Trump’s backing of far-right conspiracy theorist frames the stakes for 2020

[Rogue Valley]

Trump’s backing of far-right conspiracy theorist frames the stakes for 2020

8/19/20
It should be a much bigger story that the president of the United States has now enthusiastically endorsed the congressional run of a virulently Islamophobic far-right conspiracy theorist. This isn’t just highly newsworthy on its own. It also illuminates the stakes of the 2020 presidential race in a fresh way — one that should help forestall the sort of terrible errors in media coverage of President Trump’s hate-mongering that we saw in 2016. In late-night tweets, Trump congratulated Laura Loomer for winning a GOP primary in the Florida district that’s home to Mar-a-Lago. This came just after he delivered a speech in Arizona spewing all kinds of depraved lies about Joe Biden’s immigration agenda. These things are often described with euphemistic phrases such as “stoking our divisions” or “betting on the culture war.” But Trump’s championing of Loomer should compel a much clearer reckoning, one that faithfully conveys what we’re really seeing here: reactionary illiberalism, naked bigotry and nativist incitement of anti-immigrant hate. Loomer is best known for having called Muslims “savages,” for describing herself as a “proud Islamophobe,” and for getting booted from Twitter for tweets about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) that violated its code against hateful conduct.

Loomer also got banned from Uber and Lyft after suggesting “a non Islamic form” of those ride-sharing companies. And she functioned as an operative for the Infowars conspiracy theorists while tarring kids protesting the Parkland mass shooting as plants. Trump has indulged in anti-Muslim bigotry all throughout his presidency. And regardless, Trump’s endorsement of Loomer lays his anti-Muslim bigotry bare once again. We’ve seen the cruelty of family separations; the sending of troops to the border as campaign props; Trump rallies erupting in “send her back” hate chants about Omar; the constant tarring of immigrants with ugly dehumanizing language; and the unleashing of federal law enforcement on racial justice protesters, all to create TV imagery that sends an authoritarian thrill up Trump’s leg. In the next two months, all this will be heavily litigated. But no one should refer to what Trump is doing as “culture war politics” or “stoking divisions” or even “crazy Trump being crazy Trump.” It’s extreme radicalization. And we need to get the language right this time.

Laura Loomer is as nutty as they come, and Trump has now publicly embraced her rampant bigotry and radical Islamophobia.

Related: Anti-Muslim Activist Laura Loomer Is About to Get a Little Closer to Congress

 

[Helix]

Maybe he can get Orly in on the action this time. She did a great job as a birther nutter. Get the band back together, Tweety!

Lol

 

[bluesmoke]

The only thing Trump is basing His positive opinion of Q on is that they "like Me". He said that 3 times. He said that's all He knows about them. The devil himself could come flaming up from hell and proclaim how much he admires Trump and Trump would say the same thing about the devil as about Q.

 

[j brown's body]

Please! He isn't backing them. He's only appreciating them and claiming that they are growing in popularity.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Please! He isn't backing them. He's only appreciating them and claiming that they are growing in popularity.

If you don't think Trump will borrow/parrot QAnon conspiracy theories about his political opponents, I have a bridge in the Everglades to sell you.

Trump doesn't openly back the Proud Boys either, but he never disavows their violence against Antifa.