Lena Dunham took her criticism of the president to new heights Monday evening when she compared Donald Trump to white supremacist and convicted mass murderer Dylann Roof in a tweet.
It all started with a thread from comedian and TV writer Travon Free about white journalists’ hesitance to use the word “racist” when describing the president. He was watching CNN and frustrated to see analysts dodge using the word.
“If @realDonaldTrump is not a racist who is?” Free tweeted. “What do white people think a racist is?”
If @realDonaldTrump is not a racist who is? What do white people think a racist is?
— Travon (@Travon) September 25, 2017
It would be like having a weather man try to explain the rain to you when he has no concept of what constitutes water.
— Travon (@Travon) September 25, 2017
“This is one of the overwhelming problems with American media today,” he continued. “Y’all are afraid to call a racist what he is. A racist.”
What are you afraid of? That one day someone is gonna come running into a room with overwhelming evidence that Trump isn’t racist? Nah. pic.twitter.com/639HZtR6I4
— Travon (@Travon) September 25, 2017
Free ended his thread with a simple proclamation he invited journalists to quote him on: “I’ll end this by trying to help every journalist and analyst in America: @realDonaldTrump is a racist. Feel free to take it from there.”
And that’s where Dunham jumped in, offering her two cents on the issue: “Not only is he a racist but he’s a racist with untreated mental illness. So under diff circumstances he’s Dylann Roof.”
Not only is he a racist but he’s a racist with untreated mental illness. So under diff circumstances he’s Dylann Roof.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 25, 2017
Roof notoriously shot and killed nine people in a Charleston, South Carolina, church in 2015, and was convicted of 33 federal hate crime charges and given nine life sentences without parole.
After that, Dunham was on a roll. Two minutes later she started a thread of her own about the #TakeAKnee protests in the NFL and NBA.
“Do people get how much bravery it takes to stand up to the pres, whether you’re rich or not?” Dunham wrote. “These players are black Americans. Along with the president’s ire they get every violent racist who supports him. They are deluged with threats. Have to shield their families.”
Along with the president’s ire they get every violent racist who supports him. They are deluged with threats. Have to shield their families.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 25, 2017
“I’m not an NBA player, I’m just some random white girl on cable reruns,” Dunham continued. “Imagine their national stage, the abuse they know they’ll get for doing the right thing and the fact that they do it anyway? True applause.”
Imagine their national stage, the abuse they know they’ll get for doing the right thing and the fact that they do it anyway? True applause.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 25, 2017
Other celebrities to speak out in support of the athletes this week include Ellen DeGeneres and John Legend, who went one step further by writing an op-ed for Slate.
