NEW YORK, Nov. 30 (UPI) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday met with black pastors at his New York City headquarters, hoping to bridge the gap between minority voters and the real estate magnate’s campaign.
The GOP contender held Monday’s meeting at his Trump Tower in Manhattan — a gathering Trump said was entirely results-oriented and intended to express his sympathy for African Americans’ concerns.
“There was great love in the room,” Trump said of the meet.
Trump said they also discussed other important issues in the black community like unemployment and police brutality.
“What they really want more than anything else is results,” Trump said of their conversation about employment. “They want results in the form of jobs.”
Some analysts viewed Monday’s meeting as a strategic move by Trump’s camp to try and shore up a credibility gap between minorities — particularly blacks — and the wealthy businessman’s campaign.
Many members of the minority community have expressed a distrust of Trump and a lack of confidence that he would properly address their needs if he is elected president.
“We made history today because we had meaningful dialogue with Donald Trump, and we voiced concerns that are sensitive to the African-American community,” attendee Darrell Scott told the New York Times.
Trump further irritated relations with the minority community over the weekend when he suggested that a black protester who interrupted a campaign stop in Alabama deserved the physical beating he got from Trump supporters there.
Last week, Trump announced that Monday’s meeting would result in an endorsement by a contingent of black pastors. After the meeting, though, no such endorsement had taken place — with the pastors saying they had yet to decide which candidate to support.
Some pastors said there was never any plan to endorse Trump and that the meeting was simply a gathering to discuss important political issues. The Trump campaign called the discrepancy a “misunderstanding.”
Some of those who attended Monday’s meet even suggested that the media attention surrounding the event has proven to be a setback for the black community.
“They said we’re Uncle Toms, sellouts, every derogatory black term you can think of, they’re calling us that. Members of our own community,” Scott said.
