Donald Trump’s recent comments about “Black jobs,” made during a CNN debate with President Joe Biden, have ignited controversy. Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong criticized Trump’s remarks on July 4th, stating that such comments would be a career killer for any other candidate.
During the debate, Trump claimed, “The fact is that his big kill on the Black people is the millions of people that he’s allowed to come in through the border. They’re taking Black jobs now — and it could be 18, it could be 19, and even 20 million people. They’re taking Black jobs, and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re gonna see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.”
Armstrong responded, “I’m African American and a female as well as a columnist for a major metropolitan newspaper. There aren’t many other Black women who do what I do for a living. I can count maybe a handful of us spread out around the entire country. So, does that mean I have a ‘white job’?”
Armstrong argued that Trump’s remarks continue a pattern of making racist statements aimed at appealing to his MAGA base. She pointed out that Trump previously mentioned “Black jobs” at a rally in North Carolina a month ago. Reflecting on his debate comments, she wrote, “When he did it again during last week’s disastrous presidential debate, I had the same reaction. Stunned disbelief. Such an idiotic thing to say once, much less to have on repeat.”
Armstrong further elaborated, “It was yet another occasion when Trump’s white supremacy was on full display, and with virtually any other candidate at any other time, it would be instantly disqualifying. But Trump? He still has a good chance of becoming the nation’s next president.” She added, “Trump bullies Joe Biden about his age, but he’s the one whose mindset is stuck in the 1950s. Back then, Black people were largely relegated to certain low-level, menial jobs, due to Jim Crow and systemic racial discrimination. Those are the so-called good old days Trump seems to want to get back to.”
Armstrong also highlighted Trump’s history of racially charged rhetoric, noting that one of his first major political actions was promoting the “birther” conspiracy about President Barack Obama. She emphasized, “The Mad Men era Trump and so many of his supporters pine for is long gone. Our eyes are open. We’re woke, as they say, and proud of it.”
Armstrong underscored the gravity of Trump’s comments, which reflect a broader issue of systemic racism and the persistence of racially divisive politics. Her critique serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing and challenging such rhetoric in contemporary political discourse.