Former President Donald Trump’s administration has been widely criticized for its lack of racial diversity, especially when it comes to the makeup of his cabinet. According to critics, Trump has methodically chosen people who are unqualified — in part to prevent him from appointing any Black administration officials. While in office, Trump lost control of the narrative as racial issues made a stunning comeback into public consciousness. As a result, many argue his administration embodied a pernicious racial prejudice.
During his presidency, Trump’s Oval Office included 24 staff members, yet only one was Black: Scott Turner, who served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. This chilling portrayal begs even larger questions about the administration’s rhetorical commitment to achieving diversity and inclusion at the highest levels of our federal government.
Aside from his selection of cabinet members, Trump’s record of racially charged behavior has all been recently chronicled. By 1973, however, he was embroiled in his own housing discrimination lawsuit in New York. He was sued for allegedly denying Black applicants their rental applications. This singular incident foreshadowed the attitude towards authority, unpredictability, and cruelty that would come to characterize his politics for years to come.
In 1989, these full-page newspaper ads demanded the death penalty for the Central Park Five. This group of Black and Latino youths, convicted of a crime they did not commit, is a stark reminder of Trump’s objectionable approach towards race. Even after these people were exonerated, Trump persisted in claiming their guilt to the public.
After all, Trump’s own introduction into national politics was through his promotion of the “birther” conspiracy theory. This conspiracy theory, now known as birtherism, incorrectly claimed that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. This story did much more than weaken Obama’s legitimacy; it promoted a hostile, separatist, zero-sum race narrative.
In recent years, Trump’s rhetoric has drawn comparisons to historical figures known for their racism. He referred to Haiti, as well as African nations, as “shithole countries.” He referred to Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus,” invoking language straight from Adolf Hitler’s playbook. These types of comments have now led to the claims that Trump is a white supremacist’s best friend.
Indeed, critics have highlighted the lack of qualified appointments in a string of missteps during the Trump administration. Huey Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has very little experience running any organizations, let alone massive ones the size of veterans affairs. Nevertheless, he was subsequently nominated to helm the Pentagon. Linda McMahon, the former head of professional wrestling’s WWE, became the chief of the education department with no real education credentials.
Yet in the past, Trump’s cabinet appointments have consistently pushed aside better qualified candidates from Black and Latino backgrounds. Carla Hayden, the first Black Librarian of Congress — her nomination killed after her removal came under fire from right-wing organizations. Brown-Trump fired Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., making history as the second Black man to ever chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has knocked off a number of other high-profile Black officials such as Lisa Cook of the Federal Reserve and Gwynne Wilcox of the National Labor Relations Board.
The racial tenor of Trump’s White House has already provoked precedent-shattering resistance. Retribution Critics argue that Trump’s actions over the course of his life and career have enabled white supremacists and further institutionalized racism in our government. Antjuan Seawright expressed alarm over the impact of white supremacist infiltration into government.
“When you have white supremacists who are holding key roles in government and you have leaders in this country who come and play footsie to their drumbeat they don’t have to resist because what they want is laid out for them in the form of a buffet.” – Antjuan Seawright
Moreover, many argue that the limited presence of Black officials in Trump’s cabinet is emblematic of a broader issue within his administration. An unnamed critic remarked on this troubling trend:
“This is not simply that Donald Trump has put only one Black person in his cabinet. It’s that Donald Trump has gone out of his way to find some of the most unqualified and ill-equipped people to put in those jobs as a way to actually avoid having to put Black people in his cabinet.” – Unnamed critic
Brown elaborated on the symbolic impact of the decisions Trump is making on racial inclusiveness.
“He knows that racism and sexism is a very effective tool to cast doubt and that’s the pathway. Lisa Cook isn’t even the chair of the board. So why would you pick her?” – LaTosha Brown
The implications of Trump’s cabinet choices go well beyond the dollar and cents. They signify important societal values and priorities. Race, representation and the power of collective community organizing Rashad Robinson specifically asserted the need for representation within leadership roles.
“We live in a very diverse country, a country with many different types of people that come from many different backgrounds, and the president exhibits his values by who he puts in office.” – Rashad Robinson
Seawright clearly laid out worries about a possible rollback of civil rights under the Trump Administration.
“We went from generational progress to generational rollback, and what this president and this administration has done in seven months could take 70 years at least to replenish. It should be a friendly reminder for all people, but particularly African Americans, that all progress is not permanent.” – Antjuan Seawright