Recently, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made some controversial comments about a portion of Donald Trump’s supporters.
While speaking at a LGBT event in New York, Clinton said, “To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the ‘basket of deplorables’ ... Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it.”
This was somehow taken as shocking, despite numerous hate groups actively supporting a Trump presidency.
For example, a February poll of Republican primary voters in South Carolina revealed that nearly a third of those who were voting Trump supported an outright ban on homosexuals entering the United States. Yes, you read that right.
You may be asking yourself how one would even do that. Good question. But also, why would you? Without getting into a debate on that topic, it’s not hard to see how one could view some who support Trump as “deplorable,” which may be the point.
After Clinton made her comments, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC pointed out that Clinton could have been planning this in order to get people to actually look into who is supporting Trump.
This sentiment has been echoed by many in the past few days. Additionally, many have voiced the opinion that this statement is not as offensive as one might have been originally led to believe.
If it was strategic, does that change how it should be viewed? This strategy has certainly been utilized by Trump, who regularly spouts offensive rhetoric and buzz-worthy statements as ways of redirecting the spotlight onto himself.
Was it the most presidential thing Clinton could have said? No, probably not. But the backlash from some Trump supporters may be because the truth stings. Again, Clinton did not put all Trump supporters in this “basket,” and neither am I. However, it is impossible to ignore or discredit how incredibly insensitive and offensive some who support Trump have been.
Sorry, but just because you kinda, sorta reject the support of a former Klan leader does not mean that person and organization no longer support you. The inescapable fact of the matter is that Trump has drawn the support of various hateful, vitriolic groups like no other Republican nominee in recent memory.
If that’s not deplorable, I’m not sure what is. The inability of those surrounding and supporting Trump to acknowledge this is disheartening. Obviously those working for him have a job to do and would have had to come out against Clinton in an attempt to paint this as an incredibly insulting comment.
However, those who support Trump but perhaps do not feel the way other supporters do should at least acknowledge the truth in these statements. If you are not deplorable, and you are voting for Trump, one could logically theorize that you should be able to articulate why you support him, as opposed to just taking up arms against Clinton and trying to use this as a reason she should not be elected.
Thanks to Clinton, we are talking about this again, as we should be.
Whether you label it strategy, gaffe or something else, it is a comment that deserves the attention it has received. Just perhaps not the backlash.
macwhitt@indiana.edu
