Why Trump officials can't stop offending everyone

[struggle4progress]

Noah Berlatsky

... Republicans compulsively draw distinctions between true Americans and untrustworthy outsiders merely pretending to be Americans. Donald Trump built his candidacy on white identity — and on excluding as many people as possible from that identity. Trump said an American judge was untrustworthy because of his Mexican heritage. He promised to ban Muslim people from entering the U.S. And, of course, he pledged to build a wall on the southern border — to keep out what Sessions’ speechwriter would call “filth.”

Trump deliberately and even obsessively positioned himself as the candidate for white people. His message was that America would be great again — for white people. After the election, he publicly celebrated the fact that black people had not come out to vote in large numbers. Those comments were addressed, obviously, to white voters.

When Trump and his entourage try to speak to nonwhite voters or marginalized people, they do it clumsily, like people who have no practice and don't want to be there anyway. Trump’s infamous Cinco de Mayo taco bowl message is one grotesque example, but there are many others. Spicer's "Holocaust centers" is only the most recent ...

Trump, by inclination and deliberate choice, is president of white people. Jews, Hispanics, black people, immigrants, Muslims — the Trump administration will condescend to them, or attack them, or deport them, or target them for violence depending on circumstances. But the only people Trump and his representatives feel accountable to are in the white bubble. It’s not surprising that those are also the only people they know how to talk to.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-berlatsky-spicer-sessions-holocaust-centers-20170411-story.html

[spanone]

1. K&R...

[ncgrits]

2. "President" of white MEN. nt

[Phoenix61]

3. His constituents

White, straight, Republican, males. The rest of us don't count. What a maroon.

[Initech]

5. As I said they're doing this to give the middle finger to liberals and to Obama.

And that's the one thing they're doing a good job of.

[Phoenix61]

6. Too true

They have been consistent on that front.

[Initech]

4. 1. They don't give a shit. 2. They're incompetent.

3. They don't give a shit.
4. They are doing this to give the middle finger to liberals and to Obama.
5. They don't give a shit.

Did I mention they don't give a shit?

[MrScorpio]

7. They think that dick moves make them look strong

They can't help themselves, they're assholes.

[babylonsister]

8. It's so aggravating though, to those of us with a brain. nt