After the Trump campaign’s repeated efforts to win over black voters, Republicans are hopeful about gaining support with this historically Democratic voting group.
It may be a battle of the sexes, as multiple Republican leaders told The Post that they expect to make gains among black men, but that black women will largely choose Kamala Harris over the former president.
They may be right, as some swing state polling is indicates that a higher percentage of black voters plan to vote for Donald Trump this cycle.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) has joined with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) as part of the “Black Americans For Trump” coalition, which hosts social events like “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” in predominantly black areas like Atlanta and Philadelphia. (any other cities where they’ve done this?)
“The idea for us was to go to places where Republicans traditionally haven’t gone and talk about the message of ‘were you better off four years ago, or are you better off right now?’ And most black men in particular when faced with that very serious question, the answer is usually President Trump,” Hunt told The Post.
While Hunt was optimistic about his outreach to black male voters, he conceded that black women are a different story when it comes to pulling the lever for Republicans this November — primarily due to the name being at the top of the Democratic ticket.
“With the selection of Kamala Harris I am less confident about black women versus President Trump because, quite frankly, that specific demographic bases their voting more predicated on identity. Kamala Harris being a black woman, that’s a tough demographic for us to get.” Hunt told The Post.
“However, I do believe that President Trump will have the highest black male vote in the history of any Republican president in modern history.”
This view was seconded by Rafael Smith, a 42-year-old black man who supports Donald Trump from Michigan’s 12th congressional district.
“I think the black women are siding with Kamala more so because they are trying to identify with her more,” Smith told The Post.
“Just because she’s a woman and then just because she’s a woman of color. I don’t really think they’re looking at what she has done within the last three and a half years that she’s been in office with Biden.”
In Michigan, Donald Trump has attempted to woo black voters, having visited a predominantly black church in June to pitch his policies.
“They’re coming for your jobs,” Trump told the attendees at the event in June. “And it’s terrible… The black community is being hurt most by illegal aliens.”
Michigan-based Republican strategist Jason Roe also told The Post that Republican gains among black voters are only with men.
“I can tell you with polling, the inroads with black men are real,” Roe told The Post. “There are no inroads being made with black women. And while it’s great that we’re starting to make progress with black men, they don’t vote nearly at the rate that black women do.”
Whatever gains Republicans make among black voters, Republicans interviewed by The Post acknowledged that Democrats will still hold onto a large majority of black voters in 2024.
“One thing Byron Donalds and I talk about is we may not get as many people as we would like this cycle, but Byron Donalds and I aren’t going anywhere,” said Rep. Wesley Hunt.
Martell Bivings, a black Republican congressional candidate in Detroit, told The Post that he believes Republicans would have more success with black voters if they invested more money into canvassing in these neighborhoods.
“They’re scared to pay for that type of work,” Bivings said. “I talked to somebody in the party, they’re like, ‘it’s gonna take 10 years.’ Baby, like, no, it’s not. It could take 30 f—in’ days if you guys put some real money behind us.”
