“I know it’s only Sunday, but I’m pretty sure this masterpiece from CNN is going to end up being the best thing you see all week. It’s also a flashing red light for Democrats hoping their traditional coalition is going to save them in November.”
This setup began when Donald Trump questioned Kamala Harris’ ethnic authenticity while speaking at the National Association of Black Journalists. When asked whether she was a “DEI hire,” the former president took a different approach, noting that she shifts between her Indian and African heritage depending on the audience she’s addressing. He also remarked on her changing accent. Naturally, this sent the press into a frenzy. As of this writing, we are now on day five of Trump’s statement leading the news, and CBS News decided to delve deeper by visiting a black barbershop. The intent was clear: the liberal network aimed to capture praise for Harris and condemnations of Trump as a racist.
However, the outcome was far more unexpected. Here’s a part of that report as shown by CNN, which handled the situation predictably. Well, that’s certainly interesting. Polls have continually shown that black men are trending toward Donald Trump, and the fact that CBS News walked into a black barbershop and received those responses provides more evidence of this shift.
A significant change is underway. How large or impactful it is won’t be clear until November, but Harris is not the guaranteed choice for the black community that mainstream media has been suggesting. There are also at least some black individuals who did not find Trump’s comments offensive but instead agreed with the sentiment. CBS News’ latest poll shows Trump garnering 18 percent of the black vote, compared to just 8 percent in 2020.
What stood out about CNN’s coverage of the report was that when it ended, Michael Smerconish quickly dismissed the black men as “low information voters” by citing people who called into his radio show. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that people who call into the radio show of a far-left Democrat are not neutral arbiters regarding the black community. I’m also going to suggest that calling black people who disagree with you “low-information” (i.e., dumb) is probably not the best way to solidify support for Harris. CNN just can’t help itself, though, told The Daily Mail.
Whether Democrats like it or not, questions about Harris’ authenticity are going to persist, even among black Americans. Trump planted the seed, and it’s now in the public consciousness. While he’s unlikely to win 30 percent of the black vote, minds are being changed at a level that could influence the election’s outcome.
Black guys at Harrisburg barbershop tell local CBS reporter that @KamalaHarris isn’t really black: “To me, no.” pic.twitter.com/cdZUX5UwEF
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) August 3, 2024
CBS News Goes to a Black Barbershop to Ask About Kamala Harris, and the Answers Are Absolute Gold https://t.co/1lHVxnN8Bl
— streiff (@streiffredstate) August 4, 2024