The Man Who Proclaims to Have Done the Most for Black Americans: A Retrospective Case Study

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By Maya J. Carter

Here we go again. The Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump has stated IT yet again, and since he repeats IT so tremendously much, IT must be true. And we should all be beholden to his benevolent words.

Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump was recently interviewed by Axios’ Jonathan Swan, aired on HBO. During the discussion of a number of pressing issues currently facing the country, he was asked about his relationship with the late Congressman John Lewis. I would be remiss to misquote any of his stupendous words, so please allow me to present a portion of the interview to you unfiltered.

JS: John Lewis is laying in state in the US Capitol. How do you think history will remember John Lewis?

DL, HMSP DJT: I don’t know. I really don’t know. Uh, I don’t know. Uh, I don’t know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my, uh ah, inauguration. Uh, he chose, uh, I…I don’t…uh, I never met John Lewis actually, I don’t believe.

JS: Do you find him impressive?

DL, HMSP DJT: [smacks lips] Ahhhhh…[sniff] I can’t say one way or the other. I find a lot of people impressive. I find many people not impressive, but, no, but I didn’t go…

JS: Do find his story impressive?

DL, HMSP DJT: [wide hands] He didn’t come…he didn’t come to my inauguration. He didn’t come to my State of the Union speeches, and that’s okay. That’s his right. And, again, nobody has done more…

JS: Right…

DL, HMSP DJT: …for the Black Americans than I have.

And there IT is again. Let me repeat that phenomenal statement – “Nobody has done more for the Black Americans than I have.” The big, beautiful bold assertion that so readily flows out of the Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump’s grand facial orifice which transmits big, beautiful words. All the best words. Who could argue with the man who says “I have a great relationship with the Blacks,” (April 2011) and has “tremendous African-American support” – all 8% of the African American vote in 2016?

Well, let us take a moment to reflect upon some of the other big, beautiful best words he has shared about Black Americans over the past few years. I will not delve too far into the past, because I would not wish to “accidentally” contradict such imposing words. I mean, why rehash any of the various statements made by him during the Justice Department 1973 lawsuit against Trump Management Company and his refusal to lease to African American tenants, or his call to bring back the death penalty for the later exonerated Central Park Five, or even his pitch for airing a season of the Apprentice in 2005 where he would pit a team of successful African American contestants against a team of successful whites? These examples would be frankly unnecessary and do not support his supposition, thus are to be forgotten and shall forever disappear miraculously in an imaginary void, much like he says about the coronavirus. Instead, let us focus on the following statements, listed in no particular order, because they are all equally impressive and should support his declaration, right? Let us travel down memory lane.

About President Barack Obama – “Why doesn’t he show his birth certificate? There’s something on that birth certificate that he doesn’t like. (March 23, 2011) “I have people that have been studying [Obama’s birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they’re finding … I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can’t, if he can’t, if he wasn’t born in this country, which is a real possibility … then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics.” (April 7, 2011) Since then, the Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump has said that our first African American President of the United States was indeed born in this country, although through to at least 2017, still pushed the birtherism conspiracy theory. He has also deflected his role in perpetuating the conspiracy, once blaming the belief on the Hillary Clinton campaign.

About voting for him in 2016 – “It’s just, like, a total catastrophe, the unemployment rates, everything is bad — no health care, no education, no anything, no anything. And poverty is unbelievable. Then, I said, ‘Hey, wait a minute, vote for me. What have you got to lose? You can’t do worse, you can’t do any worse than what these people have been doing and I will do better.” (August 21, 2016) Well, who can argue with that? Certainly not me, because before he came along, apparently I had “no anything”!

Describing attendees at one of his fantabulous rallies – “We had a great event yesterday, an event that was so beautiful, young African American leaders. One of the things I asked them, and I’ve been thinking about this for a long time… And great people, great people. Some of them are here tonight. Do you like the name African American or Black? And they said, “Black!” all at the same time. No, true. I tell you. Because you say, “African American or Black?” And they said almost immediately, “Black.”’ (February 28, 2020) Well, if he says they say so! African American people are a supposed monolith now, I am to believe.

He has spoken the kindest words of support about various African American White House correspondents, especially female reporters including April Ryan, Abby Phillip and Yamiche Alcindor. For example, one of his gems of a compliment – “You talk about someone who’s a loser. She doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing. She gets publicity and then she gets a pay raise, or she gets a contract with, I think, CNN. But she’s very nasty and shouldn’t be. You’ve got to treat the White House and the office of the presidency with respect.” (November 2018) And, when he was asked during a press conference about labeling himself as a “nationalist” and whether it is “emboldening white nationalists”, his wonderful reply – “I don’t know why you say that, that’s such a racist question.” But…but, he also has stated – “A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly, not caring about our country so much. And you know what? We can’t have that. …You know, they have a word – it’s sort of became old-fashioned – it’s called a nationalist. And I say, really, we’re not supposed to use that word. You know what I am? I’m a nationalist, okay? I’m a nationalist. Nationalist. Nothing wrong. Use that word. Use that word.” (October 22, 2018) He had also addressed African American female reporters with the utmost respect – “Sit down! I didn’t call on you. Such a hostile media, it’s so sad,” he once said after being asked about voter suppression during the midterms. (November 2018) Isn’t he precious?

