With Election Day quickly approaching, both campaigns are ramping up efforts to court one of the most coveted voting blocs this cycle: Black Americans. As Donald Trump and the Republican Party continue to make a play for the typically Democratic constituency, Vice President Kamala Harris recently unveiled a new set of policy proposals called the “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.”
“No one else is going to persuade us. We’re two weeks out and we won’t sleep until Nov. 6.”
According to a new poll from Howard University, 82% of Black voters in battleground states say they’ll vote for Harris this November, while 12% say they’ll vote for Trump. Another 5% remain undecided. The survey found Trump’s gains were most prominent among Black men under 50, with more than 20% planning to support the former president.
This week, Alex Wagner sat down with a group of Black Trump supporters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania who call themselves the “Black Republicans Club of Philadelphia.”
“We’re voting for Donald Trump unequivocally, period,” one of the group’s members, Dr. Prince Johnakin, told Wagner. “No one else is going to persuade us. We’re two weeks out, and we won’t sleep until Nov. 6.”
Natalie Garcia, another Trump supporter, explained why she’s backing the former president, “He’s more strong, strong-minded in a way,” Garcia told Wagner. “He’s focused on what we gotta focus on. He doesn’t play — that’s what I respect about him. He always just stands for what he believes and he doesn’t go back, no matter how many people are bashing him.”
Pastor Philip Fisher echoed Garcia’s comments, telling Wagner “[Trump] doesn’t take BS.”
“He’s not gonna hear it,” Fisher said. “He’s a businessman. He’s not there for the fluff talk of politics. We need someone strong. We need someone who’s gonna get down to business and take care of what this country needs. But also understands what the community needs.”
Another Trump voter, Amsar Butt, told Wagner the Democratic Party takes minority voters for granted, “They think Republicans are so out of touch with what the minorities need so [voters] don’t have a choice. I think that’s gonna be a big surprise [on Election Day.]”
Robert Williams shared Butt’s feelings on the Democratic Party. “A lot of people just walking down the street are not feeling the Democrats,” he told Wagner.
“The Black men that don’t vote for Democrats, it’s not what Mr. Trump did, it’s [because] they have been disappointed with [Democrats],” he said. Williams, who did not describe himself as a Republican, told Wagner his vote for Trump was a vote for “the lesser of two evils.”
When Wagner asked the group what issues mattered most to them this election cycle, many cited immigration, including Dorian Urizar. “I’m Guatemalan,” he said. “For us, seeing the new immigrants come in, they’re more violent, there’s more chaos…We’ve been here for longer than them and it’s starting to affect us more … They’re making us look bad.”
When Wagner asked Urizar if he supports Trump’s proposal for mass deportation, he told her the plan is “a little bit iffy.”
“I wouldn’t say I support it wholeheartedly,” he said. “But I do think it’s a good idea for the new immigrants coming in because they are the problem.” As Wagner pointed out, studies have shown immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans. One Trump voter told Wagner the Democratic Party takes minority voters for granted. The voters were also asked about sexism possibly motivating the lower rates of Black male support for Harris. “Most men, they love their mothers, they love their wives … they respect the women,” Justice Felix told Wagner. She went on to say she believes the vice president does not have the qualifications or education to run America. Harris’ resume is extensive. She graduated from Howard University before attending the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Before she became vice president, Harris was the district attorney of San Francisco, the attorney general of California and a U.S. senator. Crystal Canty, who told Wagner she does not identify as a feminist, said she’s not supporting Harris because, “at the end of the day, I don’t think she has the personality.” “I don’t think that she has what it takes to go up against Putin and go up against these other presidents that are built for it,” Canty said. “I want my president to feel secure and manly.” As Wagner noted, these voters do not reflect the majority of Black voters in the city: “To be clear, the voters I spoke to are not representative of Black voters in Philadelphia as a whole,” Wagner said. “Black voters are expected to support Kamala Harris by wide margins this election. The question is, how many voters from this blue county can Donald Trump tick off?”
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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