Trump reminds us that white supremacy was America's "original sin."

Trump's use of white supremacy has been seen many times before

Donald Trump is many things from a convicted felon to an adjudicated rapist to a man who was charged with crimes for violating the Espionage Act and attempting a coup. But one thing he is not is original—at least when it comes to embracing white supremacy and weaponizing it for political gain.

Even Trump’s vile claims at the press conference this week after the first deadly plane crash in the United States in 15 years, echoed the sentiment--and even the words--of past white supremacists. We heard Trump repeatedly blame the crash on the “FAA's Diversity and inclusion hiring plan,” which he read stated that “diversity is integral to achieving FAA's mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel.” Trump then remarked, “I don't think so…I think it's just the opposite.” Here was Trump as President declaring that “diversity”—which means non-white men being hired—is bad.

When asked by a reported how he knew the accident was caused by diversity hires, Trump responded, “I have common sense, OK?”

White supremacist never need facts—it’s all dark vibes. For example, rabid segregationist George Wallace used Trump’s exact phrase of “common sense” when defending his views that the races should be separated. This came in 1959 with Wallace stating that some have asked is he “too strong about segregation?” Wallace responded by telling reporters, “Now let me ask you this: how in the name of common sense can you be too strong about it?”

Again, bigoted leaders like Trump and Wallace don’t need facts—they are playing on a visceral reaction that resonates with a subset of white people. That is why the fact checks of Trump’s lies at the press conference—while needed--mean nothing to his base.

For some in the MAGA base, they subscribe to the myth that the white race is inherently superior and Blacks along other people of color are inferior. For others in the MAGA base, it’s the sense that they are the real victims of racism now. Indeed, a 2023 poll found that 73% of Trump voters say that racism against white Americans is a BIGGER problem than against Blacks. (For some, it’s likely a combination of these two reasons.)

George Wallace used the same playbook of positioning himself as the protector of the white race when riling up his racist base. One of the most infamous examples came during Wallace’s inaugural address as Governor of Alabama on Jan. 14, 1963. There, he proclaimed, “It is very appropriate that from this cradle of the Confederacy, this very heart of the great Anglo-Saxon Southland, that today we sound the drum for freedom as have our generations of forebears before us time and again down through history.”

Wallace continued on behalf of those white people, “In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny.” And that is when he delivered the infamous line, “I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

Wallace was vowing to protect white people from “tyranny” by ensuring white supremacy. It was very telling Wallace invoked the “cradle of the Confederacy” in his speech as the basis for segregation. The Confederacy—like Jim Crow—was predicated on white supremacy. In fact, that is exactly what the Vice President of the Confederacy, Alexander Stephens told the nation in his “Cornerstone Speech” in Savannah, Ga on March 1861.

Stephens proudly declared that the Confederacy’s “cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man,” adding, “that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.”

From there, Stephens mocked those in North who opposed this view: “They assume that the Negro is equal and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails.” He added, “With us, all of the white race, however high or low, rich or poor, are equal in the eye of the law. Not so with the negro. Subordination is his place.”

These despicable views shared by Stephens, Wallace and Trump were also present in nearly half of the original delegates to the Constitutional Convention—25 of 55--who owned enslaved people.

As I’ve often said, America’s original sin was not slavery. America’s original sin was white supremacy. Slavery was just a manifestation of white supremacy—as were the provisions in the original version of the Constitution that enshrined it such as the three-fifths compromise and the Fugitive Slave Clause. Of course, there were many delegates who passionately argued against slavery. For example, Pennsylvania delegate Gouverneur Morris not only slammed slavery as a moral abomination—he vocally criticized during the Convention those southern delegates who refused to end the practice in their home states.

But when the founding document of the nation enshrines slavery, it means white supremacy is part of that nation’s DNA. And Trump’s war on “DEI” and other programs that embrace diversity are simply the present-day example of the constant push and pull our nation has been engaged in since its founding on the issue of race--and specifically white supremacy.

I spoke with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga) on Friday who didn’t hold back that Trump’s press conference this week reminds us that “racism still exists in America.” He continued, “there are still some white people who feel that black folks and people who are of dark skin are inferior that the white race is superior.”

Johnson bluntly declared that Trump envisions an America that will be run by “white male Anglo-Saxon Protestant,” with his apparent goal being to “Make America white again by taking us back into Jim Crow.” (You can watch the interview below.)

He is right. One of the lessons I have learned first-hand in the past decade is that progress is never permanent. The 2013 US Supreme Court decision by the GOP justices that gut the heart of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was a wakeup call that the reactionary forces of the right would never give up in their crusade to return America to the days where the rule of white men—specifically straight, conservative and Christian—was unchallenged. It was not a coincidence that this challenge to the Voting Rights Act was brought by white conservatives in Alabama—the very state Wallace was governor in the 1960’s and had dubbed the “cradle of the Confederacy.”

From there, we saw the GOP Supreme court in 2022 overturn Roe v. Wade—which again is about conservative men stripping from women the power to control their own destinies. It’s very much in keeping with the motivating forces of empowering white, male supremacy.

And now we are dealing with Trump--a modern-era George Wallace--seeking to return to “Jim Crow” era segregation to make himself and his base happy. This is where we find ourselves. And like generations before, we are called to join this battle because we can never allow the dark forces of hate to go unchallenged.

You can watch my discussion with Rep. Johnson below:

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