Donald Trump was in the Florida Keys today, talking up his demands for a border wall, complaining about Democrats, and raising the prospect of a political “revolution” in California in opposition to so-called “sanctuary cities.” All of this would’ve been quite forgettable had it not been for the president’s final, unscripted thought on the subject:
“We can’t emphasize enough: not only drugs. The drugs are a big factor, but you look at, human trafficking is worse than it’s ever been in the history of this world. And who would think in this modern-day age?”
Yes, right, who would think in his modern era that human trafficking would be worse than it’s ever been in the history of this world?
Look, no one should downplay the significance of human trafficking. It’s horrific and international officials should make every effort to rid the world of this scourge.
But to think human trafficking is worse now than it’s ever been in the history of this world is to forget that the Atlantic slave trade happened.
Looking back at Trump’s comments on Frederick Douglass, Andrew Jackson, and the Civil War, it’s hard not to get the impression that American history belongs on the list of subjects the president should go out of his way to avoid.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."