Donald Trumps Long History of Racism

Donald Trumps Long History of Racism

According to President Donald Trump, he denies being racist. In contrast, he has consistently asserted that he is “the least racist individual you have ever come across.”

Trump’s factual track record, however, presents a significantly contrasting narrative.

During his campaign, Trump consistently made overtly racist and other prejudiced comments, such as labeling Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists, advocating for a ban on all Muslims entering the US, and implying that a judge should disqualify himself from a case solely based on his Mexican heritage.

This pattern has persisted throughout his term. Since his election in 2016, Trump has continued to engage in racist behavior, ranging from stereotyping a Black reporter to catering to white supremacists during their violent protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. Additionally, he made a joke about the Trail of Tears.

Recently, Trump has referred to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” and “kung flu” – derogatory words that exploit the xenophobic sentiments he embraced during his 2016 presidential campaign. Donald Trump advisor, Kellyanne Conway, has previously denounced the term “kung flu” as exceedingly insulting. Trump implied that Senator Kamala Harris, who is Black, does not fulfill the necessary qualifications to run for vice president. This echoes his previous promotion of the birther conspiracy theory regarding former President Barack Obama.

This is not a novel occurrence with Donald Trump. Trump’s initial appearance in the New York Times was during the 1970s when he was sued by the US Department of Justice for engaging in racial discrimination. Subsequently, he has consistently featured in global newspapers, serving as a catalyst for more like incidents.

This is a breakdown of Donald Trump history taken from an op-ed by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times:

• 1973: The US Department of Justice — under the Nixon administration, out of all administrations — sued the Donald Trump Management Corporation for violating the Fair Housing Act. Federal officials found evidence that Donald Trump had refused to rent to Black tenants and lied to Black applicants about whether apartments were available, among other accusations. Trump said the federal government was trying to get him to rent to welfare recipients. In the aftermath, he signed an agreement in 1975 agreeing not to discriminate to renters of color without admitting to previous discrimination.
• 1980s: Kip Brown, a former employee at Trump’s Castle, accused another one of Trump’s businesses of discrimination. “When Donald and Ivana came to the casino, the bosses would order all the black people off the floor,” Brown said. “It was the eighties, I was a teenager, but I remember it: They put us all in the back.”
• 1989: In a controversial case that’s been characterized as a modern-day lynching, four Black teenagers and one Latino teenager — the “Central Park Five” — were accused of attacking and raping a jogger in New York City. Trump immediately took charge in the case, running an ad in local papers demanding, “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” The teens’ convictions were later vacated after they spent seven to 13 years in prison, and the city paid $41 million in a settlement to the teens. But Donald Trump in October 2016 said he still believes they’re guilty, despite the DNA evidence to the contrary.
• 1991: A book by John O’Donnell, former president of Donald Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, quoted Trump’s criticism of a Black accountant: “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. … I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.” Trump later said in a 1997 Playboy interview that “the stuff O’Donnell wrote about me is probably true.”
• 1992: The Donald Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino had to pay a $200,000 fine because it transferred Black and women dealers off tables to accommodate a big-time gambler’s prejudices.
• 1993: In congressional testimony, Donald Trump said that some Native American reservations operating casinos shouldn’t be allowed because “they don’t look like Indians to me.”
• 2000: In opposition to a casino proposed by the St. Regis Mohawk tribe, which he saw as a financial threat to his casinos in Atlantic City, Donald Trump secretly ran a series of ads suggesting the tribe had a “record of criminal activity [that] is well documented.”
• 2004: In season two of The Apprentice, Trump fired Kevin Allen, a Black contestant, for being overeducated. “You’re an unbelievably talented guy in terms of education, and you haven’t done anything,” Trump said on the show. “At some point you have to say, ‘That’s enough.’”
• 2005: Trump publicly pitched what was essentially The Apprentice: White People vs. Black People. He said he “wasn’t particularly happy” with the most recent season of his show, so he was considering “an idea that is fairly controversial — creating a team of successful African Americans versus a team of successful whites. Whether people like that idea or not, it is somewhat reflective of our very vicious world.”
• 2010: In 2010, there was a huge national controversy over the “Ground Zero Mosque” — a proposal to build a Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan, near the site of the 9/11 attacks. Donald Trump opposed the project, calling it “insensitive,” and offered to buy out one of the investors in the project. On The Late Show With David Letterman, Donald Trump argued, referring to Muslims, “Well, somebody’s blowing us up. Somebody’s blowing up buildings, and somebody’s doing lots of bad stuff.”
• 2011: Donald Trump played a big role in pushing false rumors that Obama — the country’s first Black president — was not born in the US. He claimed to send investigators to Hawaii to look into Obama’s birth certificate. Obama later released his birth certificate, calling Donald Trump a “carnival barker.” The research has found a strong correlation between birtherism, as the conspiracy theory is called, and racism. But Donald Trump has reportedly continued pushing this conspiracy theory in private.
• 2011: While Trump suggested that Obama wasn’t born in the US, he also argued that maybe Obama wasn’t a good enough student to have gotten into Columbia or Harvard Law School, and demanded Obama release his university transcripts. Donald Trump claimed, “I heard he was a terrible student. Terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?”

