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At Trump’s Speech at a Black College, His Allies Far Outnumber Students In Criminal Justice Speech, Trump Belittles Obama’s Efforts for Black People
(about 1 hour later)
COLUMBIA, S.C. — President Trump, in a speech at a historically black college here on Friday, said the bipartisan criminal justice overhaul he signed into law last year could lead to further reform of the system. COLUMBIA, S.C. — President Trump, speaking to a handpicked audience of supporters at a historically black college here on Friday, belittled the Obama administration’s record on racial issues and claimed that his own administration had helped African-Americans beyond anything “in the history of our country.”
“You fought to fix a broken system,” Mr. Trump said after listing people involved in the effort. “You sought to confront inequality and stop injustice, and you worked to restore hope and optimism where they’re really needed the most and where there was very little.” At a forum on criminal justice, Mr. Trump began his speech by promoting the bipartisan criminal justice overhaul he signed last year and inviting to the stage several people who were released from prison as a result of the new law or his own commutation decisions.
Mr. Trump and his allies billed the speech, at Benedict College in Columbia, as a chance for the president to step outside the friendly confines of his supporter base and pitch his administration’s record on criminal justice reform and black employment directly to a black audience. Last year’s overhaul, the First Step Act, was an example of the power of bipartisanship, he said, praising the Republicans and Democrats who worked on it for their efforts “to restore hope and optimism where they’re really needed the most and where there was very little.”
“We had ’em so liberal you wouldn’t believe it and so conservative you wouldn’t believe it,” Mr. Trump said of the coalition.
But as his roughly hourlong speech went on, he launched into partisan attacks on Democrats and made his own pitch for black support.
He said he wanted to talk about Abraham Lincoln — “Lincoln was a Republican, people forget that, we need to start bringing that up” — because “the Democratic policies have let African-Americans down and taken them for granted.”
He recalled the 2016 speech in which he urged black voters to support him because “what the hell do you have to lose,” repeating the line multiple times and saying his administration had kept its promise to those voters.
And — in a striking comment to a community, black South Carolinians, where former President Barack Obama remains popular — he described how his administration had helped historically black colleges and universities and suggested that voters “check out the last administration and see what they did for you.”
“Not too much,” he said.
Mr. Trump and his allies billed the speech, at Benedict College in Columbia, as a chance for the president to step outside the friendly confines of his supporter base and promote his administration’s record on criminal justice reform and black employment directly to a black audience.
But only about 10 students from Benedict were given tickets to the invitation-only event, which had room for about 300 attendees, said Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin of Columbia. More than half of the seats were reserved for guests and allies of the administration, organizers said.But only about 10 students from Benedict were given tickets to the invitation-only event, which had room for about 300 attendees, said Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin of Columbia. More than half of the seats were reserved for guests and allies of the administration, organizers said.
The ticket distribution was first reported by McClatchy DC.The ticket distribution was first reported by McClatchy DC.
The friendliness of the audience was clear from the moment Mr. Trump took the stage, when someone shouted, “We love you, Mr. President, we love you!” More than once, the audience broke into chants of “four more years,” to which Mr. Trump responded at one point: “Just don’t say 16 more years. You’ll drive them crazy.”
Mr. Trump’s speech opened a three-day event at the college, billed as the “Second Step Presidential Justice Forum.” Leading Democratic presidential candidates will attend the forum on Saturday and Sunday to pitch their criminal justice plans, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.Mr. Trump’s speech opened a three-day event at the college, billed as the “Second Step Presidential Justice Forum.” Leading Democratic presidential candidates will attend the forum on Saturday and Sunday to pitch their criminal justice plans, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
The forum’s name is a reference to the bipartisan First Step Act, which Mr. Trump signed last December. That law has helped thousands of federal inmates secure early release under new sentencing guidelines and has been a key part of the White House’s pitch for black support. The forum’s name was a reference to the First Step Act, which has helped thousands of federal inmates secure early release under new sentencing guidelines and has been a key part of the White House’s pitch for black support.
Overhauling the criminal justice system has, in recent years, been one of the rare areas of bipartisan agreement in an increasingly polarized Congress, and that consensus has spilled into the presidential race. Democrats making the progressive argument for reform have cited the system’s disproportionate impact on black, Latino and Native American communities.Overhauling the criminal justice system has, in recent years, been one of the rare areas of bipartisan agreement in an increasingly polarized Congress, and that consensus has spilled into the presidential race. Democrats making the progressive argument for reform have cited the system’s disproportionate impact on black, Latino and Native American communities.
Conservatives, while avoiding portraying the system as inherently prejudiced, have often focused on the financial burden mass incarceration places on governments. Conservatives, while avoiding portraying the system as inherently prejudiced, have often focused on the financial burden mass incarceration places on governments. But Mr. Trump did not use that framing.
“The more people I spoke with, the more clear it became that the system could be deeply unfair, contributing to a cycle of poverty, crime and incarceration,” he said, before taking another shot at Democrats: The First Step Act, he said, “rolled back the unjust provisions of the 1994 Clinton crime law, which disproportionately harmed the African-American community.”
In the Democratic primary, black voters play a critical role in selecting the party’s nominee, especially in South Carolina, an early-voting primary state where they make up more than half the party’s electorate. But even the slightest downturn in black turnout in a general election can be fatal for a Democratic presidential candidate, and Mr. Trump and his allies have expressed some hope that they can peel off enough support from black voters — or keep them home altogether — to make an impact in battleground states in 2020.In the Democratic primary, black voters play a critical role in selecting the party’s nominee, especially in South Carolina, an early-voting primary state where they make up more than half the party’s electorate. But even the slightest downturn in black turnout in a general election can be fatal for a Democratic presidential candidate, and Mr. Trump and his allies have expressed some hope that they can peel off enough support from black voters — or keep them home altogether — to make an impact in battleground states in 2020.
