- has openly courted and maintained support from White supremacists;
- refused to condemn the KKK or David Duke during a CNN Sunday morning interview;
- delights in repeating the most egregious and misleading stereotypes of African-American communities;
- has campaigned on insults and slurs against Hispanics and Muslims;
- has proposed banning or employing religious tests for Muslims traveling to the U.S.; and
- has repeatedly made crude, sexist remarks about female celebrities and reporters.
I mean . . . nobody is reasonably unaware that Trump is running one of the most xenophobic, bigoted and “White rights” major party presidential campaign in U.S. history. Which leads me back to my original question:
In what sense is it possible to be a Trump supporter and not be a racist yourself?
For me, the answer is: No, they are all racists, bigots, etc. too, including my friends and family members, etc. I don’t see how a person can decide — Mr. Trump reflects my agenda, gains my support — and somehow distance himself or herself from what those policies and agenda entail. How can a person be aware of all of the above, still decide to vote for Trump, and not be a racist too?
I ask because I see so many people (actually, only White people) struggle over this question and even some non-Trump supporters get offended by the charge. Indeed, I can't count the number of times I have watched someone on TV talking about someone who is clearly racist . . . . but the person then demurs: “I don't know if he is a racist. I can’t look into his heart.” How did racism become the only character trait that requires a coronary angiography before any judgment call can be made?
But I would be curious to hear others weigh in. And just to be clear — I am not trying to estimate the number or percentage of Trump supporters who are racist. I am saying that given all that we know today, then definitionally and evidentially you are racist if you support Mr. Trump.
Is it unfair to call most or all Trump supporters racist? Is there some defense or separation that I don’t see?
Two further points for any subsequent discussion.
1. I recognize that there is a potential danger in diluting the dangerous nature of hardcore racists by labelling too many people as racists. On the other hand, maybe that is not true. I’ve known some hardcore racists and they are uniquely dangerous. But that is mostly because of the depths that they would go, and frequently their threat of actual and/or immediate violence towards non-Whites.
By contrast, the average Trump voter may be considered an “institutional racist” — someone who perpetuates racism in societal institutions and relations, and whose racist behavior may be accompanied by a lot of passive inattention, denial, and exclusionary behavior. But, if you consider history, this latter group is typically responsible for inflicting more damage on more people in a more lasting way. So, is there any reason to coddle or differentiate them?
2. The counterargument du jour today is to argue that many Trump supporters are not racist, but economically scared. Personally, I don’t buy it and see little evidence of that whatsoever. Thankfully, recent reporting has come around on this point. If that remains your argument though, please back it up with some support. I think this has become an easy crutch to look the other way and not confront the true number of racists that we have in the U.S. population. But maybe others have some compelling evidence.