When talking about America and the region, most presidential candidates stick to the positives and platitudes. Not so for Donald J. Trump this election cycle.
A map of the United States with the phrase “We are the world’s trash can.”
He is often quick to disparage American cities with large immigrant populations. He does so individually and collectively, sometimes in crude terms.
The same map now shows the words: “The city is rotting and is actually a cesspool of blood.”
This includes liberal strongholds such as Chicago, Washington DC, and Atlanta.
A geolocated quote in D.C. says it’s “a rat-infested, graffiti-infested shithole.” A citation geolocated to Atlanta reads “The Killing Fields.” A quote geolocated to Chicago reads, “Worse than Afghanistan.”
… The same goes for San Francisco and Portland.
A citation geolocated to San Francisco says “Destroyed.” A geolocated quote in Portland reads, “Hulk of a Burned City.”
Since announcing his candidacy, he has had harsh and negative things to say about many American cities. He included several California cities in his list of “war zones and ganglands.”
The map shows four cities in California that President Trump has called “war zones.” The cities are San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
Cities in the Northeast, Midwest, and South also received his insults.
The map then zooms back into the eastern United States and highlights a quote about New Orleans (a “war zone”). Atlanta (“The Killing Fields”); Washington, DC (“Hell”); New York (“dirty”); Detroit (“Death”); Baltimore (“dangerous”); Chicago (“war zone”); and Minneapolis (“like an oven”).
These statements contrast sharply with the way President Trump talks about places that support him, especially the red states that make up his base. Sometimes he puts them together. In one example, he collectively referred to “places like Indiana, Iowa and Idaho.”
The same map says Idaho, Iowa, and Indiana. “They say they’re so good and well-run that you’ve never even heard of them.”
He also vividly praised Montana and Alaska.
A quote with location information on Montana reads, “Land of cowboys and cow hands…one of the most beautiful of all God’s creations.” A quote with location information on Alaska reads, “Amazing place and beautiful state.”
Here are examples of places he called “beautiful,” “wonderful,” “nice,” or said he liked.
The map shows 30 places across the United States that President Trump has called “beautiful,” “incredible,” “wonderful,” or said he loves.
Perhaps most unusual is President Trump’s tendency to combine these two points, pointing out places he believes were once beautiful but are now in decline. If his campaign hinges on his pledge to make America great again, he seems to think there’s a lot of work to be done in smaller cities like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio.
Citations near Aurora and Springfield say, “These were two beautiful, successful cities, idyllic. And they were in trouble. “It’s a big problem.” A quote with location information on Montana reads, “The land of cowboys and cow hands…one of the most beautiful of all God’s creations.”
… And then there are bigger cities like Detroit and New York City.
A geolocated citation for Detroit reads, “Once a great city.” A quote geolocating New York City reads: “A city in decline.”
These rhetorical moves energize President Trump’s approach to the entire nation he hopes to lead again. He introduces himself as the only savior of his people.
Above the map of the United States are the words: “Our once great nation, soon to be greater than ever.”
… And it makes the alternative seem scary.
A map of the United States reads: “Your country is turning into a third world hell, ruled by censors, perverts, criminals and thugs.”
