Now that his impeachment trial is over, President Donald Trump has turned his full attention (when he’s not tweeting insults and carrying out vendettas) to campaigning for re-election in November.
He’s counting on his base – particularly the large percentage of conservative, older white evangelicals who voted for him in 2016 – to head to the polls for him again. They likely will, despite the distinctly un-evangelical words and actions he has littered across the landscape over the past three years. A few conservative Supreme Court justices and nonstop attacks on liberals, socialists and Muslims apparently go a long way.
Encouraged by evangelicals’ ongoing adoration, Trump isn’t writing off any group of potential supporters, no matter how unlikely.
Have you heard of Black Voices for Trump? It’s a real thing, and it includes such luminaries as former pizza salesman and presidential candidate Herman Cain and evangelist Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr.
“Apparently there are still a lot of gullible – and fearful – folks out there.”
They’ve got plenty of folks to win over, considering that only about 8 percent of African Americans voted for Trump in 2016. Things haven’t changed much, either. In January, a Washington Post-Ipsos poll reported that 9 out of 10 African Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance in the White House. Eight in 10 believe he is racist.
That’s not stopping Black Voices for Trump. They’re touting the historically low black unemployment rate, Trump’s support for cutting black incarceration rates and Trump administration policies that are “bettering the lives of black Americans.”
They’re not alone, either. Latinos for Trump and Women for Trump – representing two demographic groups repeatedly insulted and demeaned by the president – are also pushing for the president’s reelection. Like Black Voices, they have received money from his national campaign to back their outreach.
In view of these efforts, might I suggest a few additional groups the president should consider launching? How about:
Immigrants and Refugees for Trump. True, these folks first have to gain entrance to the United States, an increasingly difficult proposition in the Trump era. Then they have to avoid being arrested by ICE agents – and targeted by anti-immigrant bigots – long enough to gain citizenship so they can vote. But if they can manage those challenges, they’ll have the honor of voting for a president who has described them as criminals, rapists and terrorists.
Victims of Sexual Harassment and Assault for Trump. (Yes, it’s a long name, but V-SHAT makes for an interesting acronym.) This group has real possibilities. Heck, at least 23 women have accused Trump himself of everything from inappropriate touching and kissing to rape. So, he’s already demonstrated a “hands on” commitment to reaching this demographic.
Journalists for Trump. I know, I know, Trump regularly calls reporters “enemies of the people,” dismisses any story he doesn’t like as “fake news” and never misses a chance to slime The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN. But there’s always Fox News, Breitbart, conservative talk radio and the Russian government funded RT. With few exceptions, they can be counted on to say and do as they’re told.
Contractors for Trump. As a real estate mogul, Trump reportedly has fleeced, ripped off or refused to pay hundreds, possibly thousands, of small contractors who have worked for him on building and development projects. When they bill him, he typically offers a fraction of what he originally promised to pay, then dares them to take him to court, where he can outwait or bankrupt them with his army of lawyers. Why would this group support Trump, you ask? To make America great again! And maybe keep alive their faint hopes of getting paid.
Muslims for Trump. This might seem the most unlikely group of all to support the president, but an organization with this name actually exists (based in Austin, Texas, of all places) and apparently was active during the 2016 campaign. I’m not sure what they’re up to this year, but there must be some American Muslims out there who actually like being stereotyped, ridiculed, threatened, feared and vilified. Go find ’em, Muslims for Trump!
Snark aside, it’s frightening to think that if Trump makes even modest inroads among women, Hispanics and African American voters, he could win several swing states crucial to his re-election.
Will it happen? Well, it did three years ago. And apparently there are still a lot of gullible – and fearful – folks out there.
Exhibit A: the older, fearful, white church folks who continue to believe Trump is God’s political anointed one, sent to deliver America from destruction at the hands of Democrats, godless humanists, socialists and brown-skinned immigrants.
Shakespeare’s Fool might say to them what he said to King Lear, who already had been duped by his own anger and arrogance: “Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.”
Lear didn’t listen either.