Trump's Efforts to Redefine Whiteness to Expand His Racist Agenda
The Politics of Exclusion
Donald Trump’s political career has been defined by his ability to mobilize racism and xenophobia to build power.
While his rhetoric has typically targeted immigrants and people of color, a closer examination reveals a more insidious strategy: Trump is actively working to redefine whiteness itself, narrowing its boundaries to exclude even some traditionally white groups.
This calculated manipulation of racial categories serves to expand his racist agenda, creating a broader pool of "outsiders" to scapegoat while consolidating his base of support.
The Flexibility of Whiteness
Whiteness has always been a fluid and socially constructed category, shaped by political and cultural forces rather than biology.
Historically, groups like Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants were excluded from the category of "white" in America before eventually being included as part of the dominant racial group.
This evolution has been driven by the political needs of the time, often to consolidate power among those already in control.
However, just as groups have been absorbed into whiteness, others have been excluded.
Following 9/11, for example, Arab Americans—who were often considered white throughout much of the 20th century—became racialized as non-white, targeted by Islamophobic policies and rhetoric.
Trump’s presidency represents the most recent, deliberate effort to redefine whiteness for political gain, narrowing its boundaries to exclude even immigrants from Europe and Canada.
Trump’s Assault on White Immigrants
Trump’s redefinition of whiteness is evident in his administration’s treatment of white immigrants. Under his immigration regime, even individuals from countries historically synonymous with whiteness—like Germany, Canada, and Denmark—have faced unprecedented targeting by ICE.
In one particularly egregious case, Fabian Schmidt, a German national and U.S. permanent resident, was detained by ICE at Boston’s Logan Airport over a dismissed misdemeanor marijuana offense. Schmidt was reportedly subjected to violent interrogation, denied access to medication, and kept awake until he collapsed.
Similarly, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian woman, was stopped at the U.S. border, chained, and held in detention for 12 days. Kasper Eriksen, a Danish permanent resident with no criminal record, was detained in Louisiana simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
These stories underscore a key shift in Trump’s approach: whiteness, for him, is no longer tied solely to skin color or European ancestry. Instead, it is contingent on political alignment and ideological loyalty.
Immigrants who fail to conform to Trump’s vision of "America First" are treated as racial others, regardless of their whiteness in traditional terms.
Erasing Whiteness to Undermine Rivals
Trump’s efforts to redefine whiteness extend beyond immigration policy and into his political rivalries.
One striking example occurred during the 2016 Republican primary, when Trump falsely accused Ted Cruz’s father of being involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Cruz, a light-skinned Cuban American, has long been embraced by Republicans as part of their coalition.
Yet Trump’s baseless attack was a transparent attempt to paint Cruz as foreign, un-American, and, by extension, not truly white.
This tactic mirrors Trump’s broader strategy of weaponizing racial stigma against those he perceives as threats. Cruz’s case is not the only instance. In 2012, Trump revived the racist birther conspiracy to delegitimize President Barack Obama, questioning his citizenship and painting him as an outsider.
While Obama is Black and not traditionally viewed as white, Trump’s rhetoric against him followed the same pattern: creating an "other" to stoke fear and resentment among his base.
Another example came during Trump’s 2020 campaign, when he attacked Joe Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, by questioning her eligibility to serve as vice president due to her immigrant parents.
While Harris is of South Asian and Jamaican descent and not white, Trump’s use of the same exclusionary rhetoric highlights his broader project of redefining who is considered "American" and who is not.
Birthright Citizenship and the Future of Whiteness
Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of Trump’s attempt to redefine whiteness is his assault on birthright citizenship, a principle enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
Birthright citizenship guarantees that anyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen, regardless of their parents’ status. This policy, originally established to ensure citizenship for formerly enslaved Black Americans, has since become a cornerstone of immigration law.
Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship is both a direct attack on immigrants and an implicit effort to redefine American identity as tied to whiteness.
By challenging this fundamental right, Trump seeks to create a system in which citizenship—and by extension, whiteness—is something that can be granted or revoked based on political and racial considerations.
Selective Embrace of Whiteness
While Trump has targeted white immigrants like Schmidt, Eriksen, and Mooney, he has simultaneously embraced white South African immigrants, whom he falsely claims are victims of "anti-white genocide."
This selective application of whiteness reveals the political motivations behind his strategy. Trump’s embrace of white South Africans serves to reinforce his white supremacist narrative while further narrowing the definition of whiteness to exclude those who challenge his ideology.
Exploiting Whiteness as a Tool of Division
Trump’s redefinition of whiteness is not just about excluding immigrants or undermining rivals—it is a deliberate effort to sow division and consolidate power.
By creating more "outsiders," he gives his base more targets for their resentment, while presenting himself as the defender of an increasingly narrow, exclusive vision of America.
This strategy has short-term benefits for Trump, but it also creates long-term vulnerabilities. As he alienates white immigrants and their families, he risks fracturing his coalition.
Democrats, in turn, have an opportunity to build a broader, more inclusive coalition by exposing Trump’s manipulation of race and whiteness for his own gain.
Building a Coalition Against Trump’s Racism
Trump’s attempts to redefine whiteness are a reminder that racial categories are not fixed, but constantly shifting based on political needs. Recognizing this fluidity allows us to better understand and counter his tactics.
By highlighting the stories of individuals like Fabian Schmidt, Jasmine Mooney, and Kasper Eriksen, Democrats can challenge Trump’s narrative and show that his brand of racism ultimately harms everyone, including those traditionally considered white.
Building a coalition based on solidarity, rather than exclusion, is the best way to resist Trump’s divisive agenda and move toward a more inclusive vision of America.
As Trump continues to redraw the boundaries of whiteness, the challenge for progressives is clear: to stand united against his manipulation of race and identity and to fight for a society where citizenship and belonging are not contingent on skin color or ideology.
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