Voter explains Trump's appeal to Black men versus Harris
(FOX 9) - One voting demographic that could decide the 2024 Election is Black men. Recent national polling shows, Vice President Kamala Harris has less support from Black men than Joe Biden did in 2020.
One political expert FOX 9 talked to says traditionally the Democratic Party gets most Black men to turn out for them. But there’s been a shift in support for some voters and a big reason why could be the economy.
"We don’t think about the president as a whole. We just want to think about what he can do for us," said Keeth Campbell, a black male over.
Campbell is planning on voting for Harris for this election. He says because he wants to see the first female president. Other Black men he talks to are all over the map. In part because of their bottom line.
"When Trump was in office, personally for me, that was like last time I had a job. I’ve been just working for myself ever since I got out of jail," said Robert Webb, a Black male voter.
U of M professor of politics Larry Jacobs says the Democratic Party will get most of the Black male vote. However, inflation could influence voters' minds.
"It’s the times. It is the ways of which inflation has eaten away at standards of living. The difficulty that some Black men have had finding well-paid jobs," said Jacobs.
Webb supported former president Donald Trump in 2020. He believes his life was better under the Trump Administration.
Right now, Webb thinks the Republican Party platform is better for his future than the Democratic platform. However, the issue of abortion could sway his vote.
"I just feel like my vote doesn’t count. Just as me, I just feel like it's either going to be those two. I feel like if I vote for a different party, my vote won’t matter," said Webb.
On Wednesday, a Black Men for Harris-Walz event, where a panel spoke about why Black men in Minnesota should support Vice President Harris.
"The thing we want to see as Black men is that there’s a partnership. That they see us as assets to society. We want to debunk this myth that Black men aren’t supporting her because we are," said PJ Hill, a panelist.
The Black Men for Harris-Walz event was a conversation about Harris’ economic plan when it comes to the black community. Both candidates have made a point to Black men, signaling that they know how impactful they can be in this election.