Amidst the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday urged the African-American community to favour him over the Democratic Party for a "better future".
Pitching to garner more votes from the community, Trump said, "Tonight, I am asking for the vote of every African-American citizen in this country who wants a better future." The 70-year-old also alleged that Hillary Clinton had done "nothing for them."
"No group in America has been more harmed by Hillary Clinton's policies than African-Americans. If Hillary Clinton's goal was to inflict pain on the African-American community, she couldn't have done a better job," Trump added.
However, earlier reports have suggested that Clinton, the Democratic presidential hopeful, enjoys over 90 per cent of the support base from the community.
While addressing the audience at the Michigan election rally, Trump asked the black community," Look at how much African-American communities are suffering from democratic control. To those I say the follow, what do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump? What do you have to lose?"
Look, what do you have to lose? You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 per cent of your youths are unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose? And at the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 per cent of the African-American vote. I promise you because I will produce for the African-Americans," Trump said.
In response to Trump's comments, the Clinton campaign criticised his alleged history with the black community.
Donald Trump asks what the African-American community has to lose by voting for him. The answer is everything from a man who questions the citizenship of the first African-American President, courts white supremacists, and has been sued for housing discrimination against communities of colour," said Hillary for America Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall.
Marshal also added, "Trump painting the entire community as living in poverty with no jobs continues to show that he is completely out of touch with the African-American community."
