Trump is back, repeatedly calling Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas"

[RogerStrong]

@boingboing

You’d think after his disastrous week following his inaccurate criticism of Indiana-born Federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel as being unable to fairly judge since he was “Mexican,” he’d take a break.

He’s probably trying to apply his racial legal theory to Congress. Anyone who votes against his policies should be disqualified if he’s ever insulted them. Anyone with Mexican ancestry. Anyone with aboriginal-American ancestry. Anyone with Arab ancestry. Women, or anyone with a female ancestor. Muslims. Democrats. Etc.

[anon41977465]

I don’t believe it.

[Brainspore]

@jannamark

Didn’t Trump promise to be presidential like we wouldn’t believe once he clinched the nomination?

Supposedly that’s the story his surrogates were telling the various party insiders to help quell their fears and get the rest of the GOP to fall in line behind him. At least we have the consolation of knowing they are the first ones to get burned by Trump’s broken promises.

[Melizmatic]

Needs more orange:

@teknocholer

Here he is with his friend Tom in his younger days:

Pssh. Drumph was never that hot!

*lolz

[aluchko]

@Brainspore

Invoking Pocahontas and throwing around terms like “the Indian” is still racist, in part because it reduces an entire ethnic group into a stereotype.

So if he referred to her as “the Indian” with air quotes (indicating he didn’t think she was really native) would that be racist?

You could even look at it as implying that Warren thinks she’s some stereotyped Indian Princess, ie “she thinks she’s Pocahontas” saying a) she’d not native and b) her version of aboriginal is from a Disney cartoon.

@llamaspit

I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure that using an ethnic term as a way to denigrate someone is pretty much the textbook definition of racism.

Then this would be an exception to the textbook definition, the specific denigration is the claim that the ethnic term doesn’t apply to her. I don’t see how insulting someone for being not native is racist towards natives.

[Melizmatic]

@aluchko

So if he referred to her as “the Indian” with air quotes (indicating he didn’t think she was really native) would that be racist?

Bigoted?

Yes.

Because he’s using it as an aspersion, either way.

On top of all his other inflammatory and bigoted rhetoric, that he’s now known for?

Yes.

[fiddlingfrog]

@Brainspore

For the record, are there any ethnic/racial minorities that Trump hasn’t gone out of his way to offend yet?

So far I haven’t heard him make fun of the Polish, so that’s been a surprising breath of fresh air.

[Brainspore]

@aluchko

So if he referred to her as “the Indian” with air quotes (indicating he didn’t think she was really native) would that be racist?

Yes, because

• Even if her family’s oral accounts are accurate she’d be only 1/32 Native American ancestry and she never claimed to self-identify as anything other than white.
• “Indian” is largely considered a dismissive and outdated term for white people to use when referring to Native American/Indigenous populations. It’s not quite the same as saying “The Negro” but it’s on its way there.

[anon27822705]

@Brainspore

… Oh, look at Pancho Villa over here!"

…African American ancestry:“Check out Harriet Tubman!”

…East Asian ancestry:“Oh, you mean the Oriental?”

Are these supposedly racist too? #trump2016

[lumbercartel]

Fear not, I’m well aware of the nautical reference to boiler pressure.

And it was, as robertmckenna speculates, a (weak) play on psychology/literature and sanitary engineering.

[lumbercartel]

@fiddlingfrog

So far I haven’t heard him make fun of the Polish, so that’s been a surprising breath of fresh air.

The usual jokes are so far out of date that most people would think he was referring to fish.

[lumbercartel]

@Melizmatic

If this election is gonna be nothing more than a name calling contest, ‘Hil and Liz’ have way more ammunition than the Donald does.

In the end, even name calling is a battle of wits. The usual conclusions follow.

[lumbercartel]

@teknocholer

The Anglo-Welsh Canadians. I’m starting to feel left out.

You have to wait in line for your wall.

[Daedalus]

@aluchko

Yes it is, that’s been his claim all along. The audience response is racist since they’re performing a racist caricature of natives. But Trump’s claim isn’t that she native, but that she invented a fake aboriginal ancestry.

Calling her “Pocahontas” doesn’t do that. Pocahontas didn’t make a false claim as to her ancestry. Calling her Pocahontas is saying that she is what she claims to be, and that this makes her worthy of scorn.

This is the case regardless of what Trump meant to do.

[Brainspore]

@aluchko

“Indian” is largely considered a dismissive and outdated term for white people to use when referring to Native American/Indigenous populations. It’s not quite the same as saying “The Negro” but it’s on its way there.

Though there’s not really a good compact term for referring to native americans

Well if he’s in that much of a hurry he could save himself another syllable and just say “redskin.” Or even cut it down to one by using “squaw,” which has the added benefit of invoking Warren’s gender. Economical!

[Michael_R_Smith]

Australia checking in. I want to be abused by Trump too.

[glitterybug79]

Haitians.

[TobinL]

@Michael_R_Smith

Australia checking in. I want to be abused by Trump too.

There are way better kinks out there to be into… but you know whatever makes you happy.