--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to be really, really clear about…" description: "\"I want to be really, really clear about this. It doesn't mean that everyone or even the majority of people who voted for Donald Trump are racist or whi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/ta-nehisi-coates-733_campaigns_i-want-to-be-really-really-clear-about-t_2183984.png" --- # I want to be really, really clear about this. It doesn't… ![“I want to be really, really clear about this. It doesn't mean that everyone or even the majority of people who voted for Donald Trump are racist or white supremacists or anything like that. But what it means is that it's not a mistake that Trump began his campaign with birthersism .” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/ta-nehisi-coates-733_campaigns_i-want-to-be-really-really-clear-about-t_2183984.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/ta-nehisi-coates-733_campaigns_i-want-to-be-really-really-clear-about-t_2183984.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2e/ta-nehisi-coates-733_campaigns_i-want-to-be-really-really-clear-about-t_2183984.png) > “I want to be really, really clear about this. It doesn't mean that everyone or even the majority of people who voted for Donald Trump are racist or white supremacists or anything like that. But what it means is that it's not a mistake that Trump began his campaign with birthersism .” [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker clarifies that supporting Trump does not automatically label voters as racist, but notes the campaign’s use of birther claims as a deliberate strategy. **In simple terms:** Supporting Trump isn’t automatically racist, but the campaign used birther claims. Key Takeaway Recognize nuance while critiquing political tactics. Themes politics racism campaign strategy Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - voter analysis - media critique - public discourse Key Concepts Birtherism public perception identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How do we separate individual beliefs from campaign messaging? - What responsibility do leaders have for the narratives they promote? A Different Perspective The claim may oversimplify complex voter motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Campaign Birthersism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-birthersism-4730544/) [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Donald trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donald-trump/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistake Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake-trump-4730545/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Began](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-began-3897500/) [Trump Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-racist-246734/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) ## Related quotes > [Since Trump began running for president in summer 2015, he has repeatedly used his hotels and golf courses as venues for his campaign events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/since-trump-began-running-for-president-in-summer-2015-he-has/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [Donald Trump is a racist. Donald Trump in fact is making fascist appeals. That's why many self-respecting Republicans are not supporting Donald Trump for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/donald-trump-is-a-racist-donald-trump-in-fact-is-making-fascist/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [I don't believe that all folks who supported Donald Trump are racist. I think that there was a lot of economic anxiety, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/i-don-t-believe-that-all-folks-who-supported-donald-trump-are-racist/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [I think Donald Trump might be racist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-cooper/i-think-donald-trump-might-be-racist/) [Sarah Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-cooper/) > [Donald J. Trump is not only a racist but a misogynist and a bigot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omarosa-manigault-newman/donald-j-trump-is-not-only-a-racist-but-a-misogynist-and-a-bigot/) [Omarosa Manigault Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omarosa-manigault-newman/) > [ I think one thing writers can do is point out that you don't have to say openly racist things, like \[Donald\] Trump, to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/i-think-one-thing-writers-can-do-is-point-out-that-you-don-t-have-to/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [ After - after she \[Hillary Clinton\] called him \[Donald Trump\] a racist and misogynist, a xenophobic, I don't know, schizophrenic, and I don't know… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/after-after-she-hillary-clinton-called-him-donald-trump-a-racist-and/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I don't think President Trump is a racist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/i-don-t-think-president-trump-is-a-racist/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [I called Donald Trump a racist. Nobody that makes that charge is being intellectually honest, or else they're being intellectually lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-scarborough/i-called-donald-trump-a-racist-nobody-that-makes-that-charge-is-being/) [Joe Scarborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-scarborough/) > [I don't believe that Donald Trump is a racist, per se. But some of the things that he does, some of the rhetoric that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-don-t-believe-that-donald-trump-is-a-racist-per-se-but-some-of-the/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [I don't think that Donald Trump is a racist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-don-t-think-that-donald-trump-is-a-racist/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [I think Donald Trump is a racist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-schultz/i-think-donald-trump-is-a-racist/) [Ed Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-schultz/) > [It's not hard to see how accusations against Trump as a racist and misogynist would be met with eye rolls and knowing murmurs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/it-s-not-hard-to-see-how-accusations-against-trump-as-a-racist-and/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [Donald Trump is either a racist or peddling to it, and both are frankly unacceptable and make him unfit to be president of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-navarro/donald-trump-is-either-a-racist-or-peddling-to-it-and-both-are/) [Ana Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-navarro/) > [I can very much look into the camera and say, 'I believe Donald Trump is a racist.' You don't get to make textbook racist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-navarro/i-can-very-much-look-into-the-camera-and-say-i-believe-donald-trump/) [Ana Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-navarro/) ## More by Ta-Nehisi Coates > [“To Trump whiteness is neither notional nor symbolic but is the very core of his power. In this, Trump is not singular. But whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/to-trump-whiteness-is-neither-notional-nor-symbolic-but-is-the-very/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“The focus on one sector of Trump voters—the white working class—is puzzling, given the breadth of his white coalition. Indeed, there is a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-focus-on-one-sector-of-trump-voters-the-white-working-class-is/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The greatest reward of this constant interrogation, confrontation with the brutality of my country, is that it has freed me from hosts and myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-greatest-reward-of-this-constant-interrogation-confrontation-with/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I am telling you is that you do not need to know to love, and it is right that you feel it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-am-telling-you-is-that-you-do-not-need-to-know-to-love-and-it/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I think 'Dear White People,' the show, is a tremendous artistic achievement. It's always hinting that there is something beyond the pleading and wokeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-dear-white-people-the-show-is-a-tremendous-artistic/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [ \[Winning the White House was an achievement\], but as an African-American, \[Barack Obama\], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/winning-the-white-house-was-an-achievement-but-as-an-african-american/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What sets black people apart is not some deficit in personal responsibility. It's the weight on our shoulders. That is what's actually different. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-sets-black-people-apart-is-not-some-deficit-in-personal/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Like a lot of people, I'm very, very concerned about Senator Clinton's record. I'm very, very concerned about where her positions were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/like-a-lot-of-people-i-m-very-very-concerned-about-senator-clinton-s/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“I drove away, as always, thinking of you. I do not believe that we can stop them, Samori, because they must ultimately stop themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-drove-away-as-always-thinking-of-you-i-do-not-believe-that-we-can/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. 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