Trump’s racist post about the Obamas was a wake-up call for some. Why did it take so long? |
John from New Mexico, a self-professed lifelong Republican, called into C-Span’s Washington Journal earlier this month with penitence on his mind.
“I voted for the president and supported him,” he began. “But I really want to apologize.”
The caller said he had been staring at an image Americans have seen far too often in recent days: Barack and Michelle Obama, the former president and first lady, with their mouths stretched into grotesque grins and their faces affixed to the bodies of apes. Posted to President Trump’s Truth Social account the night before the C-Span show aired, someone deleted it the next day – but what remained was the all-too-real outrage. John from New Mexico shared it.
“What an embarrassment to our country,” the caller continued. “All this man does is tell lies. He is not worthy of the presidency. He takes bribes blatantly, and now he’s being a racist blatantly.” When the anchor, Greta Brawner, asked whether he had supported Trump in all three elections, John did not hesitate. “I did,” he said. “I was sucked into the stupidity of creating jobs. There are no more jobs. Things are worse than they were before.”
To his credit, John did not sound as though he was seeking forgiveness. The image of the nation’s first Black president and first lady rendered as simians appeared to snap something into focus – belatedly, but unmistakably. The racism was not new; what was new was his inability to look past it. For a moment, at least, the blinders were........