Trump must stop playing with fire
DONALD Trump had said things about women and minorities which disgusted people long before he won the White House but in recent days he has made some of his most concerning comments yet.
His response to the violence in Charlottesville in which a woman was killed when a car was driven into a crowd has appalled not just Democrats but figures in his own party.
His insistence there is “blame on both sides” in the wake of what looks like an act of terror will fuel concerns that although this man knows how to make a fortune in property and reality television he lacks the judgement, decency and sheer common sense required to lead a nation.
Former Presidents George Bush Sr and Jr have together made an extraordinary intervention, stating what should be obvious, that their country must “reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism and hatred in all forms”.
On Monday, Mr Trump had responded to criticism for his initial response to the violence by condemning the “KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups”. His subsequent decision to say there was “a group on one side that was bad” but “a group on the other side that was also very violent” risks implying a moral equivalence between the white nationalist and the counter-protesters.
Was his pride wounded when he agreed to issue the earlier statement in which he condemned racism as evil? Was this an effort to show his aides and his own party that he bows to pressure from noone?
If so, this is a wretched display of vanity at a time when a family is in mourning.
It is just as worrying if Mr Trump believes that a core element of his political base are sympathetic to vile groups that loathe racial equality. Does he believe he will not be re-elected in 2020 if he loses the support of racists?
When segregation is within living memory and the legacy of slavery continues to haunt the United States it is clear that this superpower has a long road to travel before there will be true healing and the establishment of economic and social justice. The case for reform of the criminal justice system is clear and it will take a brave President to confront both the causes and the consequences of a culture of mass incarceration.
If Mr Trump, unwittingly or not, nudges prejudicial views back into the mainstream and contributes to a revival of white nationalism he will have set back the cause of progress with potentially devastating consequences. He may lead the party of Lincoln but he has yet to prove he is worthy standard bearer for its historic values.
Mr Trump won the election in part by addressing the pain of people who felt excluded from modern America, who had tired of seeing jobs go overseas and who worried for their families’ future. He should use the remainder of his presidency to also champion those who for too long have been the victims of deliberate discrimination; his presidency is in need of redemption.