Donald Trump appeared in Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday as part of a sprint tour through several swing states in which the Republican candidate sought to offer voters a counter-program to the Democratic National Convention. Compared to other campaign stops, this one was nothing special. The former president appeared with local police and laid out his vision for the country, something he has done many times before.
The press, however, was not interested in that part of the trip. Instead, they spent the last few days focusing on the fact that some KKK members once marched in Howell. Of course, that means Trump. must show a form of tacit support for white supremacy.
Yes, it is one of the dumbest claims ever made, and when Trump was asked about it by a reporter, he was prepared for it. At least rhetorically, it was a mic-dropping moment.
What the reporter says is mostly inaudible, but you can tell she’s asking Trump about visiting a city “associated with white supremacy.” The crowd let out a moment of disapproval before the former president stepped up to the podium. You could tell he knew he had it.
TRUMP: Who was here in 2021?
REPORTER: Joe Biden
TRUMP: Thank you. Thank you, everyone.
(Cheers)
Trump is referring to a visit Joe Biden made to Howell in 2021. In fact, RedState reported immediately after that visit because protesters showed up to express their displeasure with the president’s visit. Did Biden support white supremacy when he appeared? The press didn’t even think about that, because they save such insane lines of logic for the Republicans.
So what does this narrative say about how Democrats view rural Americans? Apparently Trump should avoid a town of 10,000 people just because a few idiots were running around there once. For Democrats, rural Americans are expendable. They don’t matter. They’re not crucial. This latest imitation outcry shows that.
Finally, imagine you were the reporter asking this question. Do you think she knew how stupid she sounded? Did she feel shame when she vilified an entire city as “linked to white supremacy”? I can’t say. On the one hand, some reporters are true believers. On the other hand, many of them are just scribblers who don’t believe even half of what they say.
