Donald Trump is being accused of blatant racism again today, as he compared the impeachment inquiry against him to lynching. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale says, “This is the first time Trump has used the word ‘lynching’ as president, on Twitter or out loud.” This statement from Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) explains why Trump’s characterization is so wrong and so painful.
Kristen Clarke, Pres & Exec Dir., national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law remarked:
A lynching?! 4,743 people were lynched in the US between 1882 – 1968, incl. 3,446 African Americans. Lynchings were crimes against humanity and an ugly part of our nation’s history of racial violence and brutality Sickened to see Trump’s gross misappropriation of this term today
NPR’s Tamara Keith wrote:
This is new rhetoric from President Trump. From “witch hunt” to “coup” to “lynching,” Trump keeps escalating his language. (Clarence Thomas called his confirmation process a “high tech lynching” but there is a big difference between Trump and Thomas)
Just a few months ago, Republicans did find themselves having to defend the president after he made racist comments about Rep. Elijah Cummings Baltimore district. Just a week before that the president was also accused of bigoted comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and the so-called “Squad.” After that incident, attorney George Conway declared that “Trump is a racist president.” We expect to see more of those same sentiments echoed today.