Greene County Democrat

Tag: Trump

  • Newswire: Citing a “Grave National Security Crisis”, the NAACP pushes 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office

    Newswire: Citing a “Grave National Security Crisis”, the NAACP pushes 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office

    NAACP poster on Trump

    by Hazel Trice Edney

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – The NAACP is among those leading the call on the  President’s cabinet, including Vice President Vance, cabinet secretaries,  or another body that could be assembled by Congress, to “invoke the 25th Amendment” of the U. S. Constitution in order to have President Donald Trump removed from office amidst what appears to be the loss of his mind to the extent that he could endanger masses of innocent lives in a “grave national security crisis”.

    The call, coming from the NAACP, Democratic members of Congress, activists, and other political observers, has grown louder since Trump, joining with Israel, waged war against Iran – with no declaration of war by Congress.

    In addition to concerns about Trump’s history of what appears to be pathological lying, talk of the use of the 25th Amendment especially hit the fan on Easter Sunday morning, April 6. That was when Trump posted a profanity-laced threat to Iran on the day that is considered among the highest and holiest days on the Christian calendar as people prepared to worship in commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    With all curse words spelled completely out, Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah.”

    He was demanding that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz, which is a primary passageway for about 20 percent of the global oil supply, according to the New York Times.

    The next day, he threatened all of Iran – even innocent citizens – if there was no deal by 8 pm: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that ‌to ⁠happen, but it probably will,” he wrote on Truth Social.

    The NAACP responded Monday with an emailed note to its members, signed by its president/CEO Derrick Johnson:

“The stability of our nation is hanging in the balance,” Johnson wrote. “In recent weeks, we have witnessed alarming signs of President Trump’s deteriorating health and increasingly delusional behavior. The rhetoric and actions coming from the highest office in the land have reached a level of instability that we cannot ignore. His behavior is not only alarming but dangerous.”

    The NAACP email continued, “This is no longer just a matter of political disagreement. It’s a grave national security crisis. A leader unable to think clearly or act decisively jeopardizes our military readiness, erodes public trust, and threatens the safety of millions of Americans. We cannot wait for further chaos. We must protect the fabric of our democracy right now.”

    The organization then listed three demands:

    • “Invoke the 25th Amendment: The Vice President and the Cabinet must step forward immediately to ensure the continuity of governance.”
    • “Remove the threat: We must address this presidential incapacity to protect our nation from further uncertainty.”
    • Congressional action: “Once the Vice President and the Cabinet step up, Congress must follow through and act with the urgency this situation demands to uphold the principles of our Constitution.”

    Section 4 of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment states as follows:

    “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
    “Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.
    “Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.”

    It is not likely that there would be enough will to remove Trump from office given the dedication that the Republican majorities have maintained toward him. Besides, this week, Congress remained on Easter recess and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has not criticized Trump’s conduct, nor his war with Iran. The primary criticism is coming from Democrats.

    Still, the NAACP is adamant about what it feels must be done:
    “There’s no sugarcoating it,” Johnson concluded in his email. “President Trump has shown himself to be unfit, unwell, and unhinged. Together, we can force our leaders to prioritize the health and safety of our nation before it’s too late.

  • No Kings 3 breaks the record for the largest single-day nonviolent protest in America.

    No Kings 3 breaks the record for the largest single-day nonviolent protest in America.

    by Maya Quinn, managing editor

    Organizers reported eight million protesters gathered in roughly 3,300 cities across the U.S. to challenge the policies of the Trump administration. The third installment of the No Kings in America protest is now recognised as the largest single-day nonviolent protest in modern American history. 

    The policies of the Trump administration seen thus far have targeted funding in government welfare, employed masked federal agents, and increased the cost of everyday life for Americans. The sentiment that the U.S. government truly operates in the best interest of every citizen has been called into question. In Birmingham, protester Hannah Blackwell told The Democrat, “There’s no sign big enough to list all the reasons why I’m here…We thought it was so important to use our voices to speak up for our immigrant neighbors as well as any black and brown people who are targeted.”

