New York Times opinion columnist Charles Blow appeared on a CNN Tonight panel Thursday that addressed the the acquittal of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, the five-time deported illegal immigrant who murdered Kate Steinle, and said people like Donald Trump use "white pathology" and these tragedies and instances of violence to further racism. Blow's latest column is about the "white supremacy" of the Trump administration.



Blow said Trump used the case and defendant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate on the campaign trail as a way to "project a pathology" on all Mexicans, immigrant or not, who may be criminal. Blow said this strategy is used by white people such as Trump to classify criminals of color as representatives of the entire race. Blow lamented, "It never happens to white people."



"I do believe that the president was using him (Jose Ines Garcia Zarate) as a way to project a pathology on to all Mexicans or all immigrants or even all Mexican immigrants who might even be criminal," Blow said. "And I see that happen over and over and over again, but only happen among people of color. It happened with him and Mexico. It happened with black people and Willie Horton. It happens with Muslim people and every Muslim who commits an act of violence or terror."











"We will hone in on this guy, right or wrong, whatever he did, and project on to the rest of the immigrant population that this is the reason that we have to do something about the rest of them," Blow said. "That at its core is what racism looks like when you don't use the slur, but you project on to a population."



CNN host Don Lemon said the verdict showed the jury believed the gun used to murder her was "left behind." Lemon also chimed in later to note that undocumented people in America commit crimes at a rate lower than those who are native born.



"Those are the facts and people should understand that," the CNN host said. "And that's nothing to say about Kate Steinle. It's tragic, it should not have happened. It's awful and most people wanted harsher punishment."





CHARLES BLOW, NEW YORK TIMES: I just want to say this, it's a tragedy either way for her family, and for her, she's gone obviously, but for her family who's still here and mourning her.



But I do believe that the president was using him (Jose Ines Garcia Zarate) as a way to project a pathology on to all Mexicans or all immigrants or even all Mexican immigrants who might even be criminal. And I see that happen over and over and over again, but only happen among people of color. It happened with him and Mexico. It happened with black people and Willie Horton. It happens with Muslim people and every Muslim who commits an act of violence or terror. It never happens with white people.



That guy can shoot however hundreds of people he shot in Vegas and we will never say that this is proof of white pathology. We will never say that, but we will hone in on this guy, right or wrong, whatever he did, and project on to the rest of the immigrant population that this is the reason that we have to do something about the rest of them. Him, he epitomizes their pathology. That at its core is what racism looks like when you don't use the slur, but you project on to a population.



DON LEMON, CNN: There are a number of different articles that people have been written, that says we have been lied to about the Kate Steinle case and it has been politicized. And, again, it is a tragedy. Nothing, sadly, is going to sadly bring her back, and I'm sure everyone wishes they could. But here's the bottom line with the jury. The jury believed what the evidence, whatever evidence was presented in court that it was an accidental shooting from a gun that was left behind by someone else. That's what the jury made their verdict on.