In The Battlegrounds: As Biden Unveils Racial Equity Agenda, Democrats Slam Trump’s Failures For Communities Of Color

Today, as Joe Biden unveiled his plan to advance racial equity as part of the United States’ economic recovery, Democrats across the battleground states slammed Donald Trump’s broken promises and disastrous record with communities of color. See for yourself:

In Arizona:

Arizona State Representative Dr. Gerae Peten, Founder and Executive Committee Member of the West Valley NAACP: “In 2016, Donald Trump asked voters of color what we had to lose under a Trump presidency. After four years, we’ve learned the answer the hard way … Trump’s disastrous record has been deeply felt across Black, Latinx, Native, and AAPI communities, from skyrocketing unemployment and cratering small business ownership to rising housing costs and higher coronavirus death rates. Today, Arizona’s communities of color are paying the price for Trump’s incompetent and ineffective pandemic response with our lives and livelihoods. It’s disgraceful.” 

In Georgia:

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair and state Senator Nikema Williams:

“At every level, Donald Trump’s failed leadership has made life harder for Black Americans and people of color. While Trump used his economic policies to enrich big banks and corporate cronies, Black and brown Georgians were left out, and our racial wealth gap has grown. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic devastates vulnerable communities across our state, his response has made this crisis only worse. To close the racial wealth gap, we need a real leader who will fight for every family’s future like it is their own — that’s Joe Biden.”

In Maine:

Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra: “During his presidency, Donald Trump hasn’t just failed to address racial disparities, he’s actively made them worse with economic policies tilted in favor of corporations and wealthy investors … Tragically, Trump has failed to respond as the pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color both in health and economic outcomes. Joe Biden is making racial equity a centerpiece of his economic recovery plan, and our choice this November couldn’t be clearer.”

In Nevada:

Nevada Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson: “Time and again, Donald Trump has failed the Black community, especially now. As coronavirus cases surge and the economy craters, Trump has stuck his head in the sand while Black Americans are being disproportionately harmed. Trump’s failed pandemic response has inflamed longstanding economic and health disparities while fueling inequality.” 

Nevada Assemblyman Edgar Flores: “From day one, Donald Trump’s rhetoric has demonized the Latino community, while his anti-immigrant agenda has terrorized our families. Now, as a direct result of his failed pandemic response, Latinos are bearing the brunt of the coronavirus crisis as our communities, businesses, and priorities get left behind. The Latino community deserves a leader who will bind us together instead of driving us apart, and fight to build a better future for the next generation. That leader is Joe Biden.”  

Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II: “Trump turned his back on communities of color, especially as we confront the catastrophic fallout of his failed pandemic response. Nevada’s diversity is its great strength, and our Black, Latino, Native American, and AAPI communities deserve far better than Donald Trump’s record of broken promises.” 

In New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley: “Donald Trump’s chaotic and failed mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented public health and economic disaster that is hurting communities of color the most … For months, Granite Staters were losing their jobs and were getting sick while Trump downplayed the severity of the coronavirus, spread false information about ‘treatments’, refused to take responsibility, and refused to handle this crisis.”

In North Carolina:

North Carolina Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue: “Four years ago, Donald Trump asked African American North Carolinians what we have to lose by voting for him. We knew the answer then and we know it now — we have everything to lose by supporting Donald Trump. Trump has spent his presidency supporting big businesses and wealthy investors over communities of color; undercutting affordable housing opportunities and undermining efforts to reduce racial disparities in education.”

Ohio:

Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President Stephanie Howse: “The coronavirus pandemic and its disproportionate impact on Black Ohioans is Exhibit A for why we have been saying that racism is a public health crisis. Donald Trump has done nothing to address the concerns of Black Ohioans; in fact, his reckless and chaotic response to the coronavirus crisis has led to thousands of needless deaths, particularly in African-American communities.”

Ohio Democratic Party Vice Chair Rhine McLin: “Our country cannot take four more years of Trump, and Black Ohioans definitely cannot take another four years of Trump’s hate-filled Twitter rants and tacit support for white supremacy. We’ve had enough. It’s time to put Joe Biden in the White House.”

In Pennsylvania: 

State Senator Sharif Street: “Four years ago, Donald Trump tried to sell himself to Black Americans by asking us ‘What the hell do you have to lose?’ It turns out we’ve lost a whole lot under the Donald Trump presidency … We’ve watched Donald Trump go after our health care, undermine civil rights protections, and in recent months, fail to address the COVID-19 pandemic which is disproportionately killing Black and Brown Americans.”

In Texas: 

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson: “Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has waged war on communities of color and rolled back hard-won protections that generations before us fought and died for. So it’s no surprise that as coronavirus cases surge across Texas, Trump is parachuting in for a photo op while Black Americans and Latinos bear the burden of his failed pandemic response. Communities of color in Texas and across the country don’t need any more cheap political stunts, we need leadership in the White House that will fight racial disparities and inequality head on. That’s why we’ll reject Trump’s empty promises and elect Joe Biden in November.”

In Virginia:

Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Chair Lamont Bagby: “The president’s dog whistles to racists, proliferation of structural inequity, and blatant lies have cost Black and Brown Virginians immensely during his administration. This election is about more than returning to the status quo. It is about fixing harm and making tangible progress. Donald Trump has only divided America further, and fanned the flames of racism. Joe Biden will commit to investing in our communities and make racial justice a key component of his policy agenda.”