Pocahontas

During the recent presidential campaign, Donald Trump frequently called Hillary Clinton “crooked Hillary.” Even though his opponent had never been charged with a crime, Trump knew that if he repeated the accusation enough times the word “crooked” would become associated with the name “Hillary” in the minds of many voters. He used the same tactic against his other opponents: Crazy Bernie, Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco, Low Energy Jeb, Truly Weird Rand Paul.  Similarly, he belittles the mainstream news media by calling it “Fake News.”

Trump has also tried to besmirch one of his current opponents, Senator Elizabeth Warren, by calling her “Pocahontas.” Pocahontas was the name of a Native American woman who lived from about 1596 to 1617 (21 years). In 1616 she married tobacco planter John Rolfe and in 1617 they had a son whom they named Thomas. Her story has been romanticized over the years in art, literature, and film. Many famous people have claimed to be among her descendants.

Warren has claimed some degree of Native ancestry, a fact that Trump has seized upon for his attacks on her. Trump calls Warren “Pocahontas” because he thinks the name is derisive. The question is why? Does Trump consider a Native American name to be a slur? Or does Trump consider having Native American heritage to be a stain on one’s character? I don’t know if Trump is a racist, but it appears that Trump thinks the rest of us are.