Politics and Current
For Black Democrats, Kamala Harris’s defeat of Trump is personal
“They were willing to risk everything,” Plaskett said of the vulnerable communities that mobilized to elect Harris, including some white allies. Unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough to place Kamala Harris within the White House in 2025.
While many feel helpless and terrified on the prospect of a second Trump administration, Plaskett had a direct message for these voters, especially Black women – 91% of whom voted for Harris.
Since the election was called, Democrats have engaged in a blame game, attempting to make sense of not only Harris’ loss but, more importantly, Trump’s growing share of the voting electorate, including from white women, Latinos – and to a small extent Black men – who they consider were voted against own interests.
“People chose to side with someone who at least felt comfortable saying that, which clearly sent a signal to his supporters that it was not only okay, but somewhat accepted,” explained Payne, who worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016.
As Trump returns to the White House, Payne warned there might be a “very heightened level of concern for vulnerable communities, especially Black people.”
Plaskett, who served alongside Harris on the Congressional Black Caucus, stated that she believed Harris’ loss was partly a result of her identity as a girl and an individual of color. When President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, the congresswoman recalled telling others, “I trust us black women, but I’m not entirely sure what white men and white women will do.”
When the election results confirmed her suspicions, she added: “It’s very painful.”
In addition to expected hurdles in winning over white voters on account of Harris’ identity as a black and South Asian woman, Clyburn, an in depth confidant of Biden, said he was particularly concerned about black men.
Although former President Barack Obama and others were heavily criticized for suggesting that some black men wouldn’t vote for Harris because she is a girl (78% of black men voted for Harris, in response to an exit poll), Clyburn said he and other Democrats have already recognized the primary signs of some defections within the party’s second most loyal voting bloc.
“(There was) a strong feeling growing among African-American men that…the black woman was the backbone (of the party)…black men took offense to that,” Clyburn said.
Congresswoman Plaskett said that given the white vote and the small portion of black and brown voters who joined them, she didn’t consider “we have aligned interests in this country.” She added: “In order to defeat Donald Trump and white privilege, we must acknowledge this.”
While it is argued that Harris lost the election because Trump won over voters together with his message on the economy and immigration, Democrats don’t exactly buy it. While they acknowledge that the present president-elect has won the knowledge and messaging war, they consider this only tells part of the story.
In their view, Harris had a more comprehensive economic plan (backed by data) that has been proven to grow the economy. Democrats also said Trump clearly encouraged Republicans to create chaos around the difficulty quite than work with Democrats to pass already proposed laws to deal with the country’s border and broken immigration system.
Plaskett said that despite Harris being the “perfect candidate” and running a “flawless campaign against a convicted felon, twice impeached, poorly disciplined man who said he would do terrible things to people,” voters felt “They have nothing to do with it.”
Regardless of the cause, Payne expressed concerns that the 2024 election results may lead to the “potential marginalization of already marginalized groups,” akin to Black voters, Arab-American voters and Latino voters.
“I am concerned that these groups who are already marginalized… may be judged or essentially blamed en masse for an election outcome that is less targeted and more systemic,” he continued.
“I would borrow words from modern hip-hop philosopher Jay-Z and remind people that no one wins when family feuds,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist who advises on national campaigns.
“It was Joe Biden who helped bring Kamala Harris to the forefront of our party,” Seawright said, “as his running mate, vice president, and willing and able partner on the political floor and in the political dance.” floor for the last 4 years.
As they appear ahead to the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election, Democrats proceed to view Harris because the viable leader of the party.
Congressman Clyburn said he hopes Harris will “turn this obstacle into a stepping stone and provide a vision for it.”
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“I see no reason why Kamala Harris shouldn’t have a place in the future Democratic Party,” Payne said, noting that the vp “has been put in an extremely difficult position,” including having only 100 days to construct a national campaign while competing with Trump in “attention economy,” raising money and reuniting the Democratic coalition.
“I think Kamala Harris has a lot to be proud of,” he said. “You could have put a lot of Democrats there – governors, senators, former candidates, etc., and honestly, a lot of them wouldn’t have done as well as she did.”
However, Payne also stressed that Democrats must “cast a wide net to determine who in the next group of leaders is best positioned to help the party make small reforms and help it grow and evolve.”
The Democratic strategist noted that many Democrats “felt similarly concerned about the party’s political future” after John Kerry lost the 2004 election to President George W. Bush.
“We didn’t know Barack Obama was going to happen,” Payne said.
As Democrats scramble to position themselves because the opposition party to Trump, which could include regaining a majority within the U.S. House of Representatives once the remaining races are called, Payne said: “We needs to be disenchanted because I believe we all know what a mean Trump presidency will do, but I do not think we must always hang our heads as if we were helpless.
“We have the power. We represent tens of millions of voters,” he argued. “Democrats were able to oppose Donald Trump in good faith in 2016, 2017 and beyond, and I think we are well-positioned to do so again.”
