Biden's plan to reverse Trump's legacy of encouraging white nationalism is fraught with challenges: columnist

According to the Washington Post's Greg Sargent, President Trump has set a "hidden trap" for Joe Biden once he assumes the mantle of the presidency.

"Biden vowed to 'restore the soul of the nation' as president, meaning he won’t use the power and influence of the office to carry out a white nationalist agenda or to lend support to right-wing extremists and white supremacists, instead 'uniting' the country," Sargent writes.

A huge problem Biden faces, according to Sargent, is how to reverse the legacy of the Trump administration when it comes to encouraging white nationalism and violent domestic extremism.

Part of this challenge will require taking a look at federal laws that don't currently categorize mass killings carried out by white nationalists as domestic terrorism. "All this would require determining whether this sort of law enforcement activity can be done — and this is absolutely crucial — without violating civil liberties."

"Obviously, one big change will be that Biden will not make public statements tacitly encouraging or downplaying violent right-wing extremism," Sargent writes. "But the big problem Biden faces is how to successfully communicate and level with the public about the threat in a way that’s constructive, not destructive."

Read the full op-ed over at The Washington Post.