@mamagotsomethingtosay

#TRUTH IN HISTORY MATTERS#BLACKS GIVE THEIR STORIES ABOUT TRUMP#TRUTH IN BLACK HISTORY MATTERS#KNOW THE TRUTH#TRUTH IS REALITY

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Here goes a list of racist incidents and comments while Trump was president-

• Trump launched his campaign in 2015 by calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” who are “bringing crime” and “bringing drugs” to the US. His campaign was largely built on building a wall to keep these immigrants out of the US.
• As a candidate in 2015, Trump called for a ban on all Muslims coming into the US. His administration eventually implemented a significantly watered-down version of the policy.
• When asked at a 2016 Republican debate whether all 1.6 billion Muslims hate the US, Trump said, “I mean a lot of them. I mean a lot of them.”
• He argued in 2016 that Judge Gonzalo Curiel — who was overseeing the Trump University lawsuit — should recuse himself from the case because of his Mexican heritage and membership in a Latino lawyers association. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who endorsed Trump, later called such comments “the textbook definition of a racist comment.”
• Trump has been repeatedly slow to condemn white supremacists who endorse him, and he regularly retweeted messages from white supremacists and neo-Nazis during his presidential campaign.
• He tweeted and later deleted an image that showed Hillary Clinton in front of a pile of money and by a Jewish Star of David that said, “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!” The tweet had some very obvious anti-Semitic imagery, but Trump insisted that the star was a sheriff’s badge, and said his campaign shouldn’t have deleted it.
• Trump has repeatedly referred to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as “Pocahontas,” using her controversial — and later walked-back — claims to Native American heritage as a punchline.
• At the 2016 Republican convention, Trump officially seized the mantle of the “law and order” candidate — an obvious dog whistle playing to white fears of Black crime, even though crime in the US is historically low. His speeches, comments, and executive actions after he took office have continued this line of messaging.
• In a pitch to Black voters in 2016, Donald Trump said, “You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?”
• Donald Trump stereotyped a Black reporter at a press conference in February 2017. When April Ryan asked him if he plans to meet and work with the Congressional Black Caucus, he repeatedly asked her to set up the meeting — even as she insisted that she’s “just a reporter.”
• In the week after white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, Donald Trump repeatedly said that “many sides” and “both sides” were to blame for the violence and chaos that ensued — suggesting that the white supremacist protesters were morally equivalent to counterprotesters who stood against racism. He also said that there were “some very fine people” among the white supremacists. All of this seemed like a dog whistle to white supremacists — and many of them took it as one, with white nationalist Richard Spencer praising Trump for “defending the truth.”
• Throughout 2017, Trump repeatedly attacked NFL players who, by kneeling or otherwise silently protesting during the national anthem, demonstrated against systemic racism in America.
• Trump reportedly said in 2017 that people who came to the US from Haiti “all have AIDS,” and he lamented that people who came to the US from Nigeria would never “go back to their huts” once they saw America. The White House denied that Donald Trump ever made these comments.
• Speaking about immigration in a bipartisan meeting in January 2018, Trump reportedly asked, in reference to Haiti and African countries, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” He then reportedly suggested that the US should take more people from countries like Norway. The implication: Immigrants from predominantly white countries are good, while immigrants from predominantly Black countries are bad.
• Donald Trump denied making the “shithole” comments, although some senators present at the meeting said they happened. The White House, meanwhile, suggested that the comments, like Trump’s remarks about the NFL protests, will play well to his base. The only connection between Trump’s remarks about the NFL protests and his “shithole” comments is race.

