If you’re over 40 and consume news from more than one source, you’ve likely become immune to the political dog whistles that every politician, Republican or Democrat, has used at some point. A dog whistle is coded or suggestive language in political messaging meant to rally support from a specific group without provoking widespread opposition. It’s designed to sound the alarm—to snap people out of their daily struggle to survive long enough to pay attention to the message.
This presidential election cycle was no different. Both Harris and Trump relied on familiar dog whistles like Critical Race Theory, Black Jobs, Illegal Immigrants, Law & Order, Race, Socialism, Anti-China rhetoric, Anti-abortion, Anti-Semitism, and Anti-LGBT sentiment. It’s a long and growing list. Trump, however, took it a step further, accusing people of eating animals—an absurd claim that elicited laughter from Harris during the debate. Yet behind the spectacle, real danger loomed: Haitian communities experienced violence fueled by such inflammatory rhetoric.
Here’s the main point of this blog: Dog whistles are losing their edge. Everyone—politicians, strategists, and the public—sees through them now. You can only frame racism, sexism, and anti-immigrant sentiment in so many coded ways before people catch on. But this election cycle was different. Trump didn’t just blow the proverbial whistle; he offered something far more potent: IMMUNITY.
In one speech, Trump promised police immunity. He spoke openly about granting pardons to the January 6 insurrectionists responsible for five deaths, including law enforcement officers. During his presidency, he pardoned numerous people convicted of serious crimes. Trump has mastered the art of immunity, unapologetically defending himself as untouchable despite his mounting legal troubles. And the system has largely enabled his belief in his own invincibility.
Let’s be clear: Immunity isn’t a Republican idea—it’s an American political idea. Joe Biden pardoned his own son while thousands of Black and Brown people remain imprisoned in underfunded, dehumanizing facilities—a direct legacy of Biden’s harsh sentencing laws. Kamala Harris, meanwhile, seemed to demand immunity—or at least plausible deniability—for the U.S. and Israel’s actions in Gaza, as protests erupted across the nation and Palestinian Americans begged for a voice at the Democratic convention.
If those running for the highest office in the land are clamoring for immunity, what about the millions of Americans who entered the voting booth on November 5, 2024? They, too, wanted in on the game. They didn’t vote for Trump because they believe in more racism, stricter abortion bans, or an end to immigrant labor. They voted for immunity.
America voted for the freedom to escape accountability. They voted for the right to be offensive without consequence, to enact violence without guilt, and to silence dissent that doesn’t align with their worldview. They voted for immunity—not from being racist, but from being called one. They voted for immunity from inclusion, accountability, and shared humanity.
America’s vote for Trump wasn’t a vote for him as a person. It was a vote for the unchecked supremacy they believe is their birthright. It was a vote for immunity from accountability, leaving the rest of the world unprotected.
Dr. Robin Martin #Navigatingcourage
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