Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton excoriated Republican contender Donald Trump’s recent attempt to court African-American voters by appealing to their disappointment with the Democratic Party, calling his rhetoric “divisive” and “disturbing.”
Trump, addressing a campaign rally Friday in Dimondale, Michigan, called on black voters to question their loyalty to the Democratic Party, which he said has taken the black vote for granted and given little in return.
“You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose?” Trump said in front of a mostly-white crowd.
The Clinton camp swiftly struck back, labeling the comments as the Trump campaign’s latest attempt at fearmongering.
“It could not be clearer how much African-Americans have to lose under Donald Trump,” the Clinton campaign said in a statement issued Monday. “He is doubling down on insults, fear and stereotypes that set our community back and further divide our country. But again this is not surprising, this is a man who questions the citizenship of the first African-American president, has a disturbing pattern of courting white supremacists, and has been sued for housing discrimination against communities of color.
