White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the difference between Democrats and MAGA Republicans is that Democrats hold racists accountable and MAGA Republicans celebrate them.
Opinion: Republicans’ Endorsement of “White Rage” Undermines Americans’ Economic Well-Being
Understanding the role white rage has played historically in undermining the economic well-being of people of color as well as white Americans is crucial to overcoming racism to create an economy that serves the needs of all.
WATCH: Fox News Guest Claims Slavery Wasn’t a Racist Thing
Now that Joe Biden is president and things are going reasonably well, Fox News has decided to stop talking about political issues. Instead, the network is very focused on Critical Race Theory, an advanced class typically taught at law schools.
But instead of explaining what CRT is, the personalities on Fox stoke racial tension. A large part of this is claiming that America is not and has never been a racist country. During Tuesday segment, a guest even claimed that slavery “wasn’t a racist thing at first.”
Ty Smith, a radio host, told Martha MacCallum:
“America was not founded on racism. Don’t get me wrong. Yeah, there was slavery going on, but slavery itself was not initially a racist thing. It never was about race initially. So to sit there and take it like America was founded on racism is a complete lie. Yeah, there was slavery going on, but slavery was going on in all the world. It never was a race thing, so why are we making it a race thing now?”
There are a number of arguments against Smith’s theory, of course, but he was not making a good faith argument in the first place. MacCallum did little to respond to the claims of the radio host, choosing instead to thank him and move on to her next segment.
See a clip of the comments below, courtesy of the Fox News network:
Fox Guest: "There was slavery going on but itself was not initially a racist thing it never was about race… It never was a race thing so why are we making it a race thing now?" pic.twitter.com/9oBLZwQDQa
Fox News Guest Says the Disenfranchised, Minorities and the Poor Aren’t Worth Paying $15 an Hour [Video]
Over the last few decades, wage growth has stagnated in the country. Democrats have been pushing to change that. Joe Biden said during an April congressional speech, “There should be a national minimum wage of $15 an hour. Nobody working 40 hours a week should be living below the poverty line.”
Conservatives and there media ecosystem disagree. The hosts of Fox News regularly tell their viewers that a $15 minimum wage isn’t worth it. On Tuesday, the network hosted a guest who said that some workers just aren’t worth that kind of pay.
Art Laffer, a Conservative economist was a guest on Sandra Smith’s show. He told the host:
“Yeah, for those people, Sandra, who are coming into the labor force brand fresh –not old-timers who’ve been around for awhile – the poor, the minorities the disenfranchised, those with less education, young people who haven’t had the job experience. These people aren’t worth $15 an hour in most cases.
And so therefore when you have a $15 an hour minimum wage, they don’t get that first job, they don’t get requisite the skills to earn above the minimum wage. And after a few years they become unemployable. And after becoming unemployable, they become hostile, and that what you’ll find is happening is this technology has created an underclass of people who are really just bid out of the labor market and will remain out of the labor market for most of their lives. And this I think is just a tragedy. I love the technology but the technology is replacing the jobs for these people. And it’s a killer. It’s a killer for just the people who need the help the most.”
Watch the offensive comments below, courtesy of the Fox News network:
Fox guest Art Laffer: For those people who are coming into the labor force fresh, not oldtimers — the poor, the minorities, the disenfranchised, those with less education, young people who haven't had the job experience — these people aren't worth $15 an hour in most cases pic.twitter.com/P6R8yATW0D
WATCH: OAN Guest Denies That There Was Actually a Massacre in Tulsa 100 Years Ago
For decades, students in schools were not taught about the 1921 massacre on Black Wall St. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was actually an HBO show, Watchmen, that revealed the truth behind the incident to many Americans.
And now that the history of the event is known, the Biden administration is making sure more Americans learn about it. The president and vice president both spent time talking about the incident this week.
And the light shone on the event has enraged Conservative media outlets that like to pretend that racism no longer exists. On Wednesday night, OAN went as far on having a guest deny the seriousness of the massacre.
Radio host Jesse Lee Peterson claimed, “
And I don’t believe that whole story about what happened in Tulsa. It’s not as dramatized as the race hustlers are making it out to be. I guarantee you they have rewritten history, they have written it to be something that is more dramatic so they can make white people look racist, make them look mean, and so they hate all Black people so they can control the Blacks.”
WATCH: Tim Scott Argues That Systemic Racism Doesn’t Exist by Saying He’s Been Pulled Over for Being Black 18 Times
A big talking point for the current incarnation of the GOP is that racism doesn’t exist. During his recent address to America, Joe Biden talked about systemic racism and how the country might combat the issue.
