Those gold sneakers are the extent of Trump’s grassroots outreach.
Donald Trump says he wants to hold a major campaign event at New York’s Madison Square Garden featuring Black hip-hop artists and athletes. Aides speak of Trump making appearances in Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta with leaders of color and realigning American politics by flipping Democratic constituencies.
But five months before the first general election votes are cast, the former president’s campaign has little apparent organization to show for its ambitious plans.
His campaign removed its point person for coalitions and has not announced a replacement. The Republican Party’s minority outreach offices across the country have been shuttered and replaced by businesses that include a check-cashing store, an ice cream shop and a sex-toy store. Campaign officials acknowledge they are weeks away from rolling out any targeted programs.
Basically, Trump’s saying “you’re on your own” to his Black MAGA endorsers.
“To be quite honest, the Republican Party does not have a cohesive engagement plan for Black communities,” said Darrell Scott, a Black pastor and longtime Trump ally who co-founded the National Diversity Coalition for Trump in 2016. “What it has are conservatives in communities of color who have taken it upon themselves to head our own initiatives.”
I honestly don’t think Trump believes any of that is necessary. All he needs is rallies and free media interviews. That’s what won the election for him in 2016 and he figures everyone hated Biden as much as they hated Hillary and Bob’s your uncle.
He may be right. Those gold sneakers are so fly.