The reticence at which Trump protests the violence and hate shown towards Jews is concerning. The statements he delivers after these hate crime incidences are robotic and emotionless. It’s as if his primary goal is to not alienate anti-Semites rather than comfort victims and their families.
The Executive order that Trump signed in December was a weak gesture in the fight against anti-Semitism. It reiterated an already existing fact that Title VI protects Jews from discrimination. It called for governmental agencies to address the issue of anti-Semitism without the implementation of a federal task force. As with many issues, the President makes statements that pander to supporters, without presenting a plan. He uses his snake-oil sales approach to policy hoping his supporters will not hold him accountable to his word.
White Supremacist groups heavily support Trump and his policies. The Muslim ban, calling migrants “dangerous caravans, and saying there were “good people on both sides” of the neo-Nazi March in Charlottesville are just a few of the racist dog-whistles that the President has sent. Are these statements evidence that Trump is a racist, or do they prove he will say anything to keep the support of that portion of the electorate? Could both points be correct?
If either of these speculations is right, Trump as president is a dangerous proposition for Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, and gays. The office of the president has the loudest microphone in the world. What he says matters. What he does matters. The actions he doesn’t take matter.
Trump has not honored his oath to be the president of all people. Many of his policies and speeches are geared towards pleasing his base instead of solving critical social issues facing all Americans. When Obama announced that Trump was not an ideologue, was he warning us that he would govern to keep power while ignoring laws or principles?
Trump could quickly end these racist suspicions about him. He could announce that he is president for all Americans of all races and religions. He could stop demonizing immigrants and asylum seekers as he combats illegal immigration. He could look straight into the camera and deliver the following speech
” I denounce all forms of racism, including White Supremacy, neo-Nazism, and anti- LGBTQ activists. I do not acknowledge the legitimacy of these organizations. I will continue to lead the country guided by the Constitution’s declaration that all people are equal. I will support legislation to declare war on racism. I have a Jewish daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids. Anti-Semitism is a personal insult to me.”
Trump spends an excessive amount of time inserting himself into areas that are not the business of a president. Instead of attacking NFL players, entertainers he doesn’t like, child environmental activist Greta Thunberg, and windmills, he should keep focused on solving the epidemic of racial hate crimes and saving American lives.
