President Donald Trump’s “tone” is compelling minorities to vote against his candidates of choice in the midterm elections, NAACP leader Jamal Watkins said Thursday.
“What we’re facing is that communities, in particular communities of color, are feeling the sort of impact of the tone he [President Trump] is setting in this country as it relates to who they are, their conditions, the policies that affect these communities and families,” Watkins, vice president of civic engagement at the NAACP, told the Hill.TV.
“It’s a motivating factor probably in the opposite direction of what the president would want in terms of voting pattern.”
Watkins told Hill.TV there has been an uptick in voter registration in key states like Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
And while midterm elections usually have a lower turnout, Watkins told the political news site that Trump is motivating a surge even though he's not on the ballot.
Trump has been criticized for his recent name calling of African Americans, including labelling Omarosa Manigault Newman “a dog” and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) “an extraordinarily low IQ person.”
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