In no mood to let Donald Trump off the hook after his sudden reversal over President Barack Obama’s country of birth without a word of regret or explanation, Hillary Clinton and a host of African-American lawmakers, all Democrats, are demanding that he tender an unqualified apology to the country’s first black President.
“What Trump should do: for once in his life, own up his mistakes. Apologise to the President, and to the American people,” Clinton tweeted after Trump’s all-too-brief statement on Friday finally acknowledging that Obama was born in the United States but without offering any apology.
And African-American lawmakers, constituting the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), were so livid at the peremptory manner in which Trump chose to get past the issue that they hurled a series of invectives at the Republican presidential nominee, calling him “a racial arsonist”, “a disgusting fraud”, “liar”, “hater” and “bigot”.
“This is a disgusting day. Donald Trump is a disgusting fraud, by any definition,” said CBC Chairman GK Butterfield from North Carolina, adding: “Every American needs to understand that this man is a fraud, he’s an insult to the intellect of the American people. We must defeat him in November.”
California lawmaker Barbara lee asked people to “demand an apology from this man,” adding his comments should serve as “a defining moment for all those who want to denounce bigotry and racism”.
Even before Trump led the media up the garden path by reading out a three-line statement on the “birther” issue that he had spearheaded for years and not taking any questions, Clinton had made the pitch for a Trump apology.
“Trump has spent years peddling a racist conspiracy aimed at undermining the first African American president. He can’t just take it back,” she said in a series of tweets, adding: “Expressing zero regret for years of pushing a racist conspiracy theory, Trump again appointed himself judge & jury on @POTUS’s citizenship.”
“Trump’s birtherism stems from the same innate beliefs that led to discriminating against black tenants early in his career. Can’t be undone,” she said in another post even as she contemptuously disregarded his continued assertion that it was she and her 2008 presidential campaign that started the “birther” controversy.
First lady Michelle Obama, campaigning for Clinton in Virginia, brought up the issue without naming Trump, commenting: “There were those who continued to question for the past eight years up through this very day whether my husband was even born in this country.”
Well, during his time in office, I think Barack has answered those questions with the example he set by going high when they go low.”
Clinton, she said, was the only person in this race who can be trusted with the keys to the White House as she was “clearly the only person in this race that has any idea what this job entails”.
Trump himself kept firing salvos at Clinton at a campaign rally in Miami, challenging her on the gun rights issue with a taunt, saying that Secret Service agents who guard her should disarm to see what happens to her without their protection.
“I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons. I think they should disarm. Immediately,” he said to loud applause from his supporters, adding: “let’s see what happens to her. Take their guns away, O.K. It’ll be very dangerous.” In justification of his suggestion, Trump claimed once again that Clinton wants to destroy the people’s Second Amendment right to bear arms.