Trump promises ‘new deal for Black America’
By Ben Kamisar
[Excerpt]
Donald Trump called for a “new deal for black America” in
a Wednesday afternoon address, as he works to bridge the gap he faces with the
crucial voting bloc less than two weeks from Election Day.
Speaking in Charlotte, N.C., the GOP nominee criticized
years of Democratic rule for leaving black America behind, and outlined his
plan to help.
My “deal is grounded in three promises: safe communities,
great education, and high-paying jobs,” Trump said.
“Whether you vote for me or not, I will be your greatest
champion. We live in a very divided country and I will be your greatest
champion.”
Trump called on voters to repudiate Hillary Clinton and
the Democrats in favor of change.
“American politics is caught in a time loop, we keep
electing the same people over and over and over,” he said.
“Every day, I’m out on the trail proposing fresh
solutions and new thinking. And every day, the same people, getting rich off
our broken system, say we can’t change and we can’t try anything new, because
it’s not good for them.”
“I have a message for all the doubters in Washington:
America’s future belongs to the dreamers, not the cynics and not the
critics," he said.
“African-American citizens have sacrificed so much for
our nation. They fought and died in every war since the Revolution and from the
pews and the picket lines, they’ve lifted up the conscience of our country in
the long march for civil rights. Yet too many African-Americans have been left
behind.”
Trump called for incentives to move companies into
blighted neighborhoods to bolster employment, help African-Americans get better
access to credit and push cities to declare “blighted communities” disaster
areas to help rebuild infrastructure.
He also said he'd support increasing the number of police
officers in such areas, connecting a lack of officers to a rise in murder rate
in major cities.
But while Trump’s call focused on removing “gang-members
and criminal cartels,” he blamed Clinton for promoting a "war on police.”
He did not mention the accusations of police brutality by minorities who feel
that they are disproportionately targeted.
It’s not the first time Trump has made a direct appeal to
black voters -- overtures first appeared in scripted speeches in the late
summer.
