MSNBC host Chris Hayes stated in a recent interview that “racial anxiety” fuels the base of the Republican Party.
Hayes told Slate, “I think that [Trump] actually has a preternaturally astute sense of what binds the Republican coalition together and has been very ruthlessly transactional about keeping that coalition together and bound to him.”
“He also, I think, has a very good sense of what actually fires the bellies of the base of the party, which is essentially racial anxiety about demographic threat and the future of America as a white country, fundamentally. He has mixed all that together to solidify the Trump coalition as a coherent entity. That’s a formidable thing.”
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 09: “Years of Living Dangerously” correspondent, Chris Hayes attends the Showtime screening of “Years Of Living Dangerously” at Ford Foundation’s New York Headquarters on April 9, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Showtime)
The MSNBC host has a long history of bringing up racial issues and accusing others of racial animus. Last October, Hayes said that Trump’s use of the phrase “strong on crime” was a racial dog whistle. (RELATED: Chris Hayes: Trump’s Use Of ‘Strong On Crime’ Is A Racial Dog-Whistle)