Brooklyn-born Congressman Byron Donald rushed to defend former President Donald Trump on Friday after he made eyebrow-raising comments about black voters at a public celebration in South Carolina.
Speaking at the Black Conservative Union Gala in Columbia, the 77-year-old president said his ongoing legal issues have caused Black Americans to view him as a victim of discrimination by the U.S. legal system. He suggested that it made him more relatable to black people.
“A lot of people say that the reason black people like me is because black people have been hurt and discriminated against so much, but the fact is that they “They saw it as if I was being discriminated against.” .
The 2024 Republican front-runner’s comments quickly went viral, with some people including Nikki Haley slamming his comments as “disgusting.”
However, Donald had a different interpretation of Trump’s claims.
“The president was just really having fun. It was a great celebration for black conservatives across the country,” Donald (R-Fla.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
He went so far as to say he agreed in spirit with the former president, comparing his “political persecution” to the historic struggle experienced by black Americans to give the justice system a fair shake.
“Yes, this is political persecution from the Department of Justice and radical prosecutors across our country. This is similar to what Black people have had to deal with in the justice system itself.”
The 45-year-old went on to claim that many black Americans have concluded that “if the government is stupid enough to go after him, he can’t be that bad.”
The Florida congressman also emphasized that the top concerns for Black voters are basic issues such as the economy, and that President Biden’s performance has given President Trump plenty of material on that front. insisted.
At one point during a black tie event in South Carolina, Trump also said, “These lights are so bright in my eyes that I can’t see anyone. I can only see black people. I can’t see a single white person.” I joked.
Republicans in the Sunshine State, who were early supporters of Trump, stressed that they were not offended by Trump’s comments.
He also pushed back against Cedric Richmond, director of the Office of Public Engagement, who suggested Trump’s comments were racist.
“Cedric is playing politics and trying to play into racial politics,” Donalds countered. “The No. 1 reason our minority voters want to support Donald Trump…is because he did a great job as president.”
President Trump faces 91 criminal charges in four separate indictments. His first trial in the Manhattan hush money case is scheduled to begin March 25. He denies any wrongdoing and maintains his complete innocence.
Donald is widely seen as a possible vice presidential candidate. Trump himself confirmed during a town hall with Fox News last week that the congressman was on his shortlist.
It is unusual for a presidential standard-bearer to select a sitting member of the House of Representatives as his running mate. Historically, governors and senators tend to receive more preferential treatment than members of the House of Representatives.
A recent poll from the Conservative Political Action Conference pegged Donald Trump as the No. 6 candidate, with Trump’s running mate receiving 7% support among attendees.
Trump won South Carolina’s Republican primary by about 20 points, making him the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
Donald endorsed Trump last April, defeating his home state’s governor, Ron DeSantis.
