Ever since Donald Trump’s first term as president, the country has realized that there are a few things that are not all there about him. However, recent reports from a former aide to the Trump administration note that he’s getting worse with his unhinged statements and illogical outbursts. Let’s see how bad it’s gotten.
Already Espousing Problematic Points of View
In Trump’s initial White House bid, he already courted some questionable political elements, including extremists from the conservative party. As time went on, things got worse.
The insurrection at the Capitol saw Trump in communication with radical elements of the Republican party that tried to bring about the collapse of democracy in favor of their political choice.
Racist Supporters Seem To Be the Norm
While Trump himself may not seem like a racist, a lot of his supporters openly embrace racist rhetoric and don’t even bother to hide it under social acceptability as some racists do.
From a radical racist hate group like The Proud Boys to celebrity artists like Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), who spouts openly antisemitic rhetoric regularly, he’s not in the greatest of company.
Former Aide Says It’s Getting Worse
Sarah Matthews, a former aide to the Trump Administration, claims that the former president is getting even more unhinged when it comes to embracing the radical racist ideology that forms part of the GOP support base.
Matthews quit after the January 6th insurrection and spent some time writing and editing the president’s speeches. She says that the rhetoric he’s using now is more than simply alarming.
Marked By Controversy
Several controversies marked Trump’s first four years in office. Some of these stemmed from his statements, but others were because of some of the people he associated with.
Matthews noted that the statements he makes now are a lot different from the first time he was elected president. Some of the things he’s said have deeply racist undertones, such as his stance on immigration.
Compared To Hitler
In the 1930s in Germany, Adolf Hitler’s strong anti-immigration stance hid a deeper, more sinister message. Matthews believes she’s seeing some of the same undertones in Trump’s speech.
Similarly to Hitler, Trump’s rhetoric seeks to stir up those who hear it and militarize them against an influx of immigrants that may threaten their way of life. Trump’s supporters are already fertile soil for this type of message.
Conservatives Balk At This Change in Tone
Trump’s support in the GOP has taken a significant hit because he pandered to the more radical elements of the party. Many Republican party members outright refuse to vote for him if he ends up on the ballot.
There has been a push in some states to make sure he never wins the primaries. Legal action has been started in some states to remove Trump from the primary ballots because of the January insurrection.
The Fight For Democracy
Many GOP members have said that the fight to keep Donald Trump out of office is a fight for democracy. The January insurrection shows he’s not above underhanded dealings to remain in power.
Trump is such a looming specter to some GOP members that they are considering voting for the Democrats’ candidate. Drastic measures like this can only be justified when facing Donald Trump.
Is Trump So Bad and Racist?
Supporters of the former president are quick to point out that his cabinet comprised a diverse set of individuals. Trump also appointed black judges to the bench, so talk of him being racist seems absurd.
Yet, despite these appointments and his personal relationships with people of different races, his campaign rhetoric has heavily racist undertones. He’s also shown that he doesn’t respect the Constitution.
An Anomalous Spike in Hate Crimes
FBI crime data supports the point of view that Trump’s presence on a national platform and election as president has increased the number of hate crimes committed in regions where Trump won the vote.
This uptick in racist hate crimes is the second largest in the last 25 years of recording, with the highest spike happening right after 9/11. It paints a bleak picture for the US under Trump.
It’s Not Just Being Elected
While some might state that we only need to worry about this if Trump gets elected, the statistics spell out a different reality. It’s not only about Trump being elected we have to worry about.
According to statistics collected by the Anti-Defamation League, the incidence of racist hate crimes rose in areas where the former president campaigned, even before he was elected to the White House.
Why So Many Racist Hate Crimes?
It’s tempting to point to the supporters of Donald Trump as racist and tie this to the incidence of hate crimes, but this is a generalization. Not all of his supporters are racist or are inclined to hate crime.
Yet, enough of them are. And his rhetoric can cause people who are not racist to think along those lines simply by listening to him speak on a public platform.
Experimental Proof Of His Influence
A study done in 2017 by Tufts University discovered that people who were just listening to the racist rhetoric would have discriminatory thoughts even if they didn’t have any racist tendencies to start with.
The problem that faces any study, especially one like this, is that Americans have a very fluid definition of racism. Some of the things Trump says that some would consider racist, others would simply consider as fact.
What Should We Do?
Some would be happy to see Trump no-platformed, but censorship is never the way to go in these cases. Bad ideas can only be defeated by good ideas when hashed out in the light of day. Trump’s rhetoric has a beneficial side-effect, though – it helps point out the racists in the crowd.
Yet his rhetoric has gotten far more radical since his last election campaign. This campaign might see a much more radical voter base emboldened by his rhetoric. It’s up to law enforcement and the authorities to make sure his campaigning doesn’t descend into racial violence.
