As the US government faced up to the serious matter of shutting down because of a partisan confrontation in Congress, Trump diverted attention by posting an AI video on Truth Social depicting one of the chief negotiators, Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Leader, as a comic book Mexican wearing a sombrero and handle-bar moustache.
The message was clear. Mexicans are fair game and racism is a laughing matter.
The just-joking excuse – advancing an extreme idea but passing it off as a joke or random thought – is a familiar technique of demagogues and satirists and is just yet another example of how America’s morality is decaying under Vance and Trump.
As the Harvard professor of psychology Steven Pinker told me in an interview this week, Trump has realised that it is possible to get away with breaking “the norms”, the rules of behaviour, usually regarded as inviolable by democratic leaders across the political spectrum.
Trump boasts outrageously. He mocks disabled people. He has reportedly called those who died for their country “losers”, though the President and his allies denied making the remarks. He treats international allies as vassals to be extorted for tribute. He and his family are exploiting the presidency [to enrich themselves](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/trump-maga-base-us-government-shutdown-3949548?ico=in-line_link) with billions of dollars. He is the first convicted felon to grace the Oval Office. And he is getting away with it.
He and his Maga henchmen are even prepared to play with the live wire of racism. Everything they say and do broadcasts their view that white men should be in charge of the United States.
For sure, Trump has his supporters among black, Asian and Latino Americans. But billionaires outnumber ethnic minorities many times over in his senior government appointments.
Megaphonestory on
JD Vance wouldn’t pass the metrosexual sit fit pushed by Hegseth.
DoubtSubstantial5440 on
I mean as a brown person, this has been America since forever, Trump just gave them permission to be even more open about their hate in public
ResidentKelpien on
The moral decay is a scourge from allegedly pious Christian Conservatives.
They have weaponized their faith to feign moral high ground and excuse their amorality.
RackCitySanta on
imagine thinking people were actually equal
Abydos_NOLA on
Vance’s a racist you say? You mean the same guy who said about his own wife “Obviously she’s not a white person….But I just love Usha. She’s such j a good mom.”
If my husband said something about me like that in private let alone on National TV the divorce papers would be coming out my lawyer’s printer as we speak.
Luke_Cocksucker on
“It’s just a joke.” – racist excuse number one.
RepulsiveLoquat418 on
moral decay? did you just start paying attention? a country founded in genocide and built on slavery has been struggling to overcome its moral failings since the beginning, with mixed results.
LuvKrahft on
Electing a known rapist twice is a better sign of the moral decay because right wingers have been casual racists for a long time now. Racist GOP is just normal GOP. At least since the southern strategy.
Something America never learned:
A white supreme-ist Not using the nword in public (very much) does not equal “not a white supreme-ist”.
hypothesis101 on
JD Vance would have fit right in as Third Reich role model.
Area51_Spurs on
Black people and the nation of Vietnam: “America had morals? Let’s go to the highlight reel.”
BaldingBush on
Reveals? More like reinforces.
strolpol on
Guy has brown kids and making sure their lives are harder in this country
Bishopjones2112 on
Are we kidding? Just dance is racist? Come on the president put out a video making an African American decent man into a Mexican in an AI video. When the member made a statement about it Trump again put out another AI video adding a mariachi band. The policy of beards in the military is aimed at African American service members, the policies of ICE are so blatantly racist it’s scary. The moral decay is no longer just decay, it’s pure rotten filth.
And let’s not forget the protection of pedophiles and sexual predators in the states. Tell me that isn’t a moral decay.
According-Show-3964 on
America has always been a deeply racist country, I guess it’s good that more folks are finally realizing that, thanks to rightwingers taking their masks (hoods?) off.
basketballsteven on
No it does not. What it revels is Republicans moral decay which is a subset of Americans. Most Americans reject the President and Vice-President’s openly bigoted statements.
FNFALC2 on
I saw an interview with him in which he said about his wife “obviously, she isn’t white but I love her”. Pretty revealing.
Vegetable_Lime_8188 on
Every time leaders talk like this, it gives others permission to do the same in their daily lives
ttpharmd on
Vance is whatever he’s told to be. If next week he was told to not be a racist, he’d divorce Usha and marry a Mexican.
VerminVundabar on
Vance started his campaign for the US Senate with a nakedly racist campaign video so anyone just now realizing that JD Vance is a racist prick was not paying attention.
Im_gumby_damnit on
I’ve never met a Republican that wasn’t ultimately driven by racism once you get to know them and they let their guard down.
Necessary_Scheme_347 on
Do you mean to tell me that Republicans haven’t been the party of morality all along???? No way!!!
coconutpiecrust on
Surely Russia and China love all of this. Can play the current admin on loop to illustrate the moral decay of the “rotten west”.
Dblock1989 on
America was built off racism and hatred. Black people weren’t legally viewed as equals until the 1960’s. America has always been racist and sexist to anyone that isn’t a white male.
Condottiero_Magno on
Paywall free version: [JD Vance’s casual racism reveals America’s moral decay: Americans are being joked into agreeing that taking action in accordance with with such spiteful words is okay – even funny ](https://archive.ph/4fUkz)
miz_nyc on
As a Black American woman, what’s new? America has always been ok with casual racism
copingstoic on
The most accurate article I have seen in a long time. Kudos to the writer.
dcgradc on
Promise from JD to Jeffries :
If you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop .
