Trump’s rhetoric seems fringe and erratic. But coming from
the putative leader of the Republican party, such talk has a broader impact. In
an apparent flashback to that 1981 sledgehammer scene, there have been numerous
reported
instances recently of vandalism
at EV charging stations, complicating consumers’ efforts to charge their
vehicles. Worse, he’s stoking hostility toward an already- vulnerable group. Even
before this recent vendetta on EVs, the Trumpist impulse to blame all Asians
for the COVID-19 pandemic had led to a surge in anti-Asian racism, which has continued,
with hate crimes widespread, and nearly half of Asian-Americans saying they
have experienced discrimination. Some
states have been trying
to ban Chinese nationals from buying property; Florida actually passed such
a law, though a federal court blocked it in February, and policymakers in
Texas, Lousiana and Alabama are considering similar racist restrictions.
This unhinged response to a trade war has a more mainstream—and
Democratic— political analogue, as well. Anti-Chinese rhetoric is bipartisan,
and although Trump and Biden have real differences on electric vehicles, their
specific policies on China have been remarkably similar. In late February,
Biden announced
that the Department of Commerce would “conduct an investigation” into whether
Chinese-made vehicles could be used for spying and sabotage—part of his promise
to “make sure the future of the auto industry will be made here in America with
American workers.” It’s good to protect American workers and union jobs, but this
administration always manages to frame that worthy goal in the most paranoid
way possible. The Biden Administration routinely makes statements and gestures
that seem alarmingly bellicose, like engaging in military provocation
in the South China Sea. And speaking of paranoia and aggression, Democrats’
support for banning TikTok is embarrassing, likely to hurt the party with
young voters, and simply a foolish look in a world of global communications
from a nation that allegedly values free speech.
Violent rhetoric from politicians against specific minority
groups, reinforced by real violence carried out at the grassroots, is a pattern
with alarming historical precursors, whether in Nazi Germany or the antebellum
American South. It doesn’t really matter whether you call
it fascist or not—it’s scary and needs to stop. Vincent Chin died from exactly
this sort of climate, fueled by American anxiety about who was making our cars.
All Americans should shun Trump’s efforts to stoke a repeat of that nationalist
violence. We should reject such poison when it comes from Democrats, too.
