I guess it’s customary for the president of the United States to say “Happy Kwanzaa,” but who really thought that Donald Trump would follow this tradition? Since taking office, Trump has done everything except don a white hood with eye cutouts to show his support of white nationalism, white supremacy and white power while in office.
But lo and behold, on the day after Christmas, the official national holiday of sidepieces, someone in Trump’s office issued a statement wishing the blacks “Happy Kwanzaa.”
“Today marks the first day of Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African-American heritage and culture. Together, let us celebrate during this joyous time the richness of the past and look with hope toward a brighter future,” Trump said, The Hill reports.
“As families and friends join to light the kinara, Melania and I extend our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a prosperous year to come,” he said of himself and the first lady.
Three sentences. That’s all the official Hotep holiday garnered. Three lousy sentences.
Honestly, he might have found the words under some “minority holiday template” after Googling: “How to wish happy holidays to an other?”
See, the message works for any “other” who is celebrating during this time:
“Today marks the first day of Kwanzaa Hanukkah, a weeklong celebration of African American Jewish heritage and culture. Together, let us celebrate during this joyous time the richness of the past and look with hope toward a brighter future,” Trump could just as easily have said. “As families and friends join to light the kinara menorah, Melania and I extend our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a prosperous year to come.”
Trump has declared there is a war on Christmas. For some reason, he claims that the White House hasn’t been wishing people “Merry Christmas,” and he’s bringing that tradition back ... because, you know, white power and racism and such.
“People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!” Trump tweeted on Christmas Eve.
The only problem is that there has never been a war on Christmas because all presidents, including the lone black one, have always wished America a merry Christmas.
In 2011, Trump claimed that then-President Barack Obama was downplaying Christmas, The Hill reports.
“What a convenient mistake: @BarackObama issued a statement for Kwanza but failed to issue one for Christmas,” Trump tweeted at the time.
Didn’t matter that Obama had tweeted “Merry Christmas” to his followers and issued a holiday video with first lady Michelle Obama wishing everyone a merry Christmas—Trump was busy stoking the flames of racism.
Maybe 27 African Americans nationwide celebrate Kwanzaa, and for years I thought that “kujichagulia” was a day to wear your illest Coogi sweater, but I guess the spirit is there. And I think it’s pretty obvious that Trump didn’t write this statement, since he is on vacation and nothing is misspelled.
Read more at The Hill.