.@realDonaldTrump: African-American communities “in the worst shape that they’ve ever been in before, ever.” https://t.co/9LBPglLJSo
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 20, 2016
On Tuesday night, Trump held a Kenansville, North Carolina rally, which was attended by a mostly white audience, and continued his attempts at wooing black voters. The Republican nominee stated, “We’re going to rebuild our inner cities because our African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape they’ve ever been in before. Ever, ever, ever.” Trump made this statement while apparently forgetting the whole of black history. He believes that 2016 is far worse than times when black communities were enslaved, and subsequently, when they lacked civil rights. Oh, and segregation? That must not have happened in a Trump universe, but he wasn’t done yet:
“You take a look at the inner cities, you get no education, you get no jobs, you get shot walking down the street. They’re worse, I mean honestly, places like Afghanistan are safer than some of our inner cities. And I say to the African-American communities, and I think it’s resonating, because you see what’s happening with my poll numbers with African-Americans. They’re going, like, high.”
This speech arrives mere days after President Obama mocked Trump for “miss[ing] that whole civics lesson about slavery and Jim Crow.”
Trump’s eye-rolling declaration stands as part of his breezy black outreach approach where he occasionally pretends to pay attention to the concerns of black voters. This includes his assessment of urban communities as desolate hellscapes, which he claims can only be cured by a Trump presidency. He also did an extended photo op in Detroit and made a Flint appearance where a pastor shut him down for trying to tear down Hillary Clinton during an event about the water crisis recovery.
And on Wednesday night, Fox News will air Trump’s townhall at a black church in Cleveland that will be hosted by Sean Hannity, the informal advisor to the Trump campaign. Naturally.
You can watch Trump’s full Kenansville rally speech below.
