The Internet Reacts Over #TrumpSacrifices
By:
Donald Trump's response to a line from Khizr Khan's Democratic National Convention speech has spurred mass outrage and hilarity on Twitter.
"Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery?" Khan asked. "Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America — you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one."
“I think I've made a lot of sacrifices," Trump argued in an interview with NBC's George Stephanopoulos on Saturday. "I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've had tremendous success. I think I've done a lot.”
This comment is about as Trumpian as it gets.
Ripe with repetitive self-congratulation and vague hyperbole, the real estate tycoon addressed his powerful position as if it involved laboring on construction sites with his bare hands — rather than inheriting, and in many cases, tanking, various businesses and leaving their employees to the wolves.
Trump's tone-deaf response quickly struck a nerve on Twitter, where the hashtag #TrumpSacrifices spread like fumes of the garbage fire many have termed his campaign.
Some Twitter users fact-checked his "tremendous success," privilege, and his treatment of his employees.
Some joked about his social media appeals to low-income and non-white voters.
Others referenced his large base of supporters who openly champion white nationalism.
They expressed the opinion — shared among many Trump critics — that his actual beliefs about race may be even more troubling than those he feels comfortable expressing in the public sphere. The candidate has often failed or hesitated to denounce his support among white supremacists, and has retweeted racist and anti-semitic memes numerous times.
One used a snapshot from a primary debate to point out Trump's long history of racially inflammatory language and xenophobic calls for immigration reform.
Twitter users also keenly pointed out instances in which he made his buildings accessible to the disabled and to Black people — because it was mandated by law.
Let's all take a minute to acknowledge all of the enormous burdens Donald Trump has taken on over the years.