Racism or Politics—Trump’s War on Haitian Immigrants
Complete Transcript Of
The Hutchinson Report Facebook Live Commentary 9/211/24
Speaker 1 (00:01)
I’m Earl Ofari Hutchinson. Welcome to another edition of the Hutchinson Report. Trump pledges to deport Haitians in Ohio city. Biden calls for attacks to stop. Harris, the Democrats, all of them, have called for attacks to stop.
Speaker 1 (00:16)
Much of the media has called for attacks on Haitian immigrants to stop. The governor of Ohio, the mayor of Springfield, Ohio. Numerous GOP and democratic officials have said it’s all bunkum, bunkum, that Haitians now have overrun Springfield and other cities. They’re eating cats, they’re eating dogs. They’re a threat to public safety, crime, violence and everything else.
Speaker 1 (00:44)
All the images, all negative, all the stereotype casting, all negative of Hastings in the United States and Springfield. All right, racism or politics. We know that in a political campaign, and we’ve seen this time and time again, you’ve got a little thing called wedge issues. Affirmative action for a long time was a wedge issue. Abortion, a long time still is a wedge issue.
Speaker 1 (01:15)
Gay rights, gay marriage, a long time still is a wedge issue. What do we mean by wedge issues? Issues that a politician and parties can use to divide, to inflame, to whip up hysteria, to essentially charge supercharge emotions. And of course, the end result, votes, racism or politics? The hastings are vulnerable.
Speaker 1 (01:43)
They’re of African ancestry. They’re black, so and very visibly black. They’ve always been a very problematic and controversial presence in the United States, fleeing the oppressive conditions, political, economic, social, and of course, the violence in Haiti. So the United States has been a logical place. Now we come to Springfield, Ohio, again, despite all the public officials there, of all stripes, GOP, Democrat, you name it, debunking all of the lies about Trump and JD Vance.
Speaker 1 (02:18)
In fact, we have a quote from JD Vance that inflamed it even more on Twitter. Excuse me, x Vance posted this. Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris dropped 20,000 Haitian immigrants into a small Ohio town and chaos has ensured. So basically fanning the flames, keeping it alive, even though everything, all these claims have been debunked time and time again.
Speaker 1 (02:44)
It’s politics. Another wedge issue. This time the wedge issue is, put simply, hasten migrants, immigrants fleeing a war torn economically, severely economically, one of the poorest on the planet, countries seeking a better life in the US, despite the fact that officials have said they’re productive, they’re adding a valuable resource to the city, and essentially they’re good citizens, law abiding citizens. It didn’t matter because once again, we come back to a wedge issue. They are the wedge issue.
Speaker 1 (03:23)
Inflame, stir up, really engender the volatile mix of racism and politics, always knowing, as many politicians do when that happens. Ah, it’s a sure volatile attention getter. And of course, hopefully for their, from their point of view, a vote getter. Racism or politics? In this case, it’s both.
Speaker 1 (03:50)
And the GOP has a logical and natural issue in the most vulnerable and most oppressed people among them on the planet, seeking a better life in the US, Haitian immigrants. So, as everyone says, knock it off. Knock off the Haitian immigrant bashing and political use of them as a wedge issue. You’ve been listening to the Hutchinson report. I’m Earl Ofari.
Speaker 1 (04:15)
Hutchinson.