Democratic Flint City Council Member Breaks with Party, Endorses Trump
A Democratic city councilman in Flint, Michigan, has endorsed President Donald Trump’s re-election bid as the president vies for votes in the battleground state.
The Detroit News reported that Maurice Davis, the vice president of the Flint City Council, gave Trump a ringing endorsement when speaking at a rally held by Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday.
Davis, a lifelong Democrat, joined Pence onstage and asked others to vote for the president in next week’s election.
His speech is below.
Flint City Council member and life long Democrat Maurice Davis says he is backing @realDonaldTrump . Read More: https://t.co/ehAFeCtNGv pic.twitter.com/r401LTrtK1
— Mid-Michigan NOW (@midmichigannow) October 28, 2020
“Right now the narrative has been spent, ‘President Trump is full of hate.’ Let me tell you something, the Democrats are full of hate,” Davis said.
He added, “I have been a Democrat all my life — 64 years. The last four years, I voted for Hillary Clinton.”
Davis said his experience as a black man enabled him to understand why Trump should appeal to black voters.
[firefly_poll]
“This year I decided to go with President Trump. I’m not a bootlicker, I am not an Uncle Tom,” he said.
“I’m none of those things, I’m somebody that’s in a poor, impoverished community… People are losing everything, and when Mr. Trump says, ‘What the hell do you have to lose,’ he was talking to me,” Davis also said.
Davis said that Trump had been chosen by God to lead the country.
“God will use whoever He wants to in such times like these,” Davis said.
He concluded with an appeal to unity.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” he said. “This nation is one nation, under God.
“One nation, under God. Thank you all for listening.”
Trump thanked Davis for his endorsement on Twitter on Thursday.
“THANK YOU,” the president wrote.
THANK YOU! #MAGA https://t.co/24HVNRnBSX
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2020
News of Davis’ decision to side with the president comes amid speculation Trump has built a broad coalition of support, which includes many traditionally Democratic black voters.
Rasmussen Reports noted in a survey last week that Trump’s support in the black community had reached 46 percent following the final presidential debate.
Morning Reader Data Points:
National Daily Black Likely Voter Job Approval For @POTUS – October 19-23, 2020
Mon 10/19 – 25%
Tue 10/20 – 24%
Wed 10/21 – 31%
Thu 10/22 – 37%
Fri 10/23 – 46%— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) October 23, 2020
During Trump’s presidency, black unemployment reached record lows, prior to the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic.
The president has also touted shoring up funding for historically black colleges and universities and has addressed the issue of criminal justice reform, arguing that crime legislation previously targeted young, black men in disproportionate numbers.
Trump has also vowed to bring the economy roaring back in a second term.
With a message that a rising tide will lift all boats, Trump’s campaign has attempted to court black Americans to join him as he battles his way to next week’s election.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
