Reps. Kildee, Dingell: Trump's Use of Race a Major Issue

President Donald Trump has made a calculation that he can win re-election by dividing Americans, but drawing racial lines is "destructive" and "non-American," Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., said Tuesday during an interview with fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell in Detroit before the second Democratic presidential debate. 

"You certainly can't talk about what happened in my hometown without considering race, and when we hear the president or see the president tweet the way he does," Kildee told CNN's "New Day." "When we hear Baltimore, we think Detroit, we think Flint, we think Youngstown, we think Saginaw, we think Gary, Indiana."

Trump is bringing in race in a "really destructive way" Kildee said. "There's a racial dynamic to this, and the president uses it in the most cynical and most destructive way."

Both Kildee and Dingell said their constituents want to hear serious plans about the economy, with Kildee adding that many Michigan communities have been left behind during a period of economic growth.

Dingell said in Detroit, people want to know they have candidates who care about them, and race "is a critical issue."

She added she is concerned about what Trump is doing, as her district has the largest population of Muslims and African-Americans in the nation.

"I don't think he realizes . . . no, I think he does," Dingell said. "The community takes it so personally. I have children that are third-generation Americans that are scared somebody is going to rip them out of their homes and [they will] never be seen again . . . he is destroying communities."

Kildee said he has backed impeachment proceedings against Trump even before special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony, and Dingell said she voted not to table the most recent impeachment resolution.

Dingell said she does think the House committees are doing their jobs by investigating Trump, but Democrats must be careful as she does not "want to see us get President Trump re-elected."

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