God bless Randi Kaye, she tried. The CNN anchor was determined to prove to a group of female Republican voters on Monday that President Trump is a racist, particularly in regards to his ongoing feud with the four minority, female Democrats in "the Squad." Those four, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Rashida Tlaib (MI) have at some point or other trashed the president or spoken ill of the United States, so Trump tweeted that they should "go back" from where they came. Only Rep. Omar had been born outside the U.S. in Somalia.
Kaye presented that context to the Republican women and asked if the president's remarks fit the Merriam Webster definition of racism. She had a dictionary with her for emphasis.
“Let me just share with you the definition of ‘racism’ from Merriam Webster dictionary: ‘a belief that race is the primary determinate of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Based on that definition, do you not think that what the president has been saying - ”
The CNN anchor never got to finish her thought, because her audience didn't let her. It was "nos" all around.
It's not about skin color, one of the women, Peaches McGuire Coates, tried to explain to Kaye.
"I don't think it matters. It's idiotic, what they're saying, so it doesn't matter if they're black or white."
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) July 17, 2019
Female Trump voters in Dallas, TX, deny any element of racism in the President's comments aimed at four Democratic lawmakers, all of whom are women of color. pic.twitter.com/wX3fouhHNy
Kaye suggested that it can't possibly be a coincidence that each of the progressive Democrats in the Squad are minorities. Actually, Trump supporter Dena Miller noted, the Squad are the real racists.
“Why haven’t they befriended one of their white female congresswoman colleagues and let her join the group?” Miller asked. “They don’t like white people. C’mon, they’re racist.”
Her fellow Trump supporter, Gina O'Briant, endorsed Trump's comments against the Squad.
“I’m glad that the president said what he said because all they are doing is inciting hatred and division," O'Briant said. "He didn’t say anything about color.”
Another member of the focus group fired back at Kaye for asking such “manipulative” questions.
These questions are designed to “accuse us,” said Kathleen Leiberman, “instead of extracting the truth.”
“You’re accusing us, you’re accusing him,” she continued. “It has nothing to do with the premise of the issues.”
“I’m asking, I’m not accusing!” Kaye said in defense.
Undoubtedly, the Republican focus group tuned in to Trump's rally speech Wednesday night, where he doubled down on his sentiments about the Squad. Or, as Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has taken to calling them, "the four horsewomen of the apocalypse."