To Tim Scott, who gave the rebuttal to Biden’s speech, it isn’t all that big a deal. The South Carolina lawmaker said to viewers, “Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country. It’s backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination. And it’s wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present.”
Scott gave a strange explanation for his comments during a Sunday appearance on Meet the Press. He told John Dickerson:
“One of the reasons I have asked to lead this police reform conversation on my side of the aisle is because I personally understand the pain of being stopped 18 times driving while Black. I have also seen the beauty of when officers go door to door with me on Christmas morning delivering presents to kids in the most underserved communities. So I think I bring an equilibrium to the conversation,” he said. “That gives me reason to be hopeful.”
Newt Gingrich: The Real Racists are People Who Make Your Kids Feel Bad About Being White
Joe Biden has notched plenty of accomplishments during his first few months in office. And while he’s reached out to Republicans about his policy goals, he’s been happy to move on without them if they weren’t willing to compromise.
And Fox News is set on ignoring all of the things that Biden has done. Instead, they have focused on cancel culture and Dr. Seuss. And following the Derek Chauvin verdict, Fox anchors have a new goal; convincing their viewers that racism doesn’t exist.
On Wednesday night, Mark Steyn invited Newt Gingrich on his show to discuss racial matters. The former House Speaker had some interesting thoughts about who the real racists are.
Gingrich told viewers, “ I think the first thing to do is to take head-on the realization that what you’re seeing is the new racism. As I think you would point out earlier, you have hospitals that say they’re going to treat people based on racial standing. I mean, that is just plain — first of all, it’s illegal. Second, it is overt racism.”
The arch Conservative continued:
“Republicans have to learn to win the argument about who’s the real racist. The real racists are people like Biden and Harris. The real racists are the people who want to set quotas, mostly, by the way, excluding Asian-Americans. The real racists are the people who want to brainwash your child so that they feel guilty about being born white or being born of mixed background.”
WATCH: Fox’s Greg Gutfeld Says It’s a Good Thing Chauvin Was Found Guilty Even if He Wasn’t
When George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin last summer, there was essentially no one willing to defend him. Even the talking heads on Fox News recognized how clear the evidence was against the officer.
But once the murder trial began, Fox anchors became more willing to come out and paint Chauvin as a victim. Tucker Carlson went as far as saying that it was actually the police officer who was being lynched.
Not surprisingly, some on the Fox panel did not react well the the announcement that Chauvin was found guilty on all 3 charges. And this was especially true of Greg Gutfeld.
The host told viewers:
“I guess so the media could play to the narrative that a miracle America is full of racist rubes to make their viewers feel superior but this wasn’t a divisive case, and I think it’s a contrast between the reality of Americans who were experiencing this all at once and then manufacture an environment of the people who create the news which is that this reflects a racist country, it reflects racial division, it means the cops are all racist, it’s not a bug in the system, is the system itself, that was what was creating the perception of division, everybody agrees that the case was disgusting and ugly, another story being played a lot, I’m glad that he was found guilty on all charges, even if he might not be guilty of all charges, I am glad that he is guilty of all charges because I want a verdict that keeps this country from going up in flames.”
Greg Gutfeld: "I'm glad [Chauvin] was found guilty on all charges, even if he might not be guilty of all charges. I am glad that he is guilty of all charges because I want a verdict that keeps this country from going up in flames." (Note the groans from his Fox News colleagues.) pic.twitter.com/DulsFEMwcO
Meghan McCain Apologized for Aiding Trump’s Racist Rhetoric After Brutal Takedown by John Oliver
Donald Trump did a terrible job of containing the coronavirus once it hit American shores. Rather than taking on any criticism, Trump instead tried to paint COVID as “The China Virus.”
And Trump’s words have been blamed in part for the rash of violence against Asians in the country. When he began blaming the Chinese for the virus, Meghan McCain claimed it was a smart strategy that would help him win votes.
So many found it odd last week when McCain made a Twitter post calling for the end to anti-Asian violence. HBO host John Oliver brutally took down McCain for the hypocrisy on his weekend show. Today, the View host apologized for aiding Trump’s racist rhetoric.
Oliver said during his show, “Oh good! Meghan McCain doesn’t have a problem with it,” said Oliver. “Listen, not to the scores of Asian Americans telling everyone that the term is dangerous and offensive. Instead, gather around and take the word of a white woman who’s dressed like she’s about to lay off 47 people over Zoom.’