In 2016, a decrease in black turnout in cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia helped Mr. Trump win key swing states by razor-thin margins, propelling him to an Electoral College victory.In 2016, a decrease in black turnout in cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia helped Mr. Trump win key swing states by razor-thin margins, propelling him to an Electoral College victory.
The Trump administration has sought to support historically black colleges and universities, increasing federal support by 14.3 percent. And Mr. Trump spoke to black educators last month at the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week conference.The Trump administration has sought to support historically black colleges and universities, increasing federal support by 14.3 percent. And Mr. Trump spoke to black educators last month at the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week conference.
But Mr. Trump has also made attacks on lawmakers of color central to his re-election strategy. This summer, for example, he lashed out at Representative Elijah E. Cummings on Twitter, referring to Mr. Cummings’s majority-black district in Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.” But Mr. Trump has also made attacks on lawmakers of color part of his re-election strategy. This summer, for example, he lashed out at Representative Elijah E. Cummings on Twitter, referring to Mr. Cummings’s majority-black district in Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.”
Mr. Cummings, who died last week, on Thursday became the first African-American elected official to lie in state in the United States Capitol.Mr. Cummings, who died last week, on Thursday became the first African-American elected official to lie in state in the United States Capitol.
About an hour before Mr. Trump’s appearance, more than 100 anti-Trump protesters gathered near the campus. The protest included few Benedict students; it mostly comprised local residents and staff members of the state Democratic Party and some of the Democratic presidential campaigns, who were preparing for their candidates to arrive on Saturday. Polling suggests Mr. Trump has made few inroads with black voters. His approval rating among black registered voters nationwide was just 10 percent in a survey published this week by Quinnipiac University, compared with 43 percent among white voters and 37 percent over all.
About an hour before Mr. Trump’s appearance, more than 100 anti-Trump protesters gathered near the Benedict campus. The protest included few students; it mostly comprised local residents and staff members of the state Democratic Party and some of the Democratic presidential campaigns, who were preparing for their candidates to arrive on Saturday.
Tim Bupp, a 62-year-old South Carolina pastor, held a sign that showed a lynched black person hanging from a tree. It was a reference to Mr. Trump’s tweet this week comparing the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into him a lynching.Tim Bupp, a 62-year-old South Carolina pastor, held a sign that showed a lynched black person hanging from a tree. It was a reference to Mr. Trump’s tweet this week comparing the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into him a lynching.
“The fact that he compares the inquiry to a lynching and then has the audacity to come to a black college? Insane,” said Pastor Bupp, who is white. “He doesn’t even apologize. He just doubles down.”“The fact that he compares the inquiry to a lynching and then has the audacity to come to a black college? Insane,” said Pastor Bupp, who is white. “He doesn’t even apologize. He just doubles down.”
Michelle Thomas, 42, who is black and lives in Columbia, said Mr. Trump’s lynching remark motivated her to protest. “That was the final straw for me,” she said.Michelle Thomas, 42, who is black and lives in Columbia, said Mr. Trump’s lynching remark motivated her to protest. “That was the final straw for me,” she said.
She said she was also upset that Senator Lindsey Graham, one of her state’s two Republican senators, had defended Mr. Trump’s remarks. “Trump’s actions got Trump in this situation,” she said. “No one else.”She said she was also upset that Senator Lindsey Graham, one of her state’s two Republican senators, had defended Mr. Trump’s remarks. “Trump’s actions got Trump in this situation,” she said. “No one else.”
Leaders of historically black colleges and universities, often referred to as H.B.C.U.s, have long enjoyed close relationships with both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations, even as their institutions face increasingly dire financial straits. Born of a time of segregation when black Americans were forced to educate themselves, the schools have produced black leaders for more than a century, including politicians such as Senator Kamala Harris of California and Mr. Cummings, who both attended Howard University.Leaders of historically black colleges and universities, often referred to as H.B.C.U.s, have long enjoyed close relationships with both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations, even as their institutions face increasingly dire financial straits. Born of a time of segregation when black Americans were forced to educate themselves, the schools have produced black leaders for more than a century, including politicians such as Senator Kamala Harris of California and Mr. Cummings, who both attended Howard University.
In 2017, when several presidents of black colleges met with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, many faced backlash from their student bodies. At Howard, founded 150 years ago in Washington, campus buildings were tagged with graffiti that denounced the school’s president and said “Make Howard black again.”In 2017, when several presidents of black colleges met with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, many faced backlash from their student bodies. At Howard, founded 150 years ago in Washington, campus buildings were tagged with graffiti that denounced the school’s president and said “Make Howard black again.”
Campus leaders defended themselves by pointing to their pocketbooks, and the need to secure federal funds to maintain viability.Campus leaders defended themselves by pointing to their pocketbooks, and the need to secure federal funds to maintain viability.
“You need to get to the president to impact his budget if you hope to get your financial support from Congress,” said Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and chief executive of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which represents 47 black colleges and universities that receive public funding.“You need to get to the president to impact his budget if you hope to get your financial support from Congress,” said Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and chief executive of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which represents 47 black colleges and universities that receive public funding.
Maggie Astor contributed reporting from New York. Astead W. Herndon reported from Columbia, and Maggie Astor from New York.