A 2005 video in which Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says some disgusting things is dominating the 2016 Presidential election coverage. Whether it’s him saying, “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait,” or the infamous, “Grab them by the p—y,” it is clear what kind of person the presidential hopeful is.
Not long after this recording became viral, multiple women came forward saying that Trump has sexually assaulted them or been inappropriate. One woman stated that Trump slid his hand up her skirt on an airplane, and multiple former Miss Teen USA pageant contestants have come forward saying that he walked in the dressing room while they were changing. To be fair, many women have also come forward, in an attempt to dispel the allegations made of Trump, saying that they have never had such an encounter with him. Whether the allegations are true or not, one thing is very clear: Trump supporters do not care either way.
Two months ago Colin Kaepernick protested the killing of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of the police by taking a knee during the national anthem. This is as peaceful as a protest can be, which is what the political right has been demanding of those who protest, and yet he was still met with demands that he be fired by the San Francisco 49er’s owner, or be punished from the NFL (I’ve written more about this here). While Kaepernick kneeling isn’t related to Trump’s crude remarks and sexual allegations, we should consider the radically different responses both of these situations have garnered.
We all saw the anger and outrage displayed over Kaepernick. But curiously enough, the political right, with the exception of a few Congressmen and Senators, has shown little to no outrage over Trump’s scandals. These are the same people that were protesting Target a year ago for their policy regarding transgender individuals and their bathroom usage, and also have been hammering away at Hillary Clinton for the many sexual scandals that her husband has been involved in. The party of morals, ethics and, traditional family values is now making excuses for a man who said of a ten-year-old girl, “I’m gonna be dating her in 10 years.”
This selective outrage is not new to politics, but it is particularly disappointing to see Trump supporters completely dismiss the video recording and allegations as mere “locker room talk” and an instance of “boys being boys.” Where are the traditional values? Where are the Christian morals and ethics?
Trump supporters’ priorities are seriously out of whack. A football player takes a knee to bring awareness to the fact that police officers are essentially getting away with murder (something the political right often ignores as well) and he is slandered as un-American and told to leave the country. Kaepernick was met by ferocity by the political right. Now, how was Trump treated when his recording and allegations become public? Well, not any differently than how his supporters had been treating him from the start, which is similar to how I imagine ancient Aztec tribes viewed Cortés: as a god.
Let’s recall how the same people reacted to the notion of a transgender person using a public bathroom with their child: pure outrage. But when they hear Trump has been accused of walking into a dressing room full of young teenage women, no one bats an eye. Or, better yet, they presume to act like this didn’t happen at all. None of it happened, apparently. They all ask, “if Trump did all of this, why did these women not say something before now?” Well, why would they? These are ordinary women with no money or power, saying that one of the most powerful men in the world assaulted them. It’s quite obvious that no one would believe them, which Trump supporters confirmed when they treat these women as liars, paid by the Clinton campaign. You get infuriated over a man not standing for the anthem, but not at a man accused of molesting women. Get it together, folks. I’m not saying that this election is not important or that Trump’s supporters are not concerned with the future of this country, but hypocrisy of this kind is exactly what is going to destroy the GOP.
…that and the fact that Trump is the nominee.
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