Following the shithole slur by racist liar Donald "Rump" Trump, his Stormtrumper followers were twisting themselves in pretzels to explain / justify / deny the statement, which has drawn condemnation not only here, but across the globe, including all 55 member nations of the African Union. Nick Wing at HuffPo has a good cross-section of the rationales and denials. Meanwhile, the Rethuglican leadership remains silent, offers pathetically weak statements, or has a hearing or memory loss problem. Rump before party before country! There were even reports that after Rump's vile slur, he was upbeat and enthusiastic, taking a "victory lap" with some of his staff because they believed it would energize his racist base.
Writing in Mother Jones, David Corn explains how Rethuglican right wingers cultivated and encouraged Rump's racism, most notably his birther attacks on President Obama, but which was earlier part of his business model and persona in New York City before he entered politics. Rump simply became the Rethug's vocal "id" that had been saying the same racist things for years, but largely in private:
"Trump did not reach this 'shithole' moment on his own. He had plenty of help from Republicans and conservatives along the way. His racist comment is much more than the latest reminder of his dark soul; it is a reflection of the values (or lack thereof) of a party and movement that has accepted Trump and elevated him to its highest rank." (emphasis added)There will never be a "bottom" for Rump and his cult, because they keep digging and loving the outrage it provokes, despite the dirt and filth they cover themselves with, which they see as a badge of honor. As one commentator notes:
Genuinely can’t wait until Trump is caught on tape calling his supporters “brain-dead fucking losers” and they all scramble to go on TV to explain in detail why they are, in fact, brain-dead fucking losers— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) January 12, 2018
