Former Republican President Donald Trump assumed a group of racially diverse Democratic staffers were waiters, according to an advance copy of New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s book Confidence Man which was obtained by Rolling Stone.
Shortly after he was sworn into office in January 2017, Trump instructed POC staffers for then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California to serve the hors d’oeuvres.
His faux pas prompted Reince Priebus—White House Chief of Staff at the time—to hurriedly correct him.
During that same meeting, according to Haberman's sources, Trump claimed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—his Democratic opponent during the 2016 presidential election—had only won the popular vote because of "illegals" who'd cast votes.
In another example of behavior condemned as racist, Trump repeatedly told White House visitors he had the bathrooms remodeled after Obama. Staff members had to remind him only the toilet seats were changed which is customary during every presidential transition.
At one point, Trump—who had just been corrected on the matter—turned to a visitor and said:
"You understand what I’m talking about."
His guest interpreted his aside "to mean Trump did not want to use the same bathroom" as Barack Obama, his Black Democratic predecessor, or his family.
Trump for years promoted "birtherism" which doubted or denied Obama was a United States citizen, implying he was ineligible to be President. Obama was born in Hawaii to a United States citizen, making him a natural-born citizen.
In contrast, Trump’s 2016 Republican opponent Ted Cruz waz born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Trump never made Cruz's birthplace an issue.
The revelations in Haberman's book led to condemnation of Trump's actions as ignorant and racist.
\u201cIt's stories like this that reinforce that addressing racism and equity issues are essential to an ethical government, and corruption exacerbates systemic racism and inequality. https://t.co/9Tn2EiGMhT\u201d— Citizens for Ethics (@Citizens for Ethics) 1664420414
\u201cI don't find #Trump's "casual racism," surprising. You can clearly see how it played a HUGE role in the George Floyd protests. \n\nAt the time, there was nothing "casual" about it but I feel better by the reassurance I was being gaslit by his apologists. \n#MaggieHaberman #Haberman\u201d— Snarky Grrl (@Snarky Grrl) 1664381854
\u201cOf course he did.\u201d— Wajahat Ali (@Wajahat Ali) 1664379934
\u201cHow anyone knows Trump is a backwards thinking racist is just one big mystery \ud83e\udd2f\ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83e\udd26\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f https://t.co/YmIdpbUVO5\u201d— Sarah Yacoub (@Sarah Yacoub) 1664379424
\u201cNever worked for anything in his life, but has always had a problem with working people like us. Miserable and deplorable.\u201d— GunnyJ (@GunnyJ) 1664373716
\u201chow any human being can claim with a straight face this man is not 100% BIGOT is beyond me.\u201d— Tyler Richmond \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udfbc\ud83c\udfc8\ud83d\udc89\u26bd\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udfc0\ud83c\udf7a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Tyler Richmond \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udfbc\ud83c\udfc8\ud83d\udc89\u26bd\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udfc0\ud83c\udf7a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1664377731
\u201cNah, those Republicans aren't racist. \ud83d\ude44 Vote BLUE! \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2\nhttps://t.co/owSsU05okO\u201d— Jimimac Againx5 (@Jimimac Againx5) 1664336140
\u201cTotally on brand.\u201d— \u026e\u029f\u0585\u0262 \u028d\u028f \u0280\u01df\u026e\u026e\u0268\u0236 (@\u026e\u029f\u0585\u0262 \u028d\u028f \u0280\u01df\u026e\u026e\u0268\u0236) 1664400727
\u201cHe\u2019s an awful monstrous excuse of a human being.\u201d— HawaiiDelilah\u2122 is a Citizen Patriot (@HawaiiDelilah\u2122 is a Citizen Patriot) 1664364205
\u201cWell, who is really shocked, repulsed or surprised by this? Those black actors at TFG\u2019s rallies need to grow some self respect and grow up! \n\nFor those way in the back, Trump is a racist. The GOP is racist. Get out and vote blue! \n\n#FreshResists\n#wtpBLUE\u201d— We HearVoicesOutThere #BetoForGovernor (@We HearVoicesOutThere #BetoForGovernor) 1664367008
Trump the businessman was sued for housing discrimination based on race.
His casino lost a civil lawsuit for transferring Black card dealers off of tables to accommodate racist clients so it should come as no surprise Trump was accused of harboring racial animus during his entire time in office. Trump also has a well documented history of racism against Indigenous peoples.
Within days of being sworn in, Trump subjected people from seven Muslim-majority countries to a travel ban, earning the praise of Republicans who endorsed his proposal for a “total and complete shut down” of Muslim immigration to the United States.
Immigrants from non-White countries were made to feel unwelcome under his administration as a result of immigration architect and senior adviser Stephen Miller's draconian policies. Trump often took aim at BIPOC migrants—particularly those crossing the nation's southern border—as "rapists" and targeted them under a "zero tolerance" family separation policy that was widely condemned by human rights groups.
Trump infamously suggested those from Haiti and African nations should not be allowed to immigrate to the United States because they come from "sh*thole countries."
His domestic policy was similarly controversial.
Indigenous groups found themselves in a protracted battle for their tribal and ancestral lands after Trump gave fossil fuel companies even more freedom to drill for oil and natural gas. Indigenous leaders also repeatedly requested Trump stop using Pocahontas as a slur against Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Trump infamously used the name as a slur when welcoming WWII Navajo Codetalkers to the Oval Office while having photo ops in front of the portrait of self-proclaimed "Indian Killer" President Andrew Jackson that Trump had moved to the Oval Office.
Chinese people and those from other East Asian countries became more likely to be the victims of hate crimes after Trump employed racist rhetoric to blame China for the spread of COVID-19, which the Trump administration wilfully ignored on the belief the pandemic would largely impact blue states.
In the summer of 2020, Trump criticized citizens who took to the streets to condemn racism and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd, suggesting they should be shot "when the looting starts," breathing life into stereotypes about people of color being more inclined toward criminality.
