Donald Trump supporters and the denial of racism
An analysis of online discourse in a pro-Trump community
Donald Trump’s campaign to become president of the United States was shocking for many people. His negative representations of racialized immigrant
groups were one of the most controversial aspects of the campaign, leading to
frequent accusations of racism. This study explores how his supporters responded to such accusations. Discussions of racism within a pro-Trump reddit
community, called “The_Donald”, were analyzed. The_Donald users adamantly
denied that Trump’s statements or proposed policies were racist. Their dismissal
of these accusations drew on and extended the logic of color-blind racism. They
argued that such accusations were merely cynical political tactics and advocated that Trump supporters respond to them as such. Their favored response strategies superficially resembled genuine debate but were apparently intended to incite emotional responses from accusers and to compel them to disengage from conversations. The article discusses these strategies in light of the ongoing polarization of political debate around immigration.