It's interesting, as an immigration reporter, to see Trump's campaign pivot. For the last year there was every indication that he'd center immigration—in the "immigrants are coming to kill you & your family" style of messaging (h/t @DLind). The campaign has called an audible 1/4

The pivot is, of course, to Black protesters: "Rioters are coming into the suburbs to kill you & your family." What's key here in the predominance of *race* in fear-based conservative messaging. 2016 was never about immigration per say, but rather the race of ppl immigrating 2/4

This immensely successful campaign strategy—white identity politics—has a simple formula: Find a group of POC, and demonize. So we go from "Central Americans are coming to kill you" in 2016 to "Black protesters are coming to kill you" in 2018. 3/4

I say "successful," because, historically, this strategy has worked; but it's also the desperate play of an idealogically bankrupt party. From the Southern Stategy to Willie Horton ads to Islamaphonia, conservatives turn to racial hysteria when they have nothing else to offer 4/4