There is no doubt that racial tensions in America have been on the rise within the past few years. Three years ago President Donald Trump released his controversial campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” Soon after, Trump’s storm of derogatory, offensive comments about minorities came flooding in.
Trump launched his campaign with vulgar remarks about Mexican immigrants saying that they were rapists and criminals. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best…They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists and some I assume are good people,” Trump said at his campaign launch in June 2015.
Fast forward to about a year ago when Trump made upsetting comments about the protesters in Charlottesville, Va. Protesters wanted the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee removed from their community. However they were interrupted and threatened by aggressive white supremacy and Neo-Nazi groups.
Rather than acknowledging the heightened racial tensions in the conflict, Trump said that “there is blame on both sides.” He then continued to defend the aggressors and condemned the protesters as “very violent.”
In situations like these, our country needs someone who is willing to make solutions that are in the best interest of the people. Deflecting serious issues and making insensitive remarks only cause greater division.
Sophomore Theater Education major Colby Bloomer said “I feel like Trump is promoting racism and promoting division in the country.” This is rampant on social media and with peers. Politics has always been a topic with division based on the political party that you identify with. However conversations have become more intense with Trump as president.
Living in a “red state” really adds to the tension surrounding the topic of Trump and his administration. Controversial symbols such as the confederate flag are often linked to Trump supporters and those who do support Trump are linked to supporting racism.
Dorothy Huther, a senior social work student, agreed that the president’s discriminatory words are contributing to racism.
“He is racist. He is a bigot in every sense of the word. The way that he speaks towards every minority makes it clear that he doesn’t really like minorities,” Huther said.
Everyone who supports Trump may not consider themselves racist, but by supporting him they are supporting his offensive comments and vulgarity towards minorities; therefore supporting racism in America.
According to CNN, when discussing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Trump allegedly referred to African countries, Haiti and El Salvador as “s-hole countries” in January.
“Why would we want all these people from s-hole countries,” Trump allegedly said. Comments like these should not be supported because they oppose what America is supposed to represent. It is comments like these that enforce racism as a norm in 2018 and also create intolerance of other ethnicities and cultures.
“Honestly, I think that he is inducing [racism] a little bit. Just for some of the actions that he’s put out there…and comments that he’s made,” said sophomore business major Macklin Ohs.
Last April, Dyne Suh, an Asian American woman had her Airbnb reservation cancelled by the host because of her race. The Airbnb host texted Suh that she “wouldn’t rent to u if u were the last person on earth.”
The host defended herself with the statement, “It’s why we have Trump.” This proves that Americans are watching Trump and using him as approval to proudly showcase their bigotry.
“I personally believe that he’s protecting racism with all the incorrect and harmful comments that he’s making with no remorse,” said sophomore mathematics student Alberto Palomo-Sanchez.
As a leader, Trump does not demonstrate the qualities of a leader. He exclaims demeaning comments and speaks of nonwhites as inferior. Trump is unquestionably inducing racism in this country and it is causing a divergence between progression and modern America.