    Recently, the power of voting has been called into question due to the nature of American politicians. In a politically divided nation, many politicians are seen promoting platforms to appeal to voters, but seemingly forgetting their promises once elected into office. “In the past 40 years, the government has become less and less about the average citizen,” said a Tuscaloosa citizen.

    Protest sign photo taken by Hannah Blackwell

    Indivisible West Alabama, a progressive grassroots organization and organizer for Tuscaloosa’s No Kings 3 event, participated in a mini interview with The Democrat regarding the purpose and intended impact of the protest. The questions and responses are detailed below:

    1.  What is the overall goal of the ‘No Kings’ rallies, and is this part of a long-term strategy beyond the 2026 election?

    “The overall goal of the No Kings rallies is to draw attention to the growing authoritarian behaviors being exhibited by the current administration. Indivisible, both our local chapter and national, will continue to oppose this administration’s tactics via demonstrations and other forms of resistance for as long as the administration maintains these behaviors.”

    2.  Are there specific strategies in place to transition first-time protesters into long-term advocates?

    “Absolutely! Attending protests is just one form of advocacy, but it’s a great way to get started. Our hope is that first-time protesters sign up to be involved with other local organizations to find other ways to be involved. Connecting with others in local communities is the best way to develop long-term advocacy goals and behaviors. Calling representatives, volunteering for campaigns, and spreading awareness are all long-term strategies that occur between protests.”

    3.  How does Indivisible plan to support local grassroots organizations and first-time organizers to maintain momentum through the 2026 midterms? 

    “Indivisible IS a local grassroots organization! We work with other grassroots organizations to draw attention to their goals, promote their events, and encourage our members to volunteer as needed. We encourage engagement within and beyond Indivisible’s activities and will continue to do so to improve our community.”

    The ‘No King’ rallies are one of many steps to dismantle controlling policies and encourage civic engagement. The practice of rallying and organizing nonviolent protests reminds citizens that they have the power to hold government officials accountable and change the seats of those in office. This national day of action continues to sustain the momentum of a community rooted in defying powers that serve themselves instead of democracy.

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  • Newswire: 14 ICE detainees have died in custody; Mexican President and authorities question recent deaths

    Newswire: 14 ICE detainees have died in custody; Mexican President and authorities question recent deaths

    By Laura Strickler, Colleen Long and Daniella Silva, NBC News

    So far this year, 14 people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, including a Mexican man who was found unresponsive last week at a facility outside Los Angeles, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security.

    As of mid-February, ICE was holding more than 68,000 immigrants, among the highest numbers ever, according to federal data. The figure fluctuates as immigrants get deported and others are taken into custody.

    In 2025, ICE reported 33 total in-custody deaths and in 2024 there were 11.

    As the Trump administration has sought to drastically increase space to detain immigrants as part of its mass deportation campaign, holding facilities have struggled with disease and overcrowding.

    Homeland Security recently changed contractors at its largest immigrant detention center at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, Texas, just seven months after it opened.

    The tented facility known as Camp East Montana has had a troubled history, starting with a fatal construction accident and three detainee deaths in less than six weeks, one of which was ruled a homicide. There have also been outbreaks of both tuberculosis and measles.

    The Trump administration has said it is shifting its deportation strategy to increase its focus on arresting and deporting immigrants who have criminal records, following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers during deportation operations in Minnesota.

    On March 25, Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, who was in federal custody in California after he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance and theft, was found by security to be unresponsive in his bunk. ICE said in a statement that staff performed CPR and other life-saving procedures, and he was taken to Victor Valley Global Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

    Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her daily press conference Monday that Mexico would take stronger measures to protest following the reported death, focusing particularly in the Los Angeles region.

    “There are several actions we are going to take to protest the death of another Mexican, one of our fellow citizens, in the United States.”

    Ex-FBI agents on Trump cases cite Todd Blanche’s remarks in suit over ‘illegal’ firings

    Ramos-Solano was arrested by ICE on Feb. 23 and sent to the Adelanto detention center. He received a physical evaluation during his intake screening and was found to have diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. ICE said he received routine medical care in custody, including daily medication for his conditions.

    Ramos-Solano’s cause of death was not immediately made public, and Homeland Security officials didn’t respond to questions about his cause of death.

