CommentsBCK FILE--This past Saturday, a gunman killed 11 worshippers at Tree of Life synagogue in what was the deadliest attack on Jews in US history.
The suspect, Robert Bowers, told a SWAT officer while receiving medical treatment that he wanted all Jews to die because they were “committing genocide against his people.” (Photo above: President Trump reading from teleprompter.)
Bowers, who faces 29 charges, regularly posted anti-Semitic slurs on social media and complained that President Trump surrounded himself with “too many Jews.”
The Squirrel Hill attack capped off a week of hate-fueled violence. On Wednesday, a gunman killed two people at a Kentucky Kroger supermarket after he had been unsuccessful in his attempt to enter a church with a predominantly black congregation. The United States attorney for the Western district of Kentucky said his office is investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime.
And on Friday, suspect Cesar Altieri Sayoc, Jr. was charged with sending explosive devices to 13 critics of President Trump, including President Obama,Hillary Clinton, George Soros, CNN’s New York offices, and others. He is expected to be charged with sending fourth explosive device to Tom Steyer who has been waging an impeachment campaign against the president.
Sayoc’s van was plastered with images and slogans often found on extremist right-wing social media sites.
Rise in Hate Crimes
Since Trump has entered the political scene, numerous civil rights watchdog groups have reported that hate crimes, as well as anti-Semitic and white supremacist social media activity, have been on the rise.
Earlier this year, the Southern Poverty Law Center issued a report that attributed the rise in hate group activity to the president’s harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric, as well as failure to condemn white supremacists.
Heidi Beirich of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project wrote, “President Trump in 2017 reflected what white supremacists want to see: a country where racism is sanctioned by the highest office, immigrants are given the boot, and Muslims banned.”
According to the SPLC, neo-Nazi groups have grown from 99 to 121 and anti-Muslim groups have increased from 101 chapters to 114.
The Anti-Defamation League has reported a 258% rise in recruitment efforts in 2017 by white supremacists on college campuses. In 2017, the majority of murders by extremists were by white supremacists.
The Trump Effect
Divisiveness and blistering rhetoric have played a significant part in the Trump political brand since the president announced his candidacy in Trump Tower back in 2015. He has characterized Mexican immigrants as “criminals, drug dealers, and rapists.” His Muslim travel ban plays into fear and hatred.
In addition, Trump has failed in his response to hate attacks, which has further emboldened white supremacists, racists, and anti-Semites. Following the killing of Heather Heyer at the Unite the Right rally, where white supremacists and neo-Nazis chanted “Jews will not replace us” and “Blood and Soil,” Trump replied there were “very fine people on both sides.”
According to journalist Bob Woodward, Trump told aides following his eventual speech condemning white supremacists that it was the “biggest f’ing mistake of my life.”
Rally Rhetoric
Just as hate-fueled rhetoric was a key point of his campaign rallies, the hate-fueled calls to action have continued during his post-election rallies. Last week, he blamed the bomb mailings on media criticism. Although he called for a return to unity, by Friday, he was riling his followers with attacks against Democrats, globalists, and the media while a group of conservative followers chanted, “Lock ‘em up.”
At a Charlotte, N.C. rally held on Friday, Trump lamented that the coverage of this week’s violence would overshadow his midterm message warning about the “caravans” at the border, a further attempt to instill fear and hatred to capture votes.
The president told reporters I heard he (Sayoc) was a person who preferred me over others” but scoffed at the notion that his inflammatory rhetoric had any connection to acts of violence. “There’s no blame. There’s no anything.”
Scapegoating and inciting fear are Trump’s game plan. He doesn’t want to do anything to weaken his support by those who are fueled by hate. And he capitalizes on propping up the victim stance that has become a platform for many in his troops.
The path to turning around this rise in hatred and blame needs to include authentic messaging from the president, not lip service followed by inciting rhetoric in front of his base or via his Twitter account.
(Beth Cone Kramer is a professional writer living in the Los Angeles area. She covers Resistance Watch and other major issues for CityWatch.)
-cw
