New Book Shows How Much President Trump Doesn’t Care About Black Pain

A new book written by journalist Bob Woodward details President Donald Trump’s lack of empathy and interest in the livelihood of Black Americans.

For his book, titled Rage, Woodward conducted, and recorded, nearly 20 interviews with Trump over several months detailing the president’s thoughts on George Floyd’s death and resulting protests. In a phone conversation with Trump three weeks after Floyd’s death, Trump downplayed concerns Black people have about racism in America.

During the call,  Woodward told the president they’re both “privileged” older white men and have to be more aware of how Black people feel. In response, Trump mocked him, saying they do not need to understand the “anger and pain” felt by Black communities.

“No…You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don’t feel that at all,” Trump told Woodward.

Woodward tried to keep the conversation on race but the President began to pivot toward the economy, again claiming he “has done more for the African American community than any other president in history besides Lincoln.”

“I’ve done a tremendous amount for the Black community. And, honestly, I’m not feeling any love,” Trump said during a conversation on July 8.

In a separate conversation days later, Woodward brought up race again, however, this time Trump said systemic racism isn’t limited to just the United States.

“Well, I think there is everywhere. I think probably less here than most places. Or less here than many places,” the president told Woodward.

Trump also expressed issues with several Black leaders including Barack Obama who he referred to as “Barack Hussein.”

“I don’t think Obama’s smart. I think he’s highly overrated. And I don’t think he’s a great speaker,” Trump told Woodward, adding that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Obama an “a**hole” when they spoke privately.

The book also had a number of admissions made by the president regarding his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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New Book Shows How Much President Trump Doesn’t Care About Black Pain

A new book written by journalist Bob Woodward details President Donald Trump’s lack of empathy and interest in the livelihood of Black Americans.

For his book, titled Rage, Woodward conducted, and recorded, nearly 20 interviews with Trump over several months detailing the president’s thoughts on George Floyd’s death and resulting protests. In a phone conversation with Trump three weeks after Floyd’s death, Trump downplayed concerns Black people have about racism in America.

During the call,  Woodward told the president they’re both “privileged” older white men and have to be more aware of how Black people feel. In response, Trump mocked him, saying they do not need to understand the “anger and pain” felt by Black communities.

“No…You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don’t feel that at all,” Trump told Woodward.

Woodward tried to keep the conversation on race but the President began to pivot toward the economy, again claiming he “has done more for the African American community than any other president in history besides Lincoln.”

“I’ve done a tremendous amount for the Black community. And, honestly, I’m not feeling any love,” Trump said during a conversation on July 8.

In a separate conversation days later, Woodward brought up race again, however, this time Trump said systemic racism isn’t limited to just the United States.

“Well, I think there is everywhere. I think probably less here than most places. Or less here than many places,” the president told Woodward.

Trump also expressed issues with several Black leaders including Barack Obama who he referred to as “Barack Hussein.”

“I don’t think Obama’s smart. I think he’s highly overrated. And I don’t think he’s a great speaker,” Trump told Woodward, adding that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Obama an “a**hole” when they spoke privately.

The book also had a number of admissions made by the president regarding his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Arizona Police Officer Suspended After Holding Black Hotel Employee at Gunpoint While Looking for White Suspect

A police officer in Tempe, Arizona, is under investigation because, while searching for a white suspect, he held a Black hotel employee at gunpoint according to AZFamily.

The police officer, Ronald Kerzaya, has been reassigned due to the incident that took place at a hotel. He stopped and had a gun pointed at the Black hotel worker who was wearing a light gray shirt and black pants, telling him he matched the description of a reported gunman. But, the reported suspect had been described as white, with a black shirt and tan pants.

Based on a news release from the Tempe Police Department, Officer Kerzaya had gone to the Hawthorn Suites hotel near Loop 101 and Southern Avenue last month on Aug. 29 on a call reporting that there was a man there with a gun. The manager of the hotel told Kerzaya the suspect was a white man wearing a black T-shirt and tan pants. The manager stated that the suspect left out of the west side of the building.

As Kerzaya went to the west side of the building, he encountered a Black employee wearing a light gray shirt and black pants as he was exiting the building and the Black man identified himself as an employee. Kerzaya then held the man at gunpoint “until he could confirm that he was an employee of the hotel.”

The body camera footage released by the Tempe Police Department shows Kerzaya holding the man at gunpoint for three minutes while confirming with dispatch that the man was an employee at the hotel. Kerzaya is heard telling the Black employee, “I am responding to somebody with a firearm who matches your description,” although Kerzaya had just confirmed with the hotel manager two minutes before encountering the Black employee that the suspect with the gun was a white man.

Mayor Corey D. Woods released a statement regarding the Hawthorn Suites incident.

“While the matter is under investigation and we will await the outcome of that examination, from our early review of the body camera footage, the Officer’s actions were not a demonstration of the quality of service or treatment of people that Tempe seeks to, can and must provide. The fact that no one was injured is a great relief, but that does little to reduce the dissatisfaction with this incident.

