Donald Trump is claiming that Black Lives Matter is endorsing him — a group he once claimed was made up of terrorists and thugs and that he accused of treason.
Taking to Truth Social Wednesday, Trump said he is being endorsed by BLM and Rhode Island activist Mark Fisher — who does not speak on behalf of the movement, which is decentralized and does not have an individual leader.
Still, Trump bragged he won its endorsement. "Spoke with Mark Fisher yesterday, a great guy, very honored to have his and BLM’s support," he wrote.
It has been three years since Trump attacked the group with fiery language.
"Black Lives Matter leader states, 'If U.S. doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it'. This is Treason, Sedition, Insurrection!" Trump tweeted on June 25, 2020.
His 2020 message was in response to a BLM activist named Hawk Newsome, who'd appeared on Fox that week, ABC7News reported at the time.
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"BLM Protesters horribly harass elderly Pittsburgh diners, scaring them with loud taunts while taking their food right off their plate. These Anarchists, not protesters, are Biden voters, but he has no control and nothing to say. Disgraceful. Never seen anything like it. Thugs!" Trump posted on social media Sept. 8, 2020.
"They are not 'peaceful protesters,' as Sleepy Joe and the Democrats call them, they are THUGS - And it is all taking place in Democrat run cities," Trump added the same day.
"Call me and request Federal HELP. We will solve your problems in a matter of minutes - And thanks to the U.S. Marshalls in Portland!"
The Washington Post crafted a list in 2020 of Trump's long history of opposing pro-Black causes that fight police violence. The newspaper looked back at Trump's responses to the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
In one incident, the Post recalled a November rally in Alabama when a Black Lives Matter protester interrupted the event and was attacked by the crowd. Trump egged it on.
"Maybe he should have been roughed up,” Trump said, “because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing."
In March 2016, protester Rakeem Jones interrupted a different Trump rally and was being dragged out of the arena by police when a Trump supporter elbowed him in the face.
Trump promised he would pay the legal fees of the MAGA fan, though he later backtracked.
