Overview
- On CNN NewsNight, Keith Boykin said Donald Trump is racist and recited a timeline including a 1970s housing-discrimination suit, the Central Park Five furor, 1990s casino cases, birtherism, and early moves targeting Muslims and Mexicans.
- Boykin also cited reporting that Trump expedited refugee consideration for white South Africans over Black South Africans this year as evidence of a continuing pattern.
- Batya Ungar-Sargon rejected the characterization, arguing the label conflicts with Trump’s multiracial support and questioning how Hispanic men and some Black voters backed him.
- The exchange came as the panel discussed leaked texts attributed to nominee Paul Ingrassia that included racist and pro-Nazi language, which Ungar-Sargon said Republicans failed to condemn quickly.
- The segment followed recent controversy over an AI video Trump shared about Hakeem Jeffries, and a clip of the on-air dispute spread on X with many users praising Boykin and faulting Ungar-Sargon.