Trump hears from Black Detroiters at roundtable
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Former President Trump on stage next to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), convenience store owner Itasha Dotson, boxing coach Carlos Chambers and 180 Church pastor Lorenzo Sewell. Photo: Samuel Robinson/Axios
Former President Trump swapped his typical campaign message in favor of one that catered to working-class Black Detroiters on Saturday.
Why it matters: Trump's campaign stop to an overwhelmingly Democratic-voting area is part of his campaign's effort to attract Black voters.
What they're saying: The former president focused on criminal justice reform, his support for funding historically Black colleges and school choice, while listening to issues facing Black business owners. He didn't mention his felony convictions from his New York criminal trial.
- "You have a lot of dollars in the Black community and they don't keep it," Trump said. "One of the biggest problems I see is the crime. If you stop the crime, you'll see more and more stores."
The vibe: While the line to get in wrapped around the building, there was still room in the pews when Trump walked on stage.
- It wasn't clear whether the majority of attendees were Detroit residents.
Reality check: "We know we're not going to turn Detroit red," Martell Bivings, a Republican congressional candidate running for the second time to defeat incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit), told Axios.
- "But I do believe the campaign is beginning to see that there are enough Detroit votes that will aid him in taking the state of Michigan," he said.
Context: In Detroit, where 80% of residents are Black within a solidly Democratic district, Trump's supporters say they know chances are slim that their candidate can defeat President Biden.
- Biden won Detroit with 94% of the vote in 2020.
- But after he gained votes in the city in 2020, Trump's campaign told Axios they can do it again this November.
The other side: "Black voters haven't forgotten that this man entered public life calling for the death penalty for the innocent Central Park Five and entered political life spreading racist conspiracy theories about Barack Obama," Biden's director of Black media Jasmine Harris said.
The vibe: The loudest cheers came when Trump indicated his opposition to "left-wing gender ideology."
- Local celebrities attended the event, including rappers Sada Baby, Icewear Vezzo and Peezy, telling reporters they support the former president.
- "I love Donald Trump, what I'm here for is I wanted to see some of our community speak for us," Peezy told reporters following the event. "Everybody in the Black community don't represent everybody in the Black community."
Inside the room: A number of political figures were in attendance as well; U.S. Reps. John James (R-Mich.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.); former HUD director Ben Carson; U.S. House candidates Tom Barrett and Bivings; MIGOP chair Pete Hoekstra; and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers.