After years of peddling the narrative that Donald Trump and his supporters are all a bunch of ignorant racists, Democrats must be perplexed at the support Trump has been gaining among black voters this election cycle.
The well-worn dual strategy of pandering and fear-mongering has, for once, fallen short for the Democrats as black voters, specifically black men, are finding in Trump a genuine ally.
Among those black men jumping ship to Trump might be rapper 50 Cent, who made headlines earlier this year for saying, "maybe Trump is the answer" and "I think Trump's gonna be president again."
Now, according to the Daily Beast, 50 Cent (real name Curtis James Jackson III) has yet to officially endorse either Trump or Joe Biden, but he did make some interesting remarks about the former president during a visit to Capitol Hill.
Meeting with lawmakers in the nation's Capitol on Wednesday, the rapper was asked by CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion about who he was supporting in 2024.
While, again, 50 Cent remained noncommittal, he did say, "I see [black men] identifying with Trump because they got RICO charges," referring to Trump's RICO charge in Georgia concerning the 2020 election.
Lauren Boebert, Colorado Republican making the white house look good. 😏 pic.twitter.com/GJnb9UnLbE
— 50cent (@50cent) June 5, 2024
Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D) from California I told her @SuntoryGlobal better get it together I’m not the one. pic.twitter.com/lxdJ7YqlXS
— 50cent (@50cent) June 5, 2024
Now, a quick perusal of his account on the social media platform X showed many posts and photos from his visit to Capitol Hill, wherein he posed with Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike.
And, as Newsweek pointed out, 50 Cent shared a seemingly anti-Trump post in response to news that Trump had reportedly raised over $200 million since the news of his guilty verdict in New York went public.
😆 SMH don’t worry the world’s almost over just enjoy the moment and be happy • https://t.co/jnbpt4Vpb3 pic.twitter.com/uqqJBd6zaN
— 50cent (@50cent) June 3, 2024
That said, it would be difficult to interpret this post one way or the other, and 50 Cent has lent support to Trump in the past -- as Fox News noted, he briefly endorsed Trump via a profanity-laced social media post in 2020 before recanting a few days later.
Regardless of who the rapper endorses, however, 50 Cent did highlight a growing trend among minority voters this election cycle.
Namely, that formerly reliable Democratic voters, like Hispanics and blacks (especially black men), have jumped ship to Trump in record numbers.
This election and the last, Biden and the Democrats have engaged in the most shallow, surface-level pandering in trying to win black votes.
Who can forget one of Biden's most infamous moments, when, during an interview with black radio host Charlemagne tha God, he said "you ain't black" if you didn't vote for him?
Even his choice of vice president, the woefully under-qualified Kamala Harris, was a bid to win minority votes after she flamed out of the Democratic primary.
Despite his flaws and rough edges, Trump is just Trump.
He doesn't try to put on an act. He doesn't change himself or his message to win a certain voter base. He simply remains himself.
Genuineness plays well with everyone.
The Democrats might want to try it sometime.
