What did Donald Trump do today?

He called immigrants "animals."

During a publicly live-streamed meeting with California officials on the subject of sanctuary cities, Trump lashed out again at the "dumbest" laws that require the United States to take refugees and asylum-seekers seriously. He then boasted about his administration's response: "We're taking people out of the country, you wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people. These are animals."

Why is this something I should care about?

• Dehumanizing people outside the "base" for political gain is what authoritarians do.

• Racism is as racism does.