Today, as Vice President Joe Biden unveiled investments to advance racial equity as part of his Build Back Better economic recovery plan, Trump’s failure to address racial disparities in our nation over the course of his presidency, despite promises and boasts about everything he’s done for minority communities, came into clearer focus.
Not only have Trump’s economic policies supported big corporations and wealthy investors instead of communities of color, his failed coronavirus response has made this public health crisis worse than it needed to be, particularly in communities of color where the virus already had a disproportionate impact. As Trump has failed to seriously respond to the pandemic, unemployment has been particularly high for Black and Latino workers nationwide.
“During his presidency, Donald Trump hasn’t just failed to address racial disparities, he’s actively made them worse with economic policies tilted in favor of corporations and wealthy investors,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “Tragically, Trump has failed to respond as the pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color both in health and economic outcomes. Joe Biden is making racial equity a centerpiece of his economic recovery plan, and our choice this November couldn’t be clearer.”
BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S BROKEN PROMISES TO MAINE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
Promise: Trump: “To those African Americans and Latinos suffering in our country, I say, very simply, what the hell do you have to lose? Vote for Donald Trump. I am going to fix it.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Prescott AZ, 10/4/16]
Reality: Trump failed to respond to the racial disparities being exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis. Data shows that Black, Latinx, and Native American communities have been disproportionately hurt during the pandemic.
Reality: Trump’s tax law hurt communities of color. Black and Latinx households were disproportionately left out of the benefits from Trump’s tax law in 2018. The average tax cut for Black households was less than a third of the average white household, while the average tax cut for Latinx households was less than half that of the average white household.
Reality: Trump’s economic policies have failed to help close the racial wealth gap. In Maine, the median household income for Black families is $48,840 compared to $55,932 for white households.
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