Letters to the Editor: MAGA ‘has always had an underbelly of racism and antisemitism’

To the editor: In his attempt to save the MAGA coalition, contributing writer Josh Hammer refuses to recognize that this movement has always had an underbelly of racism and antisemitism (“Provocateurs are trying to use antisemitism to splinter the MAGA coalition,” Oct. 10). How quickly he erases the tiki-torch bearers of Nazi and confederate flags at Charlottesville, Va., chanting “Jews will not replace us.”

The leadership we got in response to that day from the leader of the MAGA movement was there “were very fine people, on both sides.” No condemnation of antisemitism was uttered from President Trump in those remarks.

Trump knows that there is a sizable amount of racists in this country and many of them make up his base. He has continually trafficked in racist, divisive tropes. Being against diversity, equity and inclusion may not appear racist to Hammer. But to many in the MAGA movement, it is a call to arms to take America to the 1950s, where merit was a white male first among equals.

When you lock arms with the MAGA movement, you lock arms with the conspiracists that our president raises up and places in our government. Hammer should understand that MAGA may come for Jews some day soon, as the Republican Party has a history of relying on the white supremacist wing as a reliable silent partner in election politics. The problem with the beast of white supremacy is when you invite it to dinner, it usually consumes all the guests.

Rene Childress, View Park