In the ten-plus months of this horrific excuse for a federal administration, the racism that powers the MAGA movement has become impossible to ignore or minimize. Trump and his sycophants aren’t even trying to mask their hatreds–they have withdrawn funding from universities and other organizations that engage in even the most modest efforts to level the playing field for minorities; waged war against (their version of) DEI; fired competent Black officials and replaced them with manifestly unqualified White ones; sent masked goons into Blue cities to kidnap Brown people…the list goes on.
Now, several media outlets report that the FBI has officially abandoned what has for years been its top domestic terrorism concern: White nationalism. The agency has cut its ties with two major civil rights watchdogs, yielding to pressure from MAGA influencers and Donald Trump’s FBI Director Kash Patel.
The FBI has abruptly ended long-standing partnerships with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), organizations that for years have provided the agency with significant assistance in tracking hate groups. Not only has the FBI ended its relationship with those organizations, figures in the administration have libeled them. Kash Patel called the SPLC a “partisan smear machine,” and Elon Musk labeled it an “evil” source of “hate propaganda.”
The animus aimed at SPLC was evidently prompted by that organization’s Hate Map, which identifies White Nationalist, anti-government, and other extremist groups, and which includes Turning Point USA as one of those anti-democratic, hard-right groups.
The FBI also ended its partnership with the ADL, which for years has trained agents to recognize antisemitism and hate crimes. (Patel mocked former FBI Director James Comey for praising the ADL, sneering: “That era is OVER.”) As one media source reported (link unavailable),
In 2017, then–FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress the agency had about 1,000 open domestic terrorism investigations, many linked to white nationalism. A 2021 GAO report backed that up: domestic terrorism cases surged 357% since 2013, with white supremacists responsible for the majority of deadly attacks.
But under Trump and Patel, the FBI is turning its back on civil rights, and walking away from groups that helped prevent homegrown hate.
It isn’t just the FBI. And it goes further than an administration that is “turning its back on civil rights.” This is an administration that absolutely revels in parading its bigotries. Actually, we shouldn’t be surprised by the degree to which its hatreds are being openly expressed–as the Brookings Institution, among others, has documented, racism has always been Trump’s not-so-secret sauce. In 2019, the Institution reported (emphases mine),
Donald Trump’s support in the 2016 campaign was clearly driven by racism, sexism, and xenophobia. While some observers have explained Trump’s success as a result of economic anxiety, the data demonstrate that anti-immigrant sentiment, racism, and sexism are much more strongly related to support for Trump. Trump’s much-discussed vote advantage with non-college-educated whites is misleading; when accounting for racism and sexism, the education gap among whites in the 2016 election returns to the typical levels of previous elections since 2000. Trump did not do especially well with non-college-educated whites, compared to other Republicans. He did especially well with white people who express sexist views about women and who deny racism exists.
Even more alarmingly, there is a clear correlation between Trump campaign events and incidents of prejudiced violence. FBI data show that since Trump’s election there has been an anomalous spike in hate crimes concentrated in counties where Trump won by larger margins. It was the second-largest uptick in hate crimes in the 25 years for which data are available, second only to the spike after September 11, 2001. Though hate crimes are typically most frequent in the summer, in 2016 they peaked in the fourth quarter (October-December). This new, higher rate of hate crimes continued throughout 2017.
What is so depressing is the “in your face” evidence that Americans haven’t come very far since the Civil War, that a significant percentage of White Americans continue to hate and fear people who are different. White Christian Nationalism is, in a number of ways, a continuation of the worst of the Confederacy, and it is still as fundamentally unAmerican as it was then.
Trump and MAGA are tearing down more than the East Wing of the White House. That destruction is symbolic of the arrogance with which they are trying to destroy the very fabric of a nation trying to live up to the principle that all people are created equal.
Powerful newsletter describing exactly who Trump and his supported are! They make no apologies and they have no shame….
They wear their racism and hatred proudly while destroying the Constitution bit by bit everyday.
Trump’s “Blot/Blob on America’s Escutcheon” is accomplishing what the Confederate Party could not with their Civil War for States’ Rights battle to legalize slavery. He and his MAGAs have enslaved the once viable Republican Party and gone global with Fascism to destroy democracy beyond the borders of the United States of America and its Territories. In the guise of his failed “attempts” to bring peace he has provided ammunition to spread pseudo-conservatism, seeking to become a world leader by way of destruction of democracy world-wide.
“White Christian Nationalism is, in a number of ways, a continuation of the worst of the Confederacy, and it is still as fundamentally unAmerican as it was then.”
Using multiple American flags as his banner is the ultimate Halloween costume during this most destructive month of October as never seen before in our history. It is all a trick with no treat as a result of his ultimate wrecking ball tactics. Trump continues to “make history” for his dark side party using their Dark Money to accomplish destruction of his enemies to enhance his deranged ego. His denying freedom of speech and freedom of the press as well as our “right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Our Grievances are as public as his lies, never having used dog whistles but always speaking out our truths.
Did our SEVEN MILLION petitioners for “No Kings Day” drive him out of this country to safer ground to spout his lies and pretense of promising peace on the world stage?
Even the dimmest among us understand that when one team plays by the rules and the other team cheats, the game is ruined. Our country’s rule book is the Constitution. One party is trying to support it and the other party is trying to destroy it.
Our crisis results not from the Constitution, but from our lack of fealty to it. Simply put, the rules are not being enforced or we would not have a convicted criminal gloating and sneering at us from the Oval Office nor would we have Supreme Court “justices” taking bribes and violating their oath of office.
Trump seems unable to even understand good versus bad, revels in the bad, and abandons even the pretense of good. He has no intention or ability to serve the public good, and that applies to both domestic and global issues.
The US is now lost to the world in the battle for good, and our former friendly nations are moving on in their battles to be and serve good and to stand as bulwarks against evil.
The world and country shudder at the change.
The White House has turned into the home of the Grand Wizard wearing $4,000 suits and painted face. It is our 21st Century Ku Klux Klan … this time at huge American taxpayer and consumer expense. It will get worse before it becomes better. Future resumes of MAGA will not be worth the paper to wrap a fish in.
MAGA = KKK
I certainly understand detaching from the SPLC, but the ADL? I checked with Gemini AI, and it responded that the ADL had a strong relationship with James Comey, so Trump told Patel to end their affiliation. It’s like watching early teens running a high-level office. Trump stopped maturing at a very young age. Usually, we see that in addicts… 😉
Facebook “Reels” have lots of interview clips where you can catch snippets of Trump and his administration being interviewed and Trump’s idiotic rants while foreign leaders are in the White House. I love the expressions on their faces!
Trump recently was abroad and told Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s fascist leader, that she was a “beautiful woman.” If anyone has watched Meloni’s facial expressions over the years, they know she says a lot just by her many faces. She was definitely in a cringe moment when Trump said that. He said nothing about her leadership in Italy—just commented on her looks.
A further illustration of his lack of leadership abilities will come when he gets to China during his Eastern tour. According to sources already working with China, Trump will back down from all tariffs and trade barriers. No doubt he will twist that to his advantage and claim China backed down. Xi Jinping’s export controls over rare Earth minerals caused Trump to cave (Silicon Valley’s Broligarchy told Trump to make a deal).
I’m not sure, but there seems to be a relationship between ignorance and being a racist, misogynistic pig. I wonder if there are any studies on that?
p.s. There was a comment this weekend about, “A man doesn’t spend money on building improvements unless he plans on living there.” Bannon just told us that 2028 is already planned for a Trump victory. What does that mean about 2026?
“A man doesn’t spend money on building improvements unless he plans on living there.” It’s certainly not his money that is being spent on this abomination!
No dog whistles, no more secrets, just out and out lawlessness, bigotry and hate.
“The North won the war, the South won the peace.”
“I’m not sure, but there seems to be a relationship between ignorance and being a racist, misogynistic pig. I wonder if there are any studies on that?” Todd, there is a possible Ph.D. thesis project.
I did read some good news about this whole situation. Because the current administration is doing a fine job of wrecking the government and advancing white nationalist goals, the groups themselves don’t seem to think violent action is necessary and the threat level from non-government actors has reduced. Of course we can all see the bad news side of this situation.
