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Thoughts On Trump Being the “Least Racist Person in the Room”
Denial of racism and white privilege
I’m the least racist person in the room.
— 45th President of USA, Donald J. Trump.
Donald Trump made such a statement in the 2020 presidential debate with so much ease and confidence. However, people didn’t fail to shudder in shock. That statement that looks like a normal one has deeper meanings — I, as a black woman cannot un-hear how ironic it sounded. A strong denial of racism is a characteristic of a racist and thinking further into Trump’s statement — such a rebuttal spills racism.
Cambridge Dictionary defines “least” as less than anything or anyone else; (of) the smallest amount or number, and adds the superlative of the word as “little” — little doesn’t mean none. The dictionary gave an example “Which car costs the least?” A literate person is likely to understand that the buyer is asking for a car with a cheaper price and not one with a price tag of $0. This explanation has left my brain asking, “Does he already think he’s racist?”
Honestly, saying he’s the least racist person in the room means he is a racist but “it’s only to a small degree” compared to the rest of the people in the room which seemed empty. Quantifying racism by lowering its degree is racism. It’s like saying I’m the least…
