CNN
—
Mike Pence on Monday accused Donald Trump of having dinner with white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and rapper Kanye West.
But in doing so, he also tried to rewrite some history.
“President Trump was wrong in giving seats to white supremacists, anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers. I think he should apologize,” Pence said in an interview with NewsNation. .
So far, so good. But Pence continued.
“I don’t think Donald Trump is anti-Semitic. I don’t think he’s racist or bigoted,” Pence said. If he had, I wouldn’t have been his vice president.”
Well, it’s honestly pretty debatable.
examination:
* After white supremacists sparked violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, Trump said there were “very good people on both sides.”
* Trump condemned immigrants coming to the United States from a “fucking country” at a 2018 meeting with lawmakers.
* Trump has repeatedly referred to Covid-19 as “Kungflu” and “Chinese virus.”
*Trump spread the lie that Barack Obama was not actually born in the United States and is therefore ineligible to be president. Trump also erroneously suggested that Kamala Harris was ineligible to be Vice President.
* In his 2015 presidential election speech, Trump claimed that Mexico was “bringing crime”, “bringing drugs” and “rapists” to the United States.
* Trump said a Mexican federal judge could not do justice to the case because of his hostility to Trump’s plan to build a wall on the southern border. Was born.)
* Trump called Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” amid a controversy claiming she was of Native American descent.
* Trump initially refused to accuse former KKK official David Duke of supporting the presidential campaign. (Trump later said he didn’t hear the question correctly and “denied Duke the day before.” [he was asked] at a major conference. ”)
Trump tweeted that four minority lawmakers in the Democratic caucus should “return” to their countries of origin. 3 out of 4 were born in the United States.
*Trump once said he was trying to impeach him “Lynch”.
* When asked about the white nationalist group the Proud Boys during the 2020 general election debate, Trump told the group to “hold back and wait.”
There’s more, but you get the gist.
For years, Trump has been trafficking racial stereotypes in and out of office. Most of the above comments were made while Trump was in the White House and Pence was Vice President.
Looking at that record, at least not conclude that Trump willingly engaged in bigoted language and racist tropes for what he perceived to be his own personal political gain. Impossible.
Pence’s comments on Monday are an attempt to highlight his own role in aiding and abetting Trump’s actions in the White House. That he regularly defended Trump from the various controversies he created.
Pence’s desire for historical revisionism is understandable. Pence fell out with Trump after he refused to join Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Mr. Trump is now running for president for the third time, and Mr. Pence is taking steps towards his own candidacy.
But the record above is clear. Trump’s decision to meet with white supremacists is no exception, it’s his rule in public. And that includes the years Pence was by his side.
