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Trump voters may not be racist, but they are stained by him nonetheless

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during the first stop of his post-election tour in Cincinnati on Dec. 1.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during the first stop of his post-election tour in Cincinnati on Dec. 1. The Associated Press

RE: “We’re called rednecks, racist, ignorant — that’s not true” (Tribune, Nov. 16); I would agree, not all Donald Trump voters are racist or ignorant, yet they are all stained by the lies, bigotry and racism that was integral to the Trump campaign. Perhaps this is what bothers them so.

Trump’s choices of alleged white supremacists, insiders and hacks is not “draining the swamp.” Instead, Trump is merely adding larvae to said swamp, and it’s crystal clear he will betray the aspirations of working people.

To deflect attention from his fraudulent presidency, Trump must scapegoat the most vulnerable among us. This was his campaign. This is the next four years. The plaintive cry of “I’m not a racist” will be insufficient to be on the right side of history this time.

Tom Murray, Arroyo Grande

This story was originally published December 4, 2016 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Trump voters may not be racist, but they are stained by him nonetheless."

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