Senator Tim Scott Predicts “50% Increase” In Black Support for Trump in 2020

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Feb 23, 2020

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is predicting a “50% increase” in support for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Scott made the prediction in an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on Friday.

“President Trump will see a 50 percent increase in his African-American support. It will go from 8 percent in 2016 to a minimum of 12 percent in 2020. He may even get to 15 percent of the African American vote, and that is game over.”

Such a small slice of the black vote may seem small, but it very well could prove enough to be impactful in swing states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. Scott pointed to President Trump’s performance on economic policy as a possible factor in drawing black support to the GOP in 2020.

“[Trump] had an executive order to increase affordability of home ownership, and African American home ownership since he took office is up about 2%… President Trump is not just talking a good game, he is walking a good game.”

Scott pointed to the possibility of a Michael Bloomberg nomination alienating some Black Americans from the Democratic Party.

African Americans have been one of the most consistent voting blocs for the Democratic Party since the 1960’s. Some blacks are concerned that they’re not a priority for the Democratic Party in an era where the party has made generous policy concessions to various demographic groups.

A realignment of some Black Americans into the Republican Party wouldn’t be without precedent in American history. African Americans originally strongly supported the reconstruction-era Republican Party when they were granted voting rights(in theory) after the Civil War. The first black U.S Senator and House Representative was a Republican.