The Lucrative Business Of Crowdfunding Racism Is Fueled By The Trump's Administration's Campaign Of Hatred Against Marginalized Communities

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“When Mr. Trump maligns me, it increases the number of death threats that my family, staff members and I receive. As a member of Congress, I am privileged to have access to security when these threats arise. What keeps me up at night is that people who share the identities I hold — Black, Somali, hijabi, immigrant — will suffer the consequences of his words, which so often go unchecked by members of the Republican Party and other elected officials. All Americans have a duty to call out this hateful rhetoric when we hear it.” – Rep. Ilhan Omar

When President Trump called African and Caribbean nations “sh*thole countries,” during a closed-door meeting in 2019, lawmakers across the political spectrum scrambled to condemn his remarks. Trump was at least ashamed enough to deny that he said it.

He’s not ashamed anymore. He proudly admits making the statement, and openly called Somali immigrants, including Omar, “garbage.”

This time, outrage among his Congressional allies was nowhere to be seen. And Omar’s concern that people who share her identities – Black, Somali, hijabi, immigrant – would suffer the consequences of Trump’s words has been devastatingly accurate.

His words are echoed in the comments of a crowdfunding page of self-proclaimed “racist” Crystal Wilsey, whose videotaped tirade against a Somali immigrant couple at a Minnesota Cinnabon shop has earned her more than $150,000 to date.

Unlike Trump, most of the commenters are not proud enough to share their real names. “Islam is a disease,” wrote “mcreynoldsatwar,”  who took the opportunity to throw in a transphobic comment as well. “Ethnic Europeans need to band together,” wrote “Anonymous Giver.”  And “Trevor” very accurately observed, “No one cares about being called racist anymore.”

The largesse shown to Wilsey is hardly an isolated incident – and not the most lucrative one.  The crowdfunding campaign for Shiloh Hendrix, caught on video at a playground using racial slurs against an 8-year-old boy and the man who recorded her, has raised more than $800,000.

Comments on Hendrix page were so virulent that site administrators at one point disabled the commenting feature, prompting donors to express their hatred through aliases like “Nate Higgers” (130 times), “white lives matter” (24), and “TND” [Total N***er Death] (19).

Organizations and individuals supporting white supremacy, anti-LGBTQ+, and QAnon conspiracies raised more than $6 million on crowdfunding sites between 2016 and 2022, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.

These campaigns are fueled by the Trump administration’s campaign of hate against marginalized communities, which is so all-consuming, it extends even to the choice of typeface used on government websites. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week reversed a Biden-era change that made department communications more accessible for people with disabilities, like dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision.

In the Trump era, any policy or program intended to level the playing field or widen the doors of opportunity must be eradicated. Financial reward for terrorizing and persecuting marginalized communities isn’t an unfortunate side-effect of the administration’s rhetoric and policies; it is their primary goal. They are fortifications to the gate protecting privilege.

Ultimately, a crusade against immigration, diversity, equity, and inclusion is a road to disaster. No institution has ever grown stronger or more effective by limiting its own access to talent, passion, and ingenuity.  It is imperative that the Trump administration’s enablers in Congress find the courage to exercise their constitutional duty of oversight before it’s too late.

 
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