Abraham Lincoln worked diligently to end the practice of slavery in the United States and succeeded. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, ending Jim Crow practices and ensuring that black Americans had the same opportunity to vote as white Americans. Barack Obama broke a longstanding barrier by becoming the first black president of the United States.
But Donald Trump says he’s been the best president for black Americans in history.
Trump calls himself the best president for Black Americans in history. He says maybe Abraham Lincoln was better. pic.twitter.com/zsIFj82wC5
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) July 22, 2020
At a press conference on Wednesday, Trump was asked by a reporter about accusations made by former Vice President and Senator Joe Biden about Trump’s racism. Biden wasn’t saying anything new, it’s been clear since well before Trump stumbled into an election win that his feelings toward black Americans were less than positive, which is the nicest possible way to say that he’s blatantly racist. He was once sued for refusing to rent to black Americans. He called for the execution of five black teenagers who had already been cleared of a conviction of rape and murder. As a presidential candidate, he refused to disavow David Duke or the KKK. During his presidency, he has openly avowed nationalism and called neo-Nazis “very fine people.”
Yet, with a straight face, he said:
‘I have done more for black Americans than anybody with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln. Nobody has even been close.’
Trump listed a tax break for impoverished communities as one his reasons that this is supposed to be true, but even more so, he discussed criminal justice reform.
NEW: "President Trump has told people in recent days that he regrets following some of son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner's political advice — including supporting criminal justice reform — and will stick closer to his own instincts" … https://t.co/6bvVxQrxOc
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) July 1, 2020
With less than four months to go until the election, Trump’s poll numbers with the black electorate are dismal. He tries desperately to dog whistle his racism, but no one is fooled, particularly not black Americans.
Twitter had a lot to say about Trump’s ridiculous claim. Read some of their comments below:
Featured image screenshot via Twitter
