Forty-nine people are dead and 20 seriously injured after a coordinated attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. One man has been charged with murder in the attack, and two others have been taken into custody.
The man accused of opening fire in those mosques appears to have been a proud white supremacist who was inspired by American mass shooters and by the resurgence of overt white supremacy in the United States. The attacker streamed at least part of the attack on Facebook, where his weapons appear to have been painted with “14"—a reference to the white supremacists’ “14 words”—and other racist icons, according to HuffPost. He also reportedly posted a manifesto filled with anti-Muslim hate.
So it would seem to be a moment for grief, for reverent reflection, or, if you’re a politician, for the “thoughts and prayers” they love so much. President Trump tried that this morning, perhaps because someone told him to:
“Best wishes” on your massacre, New Zealand! He tried. But then he waited all of 20 minutes before reverting to his brand of demagoguery, this time about “Jexodus,” the (totally manufactured) movement of Jewish voters apparently leaving the Democratic Party:
If you’re Trump, I would suggest logging off today, and perhaps taking a hard look at what you’ve done to welcome racists and Islamophobes of all stripes into your White House and among your stable of supporters. If you can’t say anything without it sounding like a bitterly ironic self-indictment, say nothing at all.