    At the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles on Monday, members of Ramos-Solano’s family wept as they spoke out against his death and demanded answers.

    “What happened to my dad was very inhumane,” said Gloria Ramos, the daughter of Ramos-Solano. “I think my family and I deserve to know the truth of what happened to my dad.”

    The man’s son, Jorge Ramos, paused often as he spoke, becoming overcome with emotion.

    “He was a good dad. He was a good person. He was not a criminal. He was a hard worker,” he said.

    An official with Mexico’s foreign ministry attended the news conference and denounced the number of deaths in ICE custody this year.

    “Four Mexican nationals have died, apparently due to medical complications, highlighting a pattern of persistent structural deficiencies,” Vanessa Calva Ruiz, the director general of consular protection and strategic planning said. “The recurrence and frequency of these deaths are absolutely unacceptable.”

  • Newswire: Trump says mail-in voting is ‘corrupt.’ The president voted by mail just days ago.

    Newswire: Trump says mail-in voting is ‘corrupt.’ The president voted by mail just days ago.

    President Donald Trump has repeatedly denounced the practice
    of mail-in voting, calling it “corrupt” and a form of “cheating” in
    elections. As recently as Monday, the president characterized
    mail-in voting as “mail-in cheating.”
    However, a Washington Post report reveals that despite
    Trump’s pronouncements against mail-in voting, the president
    recently voted by mail in Tuesday’s special election in Palm
    Beach, Florida.
    The report cites voter records on the Palm Beach County
    Supervisor of Elections website that show Trump voted by mail
    in Palm Beach County, where he resides at his Mar-a-Lago
    estate and beach club outside of the White House. The
    Washington Post report also revealed that Trump has been
    registered to vote in Florida since 2019 and that he mailed his
    ballot at least one other time in 2020.
    The revelation that Trump voted by mail is a clear contradiction
    of his public statements and his big push for Congress to pass
    the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship
    to vote and restrict voting by mail. During a roundtable in
    Memphis on Monday, Trump also falsely claimed that the United
    States is the only country that allows mail-in voting. At least 34
    countries allow voters to mail in their ballots.
    “It’s not surprising that he’s utilizing something he’s waging war
    on. It’s the hypocrisy, but that is what he’s always done,”
    political commentator Reecie Colbert told theGrio.
    Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright said President Trump’s
    efforts to end mail-in voting are intended to sow doubt about its
    practice ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, in which his party
    is expected to suffer major losses.
    “It’s clear to me that the president is afraid of people voting, and
    he’s certainly afraid of people exercising their ability to cast a
    vote in disagreement with him, and we’ve seen unlimited
    flirtation and attempts to try to not only rearrange the
    conversation around voting and people participating, but also
    we’ve seen measures trying to go forth to prevent people from
    voting in elections to come,” Seawright told theGrio.
    On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a
    consequential case on the future of mail-in voting, which could
    have repercussions for access to the ballot for Black and Brown
    voters in states where advocates say Republican leaders are
    trying to suppress their vote.
    “I think with Black people, we have to understand the
    assignment. And the known in the equation is that they’re going
    to cheat. The known in the equation is that they’re going to
    suppress our votes. And so what we have to do is we have to
    be the unknown in the equation, which is what we do has to
    exceed what they’re trying to do,” said Colbert.
    The host of Sirius XM’s “The Reecie Colbert Show” told theGrio
    that Republicans are making the “calculation” that their voters
    are higher propensity voters and therefore the “roadblocks”
    placed to deter Black and Brown voters will still result in
    Republicans “going to vote anyway.” She explained, “I don’t
    think that that’s necessarily a smart calculation, but that’s what
    they’re banking on.”
    Colbert added, “We know the table has been set. It’s incumbent
    upon us to make sure that our votes are not disenfranchised.
    And that’s not fair…but those are the cards that were dealt. So
    we have to make sure that we vote out of cheating distance of
    them.”
    Seawright, who advises many national Democratic campaigns,
    said President Trump and Republicans will turn to “unlimited
    measures and attempts to try to silence and suffocate the
    voices” of voters, whether Black or not.
    “At one point in time, some of us thought that it was just African-
    American voices that they wanted to silence and suffocate, and in some cases exterminate. Now, it’s pretty much anyone who may stand in disagreement with the extreme agenda that has come out of this modern-day Republican Party,” said Seawright.
    Colbert pointed out one other irony to the revelation that Trump
    voted by mail in a state that still restricts access to voting for
    convicted felons.
    “Florida has waged war on felons voting, and yet the felon, 34-
    time convicted felon president, still is voting in Florida elections,”
    she said.
  • Newswire: Student Loans will now be handled by the U.S. Treasury

