Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research nonprofit AAPI Data, told NBC in March that Trump was not the sole reason for the increase in violence and hateful rhetoric against Asians. But Ramakrishnan said the former president’s influence played “an outsized role in terms of shaping the narrative.” 

“They don't call it a bully pulpit for nothing, and especially Trump, the way he frequently used Twitter as well as press conferences and off-the-cuff remarks to campaign rallies to frame the narrative in a particular way, it likely played a role,” Ramakrishnan told the outlet. 

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