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A report in the New York Times that explored whether President Trump harbors racial animus interviewed several of Trump's black friends for the story, all of whom said they never saw signs of racism.

Only Democratic activist and liberal MSNBC host Al Sharpton, who has associated with Trump in the past, said he sees signs of racism in the president.

The story, published Thursday in light of Trump's comments about the violence in Charlottesville, Va., said, "more than ever, the question is being asked: Is Mr. Trump personally racist?"

Among those interviewed was Kara Young, a biracial former girlfriend of Trump's, who said, "That was not my experience" in their relationship. She also said that she "never heard him say a disparaging comment towards any race of people."

Also interviewed in the story was Katrina Pierson, a spokeswoman for Trump's campaign and for Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration. Both Pierson and Carson are black and both disputed the idea of Trump being racist.

Lynne Patton, a black woman in the administration leads the Department of Housing and Urban Development agency's New York and New Jersey office, offered that Trump "doesn't see color the way the average person does."

Trump drew wide criticism this week after he maintained that "both sides" of protesters at a white supremacy rally in Charlottesville bear responsibility for violence that broke out and resulted in the death of one woman.

Among all those interviewed for the Times story, only Sharpton, who was an outspoken supporter of President Barack Obama and has a history of anti-Semitic activism, would suggest that Trump is racist.

"He has made a deliberate choice to not be inclusive and to be racially exclusive," Sharpton told the paper. "He has nobody black, at all, in his inner circle."

The article is similar to one published by the Times in late 2015, a few months into Trump's campaign. That story said his campaign rhetoric had "divide[d] black celebrities he calls friends."

But only two subjects interviewed for that story, entrepreneur Russell Simmons and, again, Sharpton, accused Trump of racial bigotry.

Rev. Jesse Jackson said in the story that Trump has said some "painful and hurtful" things throughout the campaign. But, the story said, "When asked if Mr. Trump was a racist, Mr. Jackson responded, 'I don't want to use that language.'"

Several other celebrities quoted in the story supported Trump, calling him a longtime friend.

Don King, the professional boxing promoter, said, "To me, Donald is Donald. That's not a presidential endorsement, but it is a humanistic endorsement."

The story referred to a recent comment by former boxing champion Mike Tyson, who defended Trump's controversial remarks on Muslims. "Hey listen, anybody that was ever president of the United States offended some group of people," Tyson had said.

Jaqueline M. Williams, a former associate at Trump's company, described the real estate developer's campaign rhetoric as "shocking" but otherwise only recalled a "warm, professional environment" while working for him.

Retired NFL player Herschel Walker also would not criticize Trump.

"I don't think Donald is against Muslims, or blacks, or Hispanics," Walker said in the story. "I do know he is going to try to make this country safe."

Read more here:
New York Times interviews Trump's black friends to ask if Trump is 'personally racist' - Washington Examiner

BTW

A Texas man has been removed from his position as an assistant middle school principal after he wrote and published a childrens book starring popular meme and white supremacist iconPepe the Frog.

Eric Hausers The Adventures ofPepe and Pede stars the frog and his friend, a centipede (centipede is a common nickname shared by President Trump supporters onReddits controversial r/the_donald forum). The two buddies team up to save their home, Wishington Farm, from an evil, swamp-dwelling alligator named Alkah. They defeat him using the blossoms of the honesty tree, which never grew under the previous farmer.The parallels to the Trump administration are only barely disguised.

Pepe and his centipede sidekick Pede start the book ecstatic that the old farmer hasleft after eight years of oppression, the Washington Postreported.

Denton school district took away Hausers position as a Rodriguez Middle School assistant principal because the books implied message has been a distraction to his colleagues across Denton ISD, according to a statement.

Pepe and Pedewas initially self-published, but it was quickly picked up by a conservative publishing house called Post Hill Press, whose other pro-Trump books include a kids book where a Trumpian rabbit called Thump becomes president;Go the F**k to Jail: An Adult Coloring Book of the Clinton Scandals(Tagline: Lock Her Up!); and The Trump Book of Insults: An Adult Coloring Book.

The publisher denied there were any hidden messages in the book, and told thePost it was simply a story about law and order and good vs. evil.

But thats not the impression the illustrator of the book, Nina Khalova, got. Vices Motherboard contacted her about the book, and she shared Hausers notes on the art with them. Among other things, he wanted the evil alligators minions to look more like a cartoon meme of Muslim women in burkas.

The book also references 4chan memes like the god Kek, and includes a dedication to my fellow centipedes. If youre familiar with the meme culture of white supremacists, its not particularly subtle.

