FEB. 25, 2016
David Duke supports Trump.
On Facebook, the former Klansman urges his followers to vote for Trump, saying it is “treason to your heritage” to vote for others.
FEB. 26, 2016
Trump disavows David Duke.
At a news conference, Trump says he didn’t know about Duke’s announcement and responds “I disavow. OK?”
FEB. 28 – 29, 2016
Trump non-answer on David Duke.
On CNN, Trump is asked in multiple ways if he condemns David Duke and does not directly answer. The following day,
Trump says this was because he had a bad earpiece.
MAY 5, 2016
Taco salad.
Trump tweets photo of him eating a taco salad, tweeting “I love Hispanics” and “Happy #CincoDeMayo.”
MAY 26, 2016
First criticizes Mexican-American judge. In a
San Diego, California speech,Trump criticizes Judge Gonzalo Curiel hours before
Curiel’s court announces he has cleared the public release of some controversial Trump University documents. Trump said Curiel “happens to be, we believe, Mexican.” He also states “Mexicans are going to end up loving Donald Trump.”
JUNE 2-3, 2016
More on judge’s Mexican heritage.Speaking with
the WSJ and
CNN, Trump says Judge Curiel’s Mexican heritage is an absolute conflict in his oversight of the Trump University case and he cannot be fair. On
CBS, Trump calls his inference that Curiel is biased because of his race “common sense.”
JUNE 3, 2016
“My African-American”; Chinese-American support.
In Redding, California,Trump stresses support from African-Americans and points to a black man in the crowd, saying, “Oh l
ook at my African-American over here!” In the speech, he also spoke of support from a group of Chinese-Americans.
JUNE 11, 2016
Misleading claim on black unemployment. In Richmond, Virginia, Trump says he will expand his campaign theme to include “everyone.” Then, around the 25 minute mark, he argues America is in decline, saying “African-American youth is an example: 59 percent unemployment rate; 59 percent.”
Politifact rated the claim “mostly false.”
JUNE 25, 2016
Muslim ban, but not for certain Muslims.
Trump tells reporters with him in Scotland that it wouldn’t bother him for a Scottish Muslim to enter the United States. This, after he had pledged in December
to ban all Muslims from arriving in the U.S.. Advisers try to walk back the comments and say the ban would focus on countries associated with terrorist groups.
JULY 11, 2016
The law and order president. Days after a racially-motivated black
gunman killed five Dallas police officers at a protest march,
Trump gives a Virginia Beach speech supporting law enforcement, declaring, “I am the law and order candidate” and “the candidate of compassion”.
JULY 12, 2016
Blacks not necessarily wrong about police. In wake of police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Alabama,
Trump tells FOX News that blacks are not necessarily wrong about police mistreatment and that police shootings “could be” part of systemic racism. In the same interview, he criticizes the Black Lives Matters movement.
JULY 15, 2016
“…the South overplayed its hand,” Trump says of the Civil War in
an interview with Time. Trump indicates he thinks the South could have settled without war.
JULY 30, 2016
Ghazala Khan.
Trump questions why Gold Star mother and Pakistani-American Ghazala Khan was silent when her husband spoke at the Democratic convention. “Maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say,” Trump suggested.
Mrs. Khan later said she did not speak because she was overcome by emotion.
AUG. 16, 2016
Direct appeal to African-Americans.
Trump directly asks for African-American votes in a speech about law and order. He vows to protect minorities from immigrants who could take their jobs and accuses Hillary Clinton of bigotry.
AUG. 18, 2016
Appeal to African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Trump promises “jobs, safety” and “fair, equal representation” to “African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and all Americans.” (Note:
he also expressed regrets for some of his recent words, though did not specify which words.)
AUG. 19, 2016
“What do you have to lose?” Trump asks African-Americans as he argues that Democrats have failed them and they should give him their vote. “You live in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs.” These less-scripted
remarks were in Dimondale, Michigan, which critics pointed out is 93 percent white. He also repeated incorrect statistics about black youth unemployment.
AUG. 20, 2016
Trump says GOP should be home for African-Americans.
At a Fredericksburg, Virginia rally, Trump says he wants the Republican Party to “be the home of the African-American vote once again.”
SEPT. 2, 2016
Philadelphia black roundtable.
Trump participates in a roundtable discussionwith black leaders and community members affected by crime in Philadelphia.
SEPT. 3, 2016
Detroit black church visit. Trump attends
event at African-American church in Detroit. He did not originally plan on speaking, but said in an address that “I’m here to learn.”
The NYT obtained a
proposed campaign script for an interview with the church’s pastor. Trump also
visited Ben Carson’s boyhood home.
SEPT. 15, 2016
Continues birtherism. In an
interview with the Washington Post, Trump refuses to answer whether he believes President Obama was born in the United States.
SEPT. 16, 2016
Ends birtherism. In a 10-word statement at his D.C. hotel,
Trump tells a room of supporters and media that “President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period.”
SEPT. 20, 2016
African-American communities are in “the worst shape ever,” Trump says at a
rally in Kenansville, North Carolina. Politifact gives that
a “pants on fire” rating.
SEPT. 21, 2016
Stop and frisk.
While recording a town hall with FOX News’ Sean Hannity,Trump is asked about his solution to black-on-black crime and responds that he supports “stop and frisk,” which allows police to question and temporarily detain anyone.
Studies have shown minorities are disproportionately detained in “stop and frisk.”
SEPT. 24, 2016
Praises African-American museum but gets name wrong. While
speaking in Roanoke, Virginia, Trump praises the recently-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington as “beautiful” but mistakenly calls it the “Smithsonian national Museum of American History, African-American Art”.
SEPT. 26, 2016
“Living in Hell.” At the first presidential debate,
Trump states that “African Americans and Hispanics are living in hell. You walk down the street and you get shot.” He again calls for “law and order.”
OCT. 6, 2016
Still believes Central Park Five are guilty.
Trump gives CNN a statement about the
five men falsely imprisoned for a 1989 rape, saying “they admitted they were guilty.”
Experts point to the men’s confessions as an example of police coercion. DNA evidence concluded another man committed the crime.
OCT. 9, 2016
Wrong on black poverty and narrow idea of where blacks live.
During the second presidential debate, Trump equates inner cities with African-Americans and falsely states the urban black poverty rate (inflating it by nearly 20 percentage points).
OCT. 11, 2016
Apprentice contestant claims racist comment. Randal Pinkett, the first-African American champion of the show,
tells the Hollywood Reporter that Trump asked him if he would share his title with the runner-up — a white woman.
OCT. 26, 2016
A new deal for black America, “uneven justice.” In Charlotte, North Carolina,
Trump unveils his “new deal for black America,” pledging to push for tax holidays in U.S. cities and incentives to move foreign jobs to urban centers. He also declared there is “uneven justice.”