USA TODAY International Edition
Trump: I’m ‘least racist person’ in the world
President watching as Dems rebut his attacks
WASHINGTON – After 21⁄2 weeks of racially polarizing shots at his opponents, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was looking forward to the Democratic debates at which his tweets on Baltimore and minority members of Congress would likely be addressed. “I think I’m helping myself,” Trump told reporters while defending his recent attacks on African American and Hispanic lawmakers. He said he is pointing out “the tremendous corruption” in cities like Baltimore.
“I think I’m helping myself.” President Donald Trump On recent comments about minority lawmakers
“I am the least racist person there is anywhere in the world,” Trump said in a morning session with reporters. Later in the day, Trump denied that his series of attacks on minority lawmakers were part of a political plan: “I have no strategy . ... Zero strategy.” Democratic presidential candidates
in Detroit argue Trump is stoking racial resentments in a bid to build support within his political base.
On Saturday, Trump targeted Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., when he described Baltimore, part of which is in Cummings’ district, as “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” He also declared that “no human being would want to live there” and that the district is “far worse and more dangerous” than conditions on the U.S. border with Mexico.
Telling reporters “I am watching” the debates, Trump said he sees former Vice President Joe Biden as the favorite for the nomination to oppose him in 2020.
“I think he’ll limp across the line,” he said.
On Monday, Biden said “the fact that President Trump continues to use the power of the presidency to unleash racist attacks on the people he serves is despicable.”
Trump spoke with reporters at the White House both en route and after returning from a speech in Jamestown, Virginia, to mark the 400th anniversary of the first elected representative legislative assembly.
On both occasions, Trump maintained his attacks on Cummings and his home base of Baltimore, saying at one point that it has “been very badly mishandled for many years . ... The people are living in hell in Baltimore.” He also said he would visit Baltimore “at the right time.”
Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young described Trump’s attacks on his city, including a series of tweets in recent days, as “racist” bids for votes.
“We do have our problems, but we are no different than any other American city,” Young, a Democrat, told USA TODAY. “I just think the president should focus more on America as a place where we can live as one nation, not divided by race.”
Tuesday and Wednesday’s Democratic debates in Detroit come amid weeks of racial tensions sparked by Trump.
First came a July 14 tweet attacking members of the “Squad,” a group of four female lawmakers of color who have criticized Trump on various issues. The president said they should “go back” to where they came from, although all are U.S. citizens.
At a July 17 rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump supporters chanted “send her back” in reference to Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a member of the group of freshmen lawmakers and who came to the United States as a child refugee from Somalia.
This past weekend, Trump expanded his attack to include Cummings, an African American and a committee chairman who is seeking financial records from Trump and members of his family. Trump said the Maryland congressman “should start doing some oversight on Baltimore.”
Trump won 12% of the black vote in 2016, according to exit polls, and 11% of the Latino vote. A recent Quinnipiac survey gave Trump a 7% approval rating among African Americans. An additional 79% of African American respondents said they “strongly” disapproved of Trump’s performance.
In other comments Tuesday, Trump defended his new nominee for director of national intelligence, Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas. Democrats say Ratcliffe is not qualified for the job and has claimed experience in terrorism prosecutions that he actually lacks. Trump said Ratcliffe is “a very talented guy.”