Appearing as a guest on Wednesday's CNN Newsroom with Carol Costello, race-obsessed CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill painted "white male" Donald Trump supporters as being bothered at "a rise in expanded opportunity for black people and for brown people," suggesting that Trump's slogan is really "We're going to make America white again."
Host Costello invited the liberal commentator and Morehouse College professor to gripe about race as she declared it would be "kind of fun" to get him to talk about "angry white men" who are supporting Trump. Costello: "Let me ask you this, Marc, because I want to ask you about angry white men because I just think it would be kind of fun."
Jumping in, Hill quipped: "That's my expertise."
Costello continued: "That block of voters, Marc, they're gravitating toward both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Why?"
Hill began by contrasting Trump's belief in the free market with Bernie Sanders before turning to race as he suggested whites are bothered by having a black President. Hill:
And then on the Trump side, there's also the white male component to this, Carol, which you point out. There is a sense that we are losing our country. There is a sense that not only trade deals with Mexico but also Mexicans themselves are the problem. There's this sense that, you know, ever since we've had a black President and a rise in expanded opportunity for black people and for brown people, that we are somehow losing our country.
The Morehouse College professor then added:
And the "we" is white people, and more specifically white males, and so Donald Trump's narrative of "We're going to make America great again," in some ways is, "We're going to make America white again." And that resonates with people. And it's a wicked mix of xenophobia and economic populism.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, March 9, CNN Newsroom with Carol Costello:
10:22 a.m. ET
CAROL COSTELLO: Let me ask you this, Marc, because I want to ask you about angry white men because I just think it would be kind of fun. (Costello laughs)
MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's my expertise.
COSTELLO: That block of voters, Marc, they're gravitating toward both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Why?HILL: I think that's an important question in connection with what John said, and I'm glad John made that distinction between Bernie Sanders' economic vision and Donald Trump's because sometimes we lump them in together and say they're both economic populists, they both want to get rid of these bad trade deals.
But Donald Trump is a free market fundamentalist. At the core, he still believes in the free market. He still believes in a particular conception of free trade. He still believes in privatization. He still is pro-corporate. He still wants to slash taxes in a certain kind of way to invest in business. Bernie Sanders, as John said, wants to expand the social safety net.
But both narratives resonate with voters who are tired of seeing Wall Street greed prevail over everyday people. Both are tired of seeing CEOs make out like fat cats while other people don't get bailed out. They both appeal to it.And then on the Trump side, there's also the white male component to this, Carol, which you point out. There is a sense that we are losing our country. There is a sense that not only trade deals with Mexico but also Mexicans themselves are the problem. There's this sense that, you know, ever since we've had a black President and a rise in expanded opportunity for black people and for brown people, that we are somehow losing our country, and the "we" is white people.
And more specifically white males, and so Donald Trump's narrative of "We're going to make America great again," in some ways is, "We're going to make America white again." And that resonates with people. And it's a wicked mix of xenophobia and economic populism.
