As part of their effort to win black voters, the Trump campaign will open 15 “community centers” — replete with Woke merch and messages — in vacant retail stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Milwaukee, Miami, and Philadelphia, as early as next month. The spaces will feature TVs and literature outlining Trump’s record on issues like criminal justice reform and school choice, and they’ll also host celebrity meet-and-greets, amid an array of Trump-branded merch, including sweatshirts and hats with the word “woke” embroidered on them.
Black folks who find themselves curious about the Trump platform are encouraged to text “woke” to Trump’s campaign number — we tried it and it just asks the sender to reply with their zip code to “stand with Trump against the fake news”, and then take a basic survey.
It’s all part of the campaign’s “Black Voices for Trump” initiative, led by senior Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson and promoted by Jared Kushner on Wednesday.
“Last time it was ‘What the hell do you have to lose?’” the president’s son-in-law and adviser told reporters in Virginia. Kushner has been one of Trump’s key advisers on criminal justice reform, one of the platforms the campaign is touting to undecided black voters.
“Now, we’re going to show them what they’ve gained from President Trump and what more they could gain if they get more four years,” Kushner said.
Black voters in the U.S. have historically sided with the Democratic Party for nearly six decades and have become one of the party’s most consistent voter bases. It is currently the most contested vote in the upcoming South Carolina Democratic primary.