28 Comments
As the US government faced up to the serious matter of shutting down because of a partisan confrontation in Congress, Trump diverted attention by posting an AI video on Truth Social depicting one of the chief negotiators, Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Leader, as a comic book Mexican wearing a sombrero and handle-bar moustache.
The message was clear. Mexicans are fair game and racism is a laughing matter.
The video was shown on a loop in the White House Press briefing room yesterday and [JD Vance brushed aside](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/jd-vance-has-more-in-common-with-henry-viii-than-he-realises-3853357?srsltid=AfmBOoofs2TIkBGvL3LKCHiBjMygpmjb7Rb2-kKDbG1QGQEIJZa5jg5v&ico=in-line_link) the accusations of racism. “Oh, I think it’s funny, the President is joking and we’re having a good time”, he told reporters. Before issuing a “solemn promise”, mafioso style, to Jeffries “if you help us re-open the government, the sombrero memes will stop”.
The just-joking excuse – advancing an extreme idea but passing it off as a joke or random thought – is a familiar technique of demagogues and satirists and is just yet another example of how America’s morality is decaying under Vance and Trump.
As the Harvard professor of psychology Steven Pinker told me in an interview this week, Trump has realised that it is possible to get away with breaking “the norms”, the rules of behaviour, usually regarded as inviolable by democratic leaders across the political spectrum.
Trump boasts outrageously. He mocks disabled people. He has reportedly called those who died for their country “losers”, though the President and his allies denied making the remarks. He treats international allies as vassals to be extorted for tribute. He and his family are exploiting the presidency [to enrich themselves](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/trump-maga-base-us-government-shutdown-3949548?ico=in-line_link) with billions of dollars. He is the first convicted felon to grace the Oval Office. And he is getting away with it.
He and his Maga henchmen are even prepared to play with the live wire of racism. Everything they say and do broadcasts their view that white men should be in charge of the United States.
For sure, Trump has his supporters among black, Asian and Latino Americans. But billionaires outnumber ethnic minorities many times over in his senior government appointments.
JD Vance wouldn’t pass the metrosexual sit fit pushed by Hegseth.
I mean as a brown person, this has been America since forever, Trump just gave them permission to be even more open about their hate in public
The moral decay is a scourge from allegedly pious Christian Conservatives.
They have weaponized their faith to feign moral high ground and excuse their amorality.
imagine thinking people were actually equal
Vance’s a racist you say? You mean the same guy who said about his own wife “Obviously she’s not a white person….But I just love Usha. She’s such j a good mom.”
If my husband said something about me like that in private let alone on National TV the divorce papers would be coming out my lawyer’s printer as we speak.
“It’s just a joke.” – racist excuse number one.
moral decay? did you just start paying attention? a country founded in genocide and built on slavery has been struggling to overcome its moral failings since the beginning, with mixed results.
Electing a known rapist twice is a better sign of the moral decay because right wingers have been casual racists for a long time now. Racist GOP is just normal GOP. At least since the southern strategy.
Something America never learned:
A white supreme-ist Not using the nword in public (very much) does not equal “not a white supreme-ist”.
JD Vance would have fit right in as Third Reich role model.
Black people and the nation of Vietnam: “America had morals? Let’s go to the highlight reel.”
Reveals? More like reinforces.
Guy has brown kids and making sure their lives are harder in this country
Are we kidding? Just dance is racist? Come on the president put out a video making an African American decent man into a Mexican in an AI video. When the member made a statement about it Trump again put out another AI video adding a mariachi band. The policy of beards in the military is aimed at African American service members, the policies of ICE are so blatantly racist it’s scary. The moral decay is no longer just decay, it’s pure rotten filth.
And let’s not forget the protection of pedophiles and sexual predators in the states. Tell me that isn’t a moral decay.
America has always been a deeply racist country, I guess it’s good that more folks are finally realizing that, thanks to rightwingers taking their masks (hoods?) off.
No it does not. What it revels is Republicans moral decay which is a subset of Americans. Most Americans reject the President and Vice-President’s openly bigoted statements.
I saw an interview with him in which he said about his wife “obviously, she isn’t white but I love her”. Pretty revealing.
Every time leaders talk like this, it gives others permission to do the same in their daily lives
Vance is whatever he’s told to be. If next week he was told to not be a racist, he’d divorce Usha and marry a Mexican.
Vance started his campaign for the US Senate with a nakedly racist campaign video so anyone just now realizing that JD Vance is a racist prick was not paying attention.
I’ve never met a Republican that wasn’t ultimately driven by racism once you get to know them and they let their guard down.
Do you mean to tell me that Republicans haven’t been the party of morality all along???? No way!!!
Surely Russia and China love all of this. Can play the current admin on loop to illustrate the moral decay of the “rotten west”.
America was built off racism and hatred. Black people weren’t legally viewed as equals until the 1960’s. America has always been racist and sexist to anyone that isn’t a white male.
Paywall free version: [JD Vance’s casual racism reveals America’s moral decay: Americans are being joked into agreeing that taking action in accordance with with such spiteful words is okay – even funny ](https://archive.ph/4fUkz)
As a Black American woman, what’s new? America has always been ok with casual racism
The most accurate article I have seen in a long time. Kudos to the writer.
Promise from JD to Jeffries :
If you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop .
Is this the VP negotiating?