President Biden recently launched his Black voter outreach program in Philadelphia, highlighting his investments in Black America and listing accomplishments, executive orders, appointments, and economic statistics. In contrast, former President Trump made a blunt appeal about the economy and highlighted his appeal to nonwhite voters at a rally in the Bronx. Both camps see Black outreach as crucial to winning in 2024, with Black voters being pivotal to the Democratic coalition in key battleground states. While Mr. Biden has focused on listing his accomplishments, Mr. Trump has tried to brand his presidency as a period of peace and prosperity, contrasting it with the disruptions of the pandemic.
Mr. Trump’s appeal to Black voters revolves around their living conditions under his presidency compared to the current administration. Despite his history of incendiary and racist remarks, Trump hopes Black voters remember the pre-inflationary economy fondly. On the other hand, Mr. Biden’s 2024 message to Black voters aims to shake off memories of Trump’s divisive record and sell them on his accomplishments, including reducing the racial wealth gap and investing in historically Black colleges and universities. However, Mr. Biden has struggled to translate these accomplishments into tangible improvements felt by Black voters, leading to concerns among party loyalists.
Ashley Etienne, a former Biden campaign aide, highlighted that Mr. Biden’s early struggles among Black voters are partly due to the failure to advance key promises made in 2020, such as police reform and voting-rights legislation. Despite some executive orders, the lack of action in Congress may limit the impact of these measures. However, Mr. Trump’s pitch to Black and Latino voters emphasizes economic challenges due to an influx of migrants, framing it as a negative impact on these communities. Roland S. Martin, a media personality, suggested that the Biden team needs to communicate policy issues more effectively to average Black voters using modern mediums like memes.
Mr. Biden’s recent efforts show the urgency of consolidating support among Black voters, with his campaign investing time and money in mobilizing this crucial demographic early on. His recent engagements, including commencement speeches, N.A.A.C.P. dinners, and radio appearances, have focused on contrasting his presidency with Trump’s, highlighting past dark moments and aiming to show his presidency as a marked improvement. In response, Trump has marketed his presidency as having the greatest economy in history, citing low inflation and a low poverty rate for Black Americans. However, data contradicts some of Trump’s claims, with the low poverty rate actually occurring under Biden’s administration.
Veteran pollster Cornell Belcher noted that while Biden has a strong policy story to tell to Black America, the challenge lies in effectively communicating it to this crucial demographic. Belcher also highlighted that Trump’s political success relies on subtraction rather than addition, indicating the different approaches both campaigns take to engaging with Black voters. Overall, the 2024 election will be crucial for both camps in terms of Black voter outreach, with each campaign attempting to sway this demographic based on their policies, accomplishments, and promises made.
