Trump, the chief divider
As calls to ease political tensions multiply in the United States after the worst anti-Semitic attack in the country's history, Donald Trump is regularly accused of making remarks fueling hatred and divisions.
Back to his most controversial statements since the 2016 presidential campaign.
Campaign against Barack Obama
Long before embarking on the presidential race, the real estate mogul had led a racist campaign challenging Barack Obama's American nationality, questioning the validity of his birth certificate, and therefore his legitimacy at the head of the United States.
He finally, and belatedly during his campaign in 2016, recognized Barack Obama as a fellow citizen.
Mexican "rapists"
In his speech announcing his campaign entry on June 16, 2015, the future president described Mexican migrants as "rapists", delinquents and drug traffickers.
He later accused a judge in 2016 of being biased against him because he was of Mexican descent. A “textbook case of racist commentary,” reacted Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, who has since rallied to the president.
"Enfermez-is!"
Donald Trump's electoral campaign was marked by this rallying cry, chanted in the direction of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, by his supporters but also the leaders of his team. Since he arrived at the White House, these words still resonate often when he is in a meeting.
Proudly proclaiming to want to break with "political correctness", the businessman also has the habit of giving his political opponents mocking nicknames: from "Hillary the scoundrel" to "Ted the liar" for his ex-opponent to the Republican primary Ted Cruz, or "Pocahontas" in the direction of a potential Democratic rival in 2020, Elizabeth Warren, and "small IQ" for the elected representative of the House of Representatives Maxine Waters.
The latter, like Mrs. Clinton, were targeted by parcel bombs last week.
Complacency towards the extreme right?
Donald Trump has been accused of cultivating ambiguity with certain far-right leaders. In particular, he took his time in 2016 to disavow the public support he received from David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
After violence that rocked the city of Charlottesville on August 12, 2017, Mr. Trump appeared reluctant to clearly condemn an anti-Semitic rally and then the murderous act of a neo-Nazi, who had intentionally run into anti-racist activists in his car, killing a woman 32 years old.
There were "very good people on both sides," he said.
Anti-immigration decrees
Donald Trump, the candidate, had on numerous occasions questioned the loyalty of Muslims living in the United States and then called for "the total and complete suspension" of the right of entry of foreign Muslims into the country, after an attack in 2015 .
When he arrived at the White House in January 2016, the American president had embarked on a bitter legal battle to restrict entry to the borders of the United States.
After several decrees, rejected by judges who accused them of discriminating against Muslims, an amended version was finally validated in June 2018 by the Supreme Court.
Black sportsmen and anthem: "sons of p ..."
The US president has long been engaged in a standoff with predominantly black NFL football players who kneel down during the national anthem to denounce police violence and racial tensions in the United States.
He took it up a notch in the fall of 2017, publicly calling them "son of a bitch."
"Invasion" of asylum seekers
In the middle of the campaign for the important parliamentary elections of November 6, Washington announced this week the sending of more than 5,000 soldiers to the border with Mexico to face the approach of a procession of several thousand migrants from Central America.
They are leading an "assault on our country", denounced the US president. "It's an invasion." Words reminiscent of those written, according to US media, by Pittsburgh synagogue gunman Robert Bowers shortly before the killing: "I noticed people now say 'invaders' instead of 'illegal'. pleases ".
