In Washington on Wednesday, President Donald Trump hosted a White House reception for Black History Month, using the platform to emphasize Black Americans’ contributions and to outline what he said were administration efforts benefiting the community. The event took place against the backdrop of a recent controversy over his social media activity involving former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, a post that drew bipartisan outcry before it was deleted.
Trump spoke of honoring Black History Month and of continuing the legacy of those who came before, saying, “We celebrate Black History Month. We honor the memory of those who came before us by continuing their legacy.” During the reception, he did not reference the video controversy itself. Less than two weeks earlier, he had posted a racist video depicting the Obamas as primates in a jungle, and after widespread backlash he deleted it, but he told reporters he would not apologize for posting.
Rather than discussing Obama by name, Trump instead focused on other Black Americans he said were history-making and gave praise from the stage to prominent figures among his supporters, including boxer Mike Tyson. The Associated Press report also said Trump praised Tyson for defending him against accusations of racism. Trump also name-checked rapper Nicki Minaj and commented on her appearance.
The White House reception included several members of Trump’s administration, including Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Alice Marie Johnson, who serves as the president’s pardon czar. Johnson addressed the crowd by linking the president’s message to the attendees, saying, “As you look out upon this sea of Black Americans, this president hears you. This president cares for you. Don’t let anyone tell you that this president right here, Donald Trump has not — is not for Black America,” before continuing, “Because he is.”
Trump also described specific steps he said his policies took to help Black Americans. The report said he pointed to a law he signed last year eliminating federal income taxes on tips. He also cited what he described as the deployment of National Guard troops to “bring back safety” in cities with large Black populations, including Washington, New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee.
The Associated Press account said the reception followed the day after Trump posted another message on social media. In that post, he proclaimed that he has been “falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left,” framing the remarks as a tribute to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday.
After reporters asked about Trump’s post, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Wednesday: “There is a lot this president has done for all Americans, regardless of race. And he has absolutely been falsely called and smeared as a racist.”
The reception also reflected, according to the Associated Press report, tensions around Trump’s broader record while in office and as he begins his second term. The report said critics have pointed to his administration’s actions and rhetoric that they say contradict celebrations of diversity and the contributions of Black Americans, including targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs and pressing to remove them from government and to encourage private-sector efforts to do likewise.
The report further said Trump has positioned himself as a champion of historically Black colleges and universities, and that the White House highlighted a step taken last year to steer $500 million to HBCUs. It added that the “one-time boost” came, in part, from federal money taken away from colleges serving large shares of Hispanic students and from Education Department adjustments that the report described as pulling $350 million from other grant programs aimed at colleges with certain percentages of Hispanic students and other minority groups, which the administration said were unconstitutional.
In addition, the Associated Press report said Trump issued an executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history,” which the administration used to remove information from national parks that it described as disparaging Americans past or living, including Black history markers. The report also said the White House highlighted a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month while the Defense Department was described as declaring it would no longer use official resources to mark cultural awareness months.