Oh, what a perfectly Trumpian world we live in now. The man who once bedecked his buildings in gold leaf has brought his particular brand of gilt-edged racism to American foreign policy. The pattern is as subtle as his ties are long — aid slashed for Black and brown people abroad while the red carpet unfurls for whites seeking sanctuary.
Since his January coronation at 1600 Pennsylvania, Trump has curated a foreign policy with all the nuance of his Truth Social feed. His first executive tantrum? A foreign aid freeze that left African humanitarian programs gasping for air like a Trump critic at one of his rallies.
But should we really be shocked? The man has been telling us who he is since Nixon was in office.
Remember 1973? While American teens were swooning over “The Way We Were,” the Justice Department was suing young Donald and daddy Fred for their own version of “The Way We Rent” — refusing apartments to Black applicants while welcoming whites with open arms to the same buildings. Trump employees might as well have worn MAGA hats as they marked applications with “C” for “colored” or whispered to doormen to lie about vacancies when Black faces appeared.
After fighting like Klan’s men in Woodstock, the Trumps finally settled, agreeing to advertise that — surprise! — they actually welcomed Black tenants. Color me unconvinced. By 1983, two Trump properties remained whiter than a country club in the Hamptons — over 95% white, in fact.
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