President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that he will not allow “low income housing” to mess with America’s “Suburban Lifestyle Dream.”
I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020
Trump noted that his administration’s decision to replace an Obama-era housing rule aimed at funding low income housing options would help housing “go up” and crime “go down.”
…Your housing prices will go up based on the market, and crime will go down. I have rescinded the Obama-Biden AFFH Rule. Enjoy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020
Trump critics were quick to accuse the tweets of being racist. This comes less than a week after Trump began courting the votes of “suburban housewives” by claiming Vice President Joe Biden would “destroy your neighborhood.”
This is racism. https://t.co/cetyHRY6of
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) July 29, 2020
This is disgusting.
President Trump is actively working to gut fair housing laws and legalize housing discrimination.
EVERY American deserves access to the American dream.
We will fight this. https://t.co/63ArvWvoFS
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 29, 2020
Is this a NIMBY parody account? https://t.co/R88xfNwEoj
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) July 29, 2020
I’m often critical of anyone accusing any elected of racial dogwhistling but I think this one is actually within range of the human hearing. https://t.co/gqjoO6JHBO
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) July 29, 2020
He’s about 2 weeks and 5 approval points from actually using the n-word. https://t.co/ftoQ5cBPlU
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 29, 2020
He’s literally just saying “vote for me to keep those brown people out of your neighborhood” now. Not even trying to hide his racism. https://t.co/82TxpHMNQf
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) July 29, 2020
This is not a dog whistle, but the loud bullhorn of a segregationist whose poisonous strategy is based on sowing hate, division, and discrimination. https://t.co/JKicGkk626
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) July 29, 2020
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson defended the administration’s move to the Daily Caller last week.
“At the request of the President, HUD will be tearing down the Obama Administration’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule,” Carson told the Caller. “In nearly every case, it is a fact that local governments are more adequately equipped to deal with their community’s unique needs than any unelected bureaucrat in Washington.” (EXCLUSIVE: White House’s Deregulation Effort Specifically Boosts Black America’s COVID Recovery, Ben Carson Says)
The Trump administration further argued the rule hurt low income Americans because only wealthy neighborhoods could afford to produce the housing reports the rule required.
“President Trump made a promise to preserve America’s neighborhoods, I am pleased to report that promise has been kept,” Carson said.