US remains divided following election, more reports of racist attacks

World Today

US remains divided following election, more reports of racist attacks

It was a hard fought campaign with harsh and divisive language, but ever since the election of Donald Trump, he has taken a more conciliatory tone.

But words spoken on the campaign trail have lingered. Since Trump’s election opposition to his presidency has been vocal, and at the same time, the number of racist, xenophobic incidents, often blamed on his supporters, have risen sharply.

CCTV America’s Nathan King has more.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that tracks hate crimes in the U.S., there have been more than 300 cases of hateful harassment or intimidation since election alone. The FBI said hate crimes against Muslims are up 67 percent from 2015.

President-elect Trump has called on any of his supporters responsible to,”stop it.” Outgoing President Obama has stressed unity as he prepares to hand over power. But the incidents continue.

It was perhaps hard to think after such a hard fought election, with inflammatory rhetoric playing constantly in the U.S. media, that the candidates would be able to switch off the public’s anger as quickly as they switched it on. But as the president and the president-elect have both made clear-things need to calm down.

The U.S. has many divisions along lines of race, class and religion. That diversity has often been its strength, not it’s weakness.