Hauser denies any affiliation with white supremacists. This book has a lot of conservative overtones, but I will tell you this: I wrote the book as attempt to break down the barriers of political correctness and embrace truth, honesty, and teamwork, he told the Dallas Observer.

H/TWashington Post

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Assistant principal loses job over his kids' book starring Pepe the Frog - The Daily Dot

"The book is the creative property of Mr. Hauser and is not tied with the district, its curriculum or instructional materials -- yet the attention it brought him and the book's implied message has been a distraction to his colleagues across Denton ISD," the statement said.

He will be reassigned to a yet-to-be-determined role that will not involve beinga campus administrator or educator, the district said.

"Due to the controversy surrounding the book I have published, I think it's best that I not serve as assistant principal at Rodriguez," Hauser said in the statement. "The students, the community and the teachers are too important to me to subject them to all the negativity and disapproval resulting from this book. To my colleagues, I offer my deepest apologies if this has affected them or their families in any negative way."

The district did not learn about the book until last week, when Hauser contacted adminstrators about it, Denton ISD spokesman Mario Zavala said.

Pepe the Frog has been used in recent years by the "alt-right," a racist movement whose name was coined by Dallas native Richard Spencer.

Read the original:
Denton ISD assistant principal removed for conservative children's book featuring Pepe the Frog - Dallas News (blog)

In response to asking what he thinks of Trump's presidency, Hauser said, "You can support somebody but not always agree everything they do." He saidhe supports the direction the country is headed and that he is very patriotic.

The book's online summary on Amazon describes the story:

"Pepe the Frog and his best friend Centipede unite as one as they fight to restore law and order, and bring freedom back to Wishington Farm. This is an adventurous tale for all ages packed with patriotic prominence!"

Hauser didn't want to discuss too many of the plot points, but said the following themes are reflected in the book: honesty, teamwork, being pro-American, nationalism, unity andtruth.

Hauser told The Dallas Observer that he wrote the book "as an attempt to break down the barriers of political correctness."

"In Hauser's book, best friends Pepe and Pede celebrate a new farmer's arrival at the farm by imposing law and order on a bearded alligator character named Alkah," Stephen Young of The Dallas Observer reports."Pepe and Pede hurl 'blessed buds' toward Alkah and his 'minions,' 'raining truth' upon Wishington Farm."

Hauser has worked in different capacities in Denton ISD for more than 10 years.

His wife, Kelli, also works for the district and made headlines last year for her viral music video parody of Macklemore to pep students up for STAAR testing.

The districthadn't heard about the book until Thursday when Hauser contacted them about it, Denton ISD spokesman Mario Zavala said.

"Itdoesn't really apply to district curriculum. It's something Mr. Hauser wanted to do on a personal level," he said.

Zavala said Hauser told him that his daughter kept having nightmares about a bearded alligator so he thought writing the story was a good way to help her through a rough time.

"He wasn't aware of the character's affiliation," Zavala said. "You have a dad trying to do something positive and was a bit nave."

Anything can be taken out of context, Zavala said, which is a lesson Hauser's learning through this process.

Hauser said he doesn't have plans to change anything now that he's aware of Pepe's white supremacist connection.

"I don't see Pepe as that at all," he said. "Pepe was not that. From what I know of Pepe that's not what he is and I think that was just a recent label, just from what I've learned, that was placed on Pepe and may be an attempt to silence a more conservative viewpoint."

See the article here:
Self-published 'Pepe the Frog' kids' book is conservative but not alt-right, Denton ISD admin says - Dallas News (blog)

On Wednesday, August 16, at approximately 1:51 a.m., the SCSO Dispatch Center received a report from a woman reporting that an unknown assailant had stabbed her son in the chest.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported the following:

On Wednesday, August 16, at approximately 1:51 a.m., the SCSO Dispatch Center received a report from a woman reporting that an unknown assailant had stabbed her son in the chest. The assault allegedly occurred at a residence on California Street in the city of Dorris, located in the eastern part of the county. SCSO deputies responded to the scene and conducted a crime scene investigation and interviewed witnesses who may have observed the suspects and vehicle leaving the scene of the incident. The victim was treated by emergency medical responders from the local fire department and later transported via ambulance to a Klamath Falls medical facility. According to witnesses, it is believed one or more suspects may have fled the area in a white or silver-colored Pontiac-type four-door sedan. Suspects in the case were identified as possible Native American adults, one male and one female. One was allegedly wearing a hat with feathers. Sheriff Jon Lopey stated, This case is still under investigation and anyone with any information about the incident is urged to contact the Departments 24-hour dispatch center at 841-2900.

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Sheriff's Office reports Dorris man stabbed in the chest - Siskiyou Daily News