With Donald Trump still in hot water for refusing to disavow former Klansman David Duke’s support, it was only a matter of time until Fox News trotted out African American, Trump-loving Eboni Williams to assure viewers that Trump is not a racist.
Although Williams is often booked as a liberal, she rarely, if ever, fails to criticize Hillary Clinton and praise Trump.
In this discussion, Williams suggested that while minorities may not like Trump, they should vote for him anyway in a general election, because of his smarts:
WILLIAMS: Unfavorable opinion, I am certain. But again I wonder, when people are in that booth, even in the general and they have to decide between someone that they don’t like very much but they think maybe, just maybe, might be in their best fiscal interest – I’m just wondering when they start thinking about the balancing test, if you will, is maybe he still at least becomes an option.
Best fiscal interest? If Williams hasn’t seen John Oliver’s devastating takedown of Donald Trump’s “looking out for the little guy” BS, I’ll post it here so she can watch it. And for anyone else who missed it and might think Williams knows what she’s talking about.
After that endorsement, cohost Andrea Tantaros prodded Williams to give her racial thumbs up to Trump as well. “Eboni, do you believe Donald Trump is a racist, with all of this talk about the KKK play?” Tantaros asked. As if she couldn't have guessed the answer - that is, assuming she didn't actually know in advance.
Sure enough, Williams doesn't think Trump is a racist and she hinted that she's in a unique position to know.
WILLIAMS: I don’t, because I understand what an actual racist is. I think that that is a term that many of us in America don’t really understand the nature of and we apply it in a too-broad, incorrect way. So, no, he’s not a racist. Now, has he made statements that kind of target the xenophobic nature of some of this country? Of course. But I don’t believe he, himself, is a racist. That is my take on that.
Far be it from me to tell an African American what feels like racism. But I can say that white supremacists love Trump, specifically because of his racial stances. As the Southern Poverty Law Center's Richard Cohen told The New York Times, “You can’t help who admires you, but when white supremacists start endorsing you for president, you ought to start asking why.”
Watch Williams below, from the March 1 Outnumbered. And if you haven’t seen John Oliver’s deconstruction of Trump, make sure to watch that, underneath, from the February 28 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.
Has fair and balanced Fox News broken from their daily chant Hillary is going to be indicted any minute now (just keep waiting for it) to cover all the white supremacist robo calls being placed on The Donald’s behalf in 3 or 4 Super Tuesday states? Oh, like that’s going to happen. Nevermind.
CBS News might be overstating the case, but they were reporting this morning some establishment Republicans have started backroom discussions of running a 3rd party conservative candidate against Der Furor. Their go to savior Paul Ryan’s name came up as The Donald’s preferred opponent. I can’t see Ryan biting or this GOP panic attack bearing fruit but it is instructive.