President Donald Trump's critics often accuse him of using fear to mobilize his base.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden said of Trump in a speech on Monday:
"The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America. So now, he's trying to scare America."
Such was the case in a bizarre interview between Trump and far-right Fox News host Laura Ingraham, in which Trump repeated the racist threat that under a Biden administration, "low-income communities" would move into suburbs, endangering "suburban housewives."
The President said that Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) would be in charge of the operation.
Watch below.
"You know who's going to be in charge of it? Cory Booker. That's going to be nice" -- Trump is barely trying to conceal his racism pic.twitter.com/y1sqIcxOIU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 1, 2020
Trump said:
"So you have this beautiful community in the suburbs, including women, right? Women. They want security. I ended where they build low-income housing project right in the middle of your neighborhood. I ended it. If Biden gets in, he already said it's going to go at a much higher rate than ever before. And you know who's going to be in charge of it? Cory Booker. That's going to be nice. OK?
Trump was referring to the Affirmatively Further Fair Housing rule (AFFH), which was enacted by the Obama administration to enforce existing provisions in the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
The specter of "low-income communities" is considered by many a dog whistle to mean people of color, especially since poverty disproportionately affects racially marginalized communities.
It's unclear where Trump got the idea that Cory Booker would somehow be in charge of the rule's enforcement, but people have an idea of why Trump is repeating it so often.
Trump is trying to use the Willie Horton strategy with Cory Booker (if I lose, scary Black men are going to assault you).
Meanwhile, @CoryBooker is the least threatening person on earth. The republicans are basically saying all Black men are dangerous.
pic.twitter.com/AhACxbUecF
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) September 1, 2020
In response to Trump's baseless claims, Booker's former campaign photographer—Kevin Lowery—shared photos of Booker embracing those he met along the trail of his 2020 presidential campaign.
I took almost 180,000 photos of Cory Booker in 1 year of working on his campaign and after going back through the archive I can guarantee at least 20% are of him giving hugs to people. So, a thread of my favorite hugs—
reply with your Booker bear hug photo if you have one. pic.twitter.com/Mxym5olCG9
— Kevin Lowery (@kevloweryphoto) September 1, 2020
Immediately falling into the crowd to hug after an event in Iowa. pic.twitter.com/8uOn1SHYzG
— Kevin Lowery (@kevloweryphoto) September 1, 2020
With Maria in New Hampshire, who came to see us every time she could. pic.twitter.com/q7Kl72udoa
— Kevin Lowery (@kevloweryphoto) September 1, 2020
he hugged @vvaldiv this time and never stopped telling her how great she she is pic.twitter.com/KmxfQZ6pI5
— Kevin Lowery (@kevloweryphoto) September 1, 2020
“Thank you for your love," she said as she hugged him tightly. pic.twitter.com/Y2L73N4xwp
— Kevin Lowery (@kevloweryphoto) September 1, 2020
one of the many times he and @KamalaHarris reunited on the trail and had a big hug pic.twitter.com/j7DyEm4a92
— Kevin Lowery (@kevloweryphoto) September 1, 2020
Both Booker and his partner—acclaimed actor Rosario Dawson—praised the tribute.
Kevin I love you my dear friend. Thanks for sharing these hugs. https://t.co/cyZsbOVihK
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 1, 2020
Thank you Kevin for so encapsulating the man I love. W/ CAB now looking through all these beautiful photos & getting sentimental. He's regaling me w/ stories about each hug...Thank you all for the impact you made in his campaign of love. We see you. We love you. https://t.co/zkUklwE7aS
— Rosario Dawson (@rosariodawson) September 1, 2020
They weren't the only ones.
adding what may be my favorite picture ever taken 🥺 https://t.co/qGOLJ7UrPC pic.twitter.com/dpVdxsnO8b
— selena zhang (@selenaa329) September 1, 2020
This was a thread I didn't know I needed.
Thanks @kevloweryphoto & @CoryBooker https://t.co/Dtlgh0P0cq
— Fredrick Doss (@FredrickDoss) September 1, 2020
We all want @SenBooker in our neighborhoods! https://t.co/0Zv8scsrqN
— TLove 💛🐝 🌊🌊🌊 (@t_marie326) September 1, 2020
Booker is a vegan who made headlines in 2012 when—as mayor of Newark, New Jersey—he saved a woman from a burning building next to his home. During his presidential campaign, he emphasized the need for kindness and good faith rhetoric.
People pushed back against Trump's implication that Booker is supposed to be scary because he's a Black man.
Ah yes, Cory Booker, a guy so threatening that he was elected the head of the Oxford Jewish society despite being a Baptist.
What is about Cory Booker that causes Trump to mention him in an interview where he also warns of people in dark shadows, and thugs in black uniforms? https://t.co/PdEN96X9mo
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) September 1, 2020
Watch out folks!
Cory Booker is coming to your neighborhood! pic.twitter.com/D2TkvI2rBx
— #BLM Jillian Hurley (@BeautyBind) September 1, 2020
This is the Cory Booker that I know. A man who rescued a dog from the freezing streets of Newark. @SenBooker pic.twitter.com/7Ml5dgbYjI
— Lorenzo The Cat (@LorenzoTheCat) September 1, 2020
Cory Booker, Stanford graduate, Rhodes scholar, Yale Law Graduate, all-around nice guy who once saved woman from burning building.
Maybe he tells too many dad jokes. But guessing most Americans would sure as heck rather have Cory as neighbor than one of the Trumps.@CoryBooker
— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) September 1, 2020
Cory Booker on his way to the suburbs to tell everyone his favorite pun pic.twitter.com/Ku3rqAhrye
— Rob Flaherty (@Rob_Flaherty) September 1, 2020
Cory Booker came to my father's hospital bedside and held his hand. They spoke for an hour in soft voices because my father was very weak and dying. Cory is one of the kindest men I've ever met. We should all be so lucky to have a man like him in our neighborhood.
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) September 1, 2020
In fact, many Twitter users assured they actively wanted Cory Booker in their neighborhoods.
I just sent Cory Booker my house keys.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) September 1, 2020
Cory Booker is probably one of the nicest guys in politics, but he's a big black man, so of course Donald Trump is using him to scare people.
I wish Cory was my neighbor
— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) September 1, 2020
Trump sarcastically said "Cory Booker, that'll be nice"...Umm yeah actually it would be nice. He is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and exceptionally talented. You have to be a flaming racist to consider this guy the big Black boogeyman. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/JddDSVyqW0
— BlackWomenViews Media (@blackwomenviews) September 1, 2020
