Veteran news anchor Dan Rather is joining the chorus of voices from the media condemning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s speech on immigration last week. In a lengthy post on Facebook, Rather expressed his opinion on Trump’s proposed policies, suggesting that they were dangerous and motivated by hate. Rather wrote,
“Make no mistake, this was a toxic mix of jingoism, nativism, and chauvinism.”
The legendary reporter also suggested that Trump’s supporters do no represent the true America. Instead, Rather noted that those who support the billionaire turned presidential candidate occupy an extreme part of the political spectrum that most moderates will never understand.
Trump has been criticized in the past for making broad generalizations on immigrants and other foreigners in the United States. In a notorious moment from the primary campaign, the candidate suggested that most immigrants coming into the United States from Latin America were rapists and other criminals. Trump later sparked controversy again by promising that if he was elected to the presidency, he would create a special deportation task force to hunt down illegal immigrants. Trump also promised that he would build a massive mall on our southern border that would be designed to protect the people of the United States and would be paid for by Mexico.
The wall that Trump plans on building became a key point of discussion in his most recent trip to Mexico. Although Trump appeared conciliatory in Mexico, promising to advance policies that would benefit both Mexico and the United States, he nevertheless still promised to build a wall between the two nations. During Trump’s visit, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto informed reporters that his country would not pay for Trump’s wall under any circumstances. While Trump did not comment on who would pay for the wall during his visit to Mexico, he enthusiastically declared in his latest speech that Mexico would pay for its construction. While many in the media, such as Rather, question the logic of Trump’s promise, others cannot help but see the Republican candidate as nothing more than a rabble-rouser.