Orlando Sentinel

Trump has prejudices, but isn’t racist.

- Jeremy I. Levitt Commentary Jeremy Levitt is the distinguis­hed professor of internatio­nal law at the Florida A&M University College of Law.

I love America and greatly disagree with the dangerousl­y false opinions, observatio­ns and prognostic­ations that are proliferat­ing about this country and President Donald Trump. America is not descending into a bloody race war, and Trump is not a racist.

Trump is a chaotic megalomani­ac with associated prejudices, not a racist. While his impulsive, unpredicta­ble and unproducti­ve behavior often smacks of bigotry, liberals should stop stereotypi­ng and magnifying his behavior through frenzied racialized lenses because they are visionless.

If we are going to have any meaningful discussion on race, we must differenti­ate between racists, bigots and prejudiced people. These terms and labels are not synonyms and should not be used interchang­eably because doing so blurs history, obscures the truth, bloodies discourses and confuses the American public.

We cannot successful­ly address historical and contempora­ry forms of racial inequality and its antecedent­s without fighting fair. Since “Black Lives Matter,” so do the labels we place on those who are antithetic­al to them. Racists believe in their biological and moral superiorit­y over other racial groups. Like most U.S. presidents, Trump believes that he is superior over everyone, irrespecti­ve of race. He is too much of a charlatan to be racist, and too narcissist­ic, pragmatic and unimaginat­ive to buy into fantastica­l white supremacis­t ideology. Bigots are intolerant and odious toward those holding different opinions, particular­ly members of different racial, ethnic, religious and gendered groups. Trump is intolerant and loathsome toward nearly everyone equally, and too strong of a megalomani­ac to be controlled by racist or bigoted ideology and politics. Exit Steve Bannon!

Prejudice expresses itself as preconceiv­ed, irrational and often hostile opinions and stereotype­s based on inferior or insufficie­nt knowledge. Trump’s alleged moral-equivalenc­y uttering about Charlottes­ville, Va., his tweets objecting to the removal of Confederat­e statues, and his comments about Mexicans and other minorities are cases in point. Like many Americans, Trump can be intellectu­ally inflexible, willfully ignorant, insecure and hostile, demonstrat­ing his prejudice on a wide array of issues foremost among them — race politics.

For example, why was President Trump willing and able to condemn “radical Islamic extremists” responsibl­e for the horrid internatio­nal terrorist attacks in Barcelona, Spain, but reluctant to condemn white supremacis­t extremists responsibl­e for ISIS-style domestic terrorism in Charlottes­ville? In a recent tweet, Trump openly endorsed torture and extra-judicial killings to deter terrorism in Spain. Would he also support using torture and summary executions to combat violent white-extremist terrorists in the U.S.? These are troubling paradoxes.

Perhaps the president’s offering an intelligen­t plan for racial unity would bring about needed healing in a nation struggling with a legacy of racial, ethnic and religious division. According to recent FBI hate crimes statistics, blacks and Jewish people are the greatest victims of racial and religious violence, respective­ly. Hate crimes against Muslims are skyrocketi­ng. More than 60 percent of reported victims of hate crimes were targeted because of their race and about 50 percent of all hate crimes are committed by whites.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security determined that white supremacis­t extremists are responsibl­e for more deadly attacks than any other domestic extremist group, with racial minorities being primary victims. Trump needs to reflect on these realities and address them.

For better or worse, Trump’s opinions, values and virtues are shared by millions of Americans, not a fringe element. White supremacis­t speech is protected under the First Amendment. White supremacis­ts can lawfully celebrate a violent losing and treasonous tradition as long as they don’t employ fighting words, commit crimes involving speech or make threats.

While white supremacis­t extremists spew hate, we must advance new institutio­ns and enterprise­s comprised of white anti-racist activists. We need White Millennial­s with an Attitude — WMWA — focused on tracking, monitoring and combating violent white extremism. The NAACP and Urban League must evolve.

We need newer and braver civil-rights organizati­ons determined to lawfully disrupt, dismantle and destroy white supremacis­t extremist groups intent on violently upending our Constituti­on and the laws, values, virtues and principles of these United States.

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