Dear Congress, White Supremacy is Trump’s High Crime
By: Sam Mckenzie Jr.
Tags: Donald Trump, Politics, Racism, Impeachment, Congress

White supremacy in the White House is not new. The White House is the White House. But Donald Trump’s presence is killing people. Congress must call his racism a high crime.

A high crime is whatever Congress says is a high crime, right? Trump’s racism must top the list. His racism is a high crime that emanates from the highest office. It’s a high crime that makes hate crimes higher. So, it’s high time Congress impeach Trump for racism. His racism is enough.

With Trump’s racism as the focus of impeachment hearings, the public already knows Trump is a racist. There’s no argument to consider. The polls show most Americans believe Trump is a racist, and they believe he has made “race relations” worse.

Since there’s no law against racism as an evil ideology, that makes the political tool of impeachment even more necessary in this case. Congress should put the embodiment of white supremacy on trial with impeachment hearings.

Then let the Republicans say racism isn’t an impeachable offense. Then let the Republicans say Trump isn’t a racist. Without impeachment for racism, both parties make those statements, which isn’t new — but it is deadly.

Recently, the Washington Post reported a 226% increase in hate crimes in the counties where Trump held rallies. Congress has to answer that alarm with impeachment. Besides his rallies, a terrorist who supports Trump committed murder and praised him.

Here’s what that means — of all the dangers Trump poses, of all that’s wrong with Trump — it’s his white-supremacist ideology and his racist rhetoric that have actually inspired terrorists to kill people. And if they aren’t killing, the evidence shows Trump’s attacks increase death threats from the white mob.

Typically, in US history, white terrorism increases when Black people and people of color make gains. That’s not the case with Trump. Trump sets Black people and people of color back. Trump is doing something else — he’s using fighting words to incite violence. White supremacists everywhere recognize Trump’s presence and his words as fighting words. Why should Congress be the exception?

The First Amendment does not protect fighting words. Congress shouldn’t either. And as long as Congress allows Trump to use unprotected fighting words from the highest office, people are unprotected even more.

Whatever you want to call Trump’s words, there’s no doubt people are fighting because of them. Terrorists are fighting innocent people, and innocent people are fighting for their lives. If there’s any legal gap in what Trump does and the fighting words exemption, then Congress can close it with impeachment.

Trump inspires hate crimes across multiple jurisdictions, state lines, and globally. The hate crimes Trump inspires are federal offenses. Congress must hold all the offenders responsible for the offenses. Trump is guilty, and he’s hiding in the White House. Congress needs to stop counting and go seek him.

There’s no time to talk about the Mueller Report. For impeachment, Congress only needs to talk about the hate crimes report and the racism report. Walking and chewing gum at the same time is not an option with Trump’s racism. His racism requires running.

It’s petty to continue investigations about obstruction of justice, campaign finance, and emoluments when the president is inspiring white supremacists to murder people. How can you see your name on a kill list cosigned by Donald Trump and think tax returns are vital in this moment? It makes no sense.

Even if Democrats find another reason to impeach Trump, if it’s not for his racism, it’s an insult to people with relatives murdered by his presence and his words. How can anyone stand up and say, “We’re starting impeachment for obstruction of justice,” when Trump’s racist words are the nuclear codes of mass destruction?

Congress shouldn't allow a racist president. The possibility of a racist president shouldn’t even be a matter the electorate can allow. But it is. And that’s why Congress has to act.

Some say any attempt to impeach Trump would be a waste. If Trump isn’t worth impeachment, then what about the victims of white terrorism? And what about the future victims of white terrorism?

Is the loss of political points from impeachment worse than people losing loved ones from bullets blasted by white supremacists? No. But actions still speak louder than words, and so does inaction.

Without action, the default answer is yes — white terrorists murdering people in Trump’s name is not as important as losing political points. And in that case, that’s no better than Trump saying the murder of Jamal Khashoggi isn’t worth US trade deals. Both have a focus on the wrong losses. The focus should be on the loss of life.

To be clear, white terrorism will murder people with or without Trump. The difference is whether it will be with the complicity of Congress again and again. Congress was complicit in lynching for many years; Congress is doing it again with Trump and hate crimes.

And for anyone who says a President Pence would be worse than Trump — that’s nonsense in the face of death threats, hate crimes rising, and murdered people. If there were ever a time to choose the lesser of two evils that time is now.

Trump is not standing in the way of a far worse option. Trump is not a shield. He is not a saving grace; impeachment is. And without impeachment, right now there is no saving grace.

For the victims of white terrorism, the time for Congress to act and save their lives passed away. It passed away when white terrorists murdered them. That’s time no member of Congress can reclaim. And without action, Congress is to blame. Tell me again — who’s in charge of Congress?