Political correctness feeds on the perception that right of center political views are really just a cover for racism, ethnic bias, religious bigotry, and sexism. If conservatives and libertarians are really just promoters of white supremacy, there is no reason to take them seriously, and little will be lost if their views are suppressed by speech codes, “safe zones,” and the like.
That perception is massively reinforced when Trump does things like call Hispanic immigrants “killers” and “rapists,” claim that a Mexican-American judge’s ethnicity should disqualify him from hearing a case involving Trump University, call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, advocate the massacre of innocent relatives of suspected Muslim terrorists, and generally indulge in rhetoric that differs little from that of David Duke.
If the alternative to political correctness is Trumpism, then most people of good will are likely to pick the former – not just minorities, but also many whites who oppose bigotry. By winning the GOP nomination and becoming the leader of the main right of center party, Trump has already dealt a blow to the struggle against PC. To the extent conservatives have embraced him, they validate the PC left’s claim that they are at best indifferent to bigotry and at worst active supporters of it.
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