After Trump’s racist remarks, the media risks a return to bad habits

Donald Trump’s statements about Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity, along with everything else he had to say during his Wednesday appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists, were both disgusting and horrifying. They should also be disqualifying for any candidate running for elected office.

Maybe Trump planned to use this event as a platform to deliver such disgraceful remarks. Maybe his campaign managers thought that making an appearance before Black journalists would excite his base by showing Trump’s willingness to go “into the lion's den." Maybe they put no thought into it beyond understanding that Harris couldn’t attend because of a scheduling conflict and this was a chance to show her up. It doesn’t really matter. 

What matters is that the national media should not use this as an excuse to fall back into the easy pattern of following Trump around and waiting for him to spew ugly, divisive horseshit. 

Don’t reward the racist for being a racist.