Donald Trump stormed into Democratic territory on Saturday, telling a black church congregation in Detroit that he brought record unemployment to African Americans and urging them not to vote for ‘king of the super predators’ Joe Biden.
Trump has made gains among minority voters, and his visit to Church 180 is the latest sign that his campaign believes it can hurt Biden with some of his core support.
‘We believe we are going to win this state. “Right now we have a big advantage,” he said Saturday afternoon.
‘So it’s an honor to be here. It is a very important area for us.
‘We have done more for the black population, and I say this with pride, more for the black population than any president since Abraham Lincoln. “That’s a big statement.”
Former President Donald Trump visited Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday. He first held a panel discussion at Church 180, which serves an African-American congregation.
Trump has made similar claims before, though his visit to the city and a black church marks a bold move and a sign of confidence in the Trump campaign.
But sitting before a giant illuminated crucifix, Trump had to stretch the truth to make his point about his record of service to African Americans.
“We achieved the lowest African-American unemployment rate,” he said.
‘Lowest African American poverty rate ever recorded, ever recorded during my four years.
‘We lifted 6.6 million people out of poverty. African Americans experienced the largest increase in home ownership on record.’
In fact, Black unemployment trended downward during Trump’s four years in power (except during the pandemic shutdown), but reached even lower rates under the Biden administration.
And he reminded his audience of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. It increased spending on prisons and policing, while providing billions of dollars in preventative measures to reduce spiraling crime.
“You know, now he’s out there talking about the black vote,” Trump said. He is the king of the superpredators and wrote the much talked about 1994 bill.
In fact, then-first lady Hillary Clinton used the term “superpredator,” while Biden distanced himself from the term when it was applied to young black criminals.
Trump participated in a roundtable discussion at the church to hear about issues facing the local community.
About 1,000 people gathered at Church 180 in Detroit, Michigan, to hear Trump speak.
Guests listen to the national anthem before the start of a panel discussion with Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at Church 180.
The visit ended with a prayer for Trump and a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ for the former president who turned 78 a day earlier. He is seen here sitting next to veteran Carlos Chambers.
It ended with a prayer and a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ for the former president who turned 78 a day earlier.
Trump’s itinerary highlighted the tightrope he is trying to walk in the 2024 election, first visiting an African-American church before speaking at a meeting of Turning Point Action, a group the Anti-Defamation League says attracts racists and extremists.
James Perkins, pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, accused Trump of a political stunt.
“Donald Trump has the nerve to walk into our city and act like he wants to understand the struggles that Black Detroiters face, but the reality is he doesn’t care,” she said.
“Every time Trump opens his mouth to talk to black people, he demonizes us, insults us, and makes empty promises he will never keep.”
Charlie Kirk told the crowd at the Turning Point Action People’s Convention on Friday night, “You need to find low propensity voters in your lifetime and register them to vote.”
Robert Broderick and Rachel dance before the start of the Turning Point Action conservative grassroots convention in Huntington Place, Detroit, Michigan.
Biden won Michigan in 2020 by three points. And few demographic groups matter more to Democrats than black voters.
But Trump’s campaign is making inroads among a group that has expressed frustration with Biden.
Biden’s approval rating among black adults has fallen from 94 percent to 55 percent during his term, according to a recent poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
And in Michigan, the former president has a narrow lead of about half a point in the polling averages.
Trump told his audience that he would rebuild the city’s ailing auto industry, which he said had been destroyed by free trade agreements.
The overwhelmingly black congregation was joined by white Trump supporters on Saturday.
“They are building the largest auto plants in the world right now in Mexico, pretty close to the border,” he said, vowing to impose massive tariffs on imported cars.
‘We want these plants to be built in our country, not in that country.
“We’re going to bring the auto industry back to Michigan.”
Michael Whatley, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, said the state was crucial for the November election.
“Everyone knows that if we don’t win Michigan, we’re not going to have a Republican in the White House,” he told Michigan Republicans at a dinner party Friday night, according to the Associated Press.
“Let me be more direct: If we don’t win Michigan, we’re not going to have Donald in the White House.”
