Donald Trump’s campaign manager on Sunday chided President Barack Obama over his response to the GOP nominee’s assertion that African-American communities are in the worst shape “ever.”
Kellyanne Conway, on ABC’s “This Week,” took issue with the President’s statement last week about a Trump speech in North Carolina in which the candidate declared, “We’re going to rebuild our inner cities because our African American communities are absolutely in the worst shape they’ve ever been in before. Ever, ever, ever.”
Obama, when asked about Trump’s statement, said, “I think even an 8-year-old will tell you that whole slavery thing wasn’t very good for black people. Jim Crow wasn’t very good for black people.”
That brought a sharp response from Conway on Sunday.
Obama “was just very glib about what the — you know, calling — referring to an 8-year old,” she said. “What Donald Trump is talking about in his speeches is bringing — is rebuilding the inner cities, is bringing more jobs there, is tackling full-on poverty and joblessness and homelessness in the inner cities and crime.”
Conway’s criticism of Obama differed in tone, if not substance, from a Sunday critique of Trump’s statement by House Speaker Paul Ryan. He broke with Trump’s description of predominantly African-American communities, saying he wouldn’t have compared inner cities to Afghanistan or suggested they are faring worse than ever.
“I don’t see it that way. That’s not how I would describe it,” the Wisconsin Republican told CBS’ John Dickerson on “Face the Nation” Sunday.
However, Ryan gave Trump credit for attempting to reach out to a pool of voters that historically supports Democrats by overwhelming margins.
“I’m glad he’s actually going into these communities and trying,” Ryan said. “I think it’s important to show up. And I think it’s important to show up and listen.”
Pressed on whether what Trump was doing was “listening” or “telling” black voters what to think, Ryan said: “Well, I think he’s campaigning. And, I think there’s a difference here.”
“But like I said,” Ryan added, “I am pleased that he’s making the effort. Not every person running for president does that. This is something that Republicans need to do more of. More of us need to go in communities where we don’t expect to get a single vote. But we hope to get a perspective so that we can come up with solutions.”
The Afghanistan comparison by Trump came last week in that same speech, in Kenansville, North Carolina.
“You take a look at the inner cities, you get no education, you get no jobs, you get shot walking down the street,” he said. “They’re worse — honestly, places like Afghanistan are safer than some of our inner cities.”
The comparison of American inner cities and Afghanistan is one Trump has made repeatedly on the campaign trail.
Near Detroit last month, Trump urged black voters to abandon the Democratic Party, telling them: “You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth is unemployed — what the hell do you have to lose?”