    Newswire: Student Loans will now be handled by the U.S. Treasury

    Besides being anti-immigrant, anti-diversity and inherently anti-
    science, the Trump administration has shown time and time again that it is anti-education — because a populace that learns things
    leaves fewer of the “poorly educated” voter who President Donald
    Trump said he loves so much.

    So, the federal government is still in its process of defunding the
    Department of Education, and, on Thursday, the administration
    announced plans to shift the nearly $1.7 trillion student loan
    portfolio to the Treasury Department, claiming its mission is to
    improve the efficiency of the loan system, or what it described as
    “overdue financial discipline.”

    From the New York Times: About half of all undergraduate
    students receive federal aid each year, according to the
    Institute of Education Sciences. More than 40 million
    people currently have federal student loans, including 9.2
    million in default and 2.4 million in late-stage delinquency,
    according to the Education Department.

    “Treasury has the unique experience, the operational
    capability and the financial expertise to bring long
    overdue financial discipline to the program and be better
    stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

    Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said that
    student aid would be better managed at Treasury. A fact
    sheet from the administration promised students would
    receive “the high-quality service they have come to
    expect under the Trump administration.”

    The second McMahon — the education secretary who thinks
    Black history is DEI while being ignorant of even some of the
    most well-known Black history — spoke of “the high-quality
    service they have come to expect under the Trump
    administration,” you have to know we’re being sold a bill of goods.

    The Trump administration doesn’t provide “high-quality” anything
    — certainly, not education-related.

    Instead, Trump has railed about “returning education to the
    states,” as if it would improve the quality of education overall,
    which ignores the glaring fact that states and local governments
    already dictate the academic side of their educational systems,
    including the setting of curricula, teacher hiring, teacher licensing,
    and standardized testing.

    Under Trump’s DOE, far-right groups are overseeing programs to
    “educate” America with thoroughly whitewashed U.S. history
    propaganda disguised as “patriotic” civics lessons. HBCUs have
    lost millions in grant funding, and Black academic institutions and
    programs, in general, have been threatened.

    Any and every program aimed at bettering the quality of
    education for Black people and other marginalized groups has
    been derailed with anti-DEI investigations and threats to withhold federal funding. And, as far as student loans go, all the MAGA-fied DOE has done is attack loan forgiveness initiatives and garnish the wages of borrowers who struggle to pay them back,
    crippling their credit scores.

    “In the midst of a growing affordability crisis where American
    families are already struggling to make ends meet, this risks
    driving millions of borrowers further into financial hardship,” Aissa
    Canchola Bañez, the policy director for Protect Borrowers, a
    group that targets predatory lenders, told the Times. “Instead of
    providing relief to the millions of defaulted borrowers who have
    fallen behind, the department is moving a portfolio of our most
    vulnerable borrowers to an agency with little to no expertise in the
    rights and benefits afforded to borrowers under the Higher
    Education Act.”

    Education is being controlled by an administration that thrives on
    anti-intellectualism and the demonization of institutions of
    learning, and it shows with every new policy change.

  • Newswire: First 6 days of War on Iran cost US $11.3 Billion, Pentagon says, But we can’t afford SNAP, right?

    Newswire: First 6 days of War on Iran cost US $11.3 Billion, Pentagon says, But we can’t afford SNAP, right?