Those words might have convinced McCain to post her Monday afternoon apology. The Conservative talking head tweeted, “I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community. There is no doubt Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric fueled many of these attacks, and I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda.”
I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community. There is no doubt Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric fueled many of these attacks and I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda.
Grace Meng Sounds Battle Cry for New Ideal of American Justice and Democracy
Meng’s insistence that “We will not let you take our voice” encapsulates the impetus behind the multiple but absolutely connected struggles for democracy and against repression.
Ted Lieu Celebrates Rise in Asian American Voters, Rebukes Trump’s “China Virus” Rhetoric
Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) pointed to a new study published in The American Journal of Public Health that found former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric led to a rise of anti-Asian sentiment online to suggest that Asian voters cost him the presidency.
“Asian Americans are the fastest increasing group in America, with eligible voters more than doubling since 2000,” Lieu tweeted this morning. “In states like CA, [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] are the 2nd largest ethnic group. The former President attacked & mocked Asian Americans. We voted. He lost. Attack us at your own peril.”
Asian Americans are the fastest increasing group in America, with eligible voters more than doubling since 2000. In states like CA, AAPIs are the 2nd largest ethnic group.
The former President attacked & mocked Asian Americans. We voted. He lost. Attack us at your own peril. https://t.co/iawVRALjZI
Representative Grace Meng Says Trump’s Behavior Led to Increase in Anti-Asian Violence
Former President Donald Trump was often criticized over the last year for his use of the phrase “China virus” to refer to the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes Covid-19. Trump would often employ the phrase in official communications via his Twitter account. It was also picked up by right-wing news outlets like Fox News, which have designed their coverage to explicitly blame the Chinese government for the pandemic and its effects on American life.
Amid all this, human rights groups have expressed concern that the use of the phrase would contribute to an uptick in anti-Asian violence with numerous places around the country reporting random attacks against Asian citizens. A national conversation on anti-Asian violence has taken center-stage again since authorities arrested a gunman who shot and killed eight people and injured one at three Atlanta-area spas. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent.
In the wake of the shooting, Representative Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) has criticized Trump for emboldening racists and stoking violence.
“When I first heard the former president use words like ‘kung flu’ and ‘Chinese virus,’ I was really horrified. And every time he said it, I thought, okay, this will be the last time. He couldn’t possibly continue to use it,” Meng said during an
Tucker Carlson: Immigrants Are Turning the US Into an Ugly, Unhappy Country
Things were not so good for Fox News close to the last election. After 20 years of ratings dominance, Fox began to fall behind MSNBC and CNN. Even worse, Conservative challengers like OAN and Newsmax were coming out of the woodwork.
In response, the network decided to double down on conspiracy theories and racism. No one has embodied that reaction more than prime-time host Tucker Carlson.
Carlson has spent the last two months either downplaying the effectiveness of COVID vaccines or spewing racist drivel. He was at his most bigoted on Wednesday night.
The host asked viewers, “Over the past 30 years, the population of the United States has exploded by nearly 100 million people, mostly due to immigration. Were you even aware that that happened?”
Carlson continued:
“You’re not supposed to say a word about it, as every year the United States gets steadily more jammed with people, and at the same time, more chaotic and less cohesive, as the open spaces shrink, as nature itself recedes in the face of yet another strip mall or apartment complex or fast food outlet to serve the new people. This is becoming a crowded country, and crowded countries are ugly, unhappy countries. Why are we letting that happen? Well, that’s a rhetorical question, of course. No one asked us what we wanted, they just did it.”
The Sheriff Who Said Atlanta Shooter “Had a Bad Day” Has Blamed China For COVID in Facebook Posts
On Wednesday, an Atlanta Sheriff held a press conference about the rash of shootings that left 8 dead yesterday. Rather than show empathy for the victims, Jay Baker seemed to be making excuses for the shooter.
The Cherokee Country cop told reporters, “They got that impression, he did understand the gravity and was fed up and at the end of his rope and yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.”
Cherokee County Sheriff said that it was a really bad day "for him" the Atlanta mass shooter yesterday. What about the 8 people that he killed? Having a bad day does not give a person the right to buy a gun and kill others. pic.twitter.com/V3ywrU9iwv
WATCH: NJ Dem Bob Menendez Eviscerates Ron Johnson During Tuesday Floor Speech
Donald Trump may now be out of office, but Ron Johnson is making sure the stain of Trumpism remains in the Senate chambers. The Wisconsin senator has spent the last few weeks lying about the insurrection, spreading false vaccination info and generally being a massive racist.