“City Manager, Andrew Ching, and I have been reviewing this and other recent incidents closely as we continue to formulate the City’s plans to address these challenges. In this instance, I have spoken several times to the hotel manager and the employee who was wrongly identified as the suspect who prompted the original call for service. We all can imagine the horrible feelings—the humiliation and fear—that the employee felt during the incident and since.”

Kerzaya is currently under investigation by the Tempe Police Department and has been placed in an administrative role.

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Alicia Keys and NFL launch $1B fund for Black businesses and community

Alicia Keys and the NFL will work together on the endeavor to create generational wealth

Alicia Keys performed the Black national anthem on the opening night of the NFL season as the league announced that it was teaming up with the singer to establish a $1B initiative aimed at helping Black businesses and communities.

Read More: NFL’s Josh Bellamy charged with fraud in alleged COVID-19 relief scheme

Her performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” included imagery of the protests that have resulted since the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

.@AliciaKeys performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing" #ItTakesAllOfUs pic.twitter.com/Zfo9xFzD5w

— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2020

Keys explained to Billboard why she decided to partner with the NFL, noting that “blatant injustices” were evident for all to see.

“As an artist, I’m always thinking about how can I use my platform to further racial equity,” the 15-time Grammy winner said. “This fund is one of the answers and our goal is to empower Black America through investing in Black businesses, Black investors, institutions, entrepreneurs, schools, and banks in a way to create sustainable solutions.”

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

Keys added that the NFL’s commitment to change is more than just a one-time donation. She sought a years-long effort for the endowment in which there are other anonymous investors.

“The initial goal of $1 billion is to ensure a substantial commitment,” Keys says. “Even with that, it does not come close to closing the economic gap. The next steps are to reach out to different industries to invite them to invest in racial justice and create a multi-billion dollar endowment across business sectors.”

As theGrio previously reported, the NFL has become more willing to use its platform to effect policy and bring awareness to issues of racial injustice. It is a departure from their stance on Colin Kaepernick more than four years ago when he took a knee to protest the shootings of Black men by police.

His actions led to a backlash from the league, President Donald Trump, and others who believed he was disrespecting the military and the flag.

Members of the Detroit Lions take a knee during the playing of the national anthem prior to the start of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Detroit’s Ford Field. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback sued the league for collusion for allegedly blackballing him. Both sides settled the case last year. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell remarked in August that he wished “we had listened earlier, Kaep, to what you were kneeling about and what you were trying to bring attention to.”

Keys says she intends to hold the NFL accountable to their promise to help Black America create generational wealth that might help end systemic racism. She invoked Kaepernick for his “courage” in helping to spearhead the advocacy within the league.

Read More: Deshaun Watson is ready to speak out against racism in the NFL

“The prospect of true generational wealth for the Black community is long overdue and I’m grateful to express my purpose as an artist to advance that cause. I’ve been deeply inspired by the courage of Colin Kaepernick and the determination I have to see this through is meant to honor his commitment to social justice.”

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NYPD cop promoted after allegations of inappropriate contact by multiple Black men

Chief Christopher McCormack has a long history of allegedly committing sexual crimes that have been swept under the rug

An NYC police officer is being accused of molesting over a dozen Black and Latino men. According to an investigative report by ProPublica, Assistant Chief Christopher McCormack has a reputation of inappropriately touching and strip-searching men while in police custody. Despite numerous complaints, the officer avoided punishment and has been promoted.

Read More: NYPD union backs Trump for the next election

McCormack who allegedly went by ‘Red Rage’ due to his red hair and reputation for using excessive force, has been documented countless times throughout the years for problematic behavior.

According to ProPublica, the city settled cases filed against the officer and many of the complaints sent to the Civilian Complaint Review Board were hidden from the public’s view.

(Photo: Adobe Stock)

The story references a specific complaint by Unique Kennedy, a man who claims McCormack placed his hand inside his underwear in search of drugs to the point where he felt like he was being sexually abused.

A federal government advisor on police accountability, Alex Vitale, told ProPublica the fact that the officer’s crimes were covered up exposes flaws in our criminal justice system.

“In any normally functioning system, this would be considered a huge red flag and something would have to be done about it,” said Vitale. “If there is a pattern of even unsubstantiated complaints, this should be considered a warning sign.”

But McCormack continues to move up the ladder. According to ProPublica, the officer’s relationships with other high-ranking officers, like former NYPD commissioner James O’Neil is what prevents him from being reprimanded.

Read More: NYPD issuing more outdoor drinking tickets to Black and brown New Yorkers

“Chris is a hard worker, but he has been accused of many things in his career,” says an NYPD precinct commander who is not authorized to speak out on McCormack’s criminal allegations. “If he wasn’t good friends with O’Neill,” he said, “they would have held him back.”

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