Of course this will be just tike that “unnecessary” pandemic task force that Obama put in place. When the worst happens, Republicans will act surprised and tell us “who could have seen this coming”.
Is anyone surprised by this information? If you are, you haven’t been paying attention for the last nine years. The only thing we’ve learned is that Hillary drastically underestimated the percentage of deplorables in that basket.
The KKK has arisen, if it ever went away at all, but it is interesting to note that some of its main proponents are brown (Patel), women (Gabbard and Noem) and a Jew (Miller). In Indiana, Morales fits that same mold. It was never far from the surface in this state with its long history of bigotry and misogyny.
While the House is no longer in session and continues to sit idle under Johnson’s control, I am being taxed without representation. My voice in that chamber has been silenced with the “king” making all of the decisions.
Indiana’s two Senators, both with extensive military backgrounds, have rejected their sworn oaths to the Constitution, cheering openly as extra-judicial killings and open fraud and graft enrich their chief executive’s family pockets. It is gangster governance at it core. A protection racket not even faintly disguised. It makes you wonder what he has on them all or if they are just cowards.
Anxiety rules the days as he moves into position to start a war to facilitate his destruction and establish authoritarian rule under the guise of security threats.
How many will die is the major question that is being ignored at our peril. He already has plenty of blood on his hands but he wears it as a badge of braggadocio. With any luck at all he will not live through this term. We can only hope that his viciousness and cruelty will eat him from the inside out. But, then what?
You have a runaway train! And the only way it stops is blowing through the bridge out sign and barricades while speeding towards the precipice. There are a lot of scenarios, which one will happen? Who knows. The days of prognostication are over with. Marv was a very good prognosticator. And we used to talk all the time about what was happening. And even though there was quite an age difference, and a religious difference, we pretty much agreed on what was happening. It’s just interesting to notice how many people are freaking out now, when many were being warned by the few that actually saw what was coming down the pike. And it’s a shame. Because most people like to feel overly intellectual, and kind of disregard the warnings of what’s being seen. Kind of like, shoot Paul Revere he’s too loud. What’s happening now is like prostate cancer, you kind of feel pretty good, until you get kicked in the guts and find out your terminal. Well, that gut kick hurts, and we find out what level of terminal or stage level you might be in. 4? These politicians are like zombies, they are brain dead but still moving. And it’s not just one side of the coin, it’s both sides of the coin. The only way you can terminate a zombie is a headshot. And even then they’re still crawling around. You try to stop the plague by killing the host? That could work, because everyone would be dead. POTUS decides that the government, IE the Treasury, owe him 235 million dollars for his inconvenience being convicted of felonies and having investigations into his wrongdoings. And he grinned saying it he’ll probably sign it when it comes across his desk. Meanwhile, snap benefits are frozen or not available, and people are not being paid, they’re behind in house payments either rent or mortgage, automobile payments either leased or owned by the bank. And just continue on down the line. And somebody whining about being owed $235 million. The same day he votes early, he’s threatening to write an executive order to prevent all early ballots from being counted. You can’t make it up. And don’t count on the military to step in, because they are just as stupid as the politicians. There’s no spine. So it goes, and where it stops? I could tell you, but you won’t believe it anyway. Some of us have been right about it for the past 15 years, so there’s that. These world leading politicians are being pulled towards a confrontation that they can’t win like they have hooks in their jaws. The people will beg the mountains to cover them over, but there will be no helper. The feet of clay and iron are not as strong as iron, and not as dirty as clay. Mixed together, it is very weak. It might look strong, but they can’t bind together, so they crumble.
Daniel 2:1-23
Also read Revelation the 6th chapter.
Anti-White nationalism campaign works.
Polling data has shown that white nationalism remains a major concern for voters of color, with large majorities of Black (73%), Asian American (71%), and Latino (67%) voters expressing worry about its influence.
https://youtu.be/yh31-AYbfzs?si=My02fxorzU39pwra
All the while we turn our backs on reality and vote in the enemy?
Just saying. A black Liberian pastor friend said you’ve emboldened a political movement and don’t care.