WASHINGTON _ His back up against a wall, President Donald Trump has made a concerted effort in recent weeks to regain a coalition of white voters who can help him win the 2020 presidential election with a message finely calibrated to play on racial anxieties.
He has criticized NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag and defended statues commemorating Confederate leaders. He has attacked Black Lives Matter protesters for destroying "our heritage" and called their slogan a "symbol of hate."
Preaching a "law and order" message that harks back to the turbulent 1960s, Trump is betting that a "silent majority" of voters who are unwilling to publicly admit their true feelings about the racial divide will rally to his candidacy at the secret ballot box.
