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How Trump Plays the Left
Step 1
He says something genuinely ambiguous that his base likes but which angers the left.
Ex. "The Chinese Virus"
Right: It's from China. And they should be held responsible for that.
Left: That's racist & causes backlash against Chinese people!
Step 1
He says something genuinely ambiguous that his base likes but which angers the left.
Ex. "The Chinese Virus"
Right: It's from China. And they should be held responsible for that.
Left: That's racist & causes backlash against Chinese people!
Step 2
The left leaning media write articles about how horrible Trump is for doing it. Like this NYT piece:
"experts warned that the term could result in xenophobia"
âuse of this term canât but be interpreted [as] tinged with racist overtonesâ https://nyti.ms/2G8seI6
The left leaning media write articles about how horrible Trump is for doing it. Like this NYT piece:
"experts warned that the term could result in xenophobia"
âuse of this term canât but be interpreted [as] tinged with racist overtonesâ https://nyti.ms/2G8seI6
Step 3
Trump claims the other side of the ambiguity
âItâs not racistâ Trump said, âIt comes from China, thatâs whyâ
"the White House...criticized what it called 'the mediaâs fake outrage' pointing to other illnesses that had been named after places, including the Ebola virus"
Trump claims the other side of the ambiguity
âItâs not racistâ Trump said, âIt comes from China, thatâs whyâ
"the White House...criticized what it called 'the mediaâs fake outrage' pointing to other illnesses that had been named after places, including the Ebola virus"
Step 4
Media on the right pounce on this, using this as evidence that the left leaning media is highly biased against Trump, or that the left has lost their minds. They try to spread the left's seeming overreaction widely.
For instance: https://bit.ly/31KgwLe
Media on the right pounce on this, using this as evidence that the left leaning media is highly biased against Trump, or that the left has lost their minds. They try to spread the left's seeming overreaction widely.
For instance: https://bit.ly/31KgwLe
Step 5
Trump supporters see the left's reaction with anger & confusion.
Right: the virus is FROM CHINA and we are not allowed to say it? Why would you be taking China's side on this? The media is hugely biased against Trump & the left has gone insane with its PC/woke ideology!
Trump supporters see the left's reaction with anger & confusion.
Right: the virus is FROM CHINA and we are not allowed to say it? Why would you be taking China's side on this? The media is hugely biased against Trump & the left has gone insane with its PC/woke ideology!
Step 6
The right's trust in left leaning media sinks further into the abyss. Polarization nudges upward. Trump gains another point of immunity against even the strongest and most valid critiques from the left.
Trump learned to play the left like this from the beginning.
The right's trust in left leaning media sinks further into the abyss. Polarization nudges upward. Trump gains another point of immunity against even the strongest and most valid critiques from the left.
Trump learned to play the left like this from the beginning.
