By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The history of the American presidency is steeped in racism, from the days of George Washington’s enslavement of Black people to Woodrow Wilson’s segregation of the federal workforce to Richard Nixon’s ‘Southern Strategy’—a thinly veiled appeal to white resentment. According to A Historical Analysis of Racism Within the US Presidency by Dewey M. Clayton, Sharon E. Moore, and Sharon D. Jones-Eversley, U.S. presidents have long used racist policies to maintain white supremacy, but no modern leader has weaponized racism as blatantly as Donald Trump. His presidency was an unrelenting assault on racial progress, civil rights, and the very idea of a multiracial democracy.
In 2016, the National Council on Black American Affairs identified the eleven most racist U.S. presidents, citing their policies, actions, and rhetoric that have harmed Black and marginalized communities. Among them were:
- Andrew Johnson (1865-1869), who opposed Black suffrage, supported the Black Codes, and tried to undo Reconstruction efforts.
- Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), who championed the Indian Removal Act and upheld slavery at all costs.
- Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), who fueled the ‘welfare queen’ stereotype and escalated the war on drugs, which disproportionately targeted Black communities.
- Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921), who segregated the federal workforce and praised the Ku Klux Klan.
- George W. Bush (2001-2009), whose administration’s disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina and economic policies devastated Black communities.
“More of the same, shameful, deplorable, and disgusting, but nothing new. I mean, they blame DEI for wildfires,” Pressley stated. “They blame DEI for everything, every bit of harm that we experienced, that they have been an architect of. They’re the only ones they don’t hold accountable, and they’re the ones sowing this division.”
She added:
“And that’s why Dr. King said, ‘Power without love is reckless.’ He is a reckless, lawless, dangerous man, and at a time of tragedy when he should be a salve and a balm, and a source of confidence for these grieving families and for the country, this is what he does? More of the same. An attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion is an attack on everyone—veterans, women, the LGBTQ community, Black folks—it is a threat to everyone, and you need to move and act accordingly.”
Outspoken Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett also blasted Trump. “This is truly like a real-life bad episode of the Apprentice, but honestly, he is the first one who should be fired,” Crockett wrote on X. “It is clear that he has no idea of how to do the job of President, competently.”
The Congressional Black Caucus also issued a statement condemning Trump’s remarks: “President Trump, without evidence or regard for the gravity and solemnity of this incident in which American lives were lost, held a press conference to falsely blame the diversity initiatives of past administrations for the cause of this incident. Not only are the President’s claims untrue, but they also speak to the Republican Party’s desire to divide us as a country.
“To be clear, diversity, equity, and inclusion are American values. Diversity policies work to benefit all Americans who have traditionally been kept out of opportunities, including white women, veterans, and aging Americans, not just the Black and minority communities that Trump and Republicans want to scapegoat and villainize for political gain. We are not going back!”
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries added: “A time that requires leadership, compassion and decency. Lives have been lost, and families have been devastated. While people are suffering, extreme MAGA Republicans are peddling lies and attacking people of color and women without any basis whatsoever.”
Journalist Aaron Rupar noted: “Trump is out here trying to blame Black people and women for a plane crash that happened after he announced a DEI purge of the FAA.”
Reporter Matt Binder wrote: “Elon Musk suddenly going into overdrive to blame DEI, Obama, Biden… likely because he doesn’t want you to know that the FAA was without a leader during the DC plane crash thanks to him.”
Capt. Sully Sullenberger expressed his disgust: “Not surprised. Disgusted.”
Tristan Snell, the prosecutor of Trump University, summarized, “Things that caused the DC plane crash: — Having 1 air traffic controller do a job 2 people normally do, because of far-right efforts to destroy the government. “Things that did NOT cause the DC crash: — Women — Black people — Pete Buttigieg — DEI programs generally.”
Trump’s DEI scapegoating is not just rhetoric—it is policy. One of his first executive orders after taking office on Inauguration Day was the eradication of DEI programs in the federal government, describing them as “radical and wasteful” and “illegal and immoral.” The order mandated that federal agencies identify contractors and grantees engaging in DEI-related policies, including environmental justice. The next day, Trump expanded this assault into the private sector, directing federal civil rights enforcement to target any institution promoting DEI. His administration created a tip line for government employees to report colleagues engaging in DEI-related activities and ordered the closure of diversity-focused offices, placing those employees on administrative leave.
According to Clayton, Moore, and Jones-Eversley, the Trump administration aggressively dismantled racial equity efforts and marginalized communities through executive orders and administrative pressure, ensuring that diversity-focused initiatives were stifled at every level of government.
Trump’s presidency has already demonstrated the consequences of racial scapegoating at the highest levels of power. From his Muslim travel ban to his defense of white supremacists in Charlottesville, to his birtherism conspiracy against Barack Obama, to his attempts to overturn a democratic election by targeting votes in Black-majority cities, Trump has built a legacy of racist governance.
His war on DEI is the logical extension of that legacy, an attempt to codify white nationalist grievances into federal law. And as Pressley warned, his attacks aren’t just aimed at Black people—they target veterans, women, the LGBTQ community, and anyone else who doesn’t fit the MAGA vision of America.
“They are coming for everyone,” Pressley said. “But I believe in the power of the people.”
As the National Council on Black Affairs noted in its 2016 report, “Racism in the presidency is not a relic of the past—it is an evolving force that continues to shape policy, exclude communities, and reinforce inequality. The only way forward is through collective resistance and the unyielding pursuit of justice.”
