The Atlantic

Trump Is Too Thin-Skinned to Protect the United States

The president’s aides are reluctant even to broach the dangers of white racist violence in his presence.
Source: Sarah Silbiger / Reuters

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: There’s a dangerous threat to United States security. It’s widely acknowledged by many top officials in the Trump administration. But the government remains stuck in neutral, paralyzed by a fear of offending the president.

This is the story of Russian electoral interference, but it is also the story of white racist violence. In the face of a verified—and lethal—threat, President Donald Trump has been slow to deal with the threat of domestic extremist violence inside the U.S., , because aides are nervous about bringing it up. The problem of domestic terror has new relevance now, after the

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