White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow doesn't believe there is systemic racism in the United States, citing the election of former President Barack Obama.
- "I don't accept the view of systemic racism. I think there is racism in pockets of this country, but I do not believe it is systemic," Kudlow told Jonathan Swan in an interview for "Axios on HBO."
- "You have as evidence of that view, our first black president, just a few years back, won two terms, and I regarded that with pride as an American."
The big picture: Kudlow isn't the only Trump administration official to express such views.
- Attorney General Bill Barr, national security adviser Robert O'Brien and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf all said they don't believe there's systemic racism in law enforcement.
The bottom line: Axios has added structural racism as a focus of our What Matters 2020 initiative.
- Along with automation, capitalism, climate change, China, demographics, health care costs and misinformation, addressing this national challenge will outlive the moment and shape our lives regardless of who wins in November.