Jared Kushner sparked controversy on Monday when he appeared on Fox News and criticized Black Americans for voting for Democrats and not supporting Donald Trump. The quotes spread quickly on social media, forcing the White House to defend Trump’s son-in-law and advisor as he attempts to help the president’s reelection campaign.
Kushner appeared on Fox And Friends on Monday morning, speaking about how many Black voters identify as Democrats despite his claim that Donald Trump’s policies actually benefit them more. He claimed that many Black voters need to “want” to be successful in order for Trump to help them.
Jared Kushner on the Black community: “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 that they want to be successful.” pic.twitter.com/SX9vWiAfag
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 26, 2020
“One thing we’ve seen in the Black community, which is mostly Democrat, is that President Trump’s policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they’re complaining about,” Kushner said. “But he can’t want them to be successful more than that they want to be successful.”
Kushner claimed there’s a “groundswell” of Black voters coming to Trump in the campaign’s final days because they are “realizing that all the different things bad things the media and Democrats have said about President Trump are not true.” But to many, the comments from Kushner — who grew up in a family with inherited wealth — were implying the economic disparity in some Black communities exists because people of color simply don’t want to fix their “problems” enough to do it.
A number of people were quick to criticize the comments, sharing the video on social media and providing commentary about Kushner’s choice of words.
Jared Kushner wants to distract white voters with images of “complaining” and “lazy” Black people so they won’t vote to make billionaires like the Kushners pay their fair share in taxes.
Our country will be truly great only when we put an end to their divide-and-conquer tactics. https://t.co/GPRm2ioC2E
— Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) October 26, 2020
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. pic.twitter.com/2zL2tgQgfi
— Jason Kander (@JasonKander) October 26, 2020
You have to hand it to Jared Kushner, because that’s the only way he’s ever achieved or accomplished anything his whole life.
— Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) October 26, 2020
The White House quickly responded to criticism of the comments as well, claiming Kushner’s statement about Black voters was taken out of context by “trolls.”
“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,” @PressSec says. Via @JenniferJJacobs pic.twitter.com/GYU49L0tXL
— Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou (@misyrlena) October 26, 2020
Still, it’s not a great look for Kushner and Trump in the final days of an election in which millions of people have already voted and Trump is behind in polls nationally. There aren’t many undecided voters left in America after an exhausting campaign and two head-to-head debates, but Kushner likely didn’t help his cause very much on Fox News on Monday.