Johnson’s behavior has not gone unnoticed by his colleagues. During a Tuesday floor speech, Bob Menendez ripped into the GOP lawmaker.
The New Jersey Democrat began, “Senator Johnson said he never feared for his safety [during the Jan. 6th siege of the U.S. Captiol]. Johnson went on to say that ‘under different circumstances he would have been afraid; had the tables been turned and had those been Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been afraid.’ Is that not racism,’ Mr. President?’ Menendez. My colleague may be ignorant about the pain his comments caused.”
Menendez continued, “
The violent picture they paint of this movement is factually inaccurate. The Black Lives Matter movement is overwhelmingly peaceful. I know many people don’t care about facts these days but it is the truth.”
WATCH: Greg Kelly Says Insurrection Coverage is Racist Against White People
When things don’t go Donald Trump’s way, it is always someone else’s fault. The 45th president spent the entirety of his term painting himself as a victim. And that sense of victimhood has trickled down to Conservative media and Trump supporters.
This week, House Impeachment Managers have laid out a devastating case against the Trump supporters who stormed that Capitol on January 6th. And this has left a lot of people feeling attacked. Newsmax’s Greg Kelly is certainly one of those people. During his Thursday night show, Kelly described the hearing as racist against white people.
The Newsmax host began by asking:
“So what’s going on here? Oh, there is a racial component. Have you noticed? Let’s talk about this, all right? It’s clear to me that there is a racial component. Because right now in America, who doesn’t have much status? White folk. Especially poor, white folk. Especially poor, white people who stormed the Capitol. They should not have done it and I think the rioters should be prosecuted.”
Opinion: GOP Impeachment Strategy is a Policy of Appeasement, Inviting Nazism and Racism into Mainstream Politics
Senate Republicans are now gearing up to acquit Trump in an impeachment trial on the specious rationale that putting a former officeholder on trial is unconstitutional, even though legal scholars, including some from the conservative Federalist Society, have broadly affirmed the constitutionality of such a proceeding.
Opinion: Let’s Not Lose Sight Of The Revolution That Is By Focusing On The Coup That Wasn’t
Too many in America, caught in throes of misinformation and conspiracy theories, are busy slaying mythical dragons rather than engaging in the truly wise, loving, and heroic activities of the real revolution for democracy.
A Jewish Graveyard in Grand Rapids, Michigan Was Defaced With Trump Spray Paint
Donald Trump has always said that he is a great friend to people of Jewish faith. How could he be anti-Semitic, Trump argues, his son-in-law Jared Kushner is Jewish and his daughter Ivanka converted when she married him.
But the president has also been slow to condemn his supporters who have anti-Semitic beliefs. After white supremacists marched in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia chanting “Jews will not replace us,” Trump famously referred to them as “very fine people.”
And now, it seems that some of Trump’s supporters associate his name with anti-Semitism and racism. A Jewish cemetery was recently defaced with vandals spray painting the name Trump on headstones.
Notably the incident took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Trump will be holding the final rally on his campaign in Grand Rapids.
The vandalism was first reported by the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan, who tweeted, “We are appalled by the reported desecration of gravestones at the Ahavas Israel Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI. We are in close touch with the Jewish community and Law Enforcement to investigate this vandalism.”
We are appalled by the reported desecration of gravestones at the Ahavas Israel Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI. We are in close touch with the Jewish community and Law Enforcement to investigate this vandalism. pic.twitter.com/mVeGrlsWxE
61 Percent of Americans Say Trump’s Handling of Protests is Worsening Matters
According to the latest Monmouth poll, 61 percent of Americans say the way President Donald Trump is handling nationwide protests is actually worsening things, not making them better.
“
Most Americans (61%) say that Trump’s handling of the protests has made the situation worse and just 24% say he has made it better. These results are basically unchanged from late June (62% worse and 20% better). Nearly 9 in 10 non-Republicans say Trump has made the situation worse, including 88% who are white, 87% who are Black, and 86% who are of another racial minority group. Republicans and GOP-leaners stand alone in their feeling that the president has made the situation better (46%) rather than worse (30%). These findings are similar to the late June poll results,” Monmouth observes.
Poll: Majority of Americans Believe the Way Trump is Responding to Civil Unrest is Making Things Worse
According to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released today, the majority of Americans believe the way President Donald Trump is responding to civil unrest is making things worse.
55 percent of Americans say they believe Trump is worsening matters as the nation grapples with a slew of protests against racism and police brutality. 29 percent said they don’t believe Trump’s comments have had an effect on protests.
