President Trump took to Twitter after Sen. Elizabeth Warren officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign on Saturday to continue mo...
President Trump took to Twitter after Sen. Elizabeth Warren officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign on Saturday to continue mocking her for her claim of Native American ancestry. In the process, he appeared to joke about the Trail of Tears as well, sparking a backlash from Native Americans, who are not amused.
Some Trump supporters argued that the president was simply referring to the campaign trail, not referring to the many indigenous people who died after being forced to leave their ancestral lands on the East Coast of the United States in the Indian Removal Act of 1830. But then Trump Jr. posted a screenshot of writer Michael Malice’s tweet, which played up the possible Trail of Tears reference.
“The Native American genocide continues with another murder by the president,” Malice wrote. The first son replied with, “Savage!!! Love my President.”
Reaction online was swift.
“To Native people, the Trail of Tears is no funny matter,” wrote Native News Online.
Some more Native genocide you can invoke:
Sand Creek Massacre 1864
Wiyot Massacre 1860
Three Knolls Massacre 1865
Yontocket Massacre 1853
Bear River Massacre 1863
Pocahontas was brutally raped by a white man when she was only 12 years old.
You. Are. A. Racist. Moron.pic.twitter.com/qpTsHv2e1d
To the people who insist that Trump and his supporters are aiming their barbs at Warren specifically, not at the actual victims of the Indian Removal Act, several responded that they were still hurt by the jokes.
2) is because they refused to relinquish their citizenship in the Cherokee Nation. They were tribal people and they stayed with their nation of people, no matter what. They are the reason the Cherokee Nation exists today.
3) Our ancestors made a tremendous sacrifice so that we could call ourselves Cherokee. @ewarren is not Cherokee & her ancestors were not there. They didn't survive the genocide called the Trail of Tears. Trying to make jokes about it doesn't hurt her. It hurts us. Stop it.
Because the jokes come at the expense of Native peoples. They're making fun of Warren by drawing upon racist stereotypes and tired tropes that don't actually hurt her, because she's not Native. They instead further marginalize Natives, & show us what you really think of us.
Some Native American leaders seemed to ignore the tweet, however, instead focusing their energy on stopping policies that might do more damage to indigenous people. New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland spent Saturday with other House Democrats at the U.S.-Mexico border to discuss border security solutions with the people who live there. Members of the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe in Texas have been protesting the proposed border wall, which they say would be built on sacred land, including graves of their ancestors, who have lived in the area for thousands of years.
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