What’s behind the bizarre love affair some Black men and Latinos have for Donald Trump?
Race Relations
Last week, former N*ggas With Attitude rapper/actor Ice Cube (who wrote the song “Arrest The President”) announced via social media that he was working with the Trump administration on a ‘Platinum Plan’ contract with Black America. Soon thereafter, “Up In Da Club” rapper/entrepreneur 50 Cent announced that he was throwing 100% support to Donald Trump. Rapper Kanye West has also fully embraced ‘The Donald’ and even went so far as to run for president himself solely to siphon away Black votes from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. If that wasn’t enough, Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez announced last Tuesday that she too is endorsing Donald Trump for president.
What’s wrong with this picture? What could possibly be going through the minds of many Black men and Latino Americans to support an avowed racist?
Donald Trump has repeatedly and blatantly embraced white supremacist groups who have made no secret of planning for a race war to “cleanse” America of black and brown control so as to maintain White power. He led a birther movement to delegitimize America’s first Black president. He boldly denounced the theory that Black lives have value and matter, or to acknowledge the existence of systemic racism in the US. When asked during last week’s debate if he understood why Black parents have to give their children “the talk” about how to handle encounters with the police, he refused to answer. He even went so far as to call Klansmen and other racists “good people” during their White separatist march on Charlottesville back in 2017.
So, why does Donald Trump hold such allure for some Black men — particularly when a September Gallup poll shows Trump’s job approval rating among Black Americans at around 11%?
Theodore Johnson, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice (where he studies the role of race in electoral politics) said he believes figures such as NFL great Herschel Walker and 50 Cent have a few characteristics in common.
“If you’re a Republican presidential candidate, you recognize that most Black people aren’t going to vote for you. But the most likely segment of Black people to vote for you is Black men, and a particular sort of Black man,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t surprising that after Trump became the President-elect, a parade of Black men — celebrities and athletes including Steve Harvey, Ray Lewis and Kanye West — went into Trump Tower. If you’re a Black man and a celebrity or an athlete, that usually means that the money you have is new and that you grew up either poor or working class.”
Johnson added that Trump’s talk of economic security, his overt hypermasculinity, and bootstrap self-determination has resonated with some Black men. As Walker says in a radio spot currently airing on Black radio stations across the country, “He has accomplished so much almost all by himself.” At least to some Black men, that perception is irresistible.
In 2017 following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, a series of tweets from Donald Trump proved that he had no idea Puerto Rico is part of the United States. He barked that their corrupt politicians “only take from USA.” He even had to be forced by his advisers to travel to the Caribbean island after the deadly hurricane for a photo op (to at least create the pretense that he cared). Even then, he only stayed for a few hours and was captured on camera tossing rolls of paper towels at the American citizens who no longer had homes, food, and had lost virtually everything.
.
Puerto Rico got 91 Billion Dollars for the hurricane, more money than has ever been gotten for a hurricane before, & all their local politicians do is complain & ask for more money. The pols are grossly incompetent, spend the money foolishly or corruptly, & only take from USA….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2019
.
After treating them like 3rd class citizens, why do Latinos still support Donald Trump?
Historically, many Latinos have fought tooth and nail to distance themselves from being tied to any ethnic or perceived connection to Blacks. In fact, they’ve regularly gone out of their way to assimilate toward White culture.
.
“I ask all the Puerto Ricans who are listening to me to go vote… and evaluate who has represented themselves as someone who thinks about Puerto Ricans and their needs in the most difficult moment: It’s Donald Trump.” – Gov. Wanda Vazquez, Puerto Rico
.
By adopting Donald Trump as their electoral savior deserving of 4 more years as president, some Latinos have fooled themselves into believing their political choice makes them more “white” — or at least more accepted by Whites.
However, the sad truth for both Black men and Latinos is much more succinct. Both groups have somehow decided that despite Trump’s clear as day denouncement of black and brown people, racism is not a deal-breaker in electing the next President of the United States.
And that, folks, is the most pathetic truth of all.
[However, the sad truth for both Black men and Latinos is much more succinct. Both groups have somehow decided that despite Trump’s clear as day denouncement of black and brown people, racism is not a deal-breaker in electing the next President of the United States.
And that, folks, is the most pathetic truth of all. ] – DJ
Yes. Yes it is.