Trump’s Emphasis on Racial Divides Worries Republicans

WASHINGTON—President Trump is signaling that a focus on racial and cultural divides will be a key theme of his re-election campaign. But with the nation in the midst of a racial justice movement and polls showing a growing portion of the population supportive of change, some Republicans fear his strategy won’t work.

Over the past few weeks, Mr. Trump questioned a Nascar ban on the Confederate flag and mounted a defense of military base names honoring Confederate officers. He criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and retweeted (and later deleted) a video featuring a supporter shouting “white power,” although an aide said Mr. Trump hadn’t heard the phrase before he tweeted the footage. And he cast Democrats and protesters opposing racism as a lawless “far-left” mob, citing what he sees as “cancel culture,” as well as the violence and destruction of statues that have occurred during the largely peaceful demonstrations.