Black Voters Support Trump Regardless Of His Controversial Remark

Former President Donald Trump has been courting Black voters but has also drawn controversy by using racially charged sentiments by suggesting he has strengthened his appeal to Black Americans by claiming they relate to his multiple criminal indictments.

Trump made the remarks at the Black Conservative Federation Gala in Columbia, South Carolina, last week.

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said the comments were “plainly racist.”

Despite the backlash that Trump’s comments created, some Black conservatives say they are still supporting the former president.

“Black Americans are waking up to the reality that the Democratic Party has taken advantage of them, and the media and the party are terrified. Our community supports the policies of President Donald J. Trump and knows full well that life was better four years ago under his administration. No amount of media deception or liberal race baiting will sway the minds of Black voters will cast their ballots this November for safer streets, a better financial well-being, a secure border, and a complete rejection of Joe Biden’s disastrous tenure,” Diante Johnson, President of the Black Conservative Federation said in a statement.

Addul Ali, Director of Operations at The Frederick Douglass Foundation of North Carolina, Tia Bess, the national outreach director of Moms For Liberty, Kevin McGarry, co-founder of Every Black Life Matters, and Charrise Lane, a student at Florida A&M University, spoke with ABC News’ Linsey Davis about their continued support. They were at the event when Trump made his comments and did not believe they were racist.

ABC News Live: Abdul, what were your thoughts that night when you heard these comments during the event?

Ali: It’s about time that somebody started telling the truth. I mean, he’s only speaking to what some Black folks have experienced for a very long time, which is a disastrous justice system in many cases. And ultimately, we can all see this playing out right in front of our very eyes. I didn’t– I wasn’t offended or didn’t feel like anything he said was racist in any way.

ABC News Live: Former President Trump also made a statement about his mugshot taken as part of his Georgia case . Let’s take a listen to that.

Trump: And you know who embraced it more than anybody else? The Black population. It’s incredible. You see Black people walking around with my mugshot. You know, they do shirts and they sell them for $19 apiece.

ABC News Live: Kevin, I want to bring you in here. Do you feel that that comment was in any way off color?

McGarry: Not at all. I mean, you know, the reality is, is that, you know, we see a president that has been prosecuted and persecuted and a lot of the people in the community, especially the Black community, who have felt that there’s multiple tiers of justice, are seeing that played out in front of their very eyes and they’re saying, ‘Yeah, I can relate to this guy. This guy is going through some things that either myself or my family have gone through,’ and this is very relatable moment for a lot of people.

So, seeing his mugshot as a, you know, ….. to the media and to the political pundits is it’s a big deal. And it really does resonate within, within the community.