Donald Trump explains his plan to heal America's racial divide to Bill O'Reilly

Donald Trump talks race with Bill O'Reilly
(Image credit: Fox News/YouTube)

On Tuesday, President Obama and former President George W. Bush spoke movingly about the shooting of five Dallas police officers last week and the racial tensions that led up to those murders. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump got his chance to weigh in on Tuesday's O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. "Do you believe there's a problem between black and whites in America, generally speaking?" Bill O'Reilly asked Trump. "Sadly, there would seem to be," Trump said. "Hopefully it can be healed. We have a divider as a president ... and it's probably not been much worse at any time."

O'Reilly asked if, were he to be elected in November, Trump has a "plan to lessen racial tensions, and if so, what is it?" "Well, one thing is spirit," Trump said. "I mean, we don't have spirit — the country doesn't have any spirit, Bill ... We need a cheerleader, not a divider. We have a divider. We need a cheerleader." O'Reilly nudged Trump back on track, saying there are "still some black Americans who believe that the system is biased against them," and asked what Trump would say to them. "Well, I've been saying, even against me, the system is rigged," he said, pointing to his run for the Republican nomination. "That's not going to lift anybody's spirits," O'Reilly interjected." "What I'm saying is, they're not necessarily wrong," Trump explained. "I can relate it, really, very much to myself."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.