30 percent of Republicans believe the president’s rhetoric is improving things, though 26 percent say otherwise. Among
white, non-college educated Americans, a key voting bloc for the president, just 18 percent believe his rhetoric has been successful and 41 percent say his comments have negatively impacted the national conversation on racial inequity.
Kushner Dismisses NBA Protests, Touts Trump’s “Historic Criminal Justice Reform”
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner dismissed NBA players who’ve opted not to play games as part of a protest against police brutality against Black Americans, saying they are “fortunate” to have enough wealth to “take a night off from work.”
“I think the NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they’re able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences for themselves financially,” Kushner said in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “So they have that luxury, which is great.”
“With the NBA, there’s a lot of activism and I think that they put a lot of slogans out, but I think that we need to turn that from slogans and signals to actual action that’s gonna solve the problem,” he added.
Kushner went on to tout the president’s “historic criminal justice reform,” giving particular mention to the creation of Opportunity Zones, which say states may designate up to 25% of low-income census tracts.
“We just have to take this conversation from an emotional one to a constructive one and say what are the policies that we can agree on,” Kushner said, urging the United States to “come together on a policy platform.”
You can watch Kushner’s interview below.
"The NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they're able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences to themselves financially," says White House senior advisor Jared Kushner on the NBA player boycotts last night. pic.twitter.com/nHlRBNIzaf
Pence’s Chief of Staff Criticizes NBA Boycott as “Absurd” and “Silly”
Marc Short, the Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence, criticized NBA players who’ve opted not to play games as part of a protest against police brutality against Black Americans, calling the boycotts “absurd” and “silly.”
“I don’t know that you’re going to see the administration weigh in on that one way or the other. In my mind, it’s absurd, it’s silly,” Short told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day” when asked if the vice president supports the boycott.
“If they want to protest, I don’t think we care,” he added, noting that the administration shouldn’t speak out on the boycott “one way or the other.”
Last night, @Mike_Pence drew a contrast between an America that continues to hope for more freedoms but also continues to protect our law enforcement vs. an America that would lead to socialism and decline and continue to attack our law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/RlGDZnTo7H
Democratic Rep. Karen Bass: Trump Is a Racist Who’s “Giving License to Racists”
Karen Bass has accused Donald Trump of emboldening racists and of running a racist reelection campaign. The Democratic congresswoman said there’s clear evidence for the President’s own prejudices.
Bass is considered a major contender for former Vice President Joe Biden’s VP nod. She spoke to CNN’s David Axelrod on Thursday about Trump and was asked if she thinks he’s a racist.
“Yes, I do. I don’t think there’s anything new about that,” she said.
“I think he’s second generation, I mean, his father was. They were charged with discrimination, housing discrimination, sued by the federal government.”
“Everything that has come out of his mouth, not just against Black people, I mean, he started his campaign with racist attacks on Mexicans,” Bass went on.
“He’s attacked Native Americans and his latest attacks are on Asian Americans by calling the [Coronavirus] as the China virus. And there has been attacks against the Asian Pacific Islander community. “
“People have been hurt because of his essentially giving license to racists that might have been a little dormant for a minute, but who now feel completely emboldened and empowered.”
Bass added that Trump’s approach to his reelection this year was in part to appeal to racism.
“I’m very clear that the Republican Party has two strategies for this election. And one is to resurrect the ghost of Joe McCarthy and the Cold War,” she said.
“And two is to resurrect the ghost of George Wallace and run a racist campaign.”
Bass pointed to Trump’s recent comments about low income housing in the suburbs and added: “You know, I think that he doesn’t use dog whistles. He uses a bullhorn.”
Follow Darragh Roche on Twitter
Ted Cruz Accuses Oprah Winfrey Of Racism
Ted Cruz has lashed out at Oprah Winfrey after she openly discussed the issue of white privilege in a new interview. The Republican senator accused Winfrey of racism.
Cruz sent a tweet sharing an article from conservative outlet The Blaze slamming Winfrey for highlighting white privilege during an interview on her new Apple TV+ show The Oprah Conversation.
“Billionaire Oprah lectures the rest of us,” Cruz wrote.
Billionaire Oprah lectures the rest of us:
"You still have your whiteness. That's what the term 'white privilege' is. It means that whiteness still gives you an advantage, no matter.”
What utter, racist BS. https://t.co/02PADVJkrZ
Rev. Al Sharpton Slams Trump for Suggesting He’ll “Protect You From the Blacks”
Reverend Al Sharpton expressed his disgust following Donald Trump’s remarks about the suburbs and low income housing. He believes Trump has gone beyond dog whistling.
