One of the most talked about issues with Donald Trump has been whether or not he's prejudice. In defense of the president, Donald Jr. made a curious claim for why he doesn't think he father is racist.
Junior on dad
It all started when Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president back in the summer of 2015. During his speech, Trump referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers," planting the seed to what would grow into a fight against constant charges of racism and other forms of prejudice. Since becoming president just over a year ago, Trump has been caught in various situations where he's defended himself against charges of racism, including his controversial remarks about the white supremacist march in Charlotesville, and his "sh*thole" comments about several foreign nations.
As reported by the New York Daily News on February 5, Donald Trump Jr. spoke with the right-wing Daily Caller over the weekend and claimed his father couldn't be racist because of his history of hanging out with African-American rap artists. "It's been terrible to watch," he said. "All the Rappers, all the this, all his African-American friends, from Jesse Jackson to Al Sharpton," the younger Trump said, before adding, "I have pictures with them."
Donald Trump Jr. then went on to say that it was only after his dad got into politics that people started to say he was "the most terrible human being ever." Despite his remarks, the president's son never elaborated on what rappers his father used to allegedly hang out with.
Donald Trump Jr. says his dad isn't racist, "all the rappers" and "African-American friends" he used to hang out with just abandoned him for political reasons https://t.co/kUcbMpeXWa
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 5, 2018
Moving forward
While Donald Trump, his family, and his administration continue to push back against the allegations of racism, the majority of the country is still in opposition to the president.
In recent weeks, the commander in chief has been touting the unemployment rate for African-Americans which ended 2017 at its lowest point in recent history. However, despite a strong January jobs report, African-American unemployment actually increased by nearly a full point, though the White House has yet to offer a comment on the change.
Heading into the 2018 mid-term elections, and later the 2020 presidential election, African-American voters, as well as other minorities, will continue to be key voting blocs that are projected to be a major negative on Trump and the Republican Party. With a current approval rating of 40 percent, Trump's favorability with the African-American community remains in the single digits.
