Trump Spokeswoman Katrina Pierson had the unenviable task of going on CNN last night to debate conservative powerhouse S.E. Cupp. The topic? Donald Trump’s desire to enact “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” (Trump’s own words).
Let’s just say the debate didn’t go so well for Pierson – and that she belied the bigotry underlying Trump’s campaign:
Pierson told CNN that Trump’s plan is “nothing new” because U.S. law already prevents individuals from nations hostile to the U.S. from entering the country. Cupp disagreed.
“There really is something new to the idea of banning an entire religious group from entering the country,” Cupp said in response. “Peddling this unconservative, un-American, unconstitutional garbage has got to stop.”
Pierson countered by saying that “never in United States history have we allowed insurgents to come across these borders.”
“No one’s talking about allowing insurgents,” Cupp hit back. “You’re talking about not allowing regular Muslims. That’s what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, from Arab nations,” Pierson replied. “You know what? So what? They’re Muslim.”
“So what?” Cupp asked in response. “That’s not the America we live in, Katrina.”
Clearly defeated on the merits, Pierson retreated to the revealing base bigotry of the Trump campaign: who cares about them? They’re Muslim. As if dismissing human beings with a flick of the wrist was somehow that simple or somehow okay because of their religion.
Cupp’s response was spot on, by the way: that’s not the America we live in. Nor should it be. The frightening thing is, Donald Trump would like it to be.
