President touts role in advances for blacks
Young African-american conservatives at leadership summit cheer Trump
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told young black conservatives Friday that his approval ratings among black voters shot up after Kanye West’s recent visit to the White House, saying the rapper “may be the most powerful man in all of politics.”
The president played host to the 2018 Young Black Leadership Summit in the East Room; it felt more like a political rally, with many of those in attendance wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and chanting “We want Trump! We want Trump!”
Ten days before the midterm elections, Trump listed ways his administration was working to make life better for African-americans. He recalled with nostalgia how, when he was running for president, he asked black voters to support him because, “What the hell do you have to lose?”
He asserted that black communities have gotten “nothing” from Democrats, whom he said were “nervous” about the midterms.
“For decades, policies advanced by Democrats have eliminated opportunity and wiped out good-paying jobs and even great-paying jobs for the black community; you know that,” Trump said.
“Think of it. Their policies are absolutely adverse to the black community.” Trump noted the U.S. unemployment rate for African-americans has fallen to the lowest level in history under his watch. Government statistics show that it has fallen to single digits from a high of more than 21 percent in early 1983, but it’s still nearly double the overall national unemployment rate.
He told audience members they could be picky now about what jobs they work.
“The nice thing is, see, now you have the choice,” he said. “Before, people had to hold on to their job. … Now, you can really go look at seven jobs, 10 jobs. You pick the one, and if you don’t like it, you go to another one.”