Trump’s Phrase “Law and Order” is Racist
Nixon made it that way
Donald Trump has taken a lot from Richard Nixon’s presidential playbook — things like lying, obfuscating, stonewalling, jawboning, and press-bashing, to name a few. It’s no surprise, then, that he has also taken Nixon’s signature euphemism for politically institutionalized racism — “Law and Order.”
Trump invoked the phrase June 1 as he threatened to unleash federal troops on demonstrators across the nation. Protestors have been marching for justice, police accountability, and an end to systemic racism after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died while police in Minneapolis were arresting him on May 25.
“I am your President of law and order . . . . “ — Donald Trump, June 1, 2020
While most of the protests have been peaceful, some demonstrations turned violent. Without evidence, Trump blamed the violence on “Antifa,” a vague designation for leftist agitators, and other elements. Trump said, “our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals, rioters, Antifa, and others.”
Trump acknowledged that Floyd’s death was “brutal,” and that people have the right to peacefully protest. But his speech took a strongman turn when he suggested that he…
