IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Key Point From Washington Post Editorial Board: “It is not a dog whistle when everyone in the country knows exactly what he means: that African Americans commit fraud to win elections … These words represent a direct incitement of his supporters to show up in minority communities on Election Day armed with conspiracy theories and hostile attitudes — and who knows what else.”
DCCC Response:
“Trump’s latest use of racially charged language makes it clear that Trump is encouraging voter intimidation in African American communities,” said Jermaine House of the DCCC. “It’s bad enough Speaker Ryan and House Republicans lacked the political courage to pass an update to the Voting Right Act, but now their Party’s leader is attempting to bring us back to shameful history of intimidation of minorities at the ballot box, and they’re marching lockstep behind him.” – Jermaine House of the DCCC
Donald Trump’s contempt for American democracy – ICYMI
Washington Post Editorial Board
[…] But even more alarming than the contempt he shows toward voters by not releasing his taxes is the contempt he is showing — and cultivating among his supporters — for American democracy.
On Saturday, Mr. Trump told a Pennsylvania crowd to “watch” the voters in “certain areas” because “I hear too many bad stories, and we can’t lose an election because of you know what I’m talking about.” It is not a dog whistle when everyone in the country knows exactly what he means: that African Americans commit fraud to win elections. “So, go and vote and then go check out areas,” he said. “Because a lot of bad things happen, and we don’t want to lose for that reason.”
These words represent a direct incitement of his supporters to show up in minority communities on Election Day armed with conspiracy theories and hostile attitudes — and who knows what else. They come on top of Mr. Trump’s backtracking on his pledge, given during the first debate, to accept the results of next month’s presidential election. “We’re going to have to see,” he says now. He is encouraging intimidation of black voters, an odious tradition in U.S. history, and laying the groundwork to question the legitimacy of Hillary Clinton’s victory if she wins. This line of provocation is dangerous — literally so.