@usualantifa78

Replying to @stephenhermansen3 I’ll show you more than one. #TrumpisaRacist #Cult45

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On November 9, 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump won the election against Democrat candidate Hilary Clinton. On January 20, 2017, he took the oath of office and became the 45th president of the United States.

Prior to this, Trump had alluded to running for president ever since the 1980s. However, he maintained his occupation as primarily a businessman, so many were stunned that he made good on his word to run in 2016.

Today, he’s left a legacy with his pledge, “Make America great again,” and is a man that piques many’s curiosity.

If you’re interested in learning more about Trump, then keep reading. Here’s a thorough biography detailing his life.

Donald J. Trump: Place of Birth

On June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York City, Mary Anne MacLeod and Fred Trump had their fourth child: Donald John Trump. Mary Anne was an immigrant from Scotland who was a homemaker, and Fred was a Bronx-born man with German parents.

Fred worked as a successful real-estate developer, which served to set the Trump family up for success. In fact, he exposed Donald Trump to the real estate world from a young age; Trump would work for the business during summers. Fred also instilled a strong work ethic in his son and emphasized the importance of being tough and assertive in business.

Donald J. Trump: Education

Donald Trump grew up in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens, New York. From kindergarten until seventh grade, he attended Kew-Forest School, which was a private preparatory school in Queens.

Here, he was an energetic and assertive student. However, Trump had a reputation for being a mischievous and strong-willed child who often challenged authority figures.

In 1959, Mary Anne and Fred decided to send 13-year-old Trump to the New York Military Academy (NYMA), a private boarding school. This was to help him get more discipline and structure in his life. He excelled academically at NYMA and was also involved in various extracurricular activities, including sports.

Donald J. Trump: Higher Education

In 1964, Trump graduated from NYMA, then enrolled at Fordham University. After two years, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Trump graduated from Wharton with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1968. This degree would prove useful for his future endeavors in real estate in business, as it provided a solid foundation of knowledge.

After he graduated from Wharton, Trump joined the family real estate business. He had early involvement in managing properties, which then set the groundwork for his future success as a real estate mogul.

Donald J. Trump: Real Estate Career

Trump started working at his father’s real estate company Trump Management in 1968. Within three years, he quickly became the president of the company, which he renamed “The Trump Organization.”

Trump demonstrated his ambitious vision and business acumen with his larger real estate projects in Manhattan. He ordered the renovation of the Commodore Hotel in 1976, which was derelict at the time. In 1980, it reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel New York, and showcased his talent for reimagining properties and turning them into profitable ventures.

In the same year, he had the Trump Tower built, which finished construction in 1983. This lavish 58-story skyscraper served as both a residential and commercial hub. It acted as Trump’s primary residence for 36 years.

Donald J. Trump: Decades of Ups and Downs

From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, Trump had a number of successes, yet faced many financial challenges as well. He was demonstrating his capabilities as a real estate developer, and his reputation continued to grow.

However, he faced significant debt and even the threat of bankruptcy, thanks to overleveraging. Luckily, he was able to rebound by focusing on his casino ventures in Atlantic City. He created Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza Hotel, and Trump Castle, which expanded his empire but simultaneously brought on more debt.

