Trump on being called a racist: ‘Everybody’s called a racist now’

President Trump on Tuesday dismissed allegations that he is a racist, telling CSPAN in an interview that the word is “overused” even as he continues to deploy it against his critics.

“I think the word has really gone down a long way because everybody’s called a racist now,” Trump said.{mosads}

“The word is so overused. It’s such a disgrace,” he continued. “And I can tell you I’m the least racist person there is in the world, as far as I’m concerned.”

“They use it almost when they run out of things to criticize you they say, ‘he’s a racist,'” Trump said, noting in some cases it’s accurate to describe someone using the term.

“But with me they have a hard time getting away with it, and they don’t get away with it.”

.@SteveScully: “When Congressman Elijah Cummings calls you a racist, your reaction is what?

President Trump: “I think the word has really gone down a long way, because everybody’s called a racist now. Her own party called Nancy Pelosi a racist two weeks ago.” pic.twitter.com/keXPup0ndL

— CSPAN (@cspan) July 30, 2019

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers have described Trump as a racist, particularly in the wake of recent remarks targeting Democrats of color. The president has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Lawmakers condemned Trump’s comments as racist earlier this month after he told four congresswomen of color to “go back” to their countries. All four are U.S. citizens, and three were born in the country.

The president again drew allegations of racism over the weekend by repeatedly attacking Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) and the majority-black Maryland district he represents. Trump has been unrelenting in his criticisms of the city of Baltimore, calling it “rat-infested” and a place that “no human being would want to live.”

Trump at one point called Cummings — the son of South Carolina sharecroppers — “racist.”

On Monday the president said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) should be called a racist for likening Baltimore to a “third world country” in 2015, and on Tuesday he called Rev. Al Sharpton a racist.

In his interview with CSPAN, Trump blamed the “lamestream” media and “fake news” for failing to properly cover his accomplishments that have benefitted the African American community.

He cited criminal justice reform, low unemployment for minority groups, as well as clemency and a pardon for Alice Johnson and the late black boxer Jack Johnson, respectively. 

“If President Obama did that it would have been great,” he said. “When I do it people don’t want to talk about it.”

A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday found that 51 percent of American voters say they think Trump is racist, while 45 percent said they did not consider him to be racist.