In 2016, the Rev. Darrell C. Scott — a fundamentalist Pentecostal minister in Cleveland's African-American community — expressed his skepticism about Donald Trump's presidential campaign. But in 2024, Scott (not to be confused with the singer/songwriter) is an outspoken Trump supporter who is urging other Blacks to vote for him.
The Guardian's Ed Pilkington reports that Scott, a former drug dealer, is claiming that up to 25-30 percent of Black voters may vote for Trump over President Joe Biden in November.
Scott told The Guardian, "I hear a lot of positivity regarding President Trump in the Black community. Very little negativity. Those I speak to have changed their tone against him. 'Trump's not so bad after all,' they say."
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But according to Pilkington, Scott's pro-Trump efforts are getting a lot of pushback from the former president's critics.
"For speaking out on Trump's behalf," Pilkington explains. "Scott has been labeled an Uncle Tom, a sellout, a money-grabbing opportunist. And that's just the start."
Scott's message to Blacks in Cleveland is unwavering: support Trump in November, not Biden. But it's a message that some of the Cleveland-based Black voters The Guardian interviewed are flat-out rejecting.
Voter Leshelle, who is 30, told The Guardian, "Trump's a psychopath; he's not getting my vote."
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And 60-year-old Charles, told The Guardian, "I would never vote for Donald Trump. He's a criminal and not a good person."
Ernest, who is 76, told The Guardian, "Our democracy is at stake because of Trump's rhetoric."
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Read The Guardian's full report at this link.
