Former President Donald J. Trump does not respect intelligent, strong Black women.
Such distaste for strong Black women was evident during a recent appearance at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Chicago, Illinois.
As soon as he walked on stage, Trump was condescending and insulting. When ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott posed the first question, asking why Black people should support his second candidacy for the White House based on past comments of Black leaders, support of January 6, 2021, questioning of former President Barack Obama’s birthplace, rioters, and diversity hiring, he immediately went on the attack.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” Trump said. “You don’t even say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ Are you with ABC? Because I think they are a fake news network.”
Never mind that Scott, an intelligent, strong Black Woman, greeted him with a handshake, and said, “President Trump, so happy to see you,” and followed up with, “Mr. President, we so appreciate you giving us an hour of your time,” before posing her first question.
At a 2018 press conference, Trump did not like a question from reporter April Ryan, an intelligent, strong, Black woman, in the White House Briefing Room, resulting in him telling her to “sit down,” later calling her “nasty” and a “loser.” What was Ryan’s alleged crime? Questioning Trump about voter suppression.
During his appearance at NABJ and subsequently, particularly since she became the presumptive and now official Democratic nominee for President, Trump has lobbed offensive insults at Vice President Kamala Harris. At NABJ, he opined Harris “happened to turn Black” a few ago, continuing “all of a sudden, she made a turn” in her identity.
Since his appearance in Chicago, he has publicly called Vice President Harris an expletive on a golf course, as well as “stupid” and a “loser.” In addition, close aides have reported that he often privately refers to Harris as a “bi**h.”
Harris, the first female and the first Black and South Asian vice president of the United States, is an intelligent, strong, Black woman.
What Trump is incapable of comprehending is that he is not the first white man to question the value and intelligence of Black women. Before he did so with Harris, Scott, and Ryan, there were white men challenging strong Black women such as Sojourner Truth, Dorothy Height, Fannie Lou Hammer, Shirley Chisholm, Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, and countless others.
Harris, Scott, and Ryan stand on the shoulders of Truth, Height, Hammer, Chisholm, King, and other intelligent, strong Black women.
Intelligent, strong Black women will always be a threat to Donald J. Trump.
And much to the former president’s chagrin, the intelligent, strong Black woman that is Vice President Harris will certainly not ease any of those insecurities.