Al Sharpton isn't sure if Donald Trump is bigoted
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Rev. Al Sharpton is presumably going to endorse a Democratic presidential candidate, having met privately with both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in recent weeks. But when commenting on the Republican race, Sharpton held back in his criticism of the frontrunner, who is known for suggesting Mexicans are drug dealers and calling for a ban on Muslim people entering the U.S.
"I think what he has said has been biased and bigoted, but I don't know if Donald Trump is really a bigoted guy," Sharpton told Politico, adding that he has "no doubt" the candidate would move to the center should he make the general election.
Sharpton seems less sure about Bernie Sanders' bias: "I want to know where, at home, you can show me your sensitivity to the race in New York, where I know was a cesspool for bigotry, particularly in [those] years."
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Hear more of Sharpton's 2016 take below. Julie Kliegman
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.
