Former President Trump is pushing his mug shot, arrests and criminal charges to try to claim new solidarity with Black voters, a group that has largely shunned him in elections. Trump has latched on to a narrative promoted last month by Fox News commentators and others in conservative media: that his arrests could boost his standing among African Americans who believe the criminal justice system is unfair, reports Axios. There's little evidence he's getting an indictment bump among Black voters, despite his claim that support rose after the mug shot from his arrest in Atlanta was released. Still, his team believes he can make inroads with Black voters by pushing an I-am-a-victim-just-like-you storyline.
Trump claimed in a recent interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt that his poll numbers among Black voters "have gone up four and five times" since his mug shot was released. That's not true, CNN reported. It's unclear whether Trump's favorability with Black voters has increased beyond the 8% share he received in 2020. Trump has promoted videos of Black people defending him, and senior Trump advisers have kept in touch with Black celebrities who have supported him publicly. Black artists including Lil Pump, Kodak Black and Chief Keef have posted mugshots of themselves next to Trump's, shared supportive messages, or otherwise indicated they're rooting for him. Trump critics see irony in his push for African Americans' support. Trump is charged in Fulton County, Ga., with trying to overturn the 2020 election results. In the 2020 election, Trump got support from several Black artists, including Ice Cube, Lil Wayne and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West).
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