It's an interesting question, one that I have been uncertain of the answer to until now.
Much of the discussion really misses the point.
No, I'm not saying that Trump is a bigot. I cannot look into his heart, and decide whether he believes in anything beyond self promotion.

Did Trump cause people to become bigoted? 
No, of course not.
People are what they are. And some of them are bigots.
Some of them give in to the darker angels of their nature when frightened or confronted with change.

Trump did NOT invent bigotry.

Donald Trump DID redefine what many people perceive as acceptable speech and behavior.
And, he did it to the detriment of his country.



Dem senator: Trump bears responsibility for 'wave of violence'

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said on Tuesday that President Trump is responsible for a "wave" of racial and religious violence that has spread throughout the U.S. 

"You probably can't tie him directly to one particular act of violence," Merkley told CNN. "But to the wave of violence, yes, he bears responsibility."
 
Merkley also said that Trump did not go far enough in condemning the deadly stabbing in Portland, Ore. on Friday that left two men dead and another injured. Trump, he said, should call the families of the victims and should address the matter in a speech.
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As a presidential candidate, Trump drew accusations that his rhetoric and policy proposals were discriminatory in nature, though he repeatedly denied that he was in any way racist. 
 
“I am not a racist, in fact, I am the least racist person that you’ve ever encountered,” Trump told The Washington Post in June 2016.

Last edited by Goose (5/31/2017 4:13 pm)