President Trump on Friday asked for black voters to come over and support Republicans, making the appeal a day after rapper Kanye West broke with Democrats to laud the president for rekindling the American spirit.
Mr. Trump said he was asking black voters to “honor us with their vote.”
“My administration is fighting every day to deliver safety, opportunity, and justice for everybody, for everybody,” Mr. Trump said at a campaign rally in Lebanon, Ohio.
He was calling for support from every corner of the U.S. in Nov. 6 midterm elections but singled out black voters who for decades have been a Democratic bloc.
“We’re asking, as an example, all African American voters to honor us with their support this November. Get away from the Democrats,” he said.
Mr. Trump gave a nod to Mr. West, who has been widely criticized in left-leaning news media for his ranting praise of the president during an Oval Office meeting.
“What he did was pretty amazing,” said Mr. Trump.
During the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump appealed to black voters by saying, “What do you have to lose?”
He won a larger share of the black vote than Republican Mitt Romney did in 2012.
This time, he’s talking about what they have to gain.
The president pointed to the economic gains made by minorities and women during his tenure, an accomplishment he frequent cites.
Black unemployment has fallen to the lowest level in U.S. history.
“Think of it: we have the best numbers in history,” said Mr. Trump. “I think we’re going to get the African American vote.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.