A group launched by longtime Donald Trump aide Stephen Miller has been quietly running radio ads warning white voters that the Biden administration is pursuing a host of policies designed to hurt them because of their race.
A recording of the ad, obtained by POLITICO, represents one of the most openly race-based spots of the cycle, amplifying tropes that have historically been used to generate backlash to minority groups.
“When did racism against white people become OK?” the ad begins. “Joe Biden put white people last in line for Covid relief funds. Kamala Harris said disaster aid should go to non-white citizens first. Liberal politicians block access to medicine based on skin color. Progressive corporations, airlines, universities all openly discriminate against white Americans. Racism is always wrong. The left’s anti-white bigotry must stop. We are all entitled to equal treatment under the law.”
The spot ends with the disclosure that it is paid for by America First Legal, the organization that was founded by Miller after the Trump administration ended, along with former Trump administration officials like Mark Meadows, Matt Whitaker, and Russ Vought.
The claim that Harris said non-white citizens should be prioritized for disaster relief has been mischaracterized, according to fact checks. Another fact check found the comment from Biden about Covid relief ignored the entirety of his statement, as he was referring to how minority-owned businesses have been disproportionately impacted by the economic crisis.
Earlier this year, America First Legal filed a lawsuit in the state of New York against a Department of Health guideline for Covid-19 treatment that stated “Non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.” They also filed FOIA lawsuits requesting federal agency plans to comply with a Biden order to advance racial justice.
Citing the same Biden administration order, the group also has sent political mailers that state: “Joe Biden and left-wing officials are engaged in widespread racial discrimination against white and Asian Americans … even though it’s against the law.”