About NFL players kneeling in support a movement sparked by Colin Kaepernick who protests the national anthem during games – “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” (September 22, 2017) Is he upset because of his failed entrée into the NFL? I do not think so, and there is no need for further comment. [sweeping under the rug and moving on]

About peaceful protesters expressing their first amendment rights via glorious tweet – “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” (May 29, 2020) Because this is no way has any equivalence to remarks made by Walter Headley who in the 1960s was a sheriff in the Miami Police Department and added to the racial unrest in the city during that era. And he likes to toss out the word “thugs” to describe folks, but to whom is he referring? Definitely not Black Americans.

On scheduling a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Juneteenth – “I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous. It’s actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it.” (June 19, 2020) You see, his royalness is merely educating us about African American history – although many, many people have known about the commemoration of the end of slavery on June 19, 1895. Not to mention hosting a rally in the very city of one of the most brutal terroristic acts upon a community of African Americans referred to as the Tulsa Massacre. But that is not the point. He merely wanted to express his joy! “The fact that I’m having a rally on that day — you can really think about that very positively as a celebration. Because a rally to me is a celebration. It’s an interesting date. It wasn’t done for that reason, but it’s an interesting date.”

And who can forget his statement [definitely not] of support for White Nationalist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia protesting the removal of a statue of a Confederate leader – “Excuse me, excuse me. They didn’t put themselves — and you had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. You had people in that group. Excuse me, excuse me. I saw the same pictures as you did. You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name.” (August 15, 2017) Well, we know very well there is no moral equivalency here, even if one of those very fine people killed a peaceful counterprotester.

Oh, and he retweeted a video and expressed gratitude to some of his ardent supporters. “Thank you to the great people of The Villages. The Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats will Fall in the Fall. Corrupt Joe is shot. See you soon!!” (June 29, 2020) That was very nice, even if the supporter in the video was chanting “White Power!” No worries though, that tweet only stayed up on Twitter for 3 hours while he golfed.

And with regard to Bubba Wallace, an African American NASCAR driver who furthered efforts to ban the Confederate flag at NASCAR events, who was informed that there was a possible noose hanging in his racing garage, later found to be a “garage door pull” by the FBI, the Dear Leader tweeted, “Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!” (July 6, 2020) No mention of how that garage door pull looked.

The Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump has stated he has done more for the Black American than anyone else. I cannot recall, but was he the one that referred to New York City’s painting ‘Black Lives Matter’ on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower a “symbol of hate’? (July 1, 2020) I again cannot recall, but was he the same one that stated about the Confederate flag – “It depends on who you’re talking about, when you’re talking about. When people proudly had their Confederate flags they’re not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South … I say it’s freedom of many things, but it’s freedom of speech.” (July 19, 2020) He did later go on to say Black Lives Matter was freedom of speech after public outcry.

The Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump has asserted that he had done more for the Black American, and recounts his vast contributions including creation of opportunity zones, funding for historically Black colleges and universities, lowering rates of unemployment, and sponsoring anemic criminal justice reform. No other prior President has done any of those mighty things … except maybe a few, including his predecessor in the Oval Office, the target of his birther conspiracy. The Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump most certainly did more in his opinion than President Lincoln who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and President John F. Kennedy who proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and President Lyndon B. Johnson who pushed it to House and Senate and later signed it into law after President Kennedy’s assassination. And obviously more than abolitionists, a multitude of civil rights leaders who paid in blood, sweat and tears to fight for equality, and African Americans ourselves. There are other examples, but I we must only focus on contributions by The Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump, because he said IT, and his words are trustworthy, even his 20,000+ documented lies and falsehoods.

I would be remiss, as a lifelong Black American, to not thank him for all he has said and done for us Black Americans. Without his superb words of support and action, we would have continued racial turmoil, inequality, injustice, or persistent socioeconomic and health disparities. I am so sure that the highly praised civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis who spent his life devoted to justice to the point of personal sacrifice – especially championing the Voting Rights Act, portions of which were repealed by the SCOTUS in 2013 thus contributing to rampant voter suppression efforts by the Dear Leader’s political party – would have been much obliged as well. Even though the Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump “never met him, I don’t think.”

Getting back to the Axios interview:

JS: …I understand.

DL, HMSP DJT: He should have come. I think he made a big mistake.

JS: [trying to get a word in after several attempts] But taking your relationship with him out of it, do you find his story impressive? What he’s done for this country?

DL, HMSP DJT: He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lot of heart to civil rights, but there were many others also.

JS: There’s a petition to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama as the John Lewis Bridge. Would you support that idea?

DL, HMSP DJT: I would…I would have no objection to it if they’d like to do it.

JS: Yes, it’s a good idea…

DL, HMSP DJT: …would have no objection to it whatsoever.

Seems like he kind of knows about the late Congressman John Lewis. Should we hold the Dear Leader, His Majesty Sir President Donald J. Trump to his word?
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