John James, an African American who is the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, got a friendly platform on Fox News Sunday to promote his candidacy but host Trish Regan seemed more interested in emphasizing how much Donald Trump likes him.
Regan introduced James by exclaiming, “President Trump calling him the future star of the Republican Party!”
After talking about his background, James got right to defending Trump and slamming his November opponent, Sen. Debbie Stabenow. James complained that she didn’t support the Trump tax cuts that put “money back into the hands of people who earned it, hard working middle class and working class families.” In fact, the tax cuts have not benefitted the working class. But, predictably, Regan did not challenge James.
James continued attacking Stabenow and praising Trump. “”I deal in taxes, tariffs and trade every single day in my automotive logistics company,” James said. “Our president is refusing to capitulate any longer. He cares more about leveling the playing field for American working class and middle class families than he cares about a legacy,” James said about Trump’s tariffs.
Want higher prices and layoffs? Then tariffs and a trade war are up your alley.
Then Regan asked James “As a black American, as a business owner, as a former military member, how do you think about President Trump and some of his rhetoric and how the left has claimed it very damaging to the African American community?”
Coincidentally, this was one day before the anniversary of Charlottesville, when thoughts have turned to Trump’s hideous “both sides” comments even as his attacks on black athletes are still fresh in the news. And, of course, Fox host Laura Ingraham has also been under fire over her blatantly racist comments last week.
As Regan looked on admiringly, James painted Trump as a great friend to African Americans.
JAMES: The left is very selective in its facts. The fact is that President Trump has tweeted favorably about me in the past few weeks, John James, more than he has LeBron James. When Don Lemon says that our president is using race to divide this country, that’s false. What our president has done is, he’s executed economic policies that have been benefitted all Americans, whether you’re black, white or whatever. Our president is about red, white and blue and that’s what I’m about.
… No one has been talking about the debt that has been forgiven in HBCUs, historically black colleges and universities, no one’s talking about that. No one’s talking about how our president has met with historically black college and university presidents, more time than President Obama. No one’s talking about the low unemployment rate of African Americans, Latinos and women, lower than it’s been in decades. Our president’s policies don’t have a race, but our president’s agenda is about elevating all Americans and making sure that everybody has an equal shot at the American dream.
Regan all but breathed a sigh of relief. She said, “It’s really good to hear you say that. I fret right now that we have gotten so divided and it becomes black versus white or female versus male etc.” This, from the woman who recently accused the media of “doing Putin’s job” and suggested that Hillary Clinton was somehow behind the infamous Trump Tower meeting with Kremlin-linked Russians.
Regan gave James her stamp of approval. She closed the interview by gushing, “I’m going to agree with the president and say you are a future star!”
If James’ Senate run doesn’t pan out, he could be a Fox contributor.
Watch it below, from the August 11, 2018 Cavuto Live.
What gets me with James’ whine over ‘selective facts’ is Trump’s history of racism isn’t some theory and Fox News ignores that history here. Trump’s racism has been proven in court. Sure, the next excuse likely will be Trump losing a housing discrimination lawsuit after being caught red-handed refusing to rent to blacks is far in the past. However, I find it interesting Trump during the campaign remained unrepentant and lied his rear end off about the nature of the lawsuit.
Trump boasts he didn’t get fined as an outcome of the discrimination lawsuit. True enough. What Trump doesn’t mention is the feds didn’t sue him for money. They sued him to read and abide by fair housing laws. So, in context, Trump was fighting tooth and nail against having to rent/sell real estate to blacks. Trump also lies his company was just one of many caught up in the lawsuit. Nope. Trump was singled out after being caught by an undercover agent refusing to rent an apartment to blacks. The Trump agent in charge of the unit admitted the policy came directly from The Donald.
I believe a big chunk of James’ defense of Trump, that he forgave the debt of historically black colleges, refers to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Sure, Trump signed that bill but I’m pretty sure the origin of that particular provision (of a massive, massive budget bill he wanted very much to sign to bloat the military) originated in Congress, not the White House. What Regan and James omit is these funds regarded Katrina capital expenditures specific to 3 universities located in New Orleans and 1 located in Mississippi. Listening to this pair of Trump sycophants a viewer might get the wrong impression The Donald was broadly bailing out or supporting historically black colleges.
I don’t know if James’ claim Trump has met with the leadership of historically black colleges more than Obama is true or false. What I do know is participants of the first meeting he held during the infancy of his presidency claimed it was nothing more than a cynical photo op.
As I write this MSNBC is covering a laundry list of Trump policies hurting minorities. Like rolling back affirmative action on college campuses and voting against an anti-racism resolution at the UN. Where’s Regan and James on this? I hear crickets.