Since the conclusion of the Civil War, lynching has been one of the country’s most prominent manifestations of racialized violence. These public displays of terrorism instilled fear in black communities and served as cruel reminders of our “place” in society. And so with all the emotions the mere mention of such a heinous act evokes, leave it to Donald Trump to compare his plight to that of our murdered ancestors.
As Trump’s impeachment inquiry continues to unfold and William B. Taylor Jr., the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, prepares to testify against our Kleptocrat-in-Chief for his role in allegedly suspending military aid in order to bully Ukraine into digging up dirt on his rival Joe Biden, 45 did what 45 does: He took to Twitter to air out his grievances in the most tone-deaf way possible.
“So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights,” he tweeted. “All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!”
Yes, he compared his impeachment proceedings to the horrific murder of Joe Coe, who was falsely accused of rape, brutally beaten, dragged through the streets by his neck, then hung by a streetcar cable as onlookers cheered with delight. Or the Duluth lynchings, in which Elmer Clayton, Isaac McGhie, and Elmer Jackson—each accused of robbery and rape—suffered a similar fate after an angry mob broke into the Duluth jail in order to deliver their own disgraceful brand of white supremacist justice. Or Emmett Till, who even in death has yet to find some semblance of peace.
Thankfully, Twitter is full of public figures, activists, and disgusted Americans more than willing to call the president out for his absurd bullshit:
Don’t expect a retraction or an apology. This is par for the course.
And with 50 percent of Americans in favor of Trump being impeached, let us hope and pray they finally get their wish.