Former President Donald Trump aimed to garner support from Black voters in Detroit by highlighting the negative impacts of the 1994 crime bill, authored by then-Senator Joe Biden, which has long been criticized for its repercussions on Black communities.
The event marked the launch of Trump's Black voter coalition and underscored the rising crime rates affecting African American communities.
Fox News reported that on Saturday, Trump headlined a roundtable discussion at the predominantly Black 180 Church in Detroit, targeting Black voters with his message. His campaign took the opportunity to announce the launch of a Black voter coalition, aiming to build support within the community.
Trump focused his critique on President Biden's role in the 1994 crime bill, a piece of legislation signed by President Bill Clinton, which has been blamed for contributing to mass incarceration, disproportionately affecting Black Americans.
The 1994 crime bill followed the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s. Trump pointed out that rising crime rates harm Black communities the most, framing this as a key issue of his campaign.
Trump also recalled Biden's involvement in the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which established harsher penalties for crack cocaine, another policy that disproportionately impacted Black Americans.
During the event, Trump said, "Biden wrote the devastating 1994 crime bill, talking about ‘super predators.’ That was Biden. You know, he walks around now talking about the Black vote. He’s the king of the ‘super predators.’"
However, it was actually Hillary Clinton who used the term "super predators" in 1996. Clinton later expressed regret for her choice of words during her 2016 presidential campaign.
Biden has distanced himself from both the 1994 and 1986 legislations, describing the crime bill as a "mistake" and referring to the 1986 bill's impact as "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Polling indicates that Trump is gaining popularity among Black voters, with support more than doubling to 22% compared to the 2020 election. In contrast, Biden has seen a 12% drop in support among Black voters.
In 2020, Biden won Michigan by three points, but recent polls show Trump leading in key battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada.
During the event, Trump emphasized the need for law enforcement to protect Black communities, stating, "Look, the crime is most rampant right here and in African American communities. More people see me, and they say, ‘Sir, we want protection. We want the police to protect us. We don’t want to get robbed and mugged and beat up or killed because we want to walk across the street to buy a loaf of bread.’"
The Biden-Harris campaign was quick to criticize Trump's outreach to Black voters. Jasmine Harris, Biden-Harris 2024 Director of Black Media, stated, "Donald Trump thinks the fact that he has ‘many Black friends’ excuses an entire lifetime of denigrating and disrespecting Black Americans, but Black voters know better — and Trump’s eleventh-hour attempt at Black ‘outreach’ isn’t fooling anyone."
Harris added that Black voters remember Trump's past actions, including his call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5 and his promotion of conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama.
"Black voters sent Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House in 2020, and they’re ready to make Donald Trump a two-time loser in 2024," Harris said.
Several Black leaders and supporters joined Trump at the roundtable discussion, including Ben Carson, John James, and James Craig. Pastor Lorenzo Sewell praised Trump's visit, highlighting its significance to the community.
"Sometimes we forget about the Black vote. Sometimes we forget about the power of what it means to vote for those who are in office and, in urban America, our voice matters. That's why it means so much to us that the former president will come and value our voice," Sewell said.
Team Trump Senior Advisor Lynne Patton emphasized the negative impacts of Biden's policies on Black communities, citing issues like high grocery and gas prices, housing costs, illegal immigration, and violent crime.
Patton stated that on day one, Trump would reinstate all his proven policies on immigration, law and order, energy, and the economy to put Black America first.
The event underscored Trump's strategy to court Black voters by attacking Biden's past legislative actions and presenting himself as a protector of Black communities against rising crime rates. As the 2024 election approaches, both campaigns are vying for support within key demographics, with Trump aiming to strengthen his position among Black voters.
