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One of the two political parties is running a midterm campaign based largely on identity politics and President Trump — but it’s not the Democratic Party.

The two most common themes in television advertisements by Republican candidates so far in the midterm election are Trump and immigration, according to a fascinating USA Today analysis. The immigration ads often mimic Trump’s harsh tone, talking about “illegals” who steal American jobs and the need for “a darn wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Is it possible to be in favor of a tougher immigration policy without race-baiting? Absolutely. But there is no reason to believe that “illegals” are really one of the country’s biggest problems today. A candidate who turns immigrants into a nefarious symbol of America’s ills is using them as a symbol of otherness — much as Trump did, often with blatantly racist overtones, in his presidential campaign.