September 26, 2022/Media, Press

What They’re Saying: “Disqualifying,” “Dangerous” For Budd To Stand With Trump’s “Dog-Whistle Rhetoric”

Following Trump’s racist comments at his rally with Ted Budd on Friday, Democratic leaders and outlets are calling out Budd for standing with dangerous rhetoric as he runs against Cheri Beasley. Politics North Carolina wrote that “Trump baited his own audience into exposing their bigotry” and “you certainly won’t see Budd criticizing” the former president for it. As DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison wrote, this is “who Ted Budd is.” 

Read what they’re saying:

Politics NC: TRUMP AND THE N-WORD ​​

  • One moment, though, was most revealing. During his speech, Donald Trump called out, “The N-word! You know what the N-word is?” The crowd clearly responded with “N****r,” even if it’s hard to hear in the audio. But we know because of Trump’s response. When he heard it, Trump said, “No, No, No. It’s ‘nuclear.’”
  • In other words, Trump baited his own audience into exposing their bigotry. He knew what the response would be. He knew that the press wouldn’t cover it, but he gave MAGA permission to gleefully yell out racist epithets in public with no consequences. That’s part of why they love Trump. He’s not offended by their racism. He even encourages it.
  • None of the Republican candidates said anything. Ted Budd knows who MAGA is. Tim Moore knows. Even Mark Robinson knows. But to them, the power is more important than principles. 
  • Hiding racism in plain sight has been the norm, particularly in the South, for decades. For MAGA, racism and xenophobia are the animating fears that drive them to the polls. People like Ted Budd know that. It’s why he focused his time on the stage on immigration and the Southern border. 
  • You certainly won’t see Budd criticizing Trump for baiting his audience. You won’t even see him disavow the people in the audience who shouted out the racial slur because, you know, MAGA will be MAGA. It’s just some harmless fun. 

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