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President Trump continues to stir up racial tensions and demonize the poor in an attempt to charge his base prior to the November election.
During a Facebook Live "telerally" with Iowan supporters on Tuesday, July 28, President Trump claimed:
"[Democrats] want to end school choice, they want to abolish charter schools, it's ridiculous, they want to abolish and really hurt the suburbs, because under their plan, that's very much agreed to by them, they want to make it worse."
"They don't mind if low-income housing is built in a neighborhood, in a beautiful suburb of Iowa, but a beautiful suburb anywhere in the country."
"They want low – and this has been going on for years, Obama made it much worse, and now they want Cory Booker to run that program, Cory Booker of New Jersey, to run that program and make it many times worse than it is right now."
He finally concluded:
"People have gone to the suburbs, they want the beautiful homes, they don't have to have a low-income housing development built in their community, which is going to reduce, which has reduced the prices of their homes, and also increased crime substantially."
Trump - being racist af here. Just blatant: https://t.co/gclJjtCQrH— Laura Walker ⚖🍸🇺🇸 🏴 (@Laura Walker ⚖🍸🇺🇸 🏴) 1595988891.0
Putting aside the borderline incoherence of the President's remarks, his statements were also flagged by many as unashamedly racist.
I do in fact care if low income housing is built in my suburb - I care that it gets built, there isn't enough housi… https://t.co/440QT44YsX— Jeff Fecke (@Jeff Fecke) 1595994088.0
Just flaming racism https://t.co/lg3d0RWbwH— Shandy (@Shandy) 1595993400.0
is this the new tone https://t.co/tvwfiCNivK— Chris in California (@Chris in California) 1595989566.0
Even more telling than Trump's dogwhistle of "low-income housing" was his seemingly random inclusion of New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
And yeah the irony of saying “they want to abolish charter schools” and then using a pro-charter school Democrat as… https://t.co/FIy9WZXnYp— Dave Sund (@Dave Sund) 1595991235.0
Not that Cory Booker would be a bad choice for Biden’s cabinet, it’s just that... HUD is the only role Trump can im… https://t.co/CmQ1JmhMcT— Dave Sund (@Dave Sund) 1595991334.0
No one held any illusions as to why President Trump brought Cory Booker, who is Black, into the conversation.
Associating the Democratic housing agenda with Cory Booker, an African-American Senator, is surely just as coincide… https://t.co/4Jt87bXVrr— Ronald Brownstein (@Ronald Brownstein) 1596037680.0
Cory Booker has nothing to do with whatever program the president is referencing here--but he is Black https://t.co/aHuFdPKBa7— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@Edward-Isaac Dovere) 1595989187.0
Many thought President Trump was going to great lengths to let White people in Iowa know he wants to keep their communities White.
Trump brings up Cory Booker here just to be extra racist lol. https://t.co/5Q667BsWns— Lonnie Luna II (@Lonnie Luna II) 1595994334.0
Aside from the obvious racism, President Trump was also inaccurate in his characterization of low-income housing.
A 2016 study revealed that adding low-income housing to poor neighborhoods "lowers crime and boosts property values."
Trump says that a “beautiful suburb of Iowa” will get low-income housing and “they want Cory Booker to run that pro… https://t.co/9yoD1eO7ou— Eric Columbus (@Eric Columbus) 1596028017.0
President Trump is hoping statements like these will appeal to voters come November, but Americans who find racism abhorrent are having trouble stomaching them.