Donald Trump tried to appeal to black voters by calling for “law and order” and accusing Hillary Clinton of bigotry during a rally in the 95% white and 1% black town of West Bend, Wisconsin.
“I’m asking for the vote for every African-American citizen struggling in our society today who wants a different and much better future,” he told the overwhelmingly white crowd. He then blamed the Democratic Party for betraying the black community and creating “more crime, more broken homes, and more poverty.”
“Jobs, safety, opportunity, fair and equal representation: We reject the bigotry of Hillary Clinton which panders to, and talks down to, communities of color and sees them only as votes – that’s all they care about – not as individual human beings worthy of a better future.”
Trump currently has only 1% of the black vote, according to a Fox News poll, down 3 points from its previous poll.
Repeating the false claim that crime rates have increased under President Barack Obama due to his “rollback of criminal enforcement,” Trump called for “law and order,” echoing the subtly racist promises made by Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan during their presidential campaigns.
“Law and order must be restored for the sake of all, but most especially for the sake of those living in the affected communities.
Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, the violent disruptor. Our job is to make life more comfortable for the African-American parent who wants their kids to be able to safely walk the streets.
There is no compassion in allowing drug dealers, gang members, and felons to prey on innocent people. It is the first duty of government to keep the innocent safe, and when I am president I will fight for the safety of every American – and especially those Americans who have not known safety for a very, very long time.”
Trump also denounced the Milwaukee riots. He told Fox News yesterday that he believes the shooting of 23-year-old Sylville Smith was most likely justified, which, to him, means that the riots were not. Yet Milwaukee is the worst city of black people in America and Wisconsin is the worst state.
“Those peddling the narrative of cops as a racist force in our society, a narrative supported with a nod by my opponent, share directly in the responsibility for the unrest in Milwaukee and other places within our country.
The war on our police must end and it must end now.”
Prior to Trump’s arrival at the rally, his supporters were chanting “lock her up,” which entered the Republican mainstream at the Republican National Convention when it was encouraged by Chris Christie during his speech.
The Trump campaign has conducted very little minority outreach, with Trump holding a total of zero events aimed at black outreach and declining invites to speak to the NAACP, the Urban League, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. The Clinton campaign has addressed all four groups.
