Trump’s feud with John Lewis echoes a long, difficult relationship with African Americans

The eruption of hostilities between President-elect Donald Trump and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) may be recorded as just one more example of what has become standard Twitter retaliation for Trump.

But coming on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, it also reignited the passions around Trump’s difficult history with African Americans, the group of voters from whom he might be most alienated as he prepares to move into the White House this week.

In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Friday, Lewis said he did not regard Trump to be “a legitimate president” because of allegations that high-level Russian operatives interfered in the election on Trump’s behalf. Trump lobbed back with a tweet in the early hours of Saturday morning that disparaged both the congressman and his district, which includes some of Atlanta’s most affluent neighborhoods.

“Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart,” Trump wrote. “(Not to . . .” — in fact, he needed two tweets to finish the thought — “mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk — no action or results. Sad!”

Trump continued his taunts in a separate tweet Saturday evening, saying Lewis should “finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!”

Trump’s attack on Lewis drew widespread condemnation across party lines, particularly given Lewis’s role in the fight for black voting rights.

“John Lewis is beyond a doubt the conscience of the country and that’s why his people [constituents] send him to Congress,” said Kwame Lillard, an activist who helped to organize the civil-rights-era Freedom Rides and has known Lewis for more than 60 years.

This is why I have no choice but to keep open my Trump blog. These people won't stop their relentless dishonesty. I rank this right up there with that stupid star the media branded anti-Semitic as one of the most shameful, dishonest media attacks on Trump. Let's address this article.

First of all, I did an entire blog post in which I posted in entirety on Free Republic about how the media made Trump's response to John Lewis calling him an illegitimate President into a racist attack. From a part I wrote yesterday:

http://dtforpres.blogspot.com/2017/01/trump-criticizing-john-lewis-is-racist.html

"Now, to the point - the media doesn't like that Trump has responded. What can they do? Why pull out the old racism attack line. They are saying that because Trump said, "All talk, talk, talk - no actions or results," it means that Trump is ignoring the work and sacrifice Lewis made regarding civil rights. Is that what Trump was getting at? Of course not. He was criticizing John Lewis record as a Congressman. Will the media report this without inferring Trump is a racist? Are there still Wooley Mammoths in existence?"

I then chronicled headline after headline and article after article from MSM outlets all across the country which claim that Trump attacked this Civil Rights crusader on MLK weekend. I continued:

"...This was not about race. It was about Trump responding to criticism. Trump would have responded to a white person the same way. Anyone who has watched him over the past year and a half would know that. This was not about what he did for civil rights. Trump never even came close to implying that. He criticized him as "all talk" for saying he was not a legitimate President when his own district has a 17% poverty rate, higher than the national average of 13.5% and is number 14 on the list of 20 most dangerous cities in America. Trump is saying that as opposed to criticizing the results of a free and fair election, worry about your district. Is Lewis above criticism because of his history, his race, and MLK weekend?

Imagine for a second if the roles were reversed and this was a white Republican rep saying this about Obama. The guy would have been skewered as a racist, and if Obama gave this exact same response Trump gave about focusing on his district, he would have gotten a round of applause. As it is, Lewis is treated well by the gleeful media for saying the President-elect is not legitimate, and the media whines when the person who won the election responds. The media has pulled out the tired old racist mantra again as opposed to dealing with the substance."

As I said, Trump's comments are completely irrelevant to MLK Day weekend. Trump's history is the same as most Republicans - in fact he did better than McCain (who is now back in the good graces of liberals again) and Romney with the black community in terms of votes.

The article sings the praises of his district, but as noted, the poverty rate is 17% (national average is 13.5%), and Atlanta is ranked 14/20 on list of most dangerous cities in the country. The point is that while there are great areas of his district, there is work to be done, and that was what Trump meant.

Trump’s attack on Lewis drew widespread condemnation across party lines, particularly given Lewis’s role in the fight for black voting rights.

This is a lie. It was the usual cadre of RINOs/NeverTrumpers like Egg McMuffin, Ben Sasse, Bill Kristol, Michael Steele (from MSNBC), and some Missouri state representative the Washington Post dug up.

Trump’s harsh rhetoric about Hispanics, Muslims and women was one of the hallmarks of his campaign,...

