Donald Trump took to Twitter around midnight on a Saturday to malign the intelligence of NBA superstar Lebron James and CNN anchor Don Lemon during an interview regarding the former’s philanthropic work. Both men have been outspoken critics of the President. Both men are black.
(Let’s put aside for a moment, the previously unthinkable image of a sitting President approaching the predawn hours; perched over his phone, shouting at a news broadcast, and tossing out error-laden nonsense on social media—instead of reading, studying legislation, listening to his advisors, resting—you know, Presidential kinda stuff.)
In the wake of Trump’s Twitter diatribe alleging that two educated, incredibly accomplished black men were stupid, there was naturally outrage from people from every corner of the planet—even dissent from Melania Trump herself.
There’s also been plenty of assertions that the comments reflect the President’s clear racism.
They almost certainly do, but I think it’s much worse than that.
You see, this isn’t about Donald Trump. It almost never is, which is why this is all so terrifying.
He is a carnival barker, a two-bit thug, an empty shell of a man who simply puts on whatever costume of character benefits him in the moment. He has no working morality to speak of; just the awkward phrases and dollar store platitudes he strings together in real-time as they come out of his mouth based on the gathered crowd.
The problem, is that these words instantly become Gospel to those already wired for hatred and bigotry. They are raw meat to the wild dogs he regularly works into a lather: the kind of people who dress in glorified Cosplay outfits cobbled together from their parent’s gardening sheds, and march through the streets of Portland pretending to be both patriots and pray-ers—while surely being neither. His faithful take his nonsensical ramblings, and like sad Rorschach tests: they see themselves in them.
Trump has been an equal opportunity bully from day one; publicly questioning the intellectual capacity of opposing politicians and talk show hosts, of former Cabinet members and past Presidents, or pundits and investigators. (Though the fact thaat he uses this particular tactic whenever speaking about people of color can’t be ignored.)
Donald Trump may very likely be a racist here, but he’s also an opportunist. In a world where the things he doesn’t know are almost limitless (the Constitution, the Bible, elementary school grammar, basic human decency), what he does know is his core audience.
He knows what side his white supremacist bread base is buttered on. He knows the buttons to push to trigger their outrage, to engender their passionate praise, to fuel their fervor.
And this is why the mob mentality toward LeBron James is both illuminating and disheartening: because millions of people in this country would rather hurl vitriol at a 33-year old athlete whose physical skills, philanthropic work, cultural impact, and positive influence on a generation of kids are inarguable—instead of asking themselves why the hell a current President embroiled in controversy, mired in global conflicts, and riddled with scandals—would be Tweeting on a Saturday night about a basketball player’s I.Q.
Trump is a chameleon of integrity. I think he would throw Jesus, the NRA, and white embryos under the bus if he thought it could help keep control of the House and Senate.
I’m fairly certain he has contempt for people of color—but the list of people he has contempt for pretty much includes the population of the planet minus the guy he sees in the mirror.
But what I am sure of, is that those rushing to castigate LeBron James right now, those falling over themselves to question his intellect, his community work, his right to speak—are showing me without question who they are.
They’re showing me the same thing they showed me when they applauded the silencing of kneeling NFL players.
They are seeing and hearing in Tweets like the one criticizing LeBron James and Don Lemon, words that confirm their fears, ratify their prejudices, and consent to their hatred.
In a time when there are many things to lament about the country we’re uncovering right now—this is the latest shame.
