Jared Kushner's latest remarks about the Black community in the US has left many red-faced. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and White House advisor bragged about Trump's policies to help the African Americans while appearing on Monday. But as he spoke highly of the President, Kushner made some demeaning statements about the country's Black community, implying that the Black Americans do not want to be successful.
"President Trump's policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they're complaining about, but he can't want them to be successful more than they want to be successful," Kushner said while talking to a trio of hosts on "Fox & Friends."
This statement didn't go down well for the presidential son-in-law, who was born and married into wealth. Kushner implying that some members of the Black community are not successful because they don't want to be, rather than considering the hurdles of institutional racism experienced by Black people in the US.
Kushner's remarks irk Americans
Kushner's statement started a furious debate on the internet, with people calling out the White House advisor for his insensitive remarks.
"Jared Kushner speaks as if Black people are lazy complainers who don't want to be successful. This blatant DISRESPECT shows he has NO understanding of the Black community and its challenges that have spanned centuries. You can't "fix" these problems from this level of ego," tweeted Ben Crump, civil rights attorney who has worked for the families of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and shooting victim Blake.
"I think he really wants another billboard," George Conway, husband of former White House official Kellyanne Conway, tweeted in response to Kushner's statements.
"Jared Kushner - son and husband of privilege - has a message for the black community: You would have more wealth if you just wanted it more,' commented Jason Kander, a former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Missouri.
"Born on third base, thinks he hit a triple. Few in US history have been given as much wealth or power without having to earn a thing as Jared Kushner. His father-in-law gave him the position he is failing at miserably, with deadly consequences. We will remember his casual racism," US representative for Virginia tweeted.
White House defends Kushner
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement following backlash over Kushner's statements, saying they were taken out of context.
"It's disgusting to see internet trolls taking Senior Advisor Jared Kushner out of context as they try to distract from President Trump's undeniable record of accomplishment for the black community," McEnany said, according to Bloomberg.
A recent analysis by FiveThirtyEight shows that Trump is gaining support from Black voters, more than he did during his 2016 poll. After losing among Black voters by about 82 percentage points in 2016, the gap has been closed in support to about 71 percent this year. Black men have shown particular interest in supporting Trump.
"What you're seeing throughout the country now is a groundswell of support in the Black community because they're realising that all the different bad things that the media and the Democrats have said about President Trump and not true and so they're seeing that he's actually delivered. President Trump may not always say the right things, but he does the right things. He says what's on his mind and he gets results," Kushner said.
