“The U.S. is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children …
“No matter our race, color, religion, or creed, we are one America, and we put America first. We will not allow anyone to divide our citizens by race or background. We will not allow them to foment hate, discord and distrust. In every age, there have always been those who seek to lie about the past in order to gain power in the present.”
– Donald Trump, Mount Rushmore National Memorial (July 3, 2020)
As Trump attempts to rally his base around white identity politics, he also aims to distract the public from his administration’s catastrophic response to the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. not only represents 4 per cent of the world’s population, it also accounts for 25 per cent of global coronavirus cases.
Trump led the “birther” movement against former President Barack Obama. He vilified Muslims. Called Mexicans “rapists.” He described those from Africa or Haiti as coming from “s---hole” countries. He gave a stamp of approval to the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville by saying there were “very fine people on both sides.”
Trump has retweeted a video of a pro-Trump procession at a retirement home in Florida where one supporter shouted “white power” twice while pumping his fist in the air. And, he has repeatedly referred to the virus as the "Kung Flu.” He called New York City’s decision to paint “Black Lives Matter” on Fifth Avenue a “symbol of hate” that was “denigrating” to this “luxury avenue.” Simply put, Trump is a White nationalistic racist.
Trump has said he feels no responsibility to understand the anger of Black Americans. Bob Woodward, associate editor of The Washington Post, reported in his book Rage that when he asked Trump if he had any sense as a white privileged person of the anger and pain Black people feel in this country. Trump answered in what Woodward characterized as a mocking and incredulous voice…
"No. You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn't you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don't feel that at all … (Later Trump said) I've done a tremendous amount for the Black community. And, honestly, I'm not feeling any love."
(Janelle Griffith. “Trump said he feels no responsibility to understand anger of Black Americans.” NBC News. September 09, 2020.)
The pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and minority ethnic Americans across the country. Do the math. Donald Trump = racist + COVID-19 denier. Who suffers the most from his spiteful leadership in times of a pandemic? Minorities.
According to federal data obtained by The New York Times, Black and Latino Americans are three times as likely as their white neighbors to become infected, and nearly twice as likely to die from the virus. The NYT had to sue the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to obtain the data; without it doing so, we would not have the full picture of how this pandemic is disproportionately affecting certain Americans.
(Emily Tamkin. “How Trump uses the culture wars as a distraction from the accelerating Covid-19 crisis.” New Statesman. July 08, 2020.)
Why are Blacks and Latinos more likely to become infected and die than Whites? Scientists tell us …
* Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have underlying health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, and this increases their risk of severe illness with COVID-19.
* Racial and ethnic minority members are be likely to live in multi-generational homes, crowded conditions and densely populated areas. This can make social distancing difficult.
* Many people of color have jobs that are considered essential or can't be done remotely and involve interaction with the public. In the U.S., according to the CDC nearly 25% of employed Hispanic and Black or African Americans work in the service industry, compared with 16% of non-Hispanic white workers. Black or African Americans also account for 30% of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. Many people of color also depend on public transportation to get to work. These factors can result in exposure to the virus.
* Access to health care also affects health risks. Members of racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to encounter barriers to getting care, such as a lack of health insurance or not being paid when missing work to get care. In 2017, according to the CDC only about 6% of non-Hispanic white people were uninsured, while the rate was nearly 18% for Hispanics and 10% for non-Hispanic Black people.
* Racism may also play a role in health risks. The stress of dealing with racial discrimination can take a toll on your body, causing early aging. This has been linked to underlying conditions, which can increase the risk of severe illness with COVID-19.
(William F. Marshall, III M.D “Coronavirus infection by race: What's behind the health disparities?” Mayo Clinic. August 13, 2020.)
Trump thrives on the culture wars. He rages against protesters, defends Confederate monuments, and attacks Black celebrities. With his racist demagogy, Trump uses the culture wars as a distraction from the accelerating Covid-19 crisis. He refuses to deal with COVID-19, a horrible virus that especially affects black and Latino Americans.
His goal is to divert attention away from his presidential ineptitude, and he continually employs the politics of race and racism to firm his base for reelection. It is a bigoted, deadly game … the sad result of electing a prejudiced narcissist to the most powerful office in the world.
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