Why Donald Trump will soon revert to his race-baiting ways

Don't believe his new semi-conciliatory tone

Donald Trump will once again show his true colors.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Donald Trump took on a lot of new beliefs in his campaign to become the Republicans nominee for president. Guns? Oh, he loves 'em. Health care? Gotta get rid of that satanic ObamaCare. Abortion? My goodness, does he ever hate it. He didn't used to believe all that, but he says he does now. There are some things, though, that you can be pretty sure Donald Trump sincerely believes because he's been saying them for decades. For example, he's always thought that we're getting taken to the cleaners on trade. More broadly, he thinks we're a country full of losers — that's been a staple of his public comments for a long time. And though he has said, "I have a great relationship with the blacks. I've always had a great relationship with the blacks," that's not exactly so.

In the wake of the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile followed by the murder of five police officers in Dallas, some in the media praised Trump for his relatively measured response. His campaign released a statement that contained none of his usual bluster and seemed to encourage unity and healing, which was uncharacteristic, to say the least. But don't be fooled into thinking that for more than a moment or two he's going to be dealing with these kinds of issues with sensitivity and respect. It's just not who he is.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.