The Trump MAGA phenomena has taken the nation by storm. Unexpectedly elected in 2016 the nation’s 45th President, Trump rode into the White House determined to “drain the swamp” and “make Washington work again.” Following Reagan’s script highlighting issues such as American decline, the fallacies of the welfare state, bolstering America’s defense, reduced involvement in foreign affairs, a closed border, and retreat from civil rights, Trump quickly revealed he was marching to the tune of his own drum. Trump intended to go far beyond Reagan in rearranging the American landscape.
Looming large over Trump’s brand of Republicanism is MAGA— Make America Great Again. Trump and his acolytes have taken the statement to new heights of perception and visual imagery. The MAGA collation consists of a number of strange bedfellows ranging from legislators in Congress (House and Senate), rappers, athletes, a number of highly visible African American conservatives, and an assortment of ordinary people.
Black participation in MAGA is not new. Perhaps, the most interesting Black MAGAs were Diamond and Silk, two colorful but ultimately vacuous individuals, who served as spokespersons for Trump’s outreach to African Americans during the first administration. Some Black women have continued to support Trump. One of the most vocal is Candace Owen. A purveyor of conspiracy theories and misinformation, she is currently making the rounds on Tik Tok along with Black conservatives Glen. Loury and Robert Woodson, critiquing the shortcomings of the welfare state and trumpeting individual responsibility as a panacea for structural racism. Another supporter is Kimberly Klacik, a former candidate for Congress in Maryland’s 7th congressional district in 2020. She touted Trump’s support for HBCUs, the First Step Act and investments in opportunity zones. She is currently running in for Congress in Congressional District 2 in Maryland.
Other supporters are more direct. Michaelah Montgomery, the city director for Blexit, the same conservative organization Candace Owen founded, recently orchestrated a photo- op for Trump at a midtown Atlanta Chick-fil-A. She recruited students from local HBCUs to cheer for Trump. After receiving milkshakes from the former President, Montgomery hugged Trump and loudly proclaimed: “I don’t care what the media tells you, Mr Trump. We support you.”
Another expression of Black MAGA is a musical anthem. Rapper Forgiato Blow, a white rapper who has dubbed himself “Mayor of Magville.” posted a song titled “Black MAGa” on his YouTube Channel. The song criticizes Democrats on inflation, gay rights, the welfare state and gun violence. Verse two of the song appears below:
I know your mama can’t barely buy groceries
They pushing genders on our kids not rosaries
You get a Glock in these streets before you learn to read
You get some [?] like some weed before a damn degree
Next day you know you going fed in the GED
I swear we fed the whole Hood with the p, p, p’s
Rappers pushing P but I’m pushing knowledge
They hooked on EBT but I was hooked on phonics
They wouldn’t be so terrified of Donald Trump if Biden actually received 81 million votes
You know that boy capping all aboard the Trump Train
November 5th every nigga in America voting for Trump
The song features a chorus stating, “Donald Trump yeah that’s my president/Donald Trump the first Black President”.
Polls have appeared suggesting Trump’s support among Black Americans has risen from 12% in 2016 to 21% in 2024. Some have questioned these gains arguing the sample is too small and that Republicans have used AI images to depict Black support for Trump that is nonexistent.
While it is very hard to pin down support for Trump, it is clear something exists, even if its just perception. At a recent rally in the Bronx, held at Crotana Park in the South Bronx, Trump stated his goal was to conduct outreach to Black and Hispanic voters. Trump quipped, “African Americans are getting slaughtered, Hispanic Americans are getting slaughtered.” Here he was referencing Biden’s border policies, which Trump argues are reducing the number of available jobs for African Americans and Hispanics. In addition to criticizing Democratic policies, some of Trump’s appeal comes from challenging the perceived status quo. Black and Hispanic males are drawn to the idea that Trump seems to challenge their allegiance to the Democratic Party, his lifelong connection to New York and the perception that he is taking on powerful concerns. Even though Trump is appealing to nativist sentiments in his attacks on Biden’s border policy and his seemingly courageous challenge to the Democratic lock on Black voters is disingenuous because Black and Hispanics tend to vote with the party that supports their interests. Those interests have traditionally been closely aligned with sensible immigration policy, voting and civil rights and economic opportunity regardless of color or creed. Nonetheless, these stances, even if just symbolic fuel the perception of increased interest in Trump’s candidacy.
Whether one can measure Black support through the pronouncements of legislators, sport figures, rappers and conservative activists or a catchy jingle is uncertain. What remains to be seen is whether Trump and Black MAGA can turn the perception of Black support into tangible numbers at the ballot box.
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Previously Published on Historian Speaks and is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Wikimedia
