June is here and in Trump’s America we have riots, a pandemic, and social division and discord. This President has used every opportunity to further divide the American people. Like so much that has happened over the last four years, Trump has never let a crisis go to waste and the goal is clear, “me, me, me.”

In cities across America, justifiable protests have led to pressure-cooked riots. It has never made sense to me how attacking stores like CVS (in Baltimore 5 years ago), or Target (in Minneapolis now), is justified, but the initial catalyst for such actions is frustration from persistent discrimination, especially towards people of color. They are easy targets for the power structure to blame for endemic problems. Even responsibility for generating the pandemic has enfolded Asian-Americans in the grasp of an incompetent American President seeking to chastise anyone but himself for the missed opportunities to contain the virus early-on. Meanwhile, the Republicans in Congress join Trump in delaying additional pandemic-related aid to those who need it most.

Throughout the Presidential campaign in 2015-2016, Hispanics were cited by America’s number one racist as “rapists and criminals.” Muslims were to be denied entry to the United States as they were deemed “threats.” He went around the country searching for “my African-American.” Jews were told they have “their own Prime Minister” and country (Israel, I presume). And, in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, when white-supremacists and Neo-Nazis rioted and murdered, they were called “good people” by Trump. Why are we so shocked when continued violence against American citizens continues?

Trump is already using this horror in American cities to divide people and catalyze his base to build a path to re-election. Just last week, he had peaceful protesters gassed and pushed-aside by police so he could create a photo-opportunity in front of a historic and boarded church across from the White House.

While the President continues his rants, the Republicans (and too many Democratic office-holders), remain relatively silent. But, Americans need a coordinated, smart response to both what’s happening on the streets and strategically. With Trump trying to build and secure his electoral base, the more disorder on American streets, the better. But’ we can’t afford to forget the end result of the 1960’s—the election of Richard Nixon and all that followed.

We need pragmatic and particularized plans for economic and social reconstruction in order to deal with racial and economic inequality. Such efforts must include significant policing reforms. Remember, what works in a densely populated New York is not necessarily suited for a less-dense and geographically spread-out Los Angeles.

The first-step is to stay one-step ahead of Trump and contain his attempts to further politicize the protests. We must put down the bricks; they only help the President and his Enablers.