During the 1990s, he continued to diversify his business interests. He branched into entertainment, airlines, golf courses, sports teams, and the Miss Universe pageant. This was in addition to the Mar-a-Lago estate he acquired in Palm Beach, Florida in 1985.

Most notably, he established the Donald J. Trump Foundation in 1988. This foundation gave its funds to sports and healthcare charities, but would go on to close its doors in December 2018.

Donald J. Trump: “The Apprentice”

In 2004, Trump experienced a surge in popularity when he became a cast member on the show “The Apprentice.” He appeared as a sharp-tongued and no-nonsense CEO who evaluated and eliminated contestants who vied for jobs at one of his companies. Many will remember his signature catchphrase, “You’re fired!”

Because this reality TV show brought Trump into the public spotlight, this significantly boosted his brand recognition. It led to licensing deals, such as Trump-branded clothing, accessories, and a board game.

The success of “The Apprentice” prompted Trump to publish several books too. One of his most famous ones is “The Art of the Deal,” which further solidified his reputation as a shrewd businessman.

Donald J. Trump: Media and Entertainment

Beyond “The Apprentice,” Trump dabbled in a few forms of media and entertainment. For example, you’ll find him in many films and TV shows, making cameos.

He was also a frequent guest on the “Howard Stern Show” and hosted his own talk radio program called “Trump!” for four years (2004-2008).

Donald J. Trump: Family

Trump has been married three times and has five children.

He first married Czech model Ivana Marie Zelnickova in 1977. Their children are:

• Donald Trump Jr. (1977)
• Ivanka Trump (1981)
• Eric Trump (1984)

Trump met his second wife Marla Maples in the late 1980s. However, he first divorced Ivana in 1992 and then married the actress and television personality in 1993. Together, they have one child named Tiffany Trump (born in 1993).

His second marriage ended in 1999, and he met his third wife in 1998. Trump married Slovenian model Melania Knauss in 2005, and their son Barron was born in 2006.

Donald J. Trump: Worth

The Trump family was worth around $200 million in 1982, meaning Trump himself held a decent share of that amount. An FEC financial disclosure report in July 2015 revealed that his net worth was around $10 billion.

As of July 30th, 2023, Forbes estimates Trump’s net worth to be around $2.5 billion, which is 1,217th in the world.

Donald J. Trump: Politics

Trump initially registered as a Republican in 1987, but has switched political party affiliations several times to Independent, Reformist, Democrat, and unaffiliated.

In 2000, he briefly ran as a Reform Party candidate but withdrew in February. Then in 2011, Trump alluded to running against Barack Obama in the next year, but said he wouldn’t do so in May.

In June 2015, Trump officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination. His 2016 presidential election campaign focused on anti-establishment rhetoric, immigration reform, and promises to revitalize the American economy (“Make American great again!”).

Initially, he faced skepticism from the media, as well as the political establishment. Considering how Trump often mentioned that he’d run for president but never actually followed through, the skepticism was understandable.

Admittedly, he had unorthodox campaign strategies, but when paired with his unfiltered communication style, it all ultimately paid off when Trump seemed to resonate with a significant portion of the electorate.

In July 2016, Trump secured the party’s nomination after outperforming his opponents during the Republican primaries. He then went on to beat Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton.

Donald J. Trump: Presidency

President Donald J. Trump served from 2017 until 2021. While his presidency was marked by a mix of accomplishments and controversies, there’s no denying his achievements.

His administration achieved significant tax reform, deregulation, and appointments of conservative judges. In addition, he emphasized an “America First” foreign policy, meaning he focused on renegotiating trade deals with a more isolationist stance.

Challenges during his time in office include some investigations, including a Special Counsel one. Trump sparked some controversy too, especially with his rhetoric on immigration and the COVID-19 pandemic. His bold and unfiltered statements on social media also polarized public opinion.

Although he was impeached in 2021, Trump still announced his bid for the 2024 presidential election in November 2022.