I don't believe that Trump is a racist. I believe that Trump is a Trumpist. I believe that he lacks the capacity to hold any real beliefs outside of his own self-interest, even twisted and depraved ones. He panders to racists, along with other segments like Evangelicals, not because he believes in their cause but because they give him what he wants: praise and power. But to think that Trumpism is about race is deeply, tragically, missing the point.
If we want to understand and get to the root of what just happened for the past 4 years, the left needs to step back and seriously reconsider its assumptions.
I disagree wholeheartedly. You’ve described Trumpism in terms of “what goes on in Donald Trump’s head.” I think very few people ultimately care about this. Instead, most people interpret “Trumpism” as what his followers believe. And I can see little argument that there’s a much stronger thread of white primacy in his statements and followers than anyone else.
If we want to understand and get to the root of what just happened for the past 4 years, the left needs to step back and seriously reconsider its assumptions.