David Remnick, in an article in the New Yorker entitled "The Racial Demagoguery of Trump's Assaults on Colin Kaepernick and Steph Curry," describes the divide and conquer technique of pushing people down the hierarchy in the minds of those who want to believe themselves to be superior.
"'People like yourselves.' 'Those people.' 'Son of a bitch.' (quoting Trump). This was the
same sort of racial signalling that followed the Fascist and
white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is no longer a
matter of 'dog whistling.' This is a form of racial demagoguery
broadcast at the volume of a klaxon. There is no need for Steve Bannon’s
behind-the-scenes scriptwriting. Trump, who is desperate to distract his
base from his myriad failures of policy, from health care to
immigration, is perfectly capable of devising his racist rhetoric all on
his own."
"What Trump is up to with this assault on athletes, particularly
prominent black ones, is obvious; it is part of his larger culture war.
Divide. Inflame. Confuse. Divert. And rule."
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-racial-demagoguery-of-trumps-assaults-on-colin-kaepernick-and-steph-curry
