Trump's "Repulsive" Interview at the National Association of Black Journalists

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Seeing the Stars and Stripes, hearing the National Anthem, or celebrating Thanksgiving provoke emotions for most Americans, independent of their background and unique for its citizens who feel they belong to a nation. The shared history and culture once cemented a relatively young nation before it lost its shared identity. Now, it struggles with increasingly divisive views on the nation's past, current, and especially future identity.

The most powerful country in the world twice won a World War before leading the world on a path of international cooperation to avoid a third one. Without the US, I would not be able to write my thoughts freely.

It has been nearly 80 years since the US restored democracy. Countries further east experienced quite a different kind of liberation from fascism; they had to wait until 1989 for a return to democracy. I will forever be grateful to the more than 400,000 Americans—mostly young, healthy, and full of dreams for a better future—who gave their lives for our freedom.

One would think that this experience would forever ensure that nobody in the US would ever flirt with the idea of fascism again. As a concept, it has failed over and over again. Communism, with all the horrors committed in its name, has at least a sympathetic original thought to share the work and the profits equally. The proof of concept can be found in some small-scale communities or families. 

Fascism

But for fascism, which, like communism, has a track record of tens of millions of deaths, there isn't even a sliver of kindness or solidarity; it is the institutional form of bullying at the highest level. 

Although I live an ocean away from the US, I follow its developments because I have a lifelong fascination with the country, where I have lived, traveled extensively, and made many friends.

There is still American perfection, like Simone Biles' dangerously difficult floor routine in Paris, which—together with the rest of the team—reclaimed the Olympic title for the US. Overcoming enormous challenges, dedication, and teamwork made this possible.

Kamala Harris

However, American society has lost this team spirit and coherence now that two opposing visions of the country exist. As Kamala Harris recently said at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, "Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law or a country of chaos, fear, and hate?" 

The country is split between those with a regressive, backward-looking vision and starkly different Americans with an optimistic, forward-looking vision. The unity and teamwork the US athletes show in Paris are lightyears away from the tensions between supporters of these two opposing views in the country they represent. 

To stay with Harris's words on "chaos, fear, and hate" to describe the Trumpian version of America's future, I found instant confirmation in the National Association of Black Journalists interview that just aired.

Soon after the interview, the White House called his comments "repulsive". Let me share a few quotes with you.

After the opening question, the first words that Trump spoke were: