‘Racist as hell’: Trump’s cabinet is almost all white, and he keeps firing Black officials

President's targeting of Fed governor Lisa Cook highlights his efforts to remove diverse voices from government

A day after Donald Trump announced that he was firing Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the board of governors of the Federal Reserve, the White House proudly released a photo. It showed Trump, his cabinet and other officials giving a thumbs-up. Of the 24 people in the Oval Office, only one was Black.

For those who have studied the US president's long and troubling history of racism, the two events were more than mere coincidence. They were indicative of a man who has recently brought white nationalist perspectives from the margins back to the mainstream.