President Donald Trump's support among Republicans in the African-American community has unraveled following his comments on the violence in Charlottesville, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
Some black conservatives have withdrawn support for Trump while others are weighing whether to leave the party altogether because they fear Republicans might be guilty of advocating racism.
Gregory Cheadle, a former Republican California congressional candidate who Trump called "my African American," told the Times his backing for the president is on life support. Sen. Tim Scott said the president's "moral authority is compromised." And Shermichael Singleton, fired from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for criticizing Trump, told the Times it was "difficult to continue to have hope for President Trump."
Trump last Tuesday doubled down on his original comments about the incidents in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 where white nationalists clashed with counter-protestors, saying "many sides" were to blame for the deadly rally that resulted in three deaths and at least 34 injuries.
The fallout from Trump's comments has been heavy as lawmakers from both sides slammed him and four high-powered executives walked away from his manufacturing advisory board to protest his delay in denouncing white supremacy.
The majority of black Republicans told the Times they would still support Trump but hope that he eventually proves his critics wrong.
The president could "regain" his moral authority by sitting down with "folks who have a personal experience, a deep connection to the horror and the pain of this country's provocative racial history," Scott said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
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