Most African-Americans have been angered by what they call disrespect from the President of the United States. They claim that Donald Trump cannot relate with them after he openly exchanged words with a black journalist, reports Associated Press.
In his Thursday news conference, the now one-month President exchanged bitterly with April Ryan, longtime White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, asking her if she can bring to the table black lawmakers.
In a question that would later see her get diminished, the reputable journalist asked Mr. Trump if he could meet with the Congressional Black Caucus. Trump replied saying that he would and asked “Are they friends of yours?”
This was then followed by counter-exchange which set social media ablaze, with many black people accusing the President of being a racist. He assumed Ryan’s skin color implied that she is a friend of the CBC members.
Through a tweet of an article containing the incident, Susan Rice, U.N. ambassador under the Obama administration, termed the remarks as obviously offensive.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, a former CBC chairman, weighed into the matter at an MSNBC interview on Friday saying that it was by luck Trump didn’t ask her to clean up the room in which the press conference was conducted.
This is the second time within 30 days that Trump has uttered what can be considered to be offensive to the black people. On February 1, he was criticized after his praise on abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who died in 1895, for having “done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more.”
After the controversial remarks, a letter emerged in which the caucus had asked the President for a meeting. Unfortunately this was never replied to but they have now been conducted and arrangements for a meeting are underway.
The White House has chosen to remain silent over the bitter Thursday exchange.
These comments have come at a time when the administration is doing all it can to reach out to the black community. As Trump was exchanging with the journalist, his VP Mike Pence was in the midst of the company of South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, one of three blacks in the Senate, for listening session alongside black small business owners and community leaders.
It is also expected that an executive order will be signed this week supporting historically black colleges and universities.
As much as the 45th President was vocal about his policies benefiting the African-Americans and being optimistic he would get a high approval from them, the 2016 general elections saw gain only 8 percent support. The support may have declined further considering what’s happening.
He has within one month issued a Twitter warning that he will have the feds invade Chicago to combat gun violence.
The Thursday controversy has equally placed Ryan in the spot light for the second time in one week after some media outlets reported she had engaged in a confrontation with Trump aide Omarosa Manigault in the White House press office.
