Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-09-07)

ELECTION 2020

3. PEOPLE

50

CHARACTERISTICS ○ Black and Hispanic voters, mostly men, who support Trump

There'slittlechanceTrumpwillwinoverthemajorityofBlackandLatinovotersasheseeksreelection.Hisprospectsof

attractingpeopleofcolorwereslimevenbeforeBidentappedCaliforniaSenatorKamalaHarristobehisrunningmate.

Harris’sstatusasthefirstBlackwomanandfirstAsianAmericantobeona majorparty’spresidentialticketislikelytoexcite

anelectoratehungryformorediversefacesinWashington.YetTrumphasalwaysmadethecasethatit’sDemocratswho

havetakenBlackandHispanicAmericansforgrantedwhilefailingtodeliveronthegoalstheyhavelongpromised:jobsthat

pay,schoolsthatwork,anda criminaljusticesystemthat’sfair.In2016,Trumpwon8%ofBlackvotersand28%ofHispanic

voters,outdoingformerRepublicanpresidentialcandidateMittRomney’sperformanceamongthosegroupsin2012.Support

forTrumpfromminoritieshasbeenparticularlyhighamongyoungmen,saysAmericanUniversityprofessorDavidBarker,

whorecentlyreleased a study on Black voters. The Trump campaign is betting that this year he can gain even more traction.

�Naomi Nix

MINORITY MOLD-BREAKERS

RONALD MILNER ○ 62 �

○ ILLINOIS ○ president

of financial education

company

“Iwanteda candidate

whowouldtakehisthumband

literallystickit intheeyeofthe

averagepolitician.I wantedsome

guywhowouldfightforme,who

I couldcounton.Now,Trump

isn’ta politician.Hedoesn’t

knowhowtospeakpoliticaltalk.

Thatattractedmetohim.I like

thefactthathefights.I likethe

factthathe’spoliticallyincorrect.

Ithinkwehavetoomuch

politicalcorrectness.

“Igrewupasa

Democratbecausethat’swhat

myparentswere.That’swhat

myneighborswere.That’swhat

mycitywas.It wasnevereven

thoughttobea Republican.I

wanttoshowpeoplethatBlack

votersarebeingtakenadvantage

ofandforgranted.Themoment

a personcanlookatyouand

instantlyhavea prettygoodidea

ofhowyouaregoingtovote,you

havelostsomepower.Weneed

togetourpowerbackbecause

this is our country, too.”

JESÚS VELASQUEZ ○ 37 →

○ OHIO ○ auto salesman

“Irememberwhatledme

toTrump.Therewasa debate,

andtheyhadI thinksevenguys

leftandtheyputTrumpinthe

middle—I’msuretotrytomake

himlooksillybeingsurrounded

bysixcareer-longpoliticians.The

[moderator]askedthequestionin

theverybeginning:If youwerenot

theonechosentorepresentthe

RepublicanParty,raiseyourhand

if youwouldstepoutandsupport

whoeverwasnominated.

“Everysinglepersonraised

theirhandexceptforDonald

Trump.Hesaid,‘I’mnotrunning

fortheRepublicanParty’s

nomination.I’mrunningforthe

Americanpeople.’Andit wassuch

a differentmovethanwhatevery

otherpoliticianwoulddo,would

bewillingtodo,whichis bowto

their party. It was refreshing.”