The New York Times held a focus group with 11 black men who told the paper they were sick of Democratic Party “pandering” and all expressed the likelihood they’d vote for Trump in November.
One man, who the Times identified as Jeremy, a 34-year-old microbiologist from Georgia, told the paper the Democrats believed “that every Black male youth is an automatic victim due to either systemic racism or factors outside of their control.”
Rashad, a 40-year-old graphic designer from Pennsylvania, echoed those sentiments to the outlet. “We don’t want excuses as much as they think we want excuses. We want people to get out and work and do certain things.”
And J.D., a 50-year-old coach from Arizona, decried left-wing “pandering” to black voters. “It’s the pandering to the Black race, thinking that we are looking for a handout and feeling sorry for us, when we’re capable and culpable. And I feel like the pandering of ‘all you broken-down people, you need us, and here we are; we’re going to help you’ — it’s not a respectful tone or manner. It’s insulting, actually,” he told the Times. (RELATED: Dem Governor Says ‘Black Kids’ In The Bronx Don’t Know The Word ‘Computer’)
NY Times talks to 11 black men about why they like Trump.
Their biggest gripe against Democrats is that they treat all black people as victims who can’t help themselves. pic.twitter.com/QhscV2mEQK
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) July 15, 2024
While many of the men expressed to the Times the belief that the Democratic Party doesn’t understand black voters in America, they also noted that they felt President Trump was misunderstood.
“So when I started looking at TikToks, you’ll see people go around asking, ‘Would you vote for Trump, or would you vote for Biden?’ and ‘Why wouldn’t you vote for Trump?’ And when I hear my generation, the first thing they say is, ‘He’s a racist.’ But it’s like, bro, do you really know that, or are you just following the bandwagon?” Theodore, a 36-year-old construction worker from Georgia, reportedly asked. “Trump isn’t a racist. He doesn’t care what color you are; it’s just how you carry yourself. The man is a businessman.”
Many of the men the outlet spoke to pointed to Trump signing a groundbreaking bill to fund historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in 2019.
“Knowledgeable. Unfiltered. Respected. Unapologetic,” were just some of the words the men reportedly used to describe the former President.
“I would say he’s very bold and courageous,” Marlon, a 47-year-old florist from Georgia, told the outlet.
While some reportedly said they were always a fan of Trump’s, others who said they didn’t always care for him mentioned his second impeachment or the Democrats’ reaction to January 6th as a turning point in their feelings for him.
“I have to say the mainstream media backfired with the second impeachment, Jan. 6. A very small portion of what he said was replayed and replayed and replayed and replayed. But when you listen to the whole thing in totality, it gave some more perspective,” J.D. told the Times.
“I didn’t like him. There were some things I heard — he’s a racist, he’s a loudmouth, he’s a bigot — and I guess I fed into the narrative of the legacy media that they were spewing out, all this stuff about him that he’s racist this and racist that,” Branden, a 46-year-old retail merchandiser from Nevada, reportedly said. “But then I had a friend of mine who started telling me more stuff about him, and I started doing some research, and I found out, well, if he’s so racist, why is he giving to H.B.C.U.s?”
A recent Pew Research Center poll found that Trump still lags far behind Biden with the black vote, with 77 percent of black voters indicating they’d vote for Joe Biden over the former President. (RELATED: Trump Assassination Attempt May ‘Appeal To Black Voters’)
However, there are anecdotal reasons to believe Biden’s grip on black America may be slipping. Another July poll from YouGov found that at least a third of black voters think Biden should bow out of the race.
ABC/ Ipsos poll: 67% of black voters satisfied with Harris over Biden
Yougov/ Economist poll: 49% to 34% black voters say Biden should step aside
But go off king you’re doing great https://t.co/tBCD8JXHzp pic.twitter.com/l0N6shuNU8
— Secular Talk🎙 (@KyleKulinski) July 12, 2024
A number of prominent black celebrities have also come out in support of Trump in the wake of Thomas Crooks‘ assassination attempt on the former President.
“He’s officially black now,” Kam Patterson, a popular Austin, Texas-based comedian joked.
Trump officially Black Now pic.twitter.com/wdIn2Fo97u
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) July 14, 2024
Rapper 50 Cent also showed strong support for Trump during a concert in Boston following the shooting. 50 Cent performed his song “Many Men (Wish Death),” a song about the rapper getting shot, in front of a photo of himself with bullet wounds and Trump’s face photoshopped onto it.
NEW: The stage decor for 50 Cent’s performance in Boston yesterday was EPIC. pic.twitter.com/a1Y38stkIB
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) July 14, 2024