For all my criticisms of Donald Trump, and I’ve got more than a few, I do admire his ability to manipulate liberals and the media. He understands how they think, because he was one of them. (In some ways, he still is.) He got the media to hand him untold millions of dollars in free airtime during the campaign, because they thought it was hilarious that he kept beating the more traditional Republican candidates. They assumed Hillary Clinton would stomp him. Hell, they actually cheered him on! They outsmarted themselves, and the cognitive dissonance has driven them insane, so now they keep cycling through the same limited series of attacks to try to bring him down. As of today, they’re back to this old favorite: “Trump is a racist because he insulted a black person.”

On Friday night, CNN’s Don Lemon interviewed LeBron James. And Trump responded as only he could or would want to:

Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018

(If you don’t know who “Mike” is, what you’re really saying is that you don’t know what basketball is.)

Uh-oh. Trump just insulted a black guy. You know what that means, right?

Aidan McLaughlin, Mediaite:

Chuck Todd asked Sen. Roy Blunt about President Donald Trump‘s curious tendency to label his African-American opponents as unintelligent, and the Missouri Republican assured the NBC host that the GOP is not “anti-black…”

“It’s always with an African-American when he questions intelligence,” Todd interjected. “That’s what makes a lot of people uncomfortable with what he’s doing.”

Chuck Todd’s claim here is that Trump only calls African-Americans stupid.

One of the many things I don’t like about Trump is that he tweets too many angry, dimwitted things. But as annoying as that is, it also leaves a trail of evidence contradicting the idea that he only insults black people. For example, here’s Trump insulting Chuck Todd himself:

Doesn’t dummy @chucktodd realize that when I considered running for president, I filed financial papers showing unbelievable numbers. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2013

Here’s Trump insulting an Italian-American:

Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. I watched him last night and truly believe he may be “punch-drunk.” I guess he doesn’t… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018

He also insults white women:

Rosie is crude, rude, obnoxious and dumb – other than that I like her very much! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 11, 2014

Highly untalented Wash Post blogger, Jennifer Rubin, a real dummy, never writes fairly about me. Why does Wash Post have low IQ people? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2015

I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017

…to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017

The list goes on and on. The NYT actually compiled one, which you can search either alphabetically or chronologically. If somebody on TV has insulted Trump, odds are that he’s insulted them back. Black, white, male, female, gay, straight, whatever.

Does this mean I’m defending his behavior? No, I’m not. I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s presidential, or even “MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL.” But my mind hasn’t been corrupted by identity politics, so I’m capable of seeing his behavior for what it is and not what I want it to be.

I know people want to believe Donald Trump is a racist, but he hasn’t even reached that level of emotional development. If you insult him, you’re his enemy. If you compliment him, you’re his friend. It’s really not more complicated than that.

Donald Trump is an equal-opportunity crybaby.

This whole thing is especially ironic considering that all the people calling Trump a racist, despite the copious evidence that his temper tantrums are not restricted to any single race, are also defending Sarah Jeong, despite the copious evidence that she’s a damn racist. It’s almost as if their minds are impervious to contradictory evidence.

Almost!

(Hat tip: Jeryl Bier)