News

Trump accused of 'horrific racism' for saying suburbs will 'no longer be bothered by low-income housing'

Picture:
Picture:
Alex Brandon/AP

Donald Trump has been slammed for using a racist dog whistle after announcing that he had rescinded an anti-discrimination rule in suburban neighbourhoods.

In a series of tweets posted by the president on Wednesday evening, Trump confirmed that he had abolished the AFFH (Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing) rule, which was updated by Barack Obama after being first introduced as part of the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act.

The rule pushed cities and towns into addressing plans of racial segregation in housing plans and provide data that showed funds were not being spent on inner-city housing projects which perpetuated housing discrimination. Recent decades has seen this change and now people from poorer backgrounds can afford to live in the suburbs which were previously seen as a privileged area for white people to live in.

Trump's announcement that he was ripping up this act was largely greeted with contempt and accusations of racism with Democrats such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, as well as others, being amongst the most vocal of this these critics.

Trump has made a note of appealing to surburban voters as part of his election campaign as polls have shown that he is losing ground in these key areas to Joe Biden. Not only has he claimed that Biden will 'destroy the suburbs' he also said that the Democratic nominee wants to 'abolish windows.'

The Conversation (0)
x