I spent a week with Black Republicans

Just a few (long) weeks ago, President Joe Biden was still running for re-election, grappling with persistently negative national polling. One major concern for Democrats—and a source of surprise and delight for Republicans—was the apparent shift of young Black male voters towards former President Donald Trump. This will-they-won’t-they question dominated the summer, culminating at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee at the end of July: Could Trump make significant inroads into a voting bloc that traditionally supported Democrats?

That narrative shifted dramatically with the entry of Vice President Kamala Harris into the race. Suddenly, a much higher percentage of Black voters told pollsters of their intent to vote, a big increase from July when Biden was still on the ticket.

When the Mother Jones team reported from the RNC last month, Video Correspondent @GarrisonHayes was on a mission to unravel these complex cross-currents of identity, policy, and political strategy. "I learned a lot about Black Republicans during these conversations—their motivations, their stories, their goals," Hayes says in a new, indepth video showcasing several substantive interviews with Black convention attendees. “I wanted to know what draws a black person to identify with this Republican party.”

Hayes uncovered old-school appeals to rugged individualism (with elements of historical revisionism), traditional anti-abortion viewpoints, and a rejection of government interventions. Ultimately, Hayes concluded that—for a party that so openly courts racists and racism enablers—having more Black people in the ranks could be, surprisingly, beneficial. "The only way the Republican Party becomes this ideologically conservative but racially inclusive big tent party,” Garrison says, “is if there is a fundamental rejection of the people, policies, and practices they currently hold as sacred in their political vision.”

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[MrSparkula]

Black conservatives conveniently forget who was responsible for burning down Black Wall Street.

[spectacular]

I’m a black man and I’m absolutely embarrassed to hear this crap because Donald Trump doesn’t get two shits about you! All he’s trying to do is win an election that he’ll probably try to overthrow again run a coup

[m.s.e.]

What the f****? I am an african woman watching from africa. But i dropped my phone from disgust when he said "A black woman's womb is the most dangerous place for a child?". That is just sick sick.

[BigKeith]

I am a black man with conservative leanings. But not above my black identity. It is disgusting and embarrassing listening to these dudes.

[Travis-obtt]

Watching black folks cheer for Marjorie Taylor Green in Georgia honestly made me sick.

[VanAlexi]

I'm not calling Trump and the Right racist because of what the media says. I am calling them racist because of what Trump and right says.

Not a black man myself, but to hear a black man claim that the Harlem renaissance and black Wall Street were not collective accomplishments was fucking nuts. Someone give that man some Angela Davis books

[tonyslice]

These the type of people who Would've snitched on Harriet Tubman for trying to free people

[aboynamedjamil]

This "Pastor" is an absolute con artist.

[JFDavis-lqbp]

As a white man, I promise you that Black Conservatives would be upset if they heard how White Conservatives talk when they are not around.

[diggorypat]

It's very hard to watch our black men fall for lies. Thank you so much for teaching them the truth.

[googleuser]

I knew someone like this and had to permanently disengage because every time I tried to have a discussion and asked questions for clarity on issues they raised that made zero sense... but every time I asked a question, they got infuriated for no reason. It was as if he didn't understand how to hold a normal conversation, without it turning into an argument or debate. I'll give you one example of a conversation we had.

He said Breonna Taylor deserved what happened to her.

I asked why

He blows up, starts screaming and melts down.

I don't talk to him anymore. I am actually embarrassed to be associated in any way with this person. A grown man with the communication skills and maturity of a toddler.

[thomastammaro]

These people didn't do their homework.
He was caught denying black renters from being able to rent property so did his father.

[Omniryu]

To be a black conservative, you GENUINELY have to ignore the Southern Strategy and what the GOP is doing today.

[VernardNuncioFields]

The reason black family units were stronger back in troubling times is because we HAD to be. Look at how we were treated as a black community. We didn't have time to be destructive to each other on a mass level. We had a common enemy and it wasn't each other.

[ralphphillips]

The pastor made me angry evertime he spoke . People like him are dangerous.

[varimarc]

The pastor said he was a drug dealer, so that explains it. He jumps from one scheme to another.

[cenetollie]

Got to be real. I don’t understand the “trump is anointed by God trope”. This made me extremely sad. No man should be on a pedestal

[johnsherwin]

Thanks Garrison and Mother Jones for creating engaging and important video journalism. The MAGA/Trump movement needs to be stopped. It is a cancer for our country.

[brainbane]

Individualism is one of the dumbest things people have been fooled into embracing. Even rich people can't thrive on individualism. It's the dumbest possible lie we're told and tell ourselves.