The President tweeted on Wednesday that he had changed an Obama era rule about low income housing that he claimed was harming house prices and causing crime in suburban neighborhoods.
Sharpton told MSNBC on Thursday that this was clearly a racial message.
“We’ve gone from dog whistling to dog barking now, and hoping that if he barks at the dog, the dog will bark back,” Sharpton said.
“He has made a business and political career out of ‘they are going to ruin your neighborhood. I will keep them out of your neighborhood. I will protect you from the Blacks.’ And that’s what he’s going to hear.”
“In a blatant way with no cover, saying they will ruin your neighborhood. It’s all of that that comes with it, they’re robbers, they’re thieves, they will rape your daughters, that’s what he’s messaging here,” he said.
Sharpton sharply criticized Trump for making the statement as the nation mourns Civil Rights icon and Democratic Congressman John Lewis.
“And what is even more offensive, because those of us in the Civil Rights community that have known him are not surprised by it, but what is so blatantly despicable, Joe, is he does it on the period of time we’re mourning John Lewis, who will be funeralized today,” Sharpton said.
“Not only did he not do anything to say in any serious manner how great John Lewis was, he’s going to use this, that we have three presidents on their way to John Lewis’s funeral, to blatantly play the race card and appeal to what he hopes are the white fears that are still there.”
“This is about as low as you can go.”
Trump Faces Backlash for Commemorating Civil Rights Icon Amid Racial Tensions
President Donald Trump
tweeted
New Poll: 56% of Americans Think the Country Is Racist
A clear majority of American voters now believe U.S. society is racist. This represents a significant trend as protests against the treatment of African Americans continue.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds that 56% of Americans think the country is racist, while a staggering 71% believe race relations are bad at the moment.
Brenda Lee is a pollster who worked on the poll. She thinks George Floyd’s death has affected public attitudes.
“Americans are concerned about issues of inequality, and George Floyd’s death helped contribute to that,” Lee said.
“We’ve moved the needle a great deal in terms of just clearly identifying that we, as Americans, have an issue with racism in this society.”
However, there are major partisan differences on the issue of race – a fact that’s been evident in many similar polls.
While 90% of Democrats believe African Americans are discriminated against, just 26% of Republicans agree.
Republicans are also far less likely to think the country is racist. Just 30% believe that it is, compared to 82% of Democratic respondents.
The survey also showed that a majority of voters – 57% – support the protests sparked by Floyd’s death. These numbers will not be welcome news to President Donald Trump’s campaign.
The President’s Niece Says the Trump Family Often Used the N-Word and Anti-Semitic Expressions
Mary Trump has claimed that members of her family commonly used racist slurs when she was growing up. She says this is partly to blame for Donald Trump’s own racism.
The President’s niece, who has written a book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, gave an interview to The Washington Post on Wednesday.
Trump said her uncle is “clearly racist” and that it stems in part from the Trump family’s regular use of racist slurs.
“It comes easily to him and he thinks it’s going to score him points with the only people who are continuing to support him,” she said.
She said her family had “a knee-jerk anti-Semitism, a knee-jerk racism.”
“Growing up, it was sort of normal to hear them use the n-word or use anti-Semitic expressions,” Mary Trump said.
“Homophobia was never an issue because nobody ever talked about gay people, well, until my grandmother called Elton John [a slur],” said Trump, who is gay.
Trump believes the U.S. government has become a “macro version of my incredibly dysfunctional family.”
President Trump has “an unerring instinct for finding people who are weaker than he is” but he’s also “eminently usable by people who are stronger and savvier than he is,” she said.
Opinion: Lindsey Graham Exemplifies Racist Incoherence Complaining About Monument Removal
Many Americans have been compelled by the recent mass protests to seek a fuller understanding of United States history and particularly the African American experience in that history, up to and including ongoing racism, discrimination, and violence against people of color. Black bookstores in particular are being flooded with orders for literary works that portray African American experiences, historical studies that chronicle U.S. history from an African American experience, and books that offer sociological analyses of race and racism in the U.S. Even Amazon Prime created a category featuring films and television shows about African American life, culture, and history.
U.N. to Debate Systemic Racism and Police Brutality in U.S. Following Call from Entire African Continent
The United Nations’ Human Rights Council will debate systemic racism and police brutality in the United States following a call from all 54 African nations.
“Structural racism and police violence are issues, which are commonly raised by states and civil society at meetings of the council, as are unlawful killings by police and racial bias in policing,” U.N. human rights spokesman Rolando Gomez told Voice of America. “And, the aim, of course, is to prevent such abhorrent acts.”
