Did Donald Trump just take the bait?
Donald Trump continues to try to find ways to keep his racist base intact while also giving lip service to black civil rights. On Friday he took one of his most awkward swings yet, when he told Fox News that he’s done more for black people than perhaps any other president than Abraham Lincoln – and that even Lincoln’s contributions were questionable in hindsight.
Here were Trump’s exact words about Abraham Lincoln: “He did good, although it’s always questionable, you know, in other words, the end result.” That’s right, Trump just said that it’s “questionable” whether Lincoln’s decision to free the slaves was a good idea. It’s the latest reminder that 1) Trump has absolutely no clue when it comes to addressing race or speaking to black people, and 2) Trump is becoming incrementally more senile by the day. But there’s more going on here.
This is far from the first time in which Trump has claimed to have been a better president than anyone but Lincoln. But this is the first time we can recall in which Trump tried to question Lincoln’s accomplishments. We can only think of one thing that would prompt Trump to suddenly turn against Abraham Lincoln: the rise of the Lincoln Project.
That’s right, it’s entirely possible that Donald Trump is so infuriated over the Lincoln Project’s anti-Trump TV ads, he’s now taking out his frustrations on Abraham Lincoln. If so, then it means Trump has taken the Lincoln Project’s bait. By attacking Abraham Lincoln, Trump can only serve to further erode his increasingly vulnerable support from traditional Republicans.
