While Black Americans overwhelmingly remained with the Democratic Party this year, Trump had a number of prominent Black supporters who went the extra mile to fight for his election. But with Trump preparing to take office, "Black MAGA" has reaped little rewards for their year of efforts, Tatyana Tandanpolie wrote for Salon.
"Black ultraconservative elected officials like Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott frequently joined Trump on the campaign trail, boosting the then-candidate's outreach to the Black electorate as they sat on the shortlist for his vice presidential pick," wrote Tandanpolie. And yet "their efforts to curry favor with the would-be president-elect didn't materialize in sought-after Cabinet positions despite the president-elect's promises to reward his most loyal supporters with high-ranking roles in his administration."
None of those Black politicians were chosen for the ticket, with Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance getting that slot. In fact, she noted, Trump has only picked one Black person for his Cabinet.
"Scott Turner, a relatively unknown former Texas lawmaker, ex-football player and motivational speaker," who will head up the Department of Housing and Urban Development — which Trump had previously filled with right-wing neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
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Meanwhile, one of the supposed biggest Black rising stars in the GOP, Mark Robinson, was unceremoniously abandoned by the GOP after their lack of vetting before his candidacy for governor of North Carolina derailed his campaign, with previously unseen internet posts in which he identified himself as a "Black Nazi."
For their part, Trump's Black surrogates largely remain loyal to him in public, with Donalds telling CNN in response to questioning about the administration's lack of diversity in Cabinet nominations, "If the Cabinet picks help deliver the America First agenda that Donald Trump wants, this will be an unmitigated success, and every American will be happy with that."
But other strategists have noticed the state of affairs. Leo Smith, a Black GOP political strategist, told Tandanpolie voters will be closely observing Trump's Black surrogates and wondering, "Are these people performing like minstrels?" or "Are these people actually political negotiators who are putting themselves at the table of power at whatever means necessary in order to deliver some results, some critical results, to Black America?"
