Minority voters won’t back Donald Trump because he lacks meaningful relationships with the minority community, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said Tuesday.
“We’re not going to gamble on a person who probably couldn’t name 10 people of color that are close to him,” she told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Tuesday on “New Day.” “This is not the America that we believe is possible.”
The Democratic National Committee secretary said Trump rallies are not reflective of the diversity of America.
“When you look at the Republican Party, all you have to do is look at a Trump rally,” Rawlings-Blake said. “Trump’s priorities and his focus is evident in every rally you go to.”
Trump’s campaign responded in an email statement to CNN.
“Instead of playing partisan and racial politics, the mayor should focus on solving her city’s record year in homicides under failed Democratic leadership that Hillary Clinton will certainly perpetuate. Democrats have done nothing to help curb the increase of violence in many of our urban areas, which is why Donald Trump’s message of equality and justice has resonated with all Americans,” the statement said.
Rawlings-Blake went on to say the Republican Party as a whole is losing minority voters because the organization does not value diversity.
“If you go look at the Republican convention, you couldn’t find diversity there. Not in one state, not in one section,” she said. “We’re not going to be fooled by this rhetoric.”
“What do we have to lose?” she asked, quoting Trump. “Everything.”
According to the Republican National Committee, this summer’s convention had among the lowest number of black delegates scheduled to attend in recent presidential cycles.
Trump, who has some of his lowest levels of support from African-American voters, has often asked black voters during his speeches to support him because they have nothing to lose by giving him their vote.
“Our inner cities are a disaster. You get shot walking to the store,” Trump said at last week’s final presidential debate. “They have no education. They have no jobs. I will do more for African-Americans and Latinos than she can ever do in 10 lifetimes.”