Fox News senior legal analyst Judge Napolitano wrote a scathing op-ed on Foxnews.com opposing Donald Trump's racist attacks against the four freshmen Congresswomen of color.
Napolitano cited his days as a supporter of the Vietnam War, and how the phrase "love it or leave it" was used to denigrate those that opposed the war.
He explained how the country was incredibly divided over Vietnam because the American people were told lies to justify and continue a war where 58,000 Americans soldiers were killed.
He writes, "Now, that hatred is back."
The title of the piece is 'Trump has unleashed a torrent of hatred.'
The racist hatred from Republicans was highly visible as Barack Obama ran for president, and has only multiplied exponentially since then. Trump is the symptom of their disease.
When he loudly called for four members of Congress – women of color who oppose nearly all his initiatives and who have questioned his fitness for office – to go back to the places from which they came, he unleashed a torrent of hatred.
Telling people to 'go back to where you came from,' is a racist trope that's been around since the first boats of migrants landed at Ellis Island. My grandparents came here in 1918 and were subjected to incredible racism all day, everyday.
So, when the president defies these moral and constitutional norms and tells women of color to "Go back," he raises a terrifying specter.
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But when the hate speech comes from a shameless president, we have a problem.
Trump is not only shameless as the so-called president, but has a long history of racism that he amplified when he announced his run for political office.
Napolitano wraps up his article this way:
This business of the hatred of people is so dangerous because to some, as Lord Byron wrote, hatred is perversely pleasing. It gives them shelter in a mob, it lets them hurl venom with anonymity, and it regenerates itself. It must be rejected loudly in all its forms – especially when it comes from the president.
Instead of being rejected, Andrew, Trump's racism has only been embraced by Republicans in Congress and with his base of supporters.
And it's only going to become more destructive and ugly as the 2020 presidential election comes upon us.
