April 22, 2011: CNN Analyst: Trump Using ‘Birther’ ‘Coded Racism’ to Attack Obama

Fareed Zakaria. [Source: ABC News / Think Progress]CNN political analyst Fareed Zakaria accuses billionaire television host, rumored presidential candidate, and “birther” enthusiast Donald Trump of promoting a racist “fantasy” to attack President Obama’s citizenship (see February 10, 2011, March 17, 2011, March 23, 2011, March 23, 2011, March 28, 2011, March 28-29, 2011, March 30, 2011, April 1, 2011, April 1, 2011, April 1-8, 2011, April 7, 2011, April 7, 2011, April 7-10, 2011, April 7, 2011, April 10, 2011, April 14-15, 2011, and April 21, 2011). The “birther” issue is “coded racism,” Zakaria writes. “I don’t think there’s any other word for it.… Put it this way: If the president was a white man named John Smith with the other background issues being the same—foreign student father, mother in Hawaii, etc.—would there be any of these dark insinuations? Trump should be ashamed of himself. But then, I suppose, he wouldn’t be Donald Trump.” [CNN, 4/22/2011]