Pastor calls Trump 'most pro-black president in my lifetime' as Biden holds 64-point lead among black voters
A pastor who served on the presidential transition team, Darrell Scott, has described President Donald Trump as the "most pro-black president" he has ever seen. Scott, who accompanied Trump on his Michigan visit on Thursday, May 21, reportedly made the statement at a roundtable event during the trip. The pastor is reportedly also a part of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump.
"I'll say it again, this president, and I've lived under 12 presidential administrations, I was born during Eisenhower's administration, this president has been the most pro-black president in my lifetime," Scott said.
"But when I say pro, I'm saying pro in the sense of being proactive. He's been proactive rather than reactive to issues concerning minorities, underserved and disadvantaged communities than any other president in my lifetime. I really believe history is going to be kinder to you, Mr. President, than fake news media is today." Trump laughed at Scott's reference to "fake news media," and responded, saying: "It can't be any worse, thank you."
The pastor, on Thursday, shared a video of the meeting calling it a "great roundtable." Trump, in the clip, can be heard speaking in the background.
Although Scott talked about Trump being "pro-black," a poll conducted earlier this year stood in contrast to the pastor's statement, suggesting that black Americans are largely dissatisfied with the Republican's performance.
A survey of over 1,000 respondents conducted by Washington Post/Ipsos in January found out that 90 percent of black Americans disapproved of Trump's actions in office. The survey showed that nearly 76 percent of the respondents said that Trump's measures and policies in his term have not been good for the black community. While a majority of the respondents believed that the president was a racist. Trump, however, has denied these accusations, calling himself the "the least racist president" on Twitter.
"This is probably going to be, and I'm going to say it at this table, the most pro-black president that we've had in our lifetime," Scott said during the event. "Because, and I try to analyze the people I encounter, this president actually wants to prove something to our community." The pastor continued: "The last president [Barack Obama] didn't feel like he had to... This administration is probably going to be more proactive regarding urban revitalization and prison reform than any president in your lifetime," he said.
Another recent poll, conducted in May, showed that Trump's approval rating of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic has taken a hit particularly among black Americans. The poll showed that nearly 68 percent of the respondents in a Navigator poll said that they disapproved of Trump's handling of the covid crisis.
A poll conducted by Fox News on former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also showed that the Democrat had a lead on Trump with black voters. The survey showed that Biden was ahead by nearly 64 points, Newsweek reported. The poll was conducted via phone calls from May 17 to 20 and included 1,207 randomly-chosen registered voters. The survey also showed that Biden was ahead by 20 points among women voters.