Donald Trump went off on Michelle Obama today, in a very particular way, and I am incandescently angry about it. I've got a new piece at Shareblue deconstructing exactly what he's up to:
Trump is mischaracterizing the First Lady's eight-year-old words, and in a very particular and pernicious way.There is more at the link, including video, with a complete transcript, of what he said.
He is attempting to create a rift in what has been seen as a profoundly inspiring political partnership between two of the most prominent and admired women in the nation, who are strongly allied on the subject of women's empowerment and eradicating gender bias.
And who are united in condemning his attitudes and behavior toward women, and united in trying to defeat him.
So he is attempting to drive a wedge between them, and subvert the unified passion so many women across the nation have for the work Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton are doing together on our behalf.
This is an age-old disruptive strategy used by anti-feminist men, particularly white men who are unnerved by seeing alliances between Black and non-Black feminists.
Trump further suggests that his mischaracterization of Obama's words give him license to personally attack Clinton.
This is an ugly, despicable thing he's said — part of a long, ugly, despicable history of dividing to conquer feminist women.
The way this will get reported is that he's just being his usual bullying self, this time with the First Lady in his target. But it's much more sinister than that. And he knows it, even if most of the people listening to him don't.
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