The Frozen star isn't on a pile of money & you didn't get it from a neo-nazi message board. Other than that, sure. https://t.co/Y9086tHQSH
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) July 7, 2016
Where is the outrage for this Disney book? Is this the 'Star of David' also?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2016
Dishonest media! #Frozen pic.twitter.com/4LJBpSm8xa
Sometime mid-Wednesday, Jared Kushner, the publisher of the New York Observer and the son-in-law of Donald Trump, took the rare step of penning a letter in his paper.Titled “The Donald Trump I Know,” the letter rebutted a piece written the day before by an Observer reporter who was appalled by the Trump campaign’s now-infamous tweet of an image widely criticized as anti-Semitic and by the nasty treatment she and others Jews have received online from Trump supporters…. Kushner did concede one small point. The offending tweet, he wrote, may have been “careless” ― a word he used twice. It was a rare expression of regret, even if he was copping only to an error in judgement and not, say, an act of malice. Hours later, Kushner was knee-capped by his own father-in-law.
It seems Donald Trump, even when given the opportunity to save himself, just can’t pass up an opportunity to step on his own dick. He was presented with a golden opportunity to categorically denounce anti-Semitism. He could have made it clear he won’t condone anyone in his campaign trafficking in words or imagery that demeans and degrades any class of people. Instead, he punted.
Racism, bigotry, and exclusion 1, American values 0.
My own sense is that Trump isn’t anti-Semitic. With a Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and a daughter who’s converted to Judaism, I find it difficult to imagine that he could harbor ideas which degrade those he loves. The sad reality, though, is that Trump appears willing to employ dog whistles in order to make it clear to racists, anti-Semites, homophobes, and haters of all stripes that he welcomes their support.
If Trump were an introspective man, his self-reflection might paraphrase a certain classic Onion headline: “Why do all these white supremacists keep saying things I agree with?”
He could have stepped up and owned the mistake. He could have made it clear that not only is he not anti-Semitic, he rejects the support of those who are. He could have made it clear that he doesn’t hate, that he welcomes support from all segments of American society…because he wants to be the President of ALL Americans.
He could have done that…but he didn’t…and his flirting with anti-Semitism makes me wonder if (as per history) violence against Jews might be next?
In an eye-popping speech Wednesday night, Trump made it very clear that he did not view the offending tweet as crass or anti-Semitic or even “careless.” If a mistake had been made, he argued, it was in taking the item down.
“Y’know they took the star down,” Trump told a crowd near Cincinnati. “I said, ‘Too bad, you should have left it up.’ I would have rather defended it, just leave it up, and say, ‘No, that’s not a Star of David. That’s just a star!’”
There’s a reason no reasonable, rational person has come out in defense of Trump’s tweet. The image is widely recognized and acknowledged as anti-Semitic. The only people defending it are Trump and his base- people like former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, who
gleefully co-opted the image ― adding a few Israeli flags and Jewish names to hammer home his vile point.
Instead of accepting responsibility, acknowledging the pain caused by the tweet, and promising to do better, Trump doubled down. He and his campaign are claiming the image was found on Microsoft Shapes…clear proof that no disrespect was implied or intended…right???
Hey, if you want to blame someone, blame Microsoft!
1. Deportation Force
— (((Beelzebabushka))) (@viciousbabushka) July 10, 2016
2. Ban on Muslims
3. Torture
4. Birtherism
5. War Crime
6. No EPA
7. No #1A #tcot #UniteBlue https://t.co/JeDjf7NGH3
7 Things You Have To Be OK With To Endorse Donald Trump For President https://t.co/CaWUXZQE9M #tcot #UniteBlue pic.twitter.com/Av4i1CL5sD
— (((Beelzebabushka))) (@viciousbabushka) May 26, 2016
Trump’s apparently been reduced to combing through his library to find similar images that he can use to justify the not-so-very-subtle anti-Semitic nature of his original tweet.
What I find most pathetic about this sad commentary on the state of our idiocracy is that a significant chunk of the American electorate will continue wholeheartedly supporting Trump. The truth is that when you support a bigot, racist, misogynist, and anti-Semite (or someone who at the very least condones such exclusionary thought), there’s no credible way to argue you’re not a compatriot.
Sorry, y’all…but if you condone racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism, you’re a racist, a bigot, AND an anti-Semite…and you can’t blame that on Microsoft.
