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Trump to blacks: Vote for me, you’ve nothing to lose

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on August 19, 2016 in Dimondale, Michigan. © AFP

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has asked African-American voters to vote for him since they “have nothing to lose” in the United States. 

Speaking at a rally in the state of Michigan at Friday night, Trump talked about disproportionate levels of poverty, unemployment and failing schools for the black community in the United States and claimed he would make a better future for them if he won the White House.

"You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth is unemployed -- what the hell do you have to lose?" Trump asked the audience.

“Tonight, I'm asking for the vote of every single African-American citizen in this country who wants to see a better future,” he added.

Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. © AFP

The billionaire accused his rival, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, of having inflicted pain on the black community, saying she considers African-Americans "only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future."

“No group in America has been more harmed by Hillary Clinton's policies than African-Americans. No group. No group,” he said.

Trump said Clinton will give jobs to refugees rather than unemployed African-Americans.

 The Republican nominee further made a bold prediction about his ability to get the support of the community if he won this election and ran for re-election in 2020.

"At the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 percent of the African-American vote. I promise you," he claimed.

In a tweet on Friday evening, Clinton described Trump’s comments as “ignorant” and “staggering."

Trump painting the entire community as living in poverty with no jobs continues to show he is completely out of touch with the African-American community," said the Clinton campaign’s Marlon Marshall.

An opinion poll released by NBC News/Wall Street Journal on Thursday shows Clinton enjoys an indisputably colossal lead in African-American votes over Trump.

Pew Research also released a national poll on Friday, showing the Republican nominee trailing his Democrat rival 85 to 2 among black voters.

Last month, Trump criticized the movement of Black Lives Matter, which was born to protest police unnecessary force against African Americans.

Protesters march during a protest against police brutality in New York City on August 1, 2016. © AFP

A recent surge in the death of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of white officers has prompted nationwide protests across America and gave rise to the anti-racism movement.

Trump, however, described the movement as “very divisive,” saying the first time he heard the term Black Lives Matter, “I said, ‘You have to be kidding.”

He said that there "could be" a problem causing police to treat blacks differently than whites.


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