Young Black voters are navigating the interplay of policy and personal beliefs in their support for former president Donald Trump, amidst the 2024 presidential election.
This past June, Trump’s campaign announced the creation of the “Black Americans for Trump” Coalition. According to the June 15 statement on Trump’s campaign website, the group was endorsed by actors, entertainers, elected officials, athletes, community leaders and pastors.
The “Black Americans for Trump” coalition’s mission statement stated that Black Americans benefited from Trump’s “America First Agenda,” claiming that Trump prioritized the funding of HBCUs, created opportunity zones, signed the First Step Act into law and can close the borders and reduce inflation.
In the statement, Trump’s Black Media Director Janiyah Thomas claimed that a Trump presidency would provide raised wages, better jobs, stronger borders and safer neighborhoods for Black Americans.
“If you want to return to policies that created rising wages, more quality jobs, stronger borders and safer neighborhoods, then join Black Americans for Trump and vote for President Trump in November,” Thomas said.
Lynne Patton, a Trump senior advisor, accused the Biden administration of decimating Black communities with higher grocery and gas prices, unsustainable housing costs and allowing the invasion of undocumented immigrants into America.
“On day one, Donald Trump will reinstate all his proven policies on immigration, law and order, energy and the economy and put Black America first,” Patton said.
Caleb Texada, a young Black man from Grapevine, Texas shared his reasons for supporting Trump in the upcoming election.
“I’m definitely for immigration as long as it’s legal, but it’s not healthy for the economy to have all kinds of different unvetted people coming into the country,” he said. “I think that his border policies are pretty sound, as well as some of his economic policies that he puts in place.”
Texada mentioned that he didn’t watch the debate but he continues to research both candidates.
“I don’t know all the facts, but I do my research and it seems that the current administration has kind of let a lot of things fall to the side, mostly referring to the border crisis,” he said.
Texada expressed that he often faces criticism from others who question his identity as a Black person who supports Trump. He emphasized that his primary identity is rooted in his faith.
“A lot of people will say ‘You’re not even Black’ and they try to revoke my Black card but all jokes aside, I really just see myself as not a part of any community,” he said. “I see myself as just a part of God’s kingdom, and that’s where my allegiance lies. I try to vote based on what I think the Lord is telling me.”
Some Black politicians have also expressed support for this coalition including Ben Carson and Tim Scott.
Scott is currently a senator for South Carolina. Before dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, he was a candidate in the Republican primaries.
“Donald Trump offers the best path forward. It’s not just a Black agenda, it is an American agenda,” Scott said.
Carson is the founder and chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute and the former 17th secretary of housing and urban development. He was also a candidate in the 2016 presidential election.
“It is our duty to keep this republic and President Trump is the leader we need to ensure it is secured for generations to come,” Carson said.
The statement claimed that historic rates of Black voters now support former president, Trump.
Ronald Davis, a young Black man and former Trump supporter expressed why he is no longer voting for Trump, after watching the most recent presidential debate.
“I truly believe that Donald Trump is not someone that I consider would be for me, and I can’t say that Kamala Harris would be for me either yet, but there are some political beliefs that I think I favor on Kamala Harris’ side,” he said.
Davis mentioned that Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Waltz of Minnesota got his attention and is a key reason he is considering voting for Harris.
“During his debate, I really liked how he brought up the scripture,” he said. “On the back of our money it says in God, we trust. So I trust that God is going to select the correct candidate for our country.”
He also shared that he lived in an area where Trump is popular and has encountered various opinions and false narratives about Harris that require fact-checking.
“For young Black Trump supporters, continue to do your research and continue to look to see who you think will be the right person for you, and try not to side with a candidate based off of bad narratives that are being put onto certain people. Doing the correct research as a young person is very critical,” Davis said.
In an August poll done by Pew Research Center, 13 percent of Black voters said they leaned toward voting for Trump. Statistica found that 12 percent of Black voters, 18 and older voted for Trump in 2020.
The coalition’s statement praised Trump for his initiatives, with Agenda 47 containing multiple of Trump’s proposals about issues such as education. In a video on his campaign website, Trump said he would get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion bureaucrats.
“When I return to the White House I will fire the radical left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” Trump said.
He said he would direct the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that engage in discrimination “under the guise of equity.”
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
