18 Comments

Donald Trump is a chip off the old racist block, Fred Trump, one-time member of the KKK. No one should be surprised by what he did yesterday. He berated and disrespected Black journalists like April Ryan and Amiche Alcindor regularly when he was in the White House. He's triggered by the mere presence of POC.

He's been overshadowed in the last ten days or so by Kamala Harris's electrifying campaign which has been brilliantly executed - and has driven Trump and his Wounded Ear of Martyrdom™️ out of the spotlight. Yesterday was driven not only his native racism, but also by the narcissistic injury of being bested by a Black-Asian woman in the public sphere. That's why he showed up with a chip on shoulder ten times bigger than his ear bandage.

The two worst traits Trump has were unloaded before our eyes, narcissistic racism.

Expand full comment

Waj, I totally enjoyed watching and listening to you when on Mary Trump's "Nerd Avengers" podcasts. Now reading your Left Hooks....well, you just outdo yourself. So glad to be a follower!

Expand full comment
Aug 5Liked by THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali

Waj, this is a great piece. I did a deep dive yesterday addressing how Trump came to be and how to get rid of him:

https://open.substack.com/pub/mmansour/p/how-trump-came-to-be?r=tcxup&utm_medium=ios

Expand full comment

We know he is a liar and racist. They know he is a liar and a racist. Let’s get serious and start giving the public the truth it deserves.

Expand full comment

Here’s hoping other journalists and news sites read your call to action and start telling the actual truth - stripped of all bs and obfuscation.

These words stand out to me “There will always be one more hurdle and litmus test for us to prove that we should be allowed grace, decency, kindness and equality.” This is so true. Racists, bigots, xenophobes, misogynists - very, very few ever change so those of us on the receiving end of their hate should consider the source - always watching out for your safety - and keep moving forward.

I recently received a very clear threat for speaking out against the misogynistic discrimination at my local VA medical center. I’m being denied medical care I need. Why? For being a female veteran. After going through all the VA protocols to fight this only to be denied the care 11+ times for the sole “medical” reason of “you can live with it” (by one man and the two men in authority above him), even after proving the need with multiple medical tests and other doctors speaking up on my behalf, I wrote a letter to the editor of my local paper to alert other female veterans to the deeply entrenched misogyny and discrimination. (I suspected this person’s behavior was not only an abuse of authority but misogynistic in nature and it was proven when another VA employee reached out to inform me that the misogynist routinely authorizes the same medical care for male veterans. I was grateful that someone else willingly spoke up and gave me permission to use their name and statement.)

My letter to the newspaper was published last week. Two days later a large dead rat - who clearly died a violent death - was put in a garbage bag and left on my doorstep. The coward who did this did so in the middle of the night. Why? Because I asked to be treated with grace, medical professionalism and equality and because when I wasn’t I spoke up to alert others.

I can only imagine how much worse the response would have been if I were a person of color.

I am taking the very clear threat to my well being seriously. I’ve implemented security changes and have taken other actions, including filing a detailed police report. I will keep fighting for the medical care I earned with my service and speaking out to alert other veterans.

It can be difficult to keep moving forward but every effort counts. Telling the truth matters - for everyone targeted by hate.

Expand full comment

So sorry you are having to endure this kind of treatment--and on top of your medical condition. (Reminds me of Kristin Hannah's book The Women). May you get the attention and treatment you need and deserve. And may you be well.

Expand full comment

Annis,

I want to thank you for mentioning the book “The Women” . I looked it up, was intrigued, bought it & read it in one night. It has been helpful.

Expand full comment

I'm so glad. Thank you for telling me, Kasumii. Do take care. And never stop advocating for yourself. Wishing you peace and healing.

Expand full comment

Thank you kindly.

Expand full comment

The tell was in the way he pronounced “Black” with obvious disdain.

Expand full comment

Isn't it past time that we withdraw the excuse of "bothsides-ism" extended to corporate media and acknowledge that, for varying reasons, the corporate media wants and actively seeks his return to the WH--?

Expand full comment

I remember when Trump said, “I am the least racist person there is.”

Like I told my wife, whatever Trump says about himself, it is always the exact opposite!

Expand full comment

I am glad the L.A. Times called Trump out (among other media), but their headline "Trump makes false claim" is 17 characters long when it could have and should have been done with four—"Trump lies". I don't know why it's so hard for media to just print that. I have heard that journals demure because they can't know what's in a person's mind, but that's a very pedantic reading of the verb "to lie". (i.e. thinking that https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie verb(2) def 1 is the only definition of the verb and ignoring def 2). I personally adhere to Stafford Beer's formulation of POSIWID — the Purpose Of a System Is What It Does. Trump is a liar who lies. I am completely uninterested in his intent in so far as his intent deserves any scrutiny beyond the harm it causes.

Expand full comment

A lying, racist moron who has always been unfit to serve. CALL IT OUT EVERY TIME.

Expand full comment

They corporate mainstream *and clicks dependent” media decided in 2016 they would not rise to this occasion, and they didn’t, and we paid a grave cost and we’re steal paying it. They are no kind of 4th estate, and they should be shamed for it.

Expand full comment

damn straight, Waj!

Expand full comment

I love what you offer.

Expand full comment

Truth!!!!!💯

Expand full comment