In an upcoming new book from longtime journalist Bob Woodward, President Donald Trump sounds like he feels entitled to more support from black Americans than he’s getting, and he sounds irritated that he’s not getting the support among black Americans that he wants, as if they’re somehow doing him some kind of disservice. In reality, of course, it’s Trump himself who has pushed full steam ahead with a policy agenda that leaves many marginalized communities, including many black Americans, behind.
On July 8, Trump told Woodward (who recorded his conversations with the president):
‘I’ve done a tremendous amount for the Black community. And, honestly, I’m not feeling any love.’
On July 8, Trump complained about his lack of support among Black voters. "I've done a tremendous amount for the Black community," he told Woodward. "And, honestly, I'm not feeling any love." https://t.co/KyGWilxTEd
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 9, 2020
Outside of his conversations with Woodward, Trump’s self-delusions have gotten so staggering that he’s claimed that he’s done more for black Americans than any president besides Abraham Lincoln — and maybe even more than Lincoln! Lincoln, of course, freed the slaves, and other presidents have accomplished other major breakthroughs, like Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed the Voting Rights Act into law. Trump is just a pathological narcissist.
Trump: "I did more for the Black community than anybody with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln, whether you like it or not."
Swan: "You believe you did more than Lyndon Johnson, who passed the Civil Rights Act?"
Trump: "I think I did, yeah."— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
Although unemployment among black Americans did continue to decline alongside unemployment for other groups during the early part of Trump’s tenure, unemployment promptly skyrocketed amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, which itself hit marginalized communities especially hard.
Furthermore, Trump has recently been really dialing into pretty brazen racism against black Americans. He has been ranting and raving about his supposed defense of “suburbs” against a potential “invasion” of low income housing — which is, of course, often associated with groups like marginalized black Americans. He sounds like he’s trying to cultivate support among white suburbanites with a brazenly racism-based fearmongering around low income housing.
Racist. Sexist. Misogynist. Dog Whistle all in one #Trump tweet. 'Suburban housewife' is dog whistle White identity politics from Racist President-in- Misogyny. #BidenHarris2020Landslide https://t.co/B3xvSSuCNY
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) August 12, 2020
At the recent Republican National Convention (RNC), GOP power-players gave the St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey a primetime speaking slot, although the only reason that they have any kind of national prominence is because they pointed guns at peaceful protesters, which they’ve since faced criminal charges for. In her convention remarks, Patricia claimed that Democrats “want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning” — which is simply a flat-out lie, as CNN explained. The claim stems from a rule imposed during the Obama era, which Trump’s team promptly overturned — CNN explains that the rule requires certain areas “to examine and document racial discrimination in their neighborhood and create goals to reduce segregation.” That’s it — and Trump and his allies are trying to turn an anti-segregation effort into some pseudoapocalyptic pro-crime initiative.
