A Trump supporter who hugged the former president at a recent visit argued the media warps perceptions of Black support for Trump.
She said students at local HBCUs were excited to see Trump and support him, contradicting the idea an angry mob would form.
“The general consensus or social media would have you thinking that if President Trump were to show up to the HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] campuses … that like, some angry mob would form or a riot would ensue and that he would not be welcome, and clearly the sentiment in that room the other day was the complete opposite,” Conserve the Culture founder Michaelah Montgomery said.
A recent poll showed 23% of Black voters support Trump, up from 4% in 2020, worrying some liberals.
The supporter said Black voters feel Trump is more authentic and communicates his agenda clearly compared to Biden, who she accused of trying to oppress Black communities as a senator by supporting policies like mass incarceration.
“He was very welcome. People were excited to see him. People showed up in support of him, and people, of course, were from all four institutions within the AUC [Atlanta University Center], the local HBCU community in Atlanta, and they all showed up in support of him,” she added.
“I really appreciate that we were able to not only let him know that regardless of what social media says… I know they’re trying to make us think we’re supposed to hate you, but we don’t,” Montgomery said.
“And additionally, it was a learning experience for my students because they were able to see and experience firsthand how the media can warp that perception of an opinion or a person.”
“Because, like I said, to think that these students who attend these illustrious institutions aren’t smart enough to make their own decisions, so much so that they would only show support for Trump because he bought chicken sandwiches and milkshakes… that in itself is the most disturbing part of it all,” she said.
“Especially when you think about the fact that it was mainly urban media outlets that were doing everything in their power to turn other Black people against these young Black kids who simply were not shy to explore other options.”
Other polls show Biden’s support among Black and Hispanic voters down significantly from 2020 levels.
She argued Trump is seen as more relatable while Biden did not want Black kids in the same schools as his when he was a senator.
“They feel like he’s honest. They feel like this is somebody who, while we might not agree with how he says things, how he goes about things, at least he’s telling us what it is,” Montgomery said.
“We don’t feel like this is a snake in the grass waiting for his chance to bite us. This is somebody who’s telling us this is what my plan is. Here’s how I plan to execute it. Here’s the people involved, and here’s how you can get involved.”
“They just feel like he’s more relatable,” she added. “They really feel like this is somebody who’s talking to them and not just saying what they want to hear.”
“He locked up a lot of people that look like me, and they’re still sitting in jail waiting for… justice, an appeal of some sort,” Montgomery said. “So when it comes to what Joe Biden has done for Black America, if we look specifically at his record as a senator, it wasn’t it wasn’t something that benefited us at all.”
“If anything, one could argue that he dedicated his entire senatorial career to disrupting the way of life… for Black people,” she said.
“He didn’t want Black kids going to the same school as his kids. He didn’t want Black people walking on the sidewalk along with his mother and grandmother.”
