“Dinner with Nazis.” It sounds like the title of the latest Coen Brothers movie. However, if these sentences describe the social life of a candidate who has declared himself a candidate for the presidency of the United States, one is entitled to ask questions.
Former President Donald Trump recently met with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes. Hip-hop singer Ye (Kanye West), who sparked controversy for his anti-Semitic remarks, was also present. It is reasonable to infer the expanded meaning of this gathering.
Trump has since pretended to be innocent. “You requested a meeting to seek advice from the former president on a business-related difficulty,” he told his tens of millions of followers. He also said he brought a completely unknown guest.
he said. “Of course, we also talked about politics. I told Ye not to run for president. Yeah, the fans said they should vote for me. I did not speak of anti-Semitism. I don’t know Fuentes.
Critics castrate public opinion at Yewa meeting
At first glance, this is quite plausible. Fuentes escaped the confines of a small American fascist and remained largely unknown to the public. Ye seems likely to get advice from Trump, a successful businessman turned president. Above all, Trump’s assertion is credible insofar as this meeting would have been an opportunity to preemptively eliminate candidates running for the presidential election.
But other accounts of the rally differ slightly from Trump’s recollections. Out of courtesy, Trump said he was “very impressed” with Fuentes. According to US online media Axios, Trump listened to Fuentes’ advice. Trump supporters, in particular, agreed with the claim that they preferred an outspoken Trump to a presidential candidate reading a teleprompter, a predestined script.
How to interpret the atmosphere of the meeting that day? As some media have exaggeratedly reported, the meeting that day does not look like a Nazi anti-imperialist meeting that decided to exterminate the Jews. I don’t think Trump is anti-Semitic. But just meeting Fuentes is enough to stir up those with such prejudices.
More drastic actions
A ripple effect is also expected. Trump’s recent policy decision also reminds us of the uglier side of the American political spectrum. Warnings may have spread among the far right that the midterm election setback has softened Trump a bit. A meeting with Fuentes helps end those warnings.
An important reminder of this meeting is Trump’s unique penchant for cross-border political action. Since announcing his candidacy for president seven years ago, he has followed a similar path after speaking unspeakable words against Mexicans, John McCain and the Republican Party as a whole.
Adrift on a sea of lies, there is a truth that cannot be destroyed. The thing is, people are finally starting to tire of Trump’s never-ending circus.
This article is a translation of the WSJ column “Hate dinner for Donald Trump, Nick Fuentes and Kanye West” written in English by the Korea Economic Daily.
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