"But Trump himself has been largely impervious to those norms, with public outrage over his caustic language growing more muted year after year. Trump vaulted into political prominence by promoting the racist conspiracy theory that President Obama wasn't born in the U.S. - a playbook he revived in 2024 against other rivals of color. His 2016 campaign-opening claim that Mexico was sending "rapists" into the U.S. triggered weeks of national uproar, as did his leaked complaint in 2018 about immigration from "shithole countries.""
"Zoom in: Then came the 2024 election campaign, which blew open the Overton window on race and identity. Zoom out: Nearly a year into Trump's second term, language that once led to denials, clarifications or resignations now circulates freely online and at the highest levels of government. GOP members of Congress reacted to New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's election by posting images of the 9/11 attacks and calling for the Ugandan-born Democrat to be denaturalized and deported. The Department of Homeland Security and White House social media accounts now routinely mock immigrants targeted for deportation, deploying trollish memes on official channels."
Historical accountability for racist or bigoted comments has weakened over recent decades. Officials once forced to resign or face censure for racist remarks include Earl Butz in 1976 and Trent Lott in 2002, while Rep. Steve King faced removal from committees during Trump's first term. Donald Trump's repeated use of racially charged rhetoric — including birtherism, calling Mexican migrants "rapists," and the "shithole countries" remark — contributed to normalizing such language. The 2024 campaign further expanded this shift, with congressional and official channels adopting more openly hostile and mocking stances toward immigrants and elected officials of color.
Read at Axios
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