Trump is desperate to bring back the support he had in 2016, which was just enough to win the electoral college vote but not the popular vote. One group from which he had some support but has lost it completely over the past four years is suburban women, who Trump seems to believe are just as racist and classist as he is. Also, he’s really mad at Fox News every time they try to not be the state-run media program, so he’s likely even losing some support with more centrist viewers of the network.
It’s unlikely that many of Trump’s voters who watch Fox News will be swayed by Trump’s condemnation of it. Trump’s strongest base leans more toward outlets like Breitbart and The Daily Caller, and it is most likely to be that base celebrating the end of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which was strengthened under President Obama to reduce segregation and increase opportunities for the poor, including the disproportionate number of people of color who are poor.
Let’s be completely clear: Trump’s promises to keep property values from going down and to reduce crime rates as a result of his slashing of the Fair Housing Act is an age-old racist trope. Crime does not go hand-in-hand with federal housing assistance, although fairness and equal opportunity often does. Trump seems to believe suburban women are at home fretting about poor black Americans moving into their neighborhoods, destroying property, and bringing drugs and crime, but he’s ignoring all the black suburban men and women who support Fair Housing and equal opportunity.
Twitter was wise to Trump’s racist dog-whistle. Read some of their comments below:
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
