More Black Celebrities, Former Democrats Express Support for Trump

THE CENTER SQUARE — After the failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, support has poured in from now former Democrats and former Democratic donors and celebrities.

Black television personality Amber Rose, who used to think Trump was a racist, endorsed him at the Republican National Convention. When explaining her change of heart, she said, “The media has lied to us about Donald Trump. I know this because I used to believe those lies, so I’m here to set the record straight.” She said she did her own research and met Trump supporters, saying, “this is when it hit me. This is where I belong.”

She continued: “The left told me to hate Trump, and even worse, to hate the other side and the people who support him. When you cut through the lies, you realize the truth. American families were better when Donald Trump was president. We were safer, wealthier and stronger. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote to put money back in our pockets and good food on our kids’ plates.”

In response, CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings said, “This is how you change the composition of the electorate.”

Another CNN commentator, Van Jones, said Rose’s speech was “probably the most dangerous speech for the Democratic coalition. That is a young woman of color. She is describing the experience a lot of people have, feeling that maybe for around 20 liberals you might get criticized too much, you might not be able to speak your mind. She spoke to it really well and she’s way more famous than any of us up here. To the extent that these guys are trying to bust up our coalition, that was a bunker buster right there.”

Blacks have traditionally supported Democrats by a significant margin. In 2020, Biden received 87% of the Black vote to just 12% for Trump. In this month’s The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted after Biden’s poor performance in June’s debate and before the assassination attempt on Trump, 72% of Black voters said they supported Biden to 18% support for Trump, a considerable swing.

Several Black athletes and celebrities have also endorsed Trump, according to Newsweek, including boxing promoter Don King, former NFL star Antonio Brown, rappers Kodak Black, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Sexxy Red, Azealia Banks, YG, and hip hop star, Waka Flocka Flame. Others who’ve supported him in the past include boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Kanye West. Essence lists another 17 Black celebrities and influencers who “still support” Trump.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, who is scheduled to introduce Trump at the convention Thursday night, shared his thoughts on Instagram after he learned that Trump survived and raised his arm victoriously. He said, “This image perfectly reflects EXACTLY the man I know Donald Trump to be. He is the toughest, most resilient, AMERICAN BAD A– on this planet. … I can’t WAIT to stand up on stage with him on Thursday and introduce him at the Republican National Convention and tell the WORLD exactly the character of the friend and man I KNOW!!”

Dana White and the UFC each donated $50,000 to a Trump-backed GoFundMe account for the families of those harmed at the Saturday Trump rally in Pennsylvania. So far, more than $5.2 million has been raised with more than 65,600 donations as of Wednesday.

Frank Stallone, the brother of actor Sylvester Stallone, initially thanked God “for protecting our only savior for our country, all the hatred coming from the left propels this kind of behavior.” He also posted a video on Instagram, saying, “we almost lost hopefully the future president of the United States and the former president United States. This hate speech coming from the left, [former House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi, [U.S. Reps.] AOC, Ilhan Omar, [U.S. Sen.] Chuck Schumer, it has to stop has to stop.”

Republicans, including Trump’s VP pick, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have pointed to years of comments made by Democrats and the media, including multiple outlets comparing Trump to Hitler, for contributing to the assassination attempt, The Center Square reported.

“I lived through the 1963 Kennedy assassination,” Stallone said. “It’s a demoralizing, horrible time. No one deserves this.” He said he wasn’t afraid to express his support for Trump, saying, “What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You’re going to cancel me? You’re going to take my voice away? You’re going to take my guitar playing away? You’re going to take my humor away? You aren’t canceling anything.”

Billionaire Elon Musk, who voted for Biden in 2020, endorsed Trump soon after the shooting, saying, “Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt.”

On Tuesday, Musk pledged to donate roughly $45 million every month to a new pro-Trump super political action committee, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Billionaire hedge fund manager and former Obama and Biden supporter, Bill Ackman, also endorsed Trump on X, Musk’s social media platform formerly known as Twitter. After the shooting, he said, “Biden is getting weaker and Trump is getting stronger. The election will likely be a Trump landslide and that’s a good thing. With a substantial majority behind him, Trump will be able to recruit best in class talent for his administration and he will be more effective in office without the distractions of a close election.

“With a less divided country, he will be able to execute more effectively. A divided America is a weak America. Let’s help Trump succeed and bring the country together. Imagine how much more we can achieve if we work together.”

Originally published by The Center Square.