Donald Trump saw an increase in support from Black male voters during the 2020 election. In addition, popular Black music artists like Kanye West and 50 Cent expressed their support for Trump, while Lil Wayne offered a public endorsement.
Former President Barack Obama theorized why Trump received more support from Black males during his interview with The Atlantic. Obama suggested that Hip Hop culture and Trump's values are similar in that both measure success through material goods.
"It's interesting—people are writing about the fact that Trump increased his support among Black men [in the 2020 presidential election], and the occasional rapper who supported Trump," Obama said. "I have to remind myself that if you listen to rap music, it's all about the bling, the women, the money. A lot of rap videos are using the same measures of what it means to be successful as Donald Trump is. Everything is gold-plated. That insinuates itself and seeps into the culture."
"Michelle and I were talking about the fact that although we grew up in very different places, we were both very much working-class, lower-middle-class, in terms of income, and we weren't subject day-to-day to the sense that if you don't have this stuff then you are somehow not worthy," Obama continued. "America has always had a caste system—rich and poor, not just racially but economically—but it wasn't in your face most of the time when I was growing up. Then you start seeing Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, that sense that either you've got it or you're a loser. And Donald Trump epitomizes that cultural movement that is deeply ingrained now in American culture."
During the interview, Obama also talked about the coronavirus, his legacy, and Trump's refusal to concede following Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
Source: The Atlantic
