RIVER NORTH — Chicago's most renowned anti-violence priest blasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Monday, saying, "I'm ashamed to be an American" and that Trump had laid bare hidden racism in the society.
Appearing on a panel on "Chicago's Homicide Crisis" at the City Club of Chicago, the Rev. Michael Pfleger went off on societal issues in "Trump America" as reflected in this year's presidential election.
"What's happened to our youth?" Pfleger said. "Back up, what's happened to our society?
"Look at this election," he added. "I'm ashamed to be an American right now. I'm ashamed to be an American to think that somebody with views that Trump has is risen to the office of possibly becoming the president of the United States. ... The fact of the matter is that he's exposed a whole lot of America that we want to pretend doesn't exist."
Pfleger said those backing Trump "are real and they are strong and they have risen because they have a mouthpiece. We say what's wrong with the youth, I say what's wrong with the adults?"
Pfleger added, "We've got to deal with the realities that we always ignore in America. In race. In segregation. It's real in America. And guess what, the Trump America we're living in now is dangerous. We now have racism, it's got a second breath from this man. Racism and segregation are on the rise in America. And we have to deal with it."
Trump appeared at the City Club himself almost exactly a year ago, when the then freshly announced candidate said he was defending himself from criticism about calling Mexican immigrants "rapists."
At the time Trump refused to back down, saying, "I love Mexico, but every time I talk about it they accuse me of being racist."
Pfleger also blasted the National Rifle Association, saying it was party to the "proliferation" of guns on the streets through "political figures that have been bought by the NRA and aren't willing to do anything to make it so guns aren't as accessible on the streets of Chicago."
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