NAACP CEO: Trump’s Views on Race ‘Somewhere Between Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal’

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360,” NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks described President Trump’s views on race as “somewhere between Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal.”

Brooks said, “So, the president managed, in the span of two paragraphs, to be condescending as a matter of race, and insulting as a man of gender. Here we have a veteran African-American reporter, whose covered the White House, who is categorically respected. And, he says to her that, — first, he acts like he’s not aware of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is the oldest such caucus on the Hill. And then, he says, well, he hasn’t met with them, but he’d like for April Ryan, a journalist, to be his scheduler and secretary. She is a veteran journalist. That is insulting, both as a matter of race and as a matter of gender. And so, is he saying that with respect to other caucuses on the Hill? Is he saying that with respect to the male journalists? This is ridiculous. But it is a metaphor for the president’s views on race, generally speaking. So, when he talks about the African-American community as being drug-infested havens, when he deigns to meet with members to have the African-American community, he seems to believe that we come in two types, entertainers and athletes. And so, he practices the kind of stereotype by omission. That is to say, not meeting with political leaders, not meeting with the leaders of organizations, and so, his interaction with April Ryan really is a metaphor for his views on race, which are somewhere between Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal.”

(h/t Grabien)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett