Source: Fulton County Jail / Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
Donald Trump’s decision to again tout his mugshot as a reason Black voters will pick him was met with laughter and scorn, especially on social media.
Days before his first debate with President Joe Biden, former president and Republican Party nominee Donald Trump held court at a Black Americans For Trump panel discussion convened by Representative Byron Donalds of Florida at Rocky’s, a Black-owned barbershop in Atlanta, Georgia.
Trump, however, was not physically present for the discussion, opting instead to join by telephone. That poor decision was compounded by another as the convicted felon referenced his mugshot taken in Fulton County after being indicted for election interference related to the 2020 presidential race, which he lost. It began in an answer to a question from Marc KD Boyd of the Helping Empower Youth group referencing the infamous photo: “So my question is, what can you do about those Alvin Braggs on your side that have been doing such railroading from the time?”
“Since this has happened — the mugshot — the mugshot is the best ev- it just beat Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra by a lot by the way, beat ’em by a lot,” Trump touted over the phone as Donalds (who hopes to be Trump’s vice presidential pick) sat with Representative Wesley Hunt of Texas. “But that’s the number one mugshot of all time. It’s really an amazing thing. Since it happened, the support among the Black community and the Hispanic community has skyrocketed. It’s been amazing. Really it’s been amazing. It’s been actually very nice to see.” Trump and his campaign team have persisted with the belief that his mug shot has only increased his support among the Black and Latino community since it was taken, adding it to other attempts at outreach including the manufacturing and sale of $400 “Trump sneakers”.
The response to Trump’s words was swift and damning. Cedric Richmond, the former Congressman from Louisiana who’s a senior member of President Biden’s campaign team didn’t mince words during an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt. “I think it’s absolute foolishness!”, he said. “But it’s typical Donald Trump. African-American, especially African-American men, do not gravitate to you because you are a convicted felon.” Responses on X, formerly Twitter, were just as sharp. “I wonder how the Black and Hispanic community feels about his promise to give police officers immunity?,” wrote X user CeliaStar99.
Check out some of the reactions to Trump’s latest claims below.