A Washington Post analysis of his language revealed Trump's growing anger is manifesting into attacks against people of color and the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the media.
"Over the course of the rallies, Trump has amped up his attacks on refugees and a Muslim congresswoman, his approval of violence against journalists, his baseless theories about Joe Biden and his not-terribly subtle shunning of a mask to protect against the novel coronavirus," the Post explained.
Trump's anger directed at the four progressive women of color in "the squad" seems to be targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) more than anything. Previously, he told them to "go back" to where they came from, despite all being U.S. citizens, three of whom were born in the U.S. But last week, Trump took false internet conspiracy theories and tried to claim Omar had married her brother.
“Did she marry her brother? Where is that writer that writes — that writer should be given the Pulitzer Prize.” Trump continued; “every family in Minnesota needs to know about Sleepy Joe Biden’s extreme plan to flood your state with an influx of refugees from Somalia,” where Omar was born, and “from other places all over the planet.”
“One of the most vital issues in this election is the subject of refugees. You know it. You know it perhaps better than almost anybody. Lots of luck. You having a good time with your refugees?” Trump added.
In his Pennsylvania rally, he claimed she shouldn't have any right to say anything about the United States because the country she fled isn't stable. Omar came to the United States when she was just 8-years-old.
Trump's attacks on the media have gotten worse as well. In a rally this week Trump attacked MSNBC reporter Ali Velshi, who was shot by police while covering protests over four months ago. Trump appeared to have just learned about the incident. He falsely stated Velshi was hit in the knee with a teargas canister.
“I remember this guy," Trump prefaced before incorrectly citing the network Velshi worked for. He got hit on the knee with a canister of tear gas and he went down. He didn’t — he was down. My knee, my knee,” Trump mocked, as the crowd laughed. “Nobody cared. These guys didn’t care. They moved him aside. And they just walk through him. It was like — it was the most beautiful thing.”
Trump retold the story Monday in Ohio: “Remember they hit the CNN reporter in the knee. He went down, Ali Velshi. He said this is a friendly protest. It’s wonderful to see such a” thing.
The Post noted that in the past Trump championed Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) for committing misdemeanor assault on a reporter.
Trump's anti-mask sentiment has grown worse as well. He's mocked former Vice President Joe Biden for following the health guidelines by wearing one, suggesting that the mask is hiding Biden using drugs or getting plastic surgery.
“He’s like 100 yards from the nearest human being, he’s got a — he feels good about the mask,” said Trump. Biden regularly speaks to people closer than Trump is willing to do and continues to visit with people in person. Trump, by contrast, refuses to meet with supporters unless he's far away from him.
After creating a conspiracy theory that Biden was in some sort of cognitive decline, he seemed to have realized that Biden could wipe the floor with him at the upcoming debates. So, now Trump is creating a new conspiracy theory that Biden will be on drugs to make it through the debate.
Many of these attacks are simply recycled from his old 2016 attacks on Hillary Clinton. During that election, Trump's team claimed Clinton would be dead after the first six months after the election. It's been four years and Clinton is still very much alive.
"But what we’ve seen over the past several days is Trump pushing the envelope even more in an attempt to rile up his base," the analysis closed. "The rallies suggest people who turn out to see him in the midst of a pandemic approve of his political style — often laughing or applauding his provocations — but those probably won’t be the voters who decide the 2020 election."
Read the extensive analysis.
