Doug Jones: Trump 'certainly doesn’t want to alienate' alt-right

In an interview published over the weekend, Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) asserted that President Donald Trump is not doing his part to dial back “hate-filled rhetoric.”

Smashing Interviews Magazine recently sat down with the junior senator from Mountain Brook about his new book, reminiscing on Gov. George Wallace’s infamous “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” inaugural address from 1963.

The magazine then said, “Flash forward to 2019, and Donald Trump will not condemn white nationalists as terrorists.”

Jones responded, “Right.”

He was then asked, “Do you believe that Donald Trump is just pandering to his alt-right base of supporters when he does not condemn white supremacy?”

Jones said, “I don’t know if it would be pandering to them, but he certainly doesn’t want to alienate them.”

“The irony of that is that President Trump has such a strong hold on the Republican Party and his base that he could really be effective in trying to change a lot of this dialogue and bring people along to where the hate-filled rhetoric is just dialed back. Unfortunately, he’s just not done it,” he continued.

The magazine later queried, “Some Democrats and even a few Republicans are questioning the mental stability of Donald Trump. Your comments about that?”

Jones avoided taking a position on the president’s “mental stability,” saying, “I’m a lawyer. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a psychiatrist.”

Partial interview transcript as follows:

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): As we know, words matter. In Governor George Wallace’s inaugural address delivered on January 14, 1963, he shouted, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever,” which was vehement and mean spirited. Flash forward to 2019, and Donald Trump will not condemn white nationalists as terrorists.

Senator Doug Jones: Right.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Do you believe that Donald Trump is just pandering to his alt-right base of supporters when he does not condemn white supremacy?

Senator Doug Jones: I don’t know if it would be pandering to them, but he certainly doesn’t want to alienate them. The irony of that is that President Trump has such a strong hold on the Republican Party and his base that he could really be effective in trying to change a lot of this dialogue and bring people along to where the hate-filled rhetoric is just dialed back. Unfortunately, he’s just not done it.

Having said that about him, I do think there are things that we can do in the Democratic Party and others to also call things out when folks say things that may be anti-Semitic or do things from a different perspective. We’ve got to be very careful. It doesn’t take much to incite things. We shouldn’t be, for instance, harassing legislators in public places and in restaurants when they’re out to dinner and in airports and things like that. That kind of disrespect shouldn’t happen.

We shouldn’t be tweeting out ugly things about national heroes like John McCain either, which the president has been doing. I just wish everyone would understand. That’s why I think this book is important. If you look not just between the lines but read the overarching theme of this book, it is that words matter and that we have some opportunities, but we also have responsibility. But the opportunities are there to dial back this rhetoric. I hope that all people from whatever political persuasion will stand up and speak out when they need to and dial back that rhetoric.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Some Democrats and even a few Republicans are questioning the mental stability of Donald Trump. Your comments about that?

Senator Doug Jones: There are so many things that are politically driven. I’m a lawyer. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a psychiatrist. I just think that people need to step up and exercise leadership. That goes for the president, and that goes for all of us from the members of the Senate to the House of Representatives and every public official. We have responsibilities to the people that put us in office to be leaders and not just to fan the flames of hate and to use vile rhetoric.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn