Kellyanne Conway tells world to read bigoted mass shooter's manifesto

Senior Trump aide Kellyanne Conway urged people to read the manifesto of the mass shooter who murdered at least 50 people in New Zealand as part of an attempt to deflect from Trump’s bigotry.

On Monday, Steve Doocy, the co-host of the pro-Trump “Fox & Friends” show asked Conway to respond to those who have pointed out the similarities between the shooter’s anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim sentiments and Trump’s bigotry.

Conway, of course, rejected the criticism, and then took her defense to another level.

“People show read” the bigoted manifesto “in its entirety,” Conway responded, arguing that a read of the entire document would show distance between the shooter and Trump.

But Trump has been one of the most visible and vocal voices in the entire world in expressing the brand of bigotry the shooter engaged in.

Trump called for a “complete and total shutdown” of Muslim travel to the United States, which he then pushed for from within the presidency. He ranted about shooting Muslims with pig’s blood, invoking a completely fabricated story about Gen. John Pershing. He also praised Nazis as “very fine people.”

In her appearance, Conway claimed that the administration had condemned the attack and had expressed solidarity with Muslims.

But Trump refused to call the attack terrorism, would not discuss the Islamic faith of those targeted, and within hours was echoing the shooter’s characterization of immigration as an “invasion.”

He followed that up by expressing public support for a pair of Islamophobic Fox News hosts. One, Jeanine Pirro, has referred to an “Islamic cancer,” while the other, Tucker Carlson, fantasized about a presidential candidate who would kill Muslims.

Trump is an anti-Muslim bigot and his religious hatred coupled with his opposition to immigration was in line with the shooter’s beliefs. It is an unfortunate truth that Trump and his underlings like Conway do not want to deal with.

Instead of contending with Trump’s shortcomings, Conway told the world to read a mass killer’s writing. She appears to believe that indulging in a shooter’s wishes are the best way to defend Trump’s embrace of the indefensible.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.