He has black people working for him, and has had them for some time. And of course, even if he were a racist, he would not expose himself to attack by making overtly racist statements and advocating racist policies.

But Trump is actively going after the racist vote by

1) Quoting racist websites
2) Hiring racists
3) Associating with known racists
4) Claiming he doesn't know people are racist when they notoriously are (like David Duke).
5) Using all the code words and dog whistles that are (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) aimed at racists
6) Refusing to denounce individuals and organizations associated with him that are racist.

Looking up "racist" in the dictionary and failing to find an example of that description as applying directly to him does not prove he is not a racist. And it certainly doesn't mean he's above courting the racist vote. That dictionary game has been played here before, it didn't work then and it doesn't work now.

In fact, as I mentioned earlier, he may not be a racist himself. But he is using racism to appeal to racists, he is going after the racist vote and pandering to racists, and using rhetoric and promoting policies that suck up to racists. That's even worse than being a true racist. At least real racists stand by their convictions and are willing to face criticism for it. No, what Trump has done is to successfully exploit some of the uglier and most divisive fault lines in American society just to get himself elected. And why, to give himself and his pals a tax cut?

That disqualifies him as a president of the American people, as far as I'm concerned. I will not not make excuses for him, and I won't accept any of yours either.