By Steve Peoples and Zeke Miller
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has placed racial animus at the center of his reelection campaign, and even some of his critics believe it could deliver him a second term.

Every successful presidential campaign in the modern era has been built on the notion of addition, winning over voters beyond core supporters. Trump has chosen division on the belief that the polarized country he leads will simply choose sides over issues like race.

On Wednesday, he intensified his attacks, blasting four congresswomen of color during a North Carolina rally. The crowd responded by chanting, “Send her back!” echoing Trump’s weekend tweet in which he said the lawmakers — all American citizens — should “go back” to the country from which they came. The president believes the strategy carries more benefits than risks.