Trump’s Presidency Failed Black Americans

Senator Scott skipped over many of Trump’s failures with communities of color. Trump has failed to look out for the economic wellbeing of Black communities. His chaotic pandemic response failed to address the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on Black communities, and his policies have worsened racial disparities.

Trump failed to respond to the racial disparities present in the coronavirus pandemic and botched the rollout of aid to Black small business owners.

  • Trump’s failed coronavirus response made the fallout worse than it had to be, particularly in communities of color where the virus already had a disproportionate impact.

  • As Trump failed to mount a serious response to the coronavirus, unemployment has been particularly high for Black workers and business owners. As of July, Black unemployment remained higher than all other groups at 14.6% and the unemployment gap between Black and White Americans widened further.

  • Even after legislative action required the Trump administration to publish data on racial disparities in coronavirus cases, it only shared insufficient information and media outlets had to sue the administration for more accurate data.

  • Black-owned businesses suffered as the Trump administration botched the delivery of assistance to small businesses hurt by the coronavirus.

Trump’s economic policies have supported big corporations and wealthy investors instead of communities of color.

  • Black households were disproportionately left out of the benefits from Trump’s tax law. The average tax cut for Black households was less than a third of the average white household.

  • Trump marketed opportunity zones as a means of helping underserved communities, yet many of the benefits have flowed to wealthy investors, including those close to Trump.

  • As president, Trump threatened to veto a minimum wage increase and proposed a tip-pooling rule that could undercut earnings and job opportunities for many workers of color.

  • Trump has targeted labor protections intended to ensure that workers of color are treated fairly in federal contracting and earning equal wages.

  • Trump’s budgets have called for steep cuts or the full elimination of the minority business development agency, which funds a network of centers that provide minority businesses with assistance services.

Trump’s policies undercut the American dream and access to affordable housing for communities of color while lining the pockets of bankers and lenders.

  • The Trump administration’s proposal to roll back disparate impact claims will make it harder to fight housing discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.

  • Trump’s administration proposed changes to the Community Reinvestment Act that would boost lenders at the expense of low-income neighborhoods.

  • Under Trump’s CFPB, fair lending enforcement orders against mortgage lenders have dropped off and in 2019 only one was issued at all.

  • The Trump administration rolled back the Obama-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which aimed to fight racial bias in housing.

  • While Black and Latino families have lower homeownership rates and are more likely to be low-income renters, Trump repeatedly called for cuts to affordable housing programs.

  • Trump has also called for drastic cuts to subsidized housing and voucher programs, and for changes that could raise rents for low-income families.

Time and again, Trump has undermined efforts to reduce racial disparities in education and expand opportunities for communities of color.

  • Trump failed to live up to his promise of easing the burden of student loans, which is especially acute for students of color, and added to students’ worries about college affordability.

  • The Trump administration rolled back Obama-era guidance on school discipline aimed at protecting Black students from being punished more severely in school.

  • The Trump administration illegally delayed implementing regulations that helped identify racial disparities in special needs programs in public schools.

  • The Trump administration rescinded Obama-era guidance on affirmative action as well as guidance encouraging public schools to achieve diversity without isolating students.