The announcement comes as protests continue to galvanize millions across the nation to speak out against racial injustice and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis City Council caved to public pressure last week, unanimously passing a resolution to disband the police force with a community-led model.
“The tragic events of 25 May in Minneapolis that led to the death of George Floyd led to protests around the world in protest of injustice and police brutality that persons of African descent face on a daily basis in many regions of the world,” Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the U.N., Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri, said in the formal urgent debate request. “The death of George Floyd is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Many other cases of persons of African descent having faced the same fate because of the origin and police violence exist.”
The United States is not a member of the 47-member state forum in Geneva. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and then-U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley withdrew the U.S. two years ago after alleging bias against Israel.
Opinion: Alicia Garza and William Barber Explain Why Black Lives Matter is the Ultimate Antidote to Trumpism
Recent polling indicates that an overwhelming number of Americans, close to 75%, support the protests, inspired by George Floyd’s murder, against racism and police brutality. This approval, polls reveal, stretches across party lines and racial lines.
Ohio Senator Asks if “Colored People” Who “Don’t Wash Their Hands As Well” Are Responsible for Coronavirus Spread
During a hearing on whether to declare racism a public health crisis, Ohio Senator Steve Huffman (R), who also happens to be an emergency room physician, asked if “the colored population” is more disproportionately impacted by the novel coronavirus because they “don’t wash their hands as well.”
“My point is I understand African Americans have a higher incidence of chronic conditions and it makes them more susceptible to death from COVID,” Huffman said. “But why doesn’t it make them more susceptible to just get COVID?”
Tucker Carlson Rails Against Sesame Street for Anti-Racism Message
Fox News personality Tucker Carlson is facing a wave of criticism after using the classic PBS show Sesame Street as an example of “decades of relentless propaganda.”
“All of it designed to make us feel that we have no right to stand up for ourselves, to stand up for our country,” he said. “We are too sinful to resist, we deserve whatever we get. Shut up and take it, America.”
Carlson said Sesame Street, which was featured during a CNN town hall about the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing protests against racial injustice and police brutality that his death sparked, was teaching children that “America is a very bad place, and it’s all your fault.”
A clip from the event shows Elmo’s dad Louie explaining racism in a way children can understand.
“They are sad and upset, and they have every right to be Elmo. People are upset because racism is a huge problem in our country,” Louie says. “Racism is when people treat other people unfairly because of the way they look or the color of their skin. Not all streets are like Sesame Street. On Sesame Street, we all love and respect one another. Across the country, people of color, especially in the black community, are being treated unfairly because of how they look, their culture, race and who they are. What we are seeing is people saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ They want to end racism.”
“Not all streets are like Sesame Street. … What we are seeing is people saying 'enough is enough.' They want to end racism.”@Elmo’s dad Louie explains why people are protesting across the US. https://t.co/icV04F4FNW #CNNSesameStreet pic.twitter.com/1efrMAzZ8V
Civil Rights Icon John Lewis: Trump “Threatens the Democracy I Spilled My Blood to Protect”
John Lewis has called on the American people to band together and elect former Vice President Joe Biden. The Civil Rights icon made an impassioned plea on Sunday.
Lewis, a Democratic congressman, urged a vote for Biden in an email to Biden supporters over the weekend. He framed November’s election as a last chance to save democracy.
“This President threatens the democracy I spilled blood to protect,” the fundraising email begins.
“Since the day he took office, I’ve witnessed this President turn a blind eye to hatred in this nation and refuse to protect American citizens from violence and discrimination.”
“I watched this President rip newborn infants from their mothers’ arms, put them into cages, and leave them separated for weeks on end. I refuse to let his reign of terror continue.”
“He must be stopped. And we are the only people who can stop him.”
“If – and only if – we band together, will we elect Joe Biden and save our democracy.”
“None of us can do it alone. I know better than anyone it takes a group of people taking a stand.”
“We’re fighting for the very soul of our nation,” Lewis wrote.
“I can’t overstate the urgency of defending our democracy against this dangerous President.”
Senior Democrat Jim Clyburn: Trump Is “An Unadulterated Racist” Trying to “Ignite a Race War”
The highest ranking African American in Congress has branded the President a racist. Jim Clyburn accused Donald Trump of wanting to start a race war with his response to recent protests.
Clyburn is the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. On Wednesday, he offered fierce condemnation of the President.
“In all my public life, I have never put the racist label on anybody until now,” the House Majority Whip said in an interview with The Post and Courier.
