Donald Trump proves he’s a racist — again

The New York Times called them “vulgar immigration remarks.” The Washington Post labeled them “incendiary.” Others referred to them as “shocking” and “disparaging.” Of course, the topic is Donald Trump’s “shithole” comments regarding places like African countries, Haiti and others where darker-skinned human beings reside.

He finished his off-color (or is it, ‘of-color’) remark by adding: “The United States should admit more people from places like Norway.” He could have added, ‘which happens to be an overwhelmingly white country.’ In other words, the president clearly inferred that whites should be allowed in, black, brown and other non-lily-white folks from “shithole” countries, as Trump refers to them — well, that’s another story.

Many Americans are up in arms over the comments. I can’t understand why, other than the fact that they were racist comments made by the president of the United States who has proven over and over that HE IS A RACIST.

My own daughter, while discussing the day’s news with me, reacted with a shrug and said: “I’m not surprised.” I looked at her, at the same time in awe of her clear-headedness, and also with fear for her. A fear born of the fact that a child is already aware of the world she has been born into. She also understands that a man who leads her country is an outright (and proud) racist. And she sees that as normal — coming from Trump.

So instead of worrying so much about the use of the word ‘SHITHOLE,’ headlines should have read: Donald Trump, president of the United States, proves he’s a racist — again. Editorials should have been written questioning how Americans could have stooped so low as to have voted for a hateful person like this.

After a year in office, Trump has proven many things: his incompetence; how mean he can be; what a liar, cheat and crook that he is; and a host of other negatives we did not expect from a president. But the fact that the man is a racist is nothing new. Or have we forgotten that Trump started his run for president with the assertion that President Obama had not been born in this country and therefore should not be allowed to serve as president? It was obvious from the start that the birther movement, as they referred to this Trump lie, had taken roots, among way too many in this country, because of the hatred persons like Trump have towards people of color.

Need I remind that over the years it has been alleged by some newspapers and websites that Fred Trump, the Don’s father, was a member of the KKK. The allegation has never been proven and Trump himself has denied it.

Hemming and hawing and talking in his typical circular style, Trump explained, after being asked of the KKK allegations against his father, that “It never happened. And by the way, I saw that it was one little website that said it. It never happened. … Because my father, there were no charges against him, I don’t know about the other people involved. But there were zero charges against him. So assuming it was him — I don’t even think it was him, I never even heard about it. So it’s really not fair to mention. It never happened.”

Trump was referring to a 1927 article in The New York Times in which his father is reported arrested and then “discharged” after a tumultuous KKK rally in New York.

So there’s no proof that Fred was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. But his son is sure making a case for believing that he was…

How do you explain Trump’s characterization of Mexicans as persons who are “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Or how does one make sense of Trump’s reaction to the protest that spun out of control where white nationalists, members of the KKK, the alt-right, neo-nazis and plain-old hateful human beings ended up running over and killing an innocent woman who was protesting their presence in Charlottesville?

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides…” Later adding of the Charlottesville tragedy, there were “very fine people” on both sides… Persons marching in support of nazis and members of the KKK. Fine people…!

In the end, and making matters even worse because of the shithole remarks, it was reported that “some White House staffers are unfazed by the remark because they believe it will resonate with Trump’s supporters.” In other words, the president’s hateful utterance is good for business with his base.

Like I tell friends and others, in the end the problem is not Trump, we know what he is, and he is the worst in all of us. The real problem are the more than 30 percent of voters in this country who still believe in this asshole.

And yes, I called the president an asshole. If he can call places shitholes, then I can refer to him as what he is — a racist asshole.