Chants of "USA, USA, USA," fist pumps, and cheers greeted President Donald Trump as he entered the East Room of the White House to speak at a Young Black Leadership Summit on Oct. 26.
"One day, one of you is going to be standing—it could be three or four of you actually—but you're going to be standing right here," he said to cheers from the crowd. "I have no doubt."
He then asked all presidential hopefuls in the room to raise their hands, which a majority of them did.
"It's an ambitious group, that's great," he said.
According to exit poll data, which is the closest albeit flawed approximation we have on voter demographics, Trump did not get the majority of black voters in 2016.
Accusations and Endorsements
Trump has faced accusations of racism by fired White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman. Pollster Frank Luntz, who is cited in Omarosa's book as a source for the claim that Trump used racist language, has said this is "flat-out false."Policies
Unemployment among blacks is at its lowest point in recorded history, and the poverty rate among blacks is also at a historic low.He is also addressing prison reform, a high priority for many blacks. Senior White House adviser and Trump son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been working behind the scenes on prison reform, was able to get a bill passed with bipartisan support in the House in May that aims to help prisoners re-enter the work force and reduce recidivism by increasing skill-building programs in prison. The bill is now awaiting a vote in the Senate.
'Not Intimidated'
Trump started his meeting with the black youth by calling for unity in the country after a man was arrested for sending 13 explosives to high-profile Democrats, former intelligence officials, and CNN via mail.He then told the cheering audience that he believed they represented the future of the nation.
"You are not afraid to stand up for your beliefs or stand against injustice. You refuse to be told by the same failed voices how to think or what to believe," he said, before talking about the economy and the impact it has had on the unemployment rate.
"The Democrats are very nervous ... it's supposed to be automatic, they do nothing for you, and it's supposed to be automatic—not anymore," he said referring to Democrats winning black voters' support. "You're not intimidated by the forces of political correctness because you embrace your own right to free thought and free speech."
He talked about black conservatives being attacked for supporting him, a movement of "tolerance, unity and progress," as he called it, to which there was an audible murmur of agreement from the crowd.
"They are attacking us because we are speaking the truth, changing people's minds, and proving every day that our policies work, and that we are really doing what's right and what's good, " he said.
The murmurs turned to chants of "USA, USA, USA" when he talked about putting Americans first. Punctuated throughout his nearly 40-minute speech was a refrain of clapping, cheering and waving of red MAGA hats, which many in the audience were wearing.
"This is a beautiful meeting," he said, referencing the enthusiasm of the crowd. "Some of them I'm, you know, a little bored [at]—I do my thing, I say my words, I say 'bye everybody,' and then I go and I say, it's alright, but this is very, to me, this is a very exciting place."
After his speech, he mingled with the crowd, signing MAGA hats and taking selfies with excited attendees.