"If I learned anything from 25 years in the F.B.I it was to see a threat unfolding. Those of us who were part of the post-Sept. 11 intelligence community had a duty to sound the alarm about an impending threat. Now, instinct & experience tell me we’re headed for trouble in the form of white hate violence stoked by a racially divisive president.If a president paints people of color as the enemy, encourages them to be sent back to where they came from & implies that no humans want to live in certain American cities, he gives license to those who feel compelled to eradicate what Mr. Trump calls an infestation. I hope I’m wrong. Reporting indicates that Mr. Trump’s rants emboldened white hate groups & reinforced racist blogs, news sites & social media platforms; he empowers hateful & potentially violent individuals with his divisive rhetoric & his unwillingness to denounce white supremacy."
At www.nytimes.com