“He is an unadulterated racist,” Clyburn said.
He explained that he first started to think of Trump as a racist when the President referred to Omarosa Manigault-Newman as a “dog”.
Clyburn also criticized Trump’s reaction to the George Floyd protests. He added his voice to those who’ve slammed the President for his desire to use military force.
“What I’ve seen him do in the last several days, this man is trying to ignite a race war in this country,” Clyburn said.
The South Carolina Democrat also criticized Trump in an interview on CBS.
“It seems as if the president considers the exercise of one’s First Amendment rights to be carnage,” he said.
“How we define it, generally, he has contributed to it more than any president in my lifetime. I don’t think any president since maybe Woodrow Wilson.”
President Wilson, a Democrat, was a notorious racist.
Rand Paul Delays Anti-Lynching Bill, Saying He Fears It Could Be Used in Cases of “Minor Bruises”
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has delayed anti-lynching legislation, saying “there has to be some give and take” on the measure’s language.
“We want the bill to be stronger. We think that lynching is an awful thing that should be roundly condemned and should be universally condemned. I don’t think it’s a good idea to conflate someone who has an altercation where they had minor bruises, with lynching,” Paul said.
“If you’re gonna call something an anti-lynching bill, but you’re gonna have a new conspiracy charge for someone who has minor bruising, we don’t think that’s appropriate. And someone has to read these bills and make sure they do what they say they’re going to do rather than it be just a big PR effort,” Paul added.
When members of the press asked for clarification on what Paul meant by “minor bruises” and requested he spotlight specific language he wishes to see removed, Paul’s office referred to one of his statements.
Paul’s statement reads: “The bill as written would allow altercations resulting in a cut, abrasion, bruise, or any other injury no matter how temporary to be subject to a 10-year penalty. My amendment would simply apply a serious bodily injury standard, which would ensure crimes resulting in substantial risk of death and extreme physical pain be prosecuted as a lynching.”
Paul’s aides said he’d objected to the measure’s language in recent weeks but that his concerns were sidelined because of the coronavirus pandemic. The current delay comes during an especially tense moment as protests rage across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis and whose killing sent shockwaves around the world.
Pope Francis: Catholics Cannot Tolerate Racism and Also “Claim to Defend the Sacredness of Every Human Life”
Pope Francis commented on the protests that have erupted since George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, saying that Catholics cannot tolerate racism and also “claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.”
“My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life,” the pope said. “At the same time, we have to recognize that ‘the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost.'”
Pope Francis says he is joining the Church in Minneapolis, and across the U.S., “in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”
His full remarks are below:
“I greet the English-speaking faithful joining us through the media.
“Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd.
“My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that “the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost”.
“Today I join the Church in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism. Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends and let us implore the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn. May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world.
“May God bless all of you and your families. “
Opinion: Biden Must Take Up Van Jones’ Challenge, Guidance for Overcoming White Liberalism
CNN political commentator Van Jones recently issued a stark challenge to, and indeed indictment of, supposedly well-meaning White America, speaking in the wake of the police murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and in the midst of mass uprisings and protests responding to the never-ending violence against African Americans.
Opinion: Obama’s Endorsement Challenges Biden, Re-Imagines Presidency for the Future
Last Tuesday, former President Barack Obama gave his much-anticipated endorsement of his former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy.
The endorsement was expected, of course, despite the wait Obama imposed, which seemed likely attributable to his preference to time his speech in the wake of Bernie Sanders’ own endorsement of Biden, creating a crescendo effect.
Justice Ginsburg Hammers Republicans and Supreme Court Majority for Denying Democracy and Reality
A friend of mine who runs his own small law firm texted me the other day after the financial relief package aimed at helping small businesses stalled in the Senate. Worried over his dwindling ability to keep and compensate his employees, he blamed the Democrats and declared he’s voting for Trump. The Democrats showed themselves, once again, to be “out of touch,” he felt, with the reality of American lives.
Donald Trump Jr. Posts Racist “Kung Flu Kid” Meme Starring His Father
The United States now has the highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world at 86,000. As the White House grapples with heavy criticism regarding its delayed response, Donald Trump Jr. took to Instagram to share a racist meme about the crisis.
“Hahahahaha “The Kung-Flu Kid,” he wrote about a clip of his father beating the coronavirus in a brawl.
Hahahahaha “The Kung-Flu Kid” Thanks @americanaf 🇺🇸🤣🇺🇸🤣🇺🇸
A post shared by Donald Trump Jr. (@donaldjtrumpjr) on