I’m going to say it outright: our sitting president is a racist.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

He has oppressed minorities throughout his term whether it has been through his tweets or executive orders, and Trump is not “the least racist person in the room,” as he claimed at the last debate. That’s a line that could’ve come out of a Saturday Night Live skit because his words and actions prove otherwise.

He described the only Mexican immigrants who are seeking asylum and actually coming to court to make their case as having “low IQ” scores. These are parents who are struggling and trying to protect their children, and instead of empathy and promoting the “land of opportunity” principle America was built on, Trump chooses ignorance.

What about Trump’s immigration policies in general? His allows the mistreatment of immigrant families. It makes me sick to my stomach that over 500 innocent immigrant children’s parents can’t be found. The status of being “illegal” shouldn’t allow someone to be stripped of basic human respect and be kept in cages like animals.

The Brookings Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank that shows anti-immigrant sentiment, racism, and sexism more strongly correlate with support for Trump. The FBI reported a spike in hate crimes just after his election.

Even more so, immigration status should not justify the separation of families. It’s not an argument whether or not a child deserves to have the comfort of their parents.

What about systemic racism? Trump had the audacity to say he was doing more for Black Americans than Abraham Lincoln.  What gave Trump the idiotic idea to put himself above the president who ended slavery, especially as he teargassed peaceful protesters for a photo op?

You’re telling me that you are going to argue you aren’t racist when you continue to refer to COVID-19 — which has killed more than 200,000 Americans — as the “Kung Flu?”

Why are innocent people like Michael Williams still being killed because of the color of their skin? Why has there been an increase in hate crimes against Asian-Americans? Why are immigrant children alone without the comfort of their parents? Because we have a president who not only enables racism but uses it as a tool to hurt others to further his own agenda.

Even prior to his presidency, Trump took out ads calling for the execution of five wrongly-convicted Black men known as the Central Park Five. Their exoneration meant nothing to him —  even after their conviction was overturned, he still claimed they were rapists and muggers.

Trump is nothing more than an ignorant and racist man who uses his harmful rhetoric to abuse his position to promote white supremacy and agenda. Agreeing with his policies or so-called “Patriotism” and “American Standard of Living” doesn’t justify the fact he is oppressing minorities to ensure liberty, justice, and equality for white America.

Someone who refuses to have basic human respect has no place as our country’s “leader.” If we are going to end racism to ensure equality and justice for all, we need someone who isn’t a white supremacist or a racist. Trump isn’t going to change. It’s up to us to end the oppression and racism against minorities come Nov. 3. It’s time to vote him out.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.