Golden and scarlet balloons adorned an entrance guarded by the Secret Service that led straight to a bar abuzz with excited reunions, a line of attendees waiting to take pictures at a photo wall and a spacious auditorium set to celebrate a unique subset of the conservative movement in downtown Columbia last weekend: Black Republicans.
The Black Conservative Federation’s honors gala convened around 500 largely Black conservative lawmakers, activists, pundits and donors for a formal affair. The mood at the Friday evening event was buoyed by its guest of honor, Donald Trump, whose appearance was part of an effort to show the former president’s affinity with Black voters.
“I’m thrilled to be here tonight with Crooked Joe Biden’s absolute worst nightmare: hundreds of proud, Black, conservative American patriots,” said Trump, who received a “Champion of Black America” award at the event, to applause from the audience.
Trump’s freewheeling comments throughout the night, at times received with enthusiastic applause and raucous laughter, were roundly condemned by Democrats and Black community leaders. Black media ridiculed and lampooned the event in real time during its broadcast. The divergent reactions to Trump’s remarks highlighted the often lonely efforts of Black GOP activists and the uphill battle Republicans have in making serious inroads with Black voters, who still hold highly negative views of the former president, according to recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling.
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“No amount of media deception or liberal race-baiting will sway the minds of Black voters who will cast their ballots this November for safer streets, a better financial well-being, a secure border, and a complete rejection of Joe Biden’s disastrous tenure,” Johnson said.
At a time when Republicans have signaled greater interest in making inroads with communities of color, the dinner served as an opportunity to highlight the GOP’s pitch to Black voters.
And I just hope and pray that a lot more female Blacks will come to the light and come to the truth,” said Alvin Portee Jr., a Columbia resident who attended the gala in a suit and top hat bearing Abraham Lincoln’s face.
In a winding speech, Trump claimed “the Black people like me” because of his numerous criminal indictments and mug shot taken as part of the ongoing election interference case in Georgia.
Haley, Trump’s last standing presidential primary rival, called the gala speech “disgusting,” while President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said the comments were “insulting,” “moronic” and “plainly racist.”
Vivian Childs, a GOP activist and business owner who traveled to the event from Warner Robins, Georgia, said she took no issue with Trump’s sometimes clumsy attempts to appeal to Black voters.
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