Reaction: Donald Trump compares impeachment to ‘lynching’
US president accused of ‘throwing racial bombs with his Twitter outburst’
Donald Trump has come under fire after he referred to impeachment proceedings against him as a “lynching”.
The US president wrote on Twitter: “So some day if a Democrat becomes president and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the president, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching.”
As the BBC explains, “lynching” is a “racially loaded term” which refers to “historic extrajudicial executions by white mobs mainly against African Americans”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Although Trump has previously described the impeachment plan as a “witch hunt”, this is the first time he has used “such a racially charged word” to describe his predicament, says The Guardian.
Responding on Twitter, Bobby Rush, a Democrat from Illinois, called on Trump to delete the tweet and asked: “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Rush added: “Do you know how many people who look like me have been lynched, since the inception of this country, by people who look like you?”
Karen Bass, the California representative and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told CNN that Trump’s tweet was the latest instalment of him throwing “racial bombs” to give “red meat” to his base.
South Carolina representative James Clyburn told the same broadcaster: “That is one word that no president ought to apply to himself. I’m not just a politician … I’m a product of the south. I know the history of that word.”
Trump received some support too. Lindsey Graham, a senator from South Carolina, said the process of impeachment was “a lynching in every sense”. But key Trump ally Jim Jordan refused to say whether the tweet was appropriate, stating only that “the president is frustrated”.
New York Times columnist Charles Blow had no such hesitation. “Lynching?!” he wrote on Twitter. “Sir, don’t you DARE invoke the darkness of America’s viciousness toward black people to defend your corruption. How dare you?!…”
According to the Tuskegee Institute, 3,446 African-Americans were lynched between 1882 and 1968 in the US, but many believe that the total is far higher.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues for £6–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Week contest: Airport goodbyes
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'We shouldn't be surprised that crypto is back'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How the national debt affects your finances
Rachel Reeves has changed the rules, but why does that matter?
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
'Empowered' Steve Bannon released from prison
Speed Read Bannon was set free a week before Election Day and quickly returned to his right-wing podcast to promote Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump promises a rollback of the green energy revolution
The Explainer A pro-fossil fuel agenda dominates the GOP nominee's climate change policies
By David Faris Published
-
'We might need to fiddle with our technology more than we think'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'I am not a Nazi,' Trump says amid MSG rally fallout
Speed Read Trump and his campaign are attempting to stem the fallout from comments made by speakers at Sunday's rally
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why might The Washington Post's nonendorsement matter more?
Today's Big Question The Jeff Bezos-owned publication's last-minute decision to rescind its presidential preference might not tip the electoral scales, but it could be a sign of ominous things to come
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Presidential campaign enters final week with big rallies
Speed Read The race is still tied nationally and in the swing states, where the candidates are spending time
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Donald Trump's plan for mass deportations
The Explainer Immigration is his No. 1 issue
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published