A "Daily Show" focus group of Black New York voters led to a lively discussion after half of the members said they would vote for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
"Do I have to say his name? I don’t want to, but more than likely, it’s going to be Trump," one man in the group said.
His admission led to both applause and angry murmurs from the other focus group members, with one woman groaning "unbelievable," before proclaiming her support for President Biden.
The other members then revealed their intentions, with three pledging their vote to Biden and the other three standing firmly behind Trump.
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"Okay, we’re an even split, which — yeah, I didn’t see that coming," the focus group interviewer said as the voters erupted in laughter.
When asked, some members agreed there would be a "big shift" towards Trump in November.
"For me, I have always been a Democrat, and it’s like, for the most part, with the Democratic Party, they always make a bunch of promises that they cannot deliver," one male voter said.
"You know, they use the issues of the African American community as a soapbox to stand on and make promises just to get us to come out and vote, and then once we vote and everyone’s in place — it’s like, well, what happened?" one female voter chimed in.
As the voters debated their issues with the two candidates, some focus group members asked whether Biden had issued an apology for past comments he directed at the Black community in media appearances.
"They have both said things that were questionable and unsavory, but when you start looking at facts — it’s like Biden, you done dropped the ball, brother," a female voter said.
Some focus group members specifically referenced a "Breakfast Club" interview in May 2020, when Biden told popular radio show host Charlamagne tha God, "If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black."
A New York Times/Siena College poll released in late June showed 48% of the electorate say they would vote for Trump, the Republican, if the presidential election were held that same day, while 44% said they would vote for Biden, the Democrat. That contrasts with April’s New York Times/Siena College poll that showed Trump leading Biden by just one percentage point.
The poll showed 26% of Black likely voters would support Trump in the 2024 election. While 65% of Black likely voters said they would support Biden, Trump’s gains represent a significant uptick since 2020.
