Watch: Byron Donalds Doubles Down on Twisted Jim Crow Comment
Representative Byron Donalds isn’t backing down from his claim that Black Americans were better off under Jim Crow segregation. Speaking to CNN’s Abby Phillip Wednesday night, Donalds repeated his claim, made Tuesday at a Republican outreach event in Philadelphia, that welfare and President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” programs had hurt Black families to the point that they were worse off than in the days of Jim Crow. “Before the Great Society, before Lyndon Johnson’s policies, there was more Black families united,” Donalds said Wednesday. “The marriage rate in Black America was significantly higher before the Great Society. The period of time that coincides with that obviously is Jim Crow era.” Phillip asked what the point was in tying together the Black family and Jim Crow specifically.Donalds said he was only referring to the specific time period, repeating his contention that Black families were hurt by Johnson’s policies, stating that the Black family is being rejuvenated now, but he didn’t mention that those policies were later rolled back by other Democrats, like Bill Clinton.I pressed potential Trump VP contender Rep. @ByronDonalds about what exactly he meant at a recent campaign event for Black voters when he said 'the Black family was together' during Jim Crow. Here's part 1 of my conversation with him. pic.twitter.com/1083X0wFkq— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 6, 2024As Phillip stressed that the Jim Crow era was a “period [of] racial segregation [and] racial terror,” Donalds responded by trying to claim that his words were being twisted. “What you are dealing with right now is a political environment where now anything I might say or any major surrogate might say is going to be twisted into the lens of race,” Donalds said. “That was never the point.”Phillip went on to ask Donalds three times if he regretted using Jim Crow as a historical comparison, as the Florida representative refused to answer..@ByronDonalds says Black Americans were more "conservative" under Jim Crow. But here are the facts. Here's more of my interview with him. pic.twitter.com/TTQG9ygrk3— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 6, 2024Donalds’s comments Tuesday drew pushback from Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who called them an “ignorant observation.” The Congressional Black Caucus called on Donalds to apologize for his remarks in a statement. “This is a pattern of embracing racist ideologies that we see time and again within the MAGA Republican Party,” the CBC said. “Rep. Donalds is playing his role as the mouthpiece who will say the quiet parts out loud that many will not say themselves.” Donalds is said to be in contention to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, but the convicted felon has not responded to the congressman’s comments. It’s anyone’s guess whether Trump’s own documented racism would lead him to appreciate or disapprove of Donalds’s contention.
Representative Byron Donalds isn’t backing down from his claim that Black Americans were better off under Jim Crow segregation.
Speaking to CNN’s Abby Phillip Wednesday night, Donalds repeated his claim, made Tuesday at a Republican outreach event in Philadelphia, that welfare and President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” programs had hurt Black families to the point that they were worse off than in the days of Jim Crow.
“Before the Great Society, before Lyndon Johnson’s policies, there was more Black families united,” Donalds said Wednesday. “The marriage rate in Black America was significantly higher before the Great Society. The period of time that coincides with that obviously is Jim Crow era.”
Phillip asked what the point was in tying together the Black family and Jim Crow specifically.
Donalds said he was only referring to the specific time period, repeating his contention that Black families were hurt by Johnson’s policies, stating that the Black family is being rejuvenated now, but he didn’t mention that those policies were later rolled back by other Democrats, like Bill Clinton.
I pressed potential Trump VP contender Rep. @ByronDonalds
about what exactly he meant at a recent campaign event for Black voters when he said 'the Black family was together' during Jim Crow.
Here's part 1 of my conversation with him. pic.twitter.com/1083X0wFkq— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 6, 2024
As Phillip stressed that the Jim Crow era was a “period [of] racial segregation [and] racial terror,” Donalds responded by trying to claim that his words were being twisted.
“What you are dealing with right now is a political environment where now anything I might say or any major surrogate might say is going to be twisted into the lens of race,” Donalds said. “That was never the point.”
Phillip went on to ask Donalds three times if he regretted using Jim Crow as a historical comparison, as the Florida representative refused to answer.
.@ByronDonalds says Black Americans were more "conservative" under Jim Crow. But here are the facts. Here's more of my interview with him. pic.twitter.com/TTQG9ygrk3— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 6, 2024
Donalds’s comments Tuesday drew pushback from Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who called them an “ignorant observation.” The Congressional Black Caucus called on Donalds to apologize for his remarks in a statement.
“This is a pattern of embracing racist ideologies that we see time and again within the MAGA Republican Party,” the CBC said. “Rep. Donalds is playing his role as the mouthpiece who will say the quiet parts out loud that many will not say themselves.”
Donalds is said to be in contention to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, but the convicted felon has not responded to the congressman’s comments. It’s anyone’s guess whether Trump’s own documented racism would lead him to appreciate or disapprove of Donalds’s contention.
