A Racist Against Time. After Time. After Time.

Back in 2018, Trump had a private conversation with Senators where was quoted as disparaging Haiti and Africa, who he called “sh*thole countries.”  He did so in rejecting a bipartisan immigration bill, wondering why we would accept immigrants from such places, rather than – he suggested -- Norway. 

Trump denied saying this.  Of course.  Yammered that it was “fake news” (tm) Trump.  Of course.  And of course he said this.  And the reason I feel comfortable saying “of course he said this” is not because it sounds exactly like something Trump would say (or rather, not just because it sounds exactly like something Trump would say…) and that even an unnamed Senator is universes more trustworthy than Trump on the record – but because Trump not only has repeated this, but far more to the point…he himself has confirmed that he did, in fact, say it in 2018!

On Tuesday night, Trump confirmed in a speech (after years of denying it) that he did call countries like Somalia "sh*thole countries" and wanted more immigration from white countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark!!!  His words.

At the speech on Tuesday, Trump announced “a permanent pause on Third World migration, including from hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries,” at which point somebody in the audience yelled out “sh*thole.” There was laughter, to which Trump replied, “I didn’t say ‘sh*thole,’ you did.”

But then Trump being Trump couldn’t help himself.  And so, he went on.  Never a good thing, especially as his dementia has degenerated, which is what dementia does.  And no doubt his staff was cringing and holding its collective breath, hoping beyond hope that that it wouldn’t get worse.  But, of course, Trump being Trump and unable to help himself, it got worse.  And so, he went on --

“Remember I said that to the senators that came in, the Democrats. They wanted to be bipartisan. So they came in. And they said, ‘This is totally off the record, nothing mentioned here, we want to be honest,’ because our country was going to hell. And we had a meeting. And I say: Why is it we only take people from sh*thole countries, right? Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden – just a few – let us have a few. From Denmark – do you mind sending us a few people? Send us some nice people, do you mind? But we always take people from Somalia. Places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.”

There you have it.  In Trump’s own words.  Out loud.  In public.  No one else’s.  Confirming every single detail that he had repeatedly denied for the past eight years and kept calling “fake news.”

It’s stating the obvious when noting that the only think “fake” about news when it comes to Trump is Trump.

Notable as this story of Trump’s virulent racism is on Tuesday, it was put in even more perspective the very next day.

The brief background is that the Indianapolis Star wrote a story about how a lecturer at Indiana University said “she was punished after she gave a lecture that featured a graphic detailing forms of white supremacy that included the phrase ‘Make America Great Again’.”

That prompted MAGOP Senator Jim Banks of Indiana to post a tweet that read – “Calling MAGA a form of ‘white supremacy’ is disgusting and the kind of rhetoric that sparks political violence. It has no place on our college campuses. Glad IU is addressing it.”

Man, that tweet didn’t age well.

I immediately responded with Trump’s quotes from the night before.  But there was so much more that could have been added.  Like Trump embracing white supremacist groups for his base.  Saying that there are “many fine people on both sides” – when on of those sides was American Nazis.  Telling the white supremacist Proud Boys to “Stand back and stand by.)  Endorsing a candidate for governor of North Carolina who called himself a Black Nazi.  Nominating a man to be head of the White House Counsel staff who has said in public that he admitted having “a bit of a Nazi streak in me.” 

And like VP “JD Vance” knowingly lying about how legal immigrants from Haiti (hey, remember Haiti?!  See above…) were supposedly stealing pet dogs and cats and eating them.  Saying this despite local officials telling him that his racist charge wasn’t true.  And “JD Vance” saying that the reason housing prices were so high is because (bizarrely in his attempt at racist reasoning) that illegal immigrants were buying up new homes which is what was driving up costs.  And just the other day, “Vance” told an interviewer how it was wrong when immigrants don’t speak English and who would want 20 immigrants living next door to them who didn’t speak English because you couldn’t borrow a cup of sugar from them.

And this is the top of the MAGOP.  The party’s leaders.  And you know the expression, a fish rots from the head.

In fact, just yesterday, Rep. Nancy Mace (MAGOP-SC) announced she was entering a bill to change the name of Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. to “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.”  Saying that this is better than honoring a mob.  (For the record, “Black Lives Matter” is not a “mob,” it’s a slogan.  And also a movement.)  It’s tragic that Charlie Kirk was killed.  But trying to re-name this public square in his honor -- especially by removing the struggle of Black lives mattering -- is yet pure MAGOP and yet another Nancy Mace disgrace.  Mr. Kirk was a virulent racist and anti-Semite. And it will be fascinating seeing her try to sell Black lives not mattering in her run for governor of South Carolina.

The examples are massive.  I won’t write a treatise with the list.  Not just from MAGOP leadership and members of Congress, but MAGA rallies that we’ve all seen.  And from the chat room discussion between heads of local Young Republican groups whose texts were recently made public that included praise of Nazis and “I love Hitler.”

No, of course not every member of the MAGOP are racists.  But the Indiana University lecturer wasn’t saying they all were.  Just that in a lecture on white supremacy, one graphic included the phrase ‘Make America Great Again’.”  Which we know – because we’ve seen it relentlessly, and heard it from party leaders – is part of the base of the party.  And rather than condemn the lecturer for pointing this out, Sen. Banks (MAGOP-IN) should have instead condemned the racism that does.

And if Banks refuses to believe it exists, all he has to do is ask Trump, his party leader.  Or just pick up a newspaper to read him admitting to calling black nations “sh*thole countries.”

Or stop a moment to hear the deafening silence.  Because Trump's hate-filled racist rant got zero condemnation from any MAGOP in Congress.  Not a word of criticism from 273 of them.  Including Jim Banks.

It’s not hard to miss.  Unless you’re reading with your eyes closed. And have your ears covered.  And say nothing.

Or you do know, and are okay enabling it.

Further, let it not ever be forgotten the next time(s) Trump and any MAGOPs in Congress try to deny a story and slam the reporter for "fake news".

But in the end, this not about Trump.  We know who he is.  We know he's a racist, anti-Semite, white supremacist pathological liar with dementia that is degenerative, out of his depth and destroying the economy.  We know he called all those African countries, Afghanistan, Haiti "shi*thole countries."  We knew he was lying when he denied it.  He didn't have openly confirm it eight years later.  We knew it.  This is about the elected MAGOPs in Congress -- all the Jim Bankses of the world -- who enable him.