While the former president has received broad condemnation from voters and public officials for his indictments, words like “felon,” “thug” and “criminal” are more commonly used against Black and brown people, and play into historic tropes that depict people of color as violent.

Clearly the Harris’ campaign is directing these words against a person who isn’t Black or brown. I understand these advocates’ sentiments, but using only polite and inoffensive language to describe Trump’s conduct and nature is part of the reason the Democratic campaign had been so tepid and uninspiring until Harris took the reins. I think Harris is well aware the justice system needs major reform, but how can they make it fair to the poor and disadvantaged if they can’t properly call out a rich, white fraudster and let them keep escaping the law?