Current and former U.S. officials have recounted that, after phone calls with Jewish lawmakers, President Trump has complained Jews "are only in it for themselves" and stick together, prioritizing an ethnic allegiance over other loyalties, The Washington Post reports.
More than two dozen current and former officials were interviewed, and there were mixed reactions to allegations of racism against Trump. One former White House official said Trump "might be" racist, but probably isn't as bad as "white supremacist" former President Woodrow Wilson, but no one interviewed believes he subscribes to white supremacist or white nationalist ideologies. No sources recalled ever hearing the president utter a racial or ethnic slur while in office, either. Some pointed out that he has made far more offensive comments about women, and others made the case that Trump simply berates everyone, regardless of their race, religion, or position in his cabinet.
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Still, one former administration official said, "I think he has a general awareness that one component of his base includes factions that trend" toward white supremacy and white nationalism. Grasping that, he will exploit social divisions that could help him politically, such as condemning national anthem protests in sports. Read more at The Washington Post.
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