Democrats are taking aggressive steps to highlight President Trump’s focus on the hot-button cultural topics of race and heritage, betting it will play to …
Democrats are taking aggressive steps to highlight President Trump’s focus on the hot-button cultural topics of race and heritage, betting it will play to their party’s advantage in November.
Democrats have embraced the Black Lives Matter campaign, and are now moving swiftly to carve out a clear distinction between the parties when it comes to issues of racial injustice.
The movement has spiked in popularity since the brutal death of George Floyd in police custody in May, and Democrats are hoping to tap that momentum not only to move long-sought legislative reforms — which have little chance of being signed by Trump — but also to attract voters to the party in November.
“In this historic moment, it is critical that we listen to and trust the leadership of Black activists around the country,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said Tuesday, promoting legislation to shift police funding to other community services.
“They have been on the front lines in defense of Black lives for decades, and it is our responsibility as legislators to hear them, respect them and follow their example,” she said.
Last month, House Democrats passed broad-based criminal justice reforms designed to eradicate racial profiling and police brutality. Days before that, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ordered the removal of four portraits of Confederate figures displayed outside the House chamber.
And on Monday, Pelosi and members of her leadership team announced that the House Democratic Caucus — with its most diverse membership on record — had adopted a new internal rule encouraging lawmaker offices to prioritize diversity in their hiring practices.
Democratic appropriators are further charging ahead this week with government funding bills that seek to remove Confederate symbols from the Capitol and national parks — setting up a collision course with Trump, who has vowed to veto any effort that he views as a dismantling of history.
Trump in recent weeks has doubled down on the “America First” message he rode to a stunning victory in 2016. The message attracted the support of white, working-class voters who helped the president win crucial Midwestern states that were traditionally Democratic strongholds.
