Racial Capitalism and Whitelash: Trumpism and the Politics of Oppression Redux–A New Normal or Just New Perfume in an Old Bottle?

There is no question that Donald Trump’s actions in his second presidential term have many people bewildered, shocked, and frightened. What was deemed “not normal” in his first term in office has quickly become the “new normal.” In this paper, we argue that part of the explanation for the rise, and repeated rise, of Trumpism lies in Donald Trump’s ability to fuel and maintain a whitelash against the social progress of the 20th and early 21st century. Not only has Trumpism picked up on the “reverse racism” sentiments that have sprouted as a result of racial, gender, and social progress, but it has also managed to do so through a weaponization of the political system. We sketch out our conceptualization of whitelash as a theoretical and intersectional framework for best understanding what seems to be a steadfast fidelity to Trumpism, despite Trump’s consistent obfuscation and lies. We contend that while Trumpism and the accompanying whitelash are admittedly abnormal, unique, and readily apparent, often centered on misdirection and other forms of obfuscation, rash actions, and outright lies, the racial, gender, and class fear-mongering is not new. We follow with two prominent historical case studies highlighting the role of whitelash in the U.S.: immigration and affirmative action.