When talking about the United States and places in it, most presidential candidates stick to positives and platitudes. Not so for Donald J. Trump in this election cycle.
Map of the United States showing a quote that reads “we’re like a garbage can for the rest of the world.”
He is quick to denigrate American cities, often those home to large immigrant populations. He does so both individually and collectively, sometimes in crude terms.
The same map now shows a quote that reads “”the cities are rotting and they are indeed cesspools of blood.”
This includes liberal strongholds like Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta …
A quote geolocated on D.C. reads “rat-infested, graffiti-infested shithole.” A quote geolocated on Atlanta reads “killing field.” A quote geolocated on Chicago reads “worse than Afghanistan.”
… as well as San Francisco and Portland.
A quote geolocated on San Francisco reads “destroyed.” A quote geolocated on Portland reads “a burned-down hulk of a city.”
Since declaring his candidacy, he has spoken in harsh negative terms about many American cities. He included multiple Californian cities on a list of “war zones and ganglands.”
The map shows four cities in California that Mr. Trump has called “war zones.” The cities are San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Los Angeles.
Northeastern, Midwestern and Southern cities have been subject to his insults, too.
The map then zooms back to the eastern part of the country and highlights quotes for New Orleans (“war zones”); Atlanta (“killing field”); Washington, D.C. (“hellhole); New York (“filthy”); Detroit (“decimated”); Baltimore (“dangerous”); Chicago (“war zones”); and Minneapolis (“like a fire pit”).
These statements are sharply contrasted by the way Mr. Trump tends to talk about places that support him — especially the red states that make up his base. Sometimes he lumps them together. In one instance, he referred collectively to “places like Indiana and Iowa and Idaho.”
The same map labels Idaho, Iowa and Indiana with the quote: “states that you don’t even hear too much of because they’re so good and so well run.”
He’s vividly praised Montana and Alaska, too.
A quote geolocated on Montana reads “land of cowboys and cattle hands … one of the most beautiful places in all of God’s creation.” A quote geolocated on Alaska reads “an incredible place and beautiful state.”
Here’s a sampling of places he has called “beautiful,” “great” or “good,” or said he loves.
The map labels thirty places across the United States that Mr. Trump has called “beautiful,” “incredible” or “great,” or said he loves.
Perhaps most unusual is Mr. Trump’s tendency to combine these two points, pointing out places he feels were once beautiful, but are now in decline. If his campaign rests on his vow to make America great again, he seems to think he has plenty of work to do — in both small cities like Aurora, Colo. and Springfield, Ohio …
A quote near Aurora and Springfield reads “These were two beautiful, successful towns, idyllic. And they’re in trouble, big trouble.” A quote geolocated on Montana reads “land of cowboys and cattle hands… one of the most beautiful places in all of God’s creation.”
… and bigger ones like Detroit and New York City.
A quote geolocated on Detroit reads “once great city.” A quote geolocated on New York City reads “city in decline.”
That rhetorical move animates Mr. Trump’s approach to the entirety of the country he hopes to lead again. He presents himself as the sole savior of the nation …
A quote over the map of the United States reads “our once great country, soon to be greater-than-ever-before country.”
… and makes the alternative seem dire.
A quote over the map of the United States reads “Your country is being turned into a third world hellhole ruled by censors, perverts, criminals and thugs.”