The reelection campaign of former president Donald Trump is stepping up its efforts to target black male voters in significant swing states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
According to polls, the former president has been gaining ground with black voters while President Joe Biden is losing support.
In order to broaden his support base, Trump’s campaign will probably target black men who own guns and regularly attend church, according to advisers who were allowed to remain anonymous in order to describe private discussions with the Washington Post.
During his keynote address to the Black Conservative Federation in February, Trump proudly announced that in the 2020 election, Republicans increased their share of the Black vote by 50%.
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“I’m thrilled to be here tonight with Crooked Joe Biden’s absolute worst nightmare: hundreds of proud, Black, conservative American patriots,” said Trump, who received a “Champion of Black America” award at the event, to applause from the audience.
“Black Americans are waking up to the reality that the Democratic Party has taken advantage of them, and the media and the party are terrified,” Black Conservative Federation President Diante Johnson said in a statement following Trump’s address.
“No amount of media deception or liberal race-baiting will sway the minds of Black voters who will cast their ballots this November for safer streets, a better financial well-being, a secure border, and a complete rejection of Joe Biden’s disastrous tenure,” Johnson said.
He believes that this surge in support is due to the fact that Black Americans can relate to him, as he has experienced discrimination within the legal system. Trump’s message resonates with those who feel that the Democratic Party has failed to adequately address their concerns.
Trump’s allies have been working behind the scenes to launch initiatives aimed at engaging Black communities. Darrell Scott, a Black Ohio-based pastor and Trump adviser, is leading the effort to bring together conservative groups that already have a presence in Black neighborhoods.
Their goal is to counter negative narratives about Trump and focus on direct voter engagement and messaging tailored to specific communities.
The Role of Conservative Figures
Key conservative figures, such as Senator Tim Scott and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, have played significant roles in Trump’s outreach efforts.
Scott, in particular, has become one of Trump’s most active surrogates and advocates for engaging with Black communities where Republicans traditionally have had limited presence. Their involvement is crucial in building trust and establishing connections with Black voters.
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The impact of Trump’s outreach efforts among Black voters could be significant in the upcoming elections.
Recent polls have shown that Trump’s support among Black men has been steadily increasing since 2012. In a Quinnipiac poll conducted in February, Biden led Trump among Black voters by 79% to 19%, compared to 87% to 12% in 2020 network exit polls.
Trump’s performance among Black men in key swing states, such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, has also shown notable gains.
And gaining that support from Black voters is crucial for Trump, especially in electoral battlegrounds where even a small increase in Black support could be decisive.
“Nobody thinks we are going to win the Black vote,” a Trump adviser told WaPo. “But if you get 10 percent more, the election is over.”
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By focusing on the frustrations and disillusionment that some Black voters feel towards the political system, Trump aims to undermine one of the most reliable Democratic constituencies. Republicans believe that highlighting disappointments with President Biden and offering an alternative vision could sway Black voters.
“This is part of Donald Trump’s path to victory; this is why he’s leaning in so hard,” Democratic polling and analysis firm HIT Strategies CEO Terrance Woodbury told the Post. “There’s about 32 percent of the Black electorate that’s just cynical, frustrated, closest to the pain, and that voter doesn’t like Democrats or Republicans. They feel like they’ve been failed by both sides and they’ve been failed by a system. And that’s a part of Donald Trump’s ‘the system is broken’ message that appeals to them.”
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