Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) recently defended that the former President Donald Trump suggesting that Black voters can relate to him because of his indictments via Mediaite.
In a heated exchange on Meet the Press, NBC’s Kristen Welker confronted Donalds — who is one of five Black Republicans in Congress — about comments Trump made at a summit of Black conservatives in South Carolina on Friday.
“And then I got indicted a second time and then a third time and a fourth time!” Trump said. “And a lot of people said that that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against. And they actually viewed me as– I’m being discriminated against. It’s been pretty amazing.”
“Congressman, it sounds like Donald Trump was implying that he can win black voters because they get indicted all the time too,” Welker said. “Is that what he was saying?”
“I think that’s part of it,” Donalds said. He went to cite the economy and border as other major concerns for Black voters, before launching into a more complete defense of the former president’s comment.
“When you layer on the fact that, yes, this is political persecution from the Department of Justice and from radical DA’s throughout our country, this is something similar that Black people have to deal with, with the justice system themselves,” Donalds said.
Welker promptly fact-checked the Florida Republican
“Congressman, let’s just be clear,” Welker said. “All four indictments against former President Trump were brought by grand juries. There is no evidence that the indictments are political in nature.”
The Meet the Press moderator dropped a reference to criticism of Trump from former congressman Cedric Richmond, a Biden campaign co-chair.
“Donald Trump claiming that black Americans will support him because of his criminal charges is insulting,” Richmond said. “It’s moronic and it’s just plain racist.”
Donalds responded by taking a shot at Richmond.
“Cedric is trying to play politics and use racial politics,” he said.
“Were you offended at all by his comments, Congressman?” Welker asked.
The Florida congressman was unequivocal.
“No, I wasn’t,” Donalds said. “Because I understood what the president was talking about.”
