Republican Reps. Byron Donalds (Florida) and Wesley Hunt (Texas) have joined the group Black Men for Trump in condemning former President Obama’s comments toward Black male voters.
A letter signed by the advisory board of Black Men for Trump and its members accuses Obama of being “insulting” and “demeaning” with the comments he made Thursday night.
“President Obama’s recent call for Black men to support Kamala Harris based solely on her skin color, rather than her policies, is deeply insulting,” the letter states.
“Black Americans are not a monolith, and we don’t owe our votes to any candidate just because they 'look like us.' It’s demeaning to suggest that we can’t evaluate a candidate’s track record—especially when Kamala Harris has done more harm than good to Black communities.”
On Thursday, Obama called for Black men to cast their ballots for Vice President Harris and expressed disappointment with the lack of enthusiasm among Black men for Harris.
“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said.
He added, “Part of it makes me think — and I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
Obama faced backlash from others, including Democrats, for his comments this week.
Still, his remarks come as 1 in 4 Black men under the age of 50 have expressed support for Trump, according to recent polling from NAACP and HIT Strategies found.
But Democrats have been struggling with Black male voters since 2008 — when Obama was first elected.
Donalds, Hunt and the advisory board for Black Men for Trump said this loss of Black men’s support stems from “failed policies” among the Democrats, which has led to “family instability, poor schooling, and lack of economic opportunity.”
“Reducing us to race-based voting blocs perpetuates the worst kind of identity politics,” the letter added.
The men went on to say that Harris’s record as California’s attorney general and as vice president has disproportionately harmed and imprisoned Black Americans.
“We need President Trump back in office because he delivered what no one else did—real results for Black America,” the letter states. “He restored the American Dream by creating jobs, lowering Black unemployment, launching Opportunity Zones, and securing permanent funding for HBCUs. Under Trump, Black families had a shot at building wealth, breaking generational cycles, and thriving.”
Trump, the letter concludes, "made America great before, and he’s the only one who can do it again—for Black families and for this country."
