Trump Wants Somalis Out; Media Wonders Why, Ignores Past 'Whys'
The Independent breathlessly asks, 'Why does Donald Trump want Somalis to leave America?' The article notes Trump's call for expelling Somalis, including Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and ICE’s reported deployment to Minneapolis. This isn't groundbreaking; it's a rerun. The 'why' for Trump, or any populist strongman, is perpetually 'because it mobilizes a base that fears the 'other,'' conveniently
forgetting economic or social complexities. Instead of probing Trump's inner machinations, perhaps we should examine the media's selective amnesia. Did anyone dissect the granular 'why' when politicians targeted Mexican immigrants, or before that, Irish, Italian, or Chinese? The question isn't 'why' Trump employs such tactics; the question is why news outlets continue to frame these well-worn,
cynical appeals as some novel, mysterious phenomenon rather than a predictable, historically documented playbook.