Politics
Analysis: Chicago chaos tests Trump promises of unity
Donald Trump says he can unify the country. Now, he has to prove it.The Republican presidential front-runner canceled a Friday night rally in Chicago rather than enter a tense cauldron of animosity between his supporters and protesters — some of whom then proceeded to face off in several violent altercations as the political gathering veered dangerously close to a riot.It was an ugly incident unlike anything seen in presidential politics in decades. Yet Trump has denied any responsibility for the clash and showed little willingness to change his tone as he returned to the campaign trail on Saturday.The latest dark chapter in an already unconventional 2016 White House campaign comes as the Republican front-runner insists he’s beloved by African Americans and Hispanics and makes calls for unity a central part of his closing argument ahead of Tuesday’s slate of primary elections in five delegate-rich states.The Chicago chaos presents the biggest leadership test yet for the Republican outsider, the deeply divided Republican Party and an even more sharply splintered nation that he seeks to lead.And while extraordinary by any standards, perhaps the biggest surprise was that it didn’t happen sooner.Since casting Mexicans immigrants as rapists and criminals in his June announcement speech, Trump has encouraged supporters to embrace anger tinged with xenophobia.
It’s these people that come in. My people want to do one thing: make America great again. That’s what they want to do, one thing.
Donald Trump
“It’s a divided country,” he said. “It’s been that way for a long time.
