Trump started attacking Obama at least as far back as 2011, when he suggested he (Trump) would run for President, and that he was skeptical of Obama’s citizenship.

In 2008 he was actually favorable towards Obama. It seems pretty clear that Trump’s anti-Obama vitriol, which was extensive and started many years before the 2016 election, was contrived to back up his own interest in running for president.

““We know that Trump fomented a racist theme of hatred of America’s first black president, .. .”
At first glance this is odd .
Trump was never in a political contest with Obama . He was in contest with a large assortment of idiots from the Republicans and then Clinton from the Democrats.
And yet, it is a very true statement indeed.

Thanks, I meant to write “enemy” and “not enemy”!! Will correct shortly.

– Racism is still the only theme the Republicans are pushing, from false claims about crime and drug use, the fake data they used in their recent “study” about terrorism, and the crap about BLM and the antifa movements being dangerous and racist. The sad part is how willingly their supporters in the public lap it up without looking at reality and saying “but none of what you say is really happening”

– We have people here in Michigan arguing that government health support should be removed except for what is given to the military because doing so would “get rid of the undesirables in society”. Granted, these are libertarians (their description, merely code for racists) but I’m willing to bet there are equally vile people in Minnesota and most other states. (Hell, we even have people who are still arguing that the women making statements about abuse at the hands of Nassar at Michigan State are lying and just looking for attention.) I agree single payer care is the wise route and is completely affordable, but with the low IQ people in charge and vocal it won’t happen anytime soon