    “They got money for war, but can’t feed the poor.” – Tupac Shakur

    According to the Pentagon, the first week of the war against Iran that President Donald Trump involved the U.S. in voluntarily, not out of any discernible necessity, has cost the nation upwards of $11 billion.
    The New York Times reported that Pentagon officials revealed the estimated price tag for the first six days of this war of choice to lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, saying the cost of the war had already exceeded $11.3 billion.
    What’s worse is that the estimate doesn’t include all costs, and it’s much higher than previously projected.


    From the Times: The estimate did not include many of the costs associated with the operation, such as the buildup of military hardware and personnel ahead of the first strikes. For that reason, lawmakers expect the number to grow considerably as the Pentagon continues to calculate the costs that accumulated just in the first week.

    Still, it appeared to be the most comprehensive assessment Congress had received so far amid mounting questions about the objectives, scope, and time frame for the war. The New York Times and The Washington Post reported earlier that defense officials had said in recent congressional briefings that the military used up $5.6 billion of munitions in the first two days of the war.

    That is a far larger amount and munitions burn rate than had been publicly disclosed. The Center for Strategic and International Studies had estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation cost $3.7 billion, or $891.4 million each day.

    Not long ago, the U.S. government was shut down for roughly a month and a half, largely because one particular party thought we couldn’t afford to extend health care subsidies. MAGA Republicans are still trying to convince the nation that cutting SNAP benefits is an absolute necessity, lest they bankrupt the U.S. Trump has been telling U.S. citizens to cut back on their spending because his promise to bring down the price of goods turned out to be big, beautiful bullsh-t.

    But we can afford a war of choice that has cost a billion dollars nearly a dozen times over in the first week.

    Oh, well — at least our strikes on Iran aren’t killing innocent school children or anything like that.

    Meanwhile, the Trump administration just keeps boasting about how it is “DEVASTATING” Iran with constant missile strikes. The tweet below was posted by the White House on the same day it was revealed that a preliminary investigation showed the U.S. was likely responsible for a missile striking an Iranian elementary school, reportedly killing 175 people, the overwhelming majority of whom were children.

    “We won’t stop until the military objectives are met,” the White House tweeted.

    Apparently, the administration means what it says, no matter the cost, whether we’re talking about the cost of lives or additional billions in spending that we’ve been told the nation can’t afford to spend on education, food security, healthcare, or anything else that would actually put “America first.” (And that’s their slogan, not all ours.)


    Seriously, if there was any nation in need of an actual regime change, it’s currently the good, old U.S. of A.

  • Newswire: Peace talks be dammed; the U.S. and Israel invade Iran, and casualties mount

    Newswire: Peace talks be dammed; the U.S. and Israel invade Iran, and casualties mount

    by Frederick H. Lowe, BlackmansStreet.Today

    President Donald Trump announced on his social media that a joint invasion between the U.S. and Israel resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

    In addition, three U.S. soldiers were also killed, and five others were seriously injured, according to U.S. Central Command during “Operation Epic Fury,” the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran. Trump said more American deaths are expected. As of March 3rd, the death toll of U.S. Service personnel was 6, with many injured.

    At least 165 people were killed when a strike hit an all-girls school in Minab, which is in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province. A local official said among the dead were students, parents, and school staff.

    Trump also urged the Iranian people to “seize control of your destiny” by rising against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.

    The attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel was launched in the middle of diplomatic efforts to avert conflict. Congress was not consulted on the invasion, which has been cast as a war.

    President Trump does not have the power to declare war on another country. The Founding Fathers and the Constitution gave war authority and power to Congress, and Congress alone, said the ACLU.

    President Trump violated the Constitution when he announced that the U.S. was going to war and launched an open-ended bombing campaign against Iran, a country with nearly 100 million people, without ever going to Congress for authorization.

    President Trump ordered U.S. military strikes against Iran without prior congressional authorization, and key members of the U.S. Congress say they were not given intelligence briefings before the operation began.

    Several lawmakers strongly criticized the decision as a violation of constitutional and statutory war powers.

    The attack on Iran reportedly targeted military sites as well as the leadership of the Iranian regime.

    Explosions were heard in Israel and Gulf countries after Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles in a strong response to being attacked.

    Trump announced the invasion in an eight-minute speech after the first bombs had fallen.

    Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation and warned that a failure to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.

