Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP / Getty Images
President Donald Trump drew criticism Tuesday night (December 9) after claiming that Black voters “love” him because “they know a scam better than anybody.”
The remark came during a rally-style event in Pennsylvania, where Trump blended economic talking points with attacks on political opponents. “Black people love Trump,” he told the crowd, adding that he “got the biggest vote with Black people” before suggesting Black Americans understand scams more than anyone else.
The comment immediately raised concerns for its racial implications. While Trump made gains with Black voters in 2024 compared with 2020 exit polls, the overall share remained overwhelmingly Democratic. Political analysts have since noted that narratives about a major political “realignment” among Black voters were overstated.
Trump’s latest claim also comes against the backdrop of policies and actions that have drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and historians — including his rollback of diversity initiatives, restrictions on federal content related to racism and slavery, and decisions involving national parks and historical interpretation.
Additionally, Trump's claim of broad Black support stands in stark contrast to a long public record that includes decades of documented discrimination and inflammatory rhetoric targeting Black communities. Trump and his father were sued by the Justice Department in the 1970s for racial discrimination in housing. In 1989, he took out full-page newspaper ads calling for the death penalty for the Exonerated Five — Black boys later proven innocent — and has continued insisting on their guilt.
These actions have prompted ongoing questions about his stated “love” for Black Americans.
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