I would like the Washington Post to bring up negative things Trump said about Hispanics. Trump talked about illegal immigration from Mexico, but what were his specific attacks on Hispanic American citizens?

As far as Muslims, Trump's main goal is to ensure that those who are radicalized and are affiliated with ISIS and/or don't respect our Constitution (support Sharia) don't come in. His position to ban immigration from countries compromised by terrorism is perfectly reasonable.

As far as women, they will of course bring out the tape, accusers (see blog post), and past statements made on shows like Stern:

Sure, they will bring up Megyn Kelly (and use their made up inference he was talking about her period blood because didn't finish a sentence despite having no proof) Heidi Cruz (while a stupid retweet - it was in response to an attack on Melania, and Rosie, but to say he made attacking women a "hallmark" of his campaign? That makes it sound like he ran a campaign platform on attacking women. I listened to the majority of his rally speeches, and I don't recall him attacking women as part of his stump speech.

Trump started his presidential campaign with huge disadvantages among African Americans, in part because of his years-long questioning of whether President Obama was a U.S. citizen.

The rumor originated with Hillary's campaign. Contrary to the media narrative, it had nothing to do with race, or Trump would not have questioned Cruz. Trump would not have questioned any black man running if it was about race. He didn't question once opponent Carson. He wouldn't question someone like Booker. He questioned the same reason a lot of people did (if you look at polls) because of Obama's unique childhood. If it was a white Democrat who was rumored to have been born in Europe, you honestly don't think Trump would have questioned him too?

Trump also drew criticism for taking out a full-page ad in New York newspapers urging the death penalty for five black and Hispanic teenagers accused of raping a woman in Central Park.

I just saw a documentary on this, and a lot of people thought they were guilty at the time and were furious. With confessions on tape, they were found guilty. Now they say those were false confessions, but at the time, one can understand the anger of Trump. It reflected the sentiments of many people then.

In the closing weeks of the campaign, Trump began appealing to black voters to give him a chance. Speaking at rallies, to overwhelmingly white audiences, Trump described black people as living “in hell,” stuck in crumbling, crime-ridden neighborhoods and failing schools: “What do you have to lose?” he asked.

This is a generalization that leads to dishonesty. Trump was referring to problems in the inner city and pointing out that the Democrats do not fix them but use those issues to get the votes of African Americans and then disappear until it's the next election.

Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta, said if Trump was serious about reaching out to the black community, he would have to take responsibility for a campaign whose tone was “divisive at best, seriously offensive at worst” and “dangerous” with reports of an increase in racist behavior and actions directed at minorities by some whites. She said he will have to meet with and apologize to the civil rights community and young activists in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Excuse me? Who was the one paying people to cause violence at Trump rallies? Who was the one that had protesters so violent that people were attacked trying to enter and exit Trump events? Who forced Trump to cross a highway barrier? Who broke down barriers outside of events and fought with police? Who attacked that man his Chicago and drug him by his car because he was white and supported Trump? Who kidnapped and tortured a disabled Trump supporter - threatening to kill him? How many of these incidents of Trump supporters supposedly attacking people turned out to be hoaxes? A lot!

Trump doesn't have to meet with and apologize to anybody. Black lives matter should apologize for calling for dead cops and saying cops should be fried like bacon.

“If Donald Trump cared about black people, he wouldn’t have denigrated the president with those claims of birtherism ,” he said. Hughley, who in the late 1990s toured with Harvey as part of the popular “Kings of Comedy,” said Trump was more comfortable with black entertainers. “You’d rather see us run the football than run the country.”

I already addressed the birther issue, but if people like Steve Harvey, Jim Brown, and Ray Lewis have programs that can help connect with some in the inner cities, give them a chance. Democrat politicians have failed in areas like Chicago and Detroit - Dems have run those cities for decades! I commend them for putting aside differences and working for this country.

Some political observers say Carson’s appointment is an indication that Trump is not serious about improving the lives of people in struggling communities.

What an insult to a fine man like Dr. Carson who is obviously brilliant.

Michael Eric Dyson, a sociology professor at Georgetown University, said that in touting Carson and Harvey as his urban policy team, Trump is practicing “affirmative action in the worst sense of that term.”

These people are beyond nuts. They are deranged.

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