What did Donald Trump do today?
He warned people protesting white supremacists that he was watching them.
The Proud Boys, an all-male white nationalist group that has enthusiastically supported Trump, held a rally in Portland, Oregon today. The group advocates violence in the name of protecting "white culture," and has been trying to incite violence at its demonstrations by baiting their counter-protestors. The group did draw huge crowds of people opposed to their neo-fascist ideas. Thirteen arrests were made and six people were injured.
As the Proud Boy rally unfolded, Trump went on Twitter and warned that he was considering designating the counter-protestors as a terrorist organization.
Specifically, Trump said he was giving "major consideration" to designating Antifa as a terrorist organization. Antifa, short for "anti-fascist," isn't really a specific group of people so much as an organizing strategy that arose in the 1980s to stop neo-Nazi groups from recruiting.
The Proud Boys were thrilled by Trump's tweet, and immediately celebrated his support.
Proud Boys #PortlandProtest organizer Joe Briggs is asked "What's the message you got across?"— 🌊ʇᴉɯᴉl ɐɯǝɥɔs®🌊🤘🏼 (@TimForgot) August 17, 2019
"Go look at President Trump's Twitter. He talked about Portland, said he's watchin' antifa. That's all we wanted."@realDonaldTrump actively supports domestic terrorists. pic.twitter.com/Y6Y81dXML3
Trump did not mention the white nationalist groups in Portland today. He's often shied away from even mild criticism of racist or right-wing militant groups, for fear that he needs their political support to stay in office.
Why should I care about this?
- A president too cowardly to offend violent white nationalists is unfit for office.
- A president who just doesn't care about violent white nationalists is also unfit for office.