24 February 2024 , 09:30
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Donald Trump has claimed he is liked by Black people because he has also been a victim of discrimination.
Referring to his mounting legal troubles, the former President went on to say this meant Black people could relate to him. Trump made the claims during a nearly two-hour speech at the Black Conservative Federation's annual gala, where he spoke about "corrupt systems" leading to "great evil".
He said: "I got indicted a second time and a third time and a fourth time, and a lot of people said that that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against.
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On Friday, Trump labelled Joe Biden a "vicious racist" (Getty Images)"I’m being indicted for you, the American people. I’m being indicted for you, the Black population. I am being indicted for a lot of different groups by sick people, these are sick sick people. Some of the greatest evils in our nation's history have come from corrupt systems that try to target and subjugate others to deny them their freedom and to deny them their rights."
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The 77-year-old said he had the support of Black Americans as they supported him by wearing merchandise with his mug shot on the front of it. He added: "My mug shot — we’ve all seen the mug shot, and you know who embraced it more than anybody else? The Black population. You see Black people walking around with my mug shot, you know, they do shirts and they sell them for $19 apiece. It’s pretty amazing — millions by the way."
Trump was at the event alongside other Black Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Reps. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Byron Donalds of Florida, and Ben Carson, who was Trump's Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, NBCnews reports.
Adam Wasolis Sr. from the Bronx, New York, backed Trump's claims. The 33-year-old said: “I definitely understand why some Black men may feel they resonate with his issues, because most of the issues that have plagued black men were legal issues."
However, not everyone was impressed with Trump's attempts to win over Black Americans. Joe Biden's media director Jasmine Harris, who is Black, said: "This is the same man who falsely accused the Central Park Five, questioned George Floyd’s humanity, compared his own impeachment trial to being lynched, and ensured the unemployment gap for Black workers spiked during his presidency. Donald Trump has been showing Black Americans his true colors for years: An incompetent, anti-Black tyrant who holds us to such low regard that he publicly dined with white nationalists a week after declaring his 2024 candidacy."
Trump believes he has the support of Black Americans because he's seen them wear merchandise with his mugshot on (Getty Images)On Friday, Trump labelled the President a "vicious" racist, saying: "Joe Biden really has proven to be a very nasty and vicious racist. He's been a racist. Whether you like it or don't like it. I happen not to like it. Joe Biden really has proven to be a very nasty and vicious racist. He's been a racist. Whether you like it or don't like it. I happen not to like it. ... Biden spent years palling around with notorious segregationist you know that."
The comments come his allies are preparing to launch a bid to try and take a chunk of the Black vote away from Biden and the Democrats in the 2024 elections. Darrell Scott, an Ohio-based pastor who is advising Trump, said: “We have coalition groups across the country that are set to roll out initiatives very, very soon in those communities, that will focus on voter outreach and engagement and things like messaging in Black communities."