    Mr. Guterres declared that the military escalation in the region undermines international peace and security, and recalled that all Member States must “respect their obligations under international law, including the Charter of the United Nations,” which prohibits “the threat of the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”

    The attack on Iran reportedly targeted military sites as well as the leadership of the Iranian regime.

  • Newswire: Congressman Green raised a bold sign at State of the Union indicating Black men are ready to fight

    Newswire: Congressman Green raised a bold sign at State of the Union indicating Black men are ready to fight

    Texas Congressman Al Green was shown the door during President Donald Trump’s “State of the Union” Monday night after holding up a sign written in large block letters that “Black People Aren’t Apes.”

    Green was responding to Trump’s racist social media post that depicted former President Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes on Trump’s “Truth Social Platform.”

    Representative Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, attempted to snatch the sign from Green, a Democrat, as he held it up so all could see, but Green pushed Nehls away. Nehls was best known for having President Trump autograph a tie he wore to the “State of the Union.”

    Green was pushed and somewhat dragged through the crowd. White lawmakers cheered.

    Afterward, Green commented to Raw Story on his willingness to challenge Trump’s racism openly and directly: “If you tolerate this level of racism, you perpetuate it. I refuse to tolerate it. I don’t wanna see it normalized.”

    “And that’s why I flashed this to the president, so there would be no question as to where I stand. He needs to know that there are some people who have the courage to tell him things that he doesn’t want to hear, and that nobody else will tell him.”

    Green’s comments mirror those he made in 2025, when he was also removed from Trump’s joint address to Congress for speaking out. “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up to Trump,” Green said.

  • Newswire: House Dem Leader Jeffries blasts Rep. Byron Donald on blasphemous Jim Crow comments

    Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called Donald Trump “a two-bit racial arsonist” and said that the Republican presidential nominee has done nothing, but fan the flames of bigotry. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

    By Hakeem Jeffries
    NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    In what quickly turned into a polarizing week for Black Americans, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) delivered a scathing denunciation of Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on the House floor, while rapper and entrepreneur 50 Cent visited Capitol Hill presumably to advocate for Black entrepreneurs. Both events highlighted the stark divisions within the Black community regarding political allegiances and historical perspectives.
    Donalds, who earlier co-hosted a Donald Trump campaign event for Black voters in Philadelphia, incredulously asserted, “You see, during Jim Crow, the Black family was together. During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative—Black people have always been conservative-minded—but more Black people voted conservatively.”
    Jeffries responded forcefully, condemning Donalds’ remarks as inaccurate and deeply offensive. “Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that a so-called leader has made the factually inaccurate statement that Black folks were better off during Jim Crow,” he stated. “That’s an outlandish, outrageous, and out-of-pocket observation.”
    Highlighting the brutal realities of the Jim Crow era, Jeffries continued, “We would not be better off when a young boy named Emmett Till could be brutally murdered without consequence because of Jim Crow. We were not better off when Black women could be sexually assaulted without consequence because of Jim Crow. We would not be better off when people could be systematically lynched without consequence because of Jim Crow. We were not better off when children could be denied a high-quality education without consequence because of Jim Crow. We would not be better off when people could be denied the right to vote without consequence because of Jim Crow. How dare you make such an ignorant observation?”
    The Congressional Black Caucus echoed Jeffries’ condemnation in a statement: “This is a pattern of embracing racist ideologies that we see time and again within the MAGA Republican Party. Rep. Donalds is playing his role as the mouthpiece who will say the quiet parts out loud that many will not say themselves. His comments were shameful and beneath the dignity of a member of the House of Representatives. He should immediately offer an apology to Black Americans for misrepresenting one of the darkest chapters in our history for his own political gain.”
    On the same day, 50 Cent, meeting with lawmakers in a visit hyped as an attempt to advocate for Black entrepreneurs and Black representation in the liquor industry, commented on the political climate. Speaking to CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion, 50 Cent gave a nod to an alarming trend among Black men identifying with the twice-impeached Trump, who is a convicted felon and still under indictment. When asked about his stance in the upcoming presidential election, the rapper, who supported Trump in 2020, stated he hadn’t decided yet but highlighted Trump’s appeal among Black male voters. “I see them identifying with Trump,” he explained, “because they got RICO charges.”
    Trump has more than 50 felony charges pending in three jurisdictions after a Manhattan jury convicted him of 34 felonies related to hush money payments, he made to an adult film actress to cover up their extramarital affair. A New York jury also twice found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman, while a judge declared the former president committed massive business fraud and ordered Trump to pay nearly $500 million in fines and restitution.
    But the week underscored a significant divide within the Black community, juxtaposing Jeffries’ and the Congressional Black Caucus’s fierce defense of historical accuracy and social justice against Donalds’ and 50 Cent’s perspectives.
    Many noted that Jim Crow laws, enforced through local and federal legislation, relegated Black Americans to second-class citizenship, enforcing racial segregation and instilling systemic violence and terror. That era included the wrongful execution of 14-year-old George Stinney, Jr., convicted by an all-white jury in 1944 after just 10 minutes of deliberation. Stinney’s case epitomized the racial injustice of Jim Crow.
    Jeffries further criticized the romanticization of Black family history during that oppressive period, which included the Scottsboro Boys wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1931, 14-year-old Emmett Till lynched in 1955 after being falsely accused of whistling at a white girl, and four Black girls murdered in a church bombing in Alabama in 1963? Not gone unnoticed, too, is that Donalds is married to a white woman, something that would have led to his lynching during Jim Crow.
    “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself,” Jeffries assailed. “I yield back.

