Michael Moore begs Dems not to underestimate Trump's white male voters: 'They're counting on their rage'
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore urged Democrats on Friday, June 12, to not underestimate President Donald Trump's voters, who are white men in "rage." Moore made the statement while appearing on MSNBC, and cautioned Democrats to not take the Republican "for granted."
"Never take Trump for granted," the filmmaker said. "If anybody is sitting at home thinking ‘Oh, man, we’ve got this one in the bag. Whoa, did you hear him today? He said he’s done more for black people than Abraham Lincoln. Whoa! We’re going to win,’ No. No. I’m telling you. I’m warning you, and I’m begging you, please, do not sell this man short. He has pulled off so many things, so many times.”
Moore said that Trump voters, white men, have realized that their grip on power is fading amid the rampant protests across the country over George Floyd's killing in police custody. Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after an officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd's death sparked a massive movement, as thousands in the country and across the world are protesting against police brutality and systemic racism.
The filmmaker said that Trump supporters are as angry at Chauvin as the rest of the world because he "messed it up" for the white male holding onto that power in the United States.
"It’s white men, a lot of white men, two-thirds of white men voted for Trump, feel that their grip on power is quickly fading," Moore said referring to Trump's voters. "It’s being taken from them. They’ve been watching what’s going on the last couple of weeks. They are just as angry at that cop in Minneapolis because he’s really messed it up for the white male holding onto that power. I think white men and their fear of this —notice how Trump’s base really never changes. That percentage that’s going to vote for him. It’s 40, 41. On a good day, it’s 43 or 44. It always stays within the margin of error. That’s because it doesn’t matter what Trump does. They are going to show up. They’re counting on their rage, and their emotion is so much stronger. They have the courage of their convictions. They believe, and they’re counting on us not showing up in that same way.”
The 'Bowling for Columbine' director, a vocal critic of Trump, in April had called for a party, presuming the Republican will lose the 2020 presidential elections. The 'Fahrenheit 9/11' director that month had also slammed "white men" for not taking responsibility to make "amends for the Trump era". Moore, in his podcast 'Rumble with Michael Moore', had said: "Men — especially white men have a big responsibility to make amends for the Trump era,” Moore said. “Those amends will happen. People will see the error of their way."
The filmmaker had said that the days of white men being the dominant demographic in the United States are numbered. "They will be a minority. They’re already the minority," Moore had said.