Listen I hope I can say this calmly and clearly. Trump’s insult of journalist @abbydphillip goes too far. And I will not accept the “weary with outrage” that is supposed to excuse the failure to stand up and refuse to accept this racist treatment of a professional doing her job.
This latest vile and awful attack comes just days after his attack on @Yamiche. It came with the one-two punch of yet another insult of veteran journalist @AprilDRyan. 2/
It comes months after he has repeatedly derided the intelligence of African American senior congresswoman @RepMaxineWaters. 3/
It comes months after he called one of his senior advisors and the only African American senior staffer in the White House @OMAROSA a “dog.”
Trump is not the first to publicly insult Black women for political gain. Calling us “welfare queens” or “quota queens” was low hanging fruit for cynical political operatives.But this is different. 5/
This is the President of the United States. To point his finger in the face of a young Black woman who asked the question on everyone’s mind about Whitaker’s hiring and speak in that way is beyond acceptable. 6/
And I’ll say what Abby and Yamiche and April and maybe even Maxine (nope, not Maxine) won’t say: it’s wounding. When the President of the United States insults you in this disgusting way on your job in front of your colleagues it is wounding & infuriating. 7/
It is not a badge of honor. It reminds us of the things our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers were called. And perhaps they had to take it so we would not be subjected to this. But it’s happening. Right now. In front of the world. It is sickening. 8/
It is not the same as being called “sleepy eyes” or “wacky”. It is part of a very specific history of denigration. And it subjects these women to threats of violence by unstable elements among the President’s followers. /9
The President of the United Stated speaks in our name and as leader of this country. It matters how he talks to and about us. What we heard this wk cannot be tolerated without us lifting our voices to say #EnoughIsEnough. 10/
There are so many serious issues we must confront in the coming days. But we cannot let this pass as business as usual. I salute @abbydphillip & @Yamiche @AprilDRyan @RepMaxineWaters They are class acts. But they deserve to hear a chorus of condemnation of these attacks. /12
And stop saying it’s “a distraction.”
I focus on the substantive work of civil rights every day. We can spare a moment to speak unequivocally against this conduct. In fact the degrading of our discourse & the normalization of personal insult is also a danger to our democracy. /13
I focus on the substantive work of civil rights every day. We can spare a moment to speak unequivocally against this conduct. In fact the degrading of our discourse & the normalization of personal insult is also a danger to our democracy. /13