  • NAACP president: Trump ‘kind of Jim Crow with hairspray and a blue suit’

    By Ashley Young, CNN

     

    NAACP President William Cornell Brooks

    NAACP President
    Cornell William Brooks

    (CNN)NAACP President Cornell William Brooks on Monday condemned Republican front-runner Donald Trump and said he represents a “kind of Jim Crow with hairspray and a blue suit.”
    “The fact of the matter is this is hateful. It is racist. It is bigoted. It is xenophobic. It represents a kind of Jim Crow with hairspray and a blue suit,” Brooks told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room.” “Let’s not underestimate what we’re dealing with.  This is a very, very ugly moment in America.”
    But Brooks said he doesn’t hold anything against
    Americans who support Trump. “I don’t blame the people –- American citizens — for their economic anxieties and a sense of desperation. The fact that their grasping at straws and they grasped onto a bigoted, demagogic  billionaire speaks to their desperation, not necessarily his appeal or the strength of his platform,” he said.
    CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment, with no response.
    The billionaire’s rallies have turned increasingly violent in the past week as supporters have clashed with protesters. Trump was forced to cancel a rally in Chicago over the weekend and was given a scare when a protester rushed the stage Saturday.
    And a former Breitbart reporter filed an assault charge against Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, alleging he yanked her violently from Trump last Tuesday.
    “The fact of the matter is he’s engaged in rhetoric that represents a kind of apologetics, if you will, of violence,” Brooks said.
    Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina said Monday they are weighing whether to press charges against Trump for inciting a riot during that rally where the protester was sucker punched by a 78-year-old white man. Trump has said he is considering paying the legal fees for the supporter charged with assault.
    Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks flatly rejected the premise of the investigation into Trump’s role in the violent altercation.”It is the protesters and agitators who are in violation, not Mr. Trump or the campaign,” Hicks said Monday in a statement.
    Hicks added that Trump’s speech was “extremely well thought out and well received” and instead focused on the role of protesters, who she said “in some cases … used foul language, screamed vulgarities and made obscene gestures, annoying the very well behaved audience.”
    Brooks believes Trump’s behavior is “contemptible” but will “leave that for the prosecutors in North Carolina to determine.” He added there “absolutely” is a racial aspect to business mogul’s increasingly violent rallies.
    “When you call Mexicans rapists, when you use code words like ‘thug,’ where you suddenly can’t distance yourself from the Klan. The fact of the matter is we’ve been in this ugly movie before. In the 1920s the Klan combined an anti-immigrant sentiment in the country with a kind of un-American patriotism with a venue of Christianity,” Brooks said.
    Blitzer pointed out that Trump eventually did disavow the Klu Klux Klan.