By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
On Saturday, Donald Trump's campaign initiated a coalition aimed at Black voters during his visit to Detroit, a demographic that has historically supported Democrats. Trump hosted a community roundtable at the predominantly Black 180 Church, accompanied by Black Republicans Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, to launch the “Black Americans for Trump” group.
Both Donalds and Carson are considered potential vice presidential candidates for Trump. Praising Donalds as an "incredible guy," Trump queried the audience on their preference for him as a vice president, suggesting Donalds would be a strong candidate.
Polling data indicates that Black men are increasingly open to supporting the Republican nominee. A recent New York Times/Siena College survey showed Trump securing over 20% of Black voter support in a hypothetical matchup with President Biden, a significant increase compared to previous elections. Trump captured around 10% of Black votes nationally in 2020, including 12%.
While Biden is expected to win the majority of Black votes, even a small shift in support toward Trump could influence outcomes in key battleground states such as Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
Trump has previously criticized cities with large Black populations, including referring to a Baltimore district as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” in 2019. Recently, he described Milwaukee as “horrible” during a closed door meeting, criticizing the city’s crime and voter fraud rates, according to his campaign.
In 2016, Trump criticized Democrats for failing Black voters, famously asking for their votes with, “What the hell do you have to lose?” He continues to refute allegations of racism, claiming his numerous Black friends would not support him if he were racist, a statement the Biden campaign highlighted in their response to the coalition launch.
Jasmine Harris, Biden’s director of Black media, dismissed Trump’s outreach as insincere, asserting that Black voters are aware of his history of denigrating and disrespecting Black Americans.
During the roundtable, Trump criticized Biden's involvement in the 1994 crime bill, inaccurately attributing the term “super predators” to Biden. While Biden did reference “predators on our streets” in a 1993 speech supporting the crime bill, he never used the term “super predators” in that context.
Trump, who has previously supported tougher sentencing and policing, reiterated his claim of having done "more for the Black population than any American president since Abraham Lincoln" and accused Biden of doing "nothing" for the Black community. Later, at a Turning Point Action convention in Detroit, Carson commended Trump’s engagement with Black communities, emphasizing that Trump is not a typical politician who follows public opinion but instead takes decisive action.