White House blasts Trump’s comments on Black voters as ‘divisive and repugnant’

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday called former President Trump’s “divisive and offensive” comments suggesting his multiple criminal charges have improved his standing among black Americans. vehemently criticized.

“To be so blunt here is offensive and divisive in promoting racist stereotypes. That’s what we’ve seen. And the impact of that is[s] They’re all American, right? Doing this will tear all Americans apart. This is also divisive and offensive and clearly coming from a former president of the United States,” Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.

“And it is disrespectful, in any context, to compare the long and painful history of abuse and discrimination suffered by Black Americans to something completely different from selfish ends. That’s what we’ve seen from the president,” Jean-Pierre added.

Asked whether her comments reflected President Biden’s views on the issue, the secretary stressed that she had spoken directly to President Biden about Trump’s comments.

The former president, a front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said last week that his legal troubles, including multiple criminal indictments, have increased his support among Black Americans.

“I was charged with nothing, nothing,” President Trump said at an event for black conservatives in South Carolina. “And a lot of people said that’s why black people like me, because black people have been so hurt and discriminated against. In fact, they saw me as discriminated against. It was very surprising, but maybe there’s something there.”

Black leaders and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) quickly condemned the remarks.

“This may be news to President Trump, but even as he pushes out the well-worn tropes of who wants to be Jordan and T-shirts with mugshots, under his leadership record unemployment and uninsured It will not win over black voters who have suffered from soaring rates,” Sarafina Chitica said. A DNC state spokesperson said in a statement:

Following Jean-Pierre’s comments on Tuesday, the White House echoed similar sentiments.

“This is not what Joe Biden wants. He has always made it clear that there is no safe place for hate to exist here,” Jean-Pierre said. “And that’s what we need to hear right now, not some divisive and offensive statements from a former president that really tear apart the painful history that the Black community has been through.”