Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been railing against political correctness since his campaign began, but ironically, it was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who used a phrase many consider offensive in an interview with CNN while criticizing him on Friday.
"I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation in the way they behave and how they speak," Clinton told CNN's Jake Tapper. In her context, she meant men who behave unpredictably. She failed to remember, however, that the phrase has dark origins pertaining to America's history. Its literal meaning goes back to Native Americans' behavior when they left the reservations.
As uproar over the phrase began on Friday, Clinton's national political director, Amanda Renteria, tweeted out a two-part apology on behalf of her boss.
(1/2) About the use of an expression today that has some very offensive roots...Divisive language has no place in our politics.
— Amanda Renteria (@AmandaRenteria) April 30, 2016
(2/2) @HillaryClinton meant no disrespect to Native Americans. She wants this election to be about lifting people up, not tearing them down.
— Amanda Renteria (@AmandaRenteria) April 30, 2016
"'Off the reservation' is a term deeply rooted in the implicit racial bias of the United States of America," Mark Charles wrote on NativeNewsOnline. "When natives are 'on the reservation,' it is implied that we are contained, isolated, and controlled. When we go 'off the reservation,' chaos ensues. We have gone rogue, act unpredictably, and are causing trouble."
For his part, Trump told Fox News on Sunday, "That's a very demeaning remark to men in my opinion."
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