Following the 2016 presidential election, the popular refrain on the left was that 53 percent of white women voters supported Donald Trump and fucked everyone over. But that 53 percent isn’t easily embarrassed—if anything, they’re getting ready for their close up.
By any reasonable measures, this week should have been a public relations nightmare for Trump: He told four congresswomen of color to go back to their original countries—a racist taunt suitable for a playground—and doubled down, insisting that his comments weren’t actually racist. The outrage was swift and palpable: One USA Today poll found that over two-thirds of Americans who were aware of the controversy considered Trump’s comments “offensive.” On Wednesday the House voted to formally condemn Trump’s remarks. But for Trump loyalists, the week is a test drive in solidarity for the 2020 election, and white women are ready.
On Tuesday night, CNN interviewed a small panel of mostly white Republican women (most of whom have ties to the Trump campaign and have previously appeared on CNN panels of Republican women) and asked if they found the president’s comments offensive. They said no.
“He didn’t say anything about color [in his tweets],” Gina O’Briant said. She later added, “He dated a black woman for two years. Two of his wives are immigrants. He’s not a xenophobic racist.”
“Even though [the congresswomen are] American now—so to speak—they’re not acting American,” Kathleen Lieberman said.
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