'New York Times' columnist Charles Blow perfectly explains why black people can't ignore Trump's bigotry
During a panel discussion last night with CNN’s Don Lemon and Bruce LeVell, a Trump delegate from Georgia, author and New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow broke down exactly what it is about Donald Trump that makes it difficult for people of color, women, queer people, and the disabled to casually accept those who identify as Trump supporters.
Trump, Blow explained, has shown a consistent pattern of textbook bigotry throughout his campaign, seemingly meant to rile up his supporters. Buying into Trump’s ideas and rhetoric, then, is effectively the same as identifying as a bigot.
“There’s no other way to get around it. Anybody who accepts [bigotry] supports it. Anybody who supports it is promoting it and that makes you a part of the bigotry itself,” Blow said. “Now you have to decide whether or not you want to be part of the bigotry that is Donald Trump.”
“I’m a black man in America. I know a bigot when I see a bigot. You are supporting a bigot and that makes you part of the bigotry that is Donald Trump,” Blow said as LeVell tried to defend Trump. “You are part of the problem that black America faces.”
Blow’s comments were prompted by the panel’s discussion of Trump’s recent attempts at courting the black vote that amounted to little more than him speaking about black people in front of predominantly white audiences.
“You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth is unemployed,” Trump said to a gathering of his supporters in Dimondale, Michigan. “What the hell do you have to lose?”
A CNN points out, it’s unsurprising that Trump made his comments about black voters to a mostly white audience considering that the vast majority of Dimondale’s residents are white. In all likelihood, Trump’s speech was less for black voters considering casting their ballots for him and more to convince the white voters in attendance that he was attempting to reach out to communities of color.