The President, who has presented different messages on race when playing to different audiences, detailed the proposal during an Atlanta event
The proposals include prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan and Antifa as terrorist organizations, making Juneteenth a federal holiday and efforts to bolster Black economic prosperity.
“They only care about power for themselves, whatever that means. My opponent is offering Black Americans nothing but the same old, tired, empty slogans,” Trump argued.
But on Friday, the President spoke about the pillars of the plan in broad terms, saying, that among other proposals, he would be building up “peaceful” urban neighborhoods with the “highest standards” of policing, bringing fairness to the justice system, expanding school choice, increasing Black home ownership and creating a “national clemency project to right wrongful prosecutions and to pardon individuals who have reformed their (lives).”
The proposal borrows efforts from proposals by other Republicans, such as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who played a vital role in the establishment of opportunity zones and remains the sole Black Republican in the Senate.
For example, Trump’s plan proposes making lynching a national hate crime. In 2019, Scott co-sponsored legislation to make lynching a hate crime alongside none other than California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, who is now the Democratic vice presidential nominee. The legislation passed in the Senate but was never passed by the House.
As demonstrations rocked the country this summer protesting against police brutality and racism following the death of George Floyd, the President sought to console Black Americans who have died as a result of police violence. However, he has consistently delivered a law and order message, calling demonstrators “thugs” and “anarchists” and rebuking what he said was protesters’ “mob rule.”
“I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous,” Trump said.
In June, several senators, including Scott and other Republicans, co-sponsored legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
CNN’s Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.