Ultimately, Seawright said, “the American people have spoken.” He added: “They gave (Trump) essentially unchecked power. So we just must see what this actually means.
Politics and Current
Here’s what Byron Donalds said about Trump not appointing any Black Republicans to his team
Despite campaigning heavily for Donald Trump throughout the 2024 election cycle, to the curiosity of many, Republican Byron Donalds of Florida has not yet been appointed to the president-elect’s future administration. In fact, no Black Republican has been elected among the many greater than two dozen appointments and nominations Trump has revamped the past week.
During an appearance on CNN with Laura Coates, Congressman Donalds he said He was “not surprised” that he was not chosen for a position within the Trump-Vance administration and has vocally defended President-elect Trump against criticism from Democrats reminiscent of the Rev. Al Sharpton.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t do other things in the future,” added Donalds, who’s rumored to be considering a run for Florida governor in 2026 or a run for U.S. Senate if Trump is nominated for U.S. secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio has been confirmed.
Donalds rejected criticism that Trump has not appointed any Black people to his Cabinet or administration, suggesting that Democrats are simply upset about losing the 2024 election. He argued: “They are still licking their wounds over the fact that it didn’t work out the way they thought it would.”
The 46-year-old Florida lawmaker said the subsequent Trump administration is not about race or ethnicity, but reasonably about “the people who will carry out his agenda.” In contrast, he argued, the Biden-Harris administration had “an element of every identity” but “failed to do its job.”
“Whether you’re Black or Latinx, if the border is unsafe… does it help everyday people’s lives? “No, no,” Donalds said. He continued: “The election of Donald Trump is about restoring competence and reality to Washington in the White House, making sure that the work gets done on behalf of the American people, regardless of their race, regardless of their religion or regardless of their creed.” creed.”
“This assurance that black people will not be in the highest echelons of power in this country is… representative of that,” he argued. “It actually shows what the program is about and who it is aimed at.” But no matter whether Trump chooses a Black Republican leader for his administration, Brown stressed, “That doesn’t mean it’s safe for our community as well.”
He explained, “They would still have to agree to serve in a government that is dismantling the Department of Education, that is, dismantling DEI programs that are actually opening up opportunities for Black people to access economic and career opportunities, access to education, etc.”
Brown continued: “There are two sides of the coin where yes, there is no diversity of representation and that is by design.” He added: “But people who look like us being considered for these roles wouldn’t help us. They would help Donald Trump.”
Politics and Current
Matt Gaetz withdraws from Trump’s nomination for attorney general
Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz is withdrawing from President-elect Donald Trump’s presidency nomination for attorney general after backlash.
In an announcement released Nov. 21 via X, Gaetz withdrew from the nomination, saying his confirmation was a “distraction.” “I had excellent meetings with senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful opinions and the incredible support from so many people. While momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation unfairly distracted from the critical work of the Trump-Vance transition,” he wrote.
“There isn’t any time to waste on an unnecessarily prolonged fight in Washington. “I am therefore withdrawing my name from consideration for the position of Attorney General.”
Knowing that the appointed attorney general should be able to serve on the primary day of the brand new Trump-Vance administration, waiting for legal proceedings would make it harder for Gaetz to meet that commitment. A former lawmaker is under federal investigation for allegedly paying two women to have sex and watch him appear on Fox News. Both women claim that in 2019, Gaetz also paid them to accompany him to a Broadway show. During testimony before the bipartisan House Ethics Committee, the ladies alleged that Gaetz paid them to travel across state lines to have sex almost twice.
The women were between 19 and 21 years old on the time of the alleged encounters. They testified that the disgraced congressman paid them to travel to the Bahamas with other young women – including one who alleged that she had had sex. with Gaetz when she was a minor.
After Trump announced his nomination to move the Department of Justice (DOJ), attention focused on outdated allegations, prompting the discharge of an Ethics Committee investigation report.
As committee members failed to determine whether to release the report’s findings, Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) characterised Gaetz’s potential confirmation as “Kavanaugh on steroids” in reference to the 2018 racial and sexual misconduct hearings. – Judge Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “He’s a smart guy, I’m sure he realizes that,” Cornyn said, in line with .
A senior member of the Judiciary Committee warned that each one details of the FBI’s investigation and committee report – each good and bad – will eventually develop into public. “It will reach us a technique or one other. There are not any secrets here,” Cornyn said.
Before withdrawing, Gaetz met with Cornynand in addition Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) .). Vice President-elect J.D. VAnka also took part within the meetings. He encouraged lawmakers to present their former colleague a likelihood to present his vision for reforming the Justice Department and to carry off on making judgments about his fitness to serve.
At the time of Gaetz’s withdrawal, Trump had not yet issued an announcement.
Politics and Current
Missouri police officer fatally shot 2-month-old baby and her mother after relative called police for help, family says
A Missouri family and community are mourning the tragic death of a 34-year-old woman and her infant daughter who were killed in an officer-involved shooting earlier this month.
Family members say Maria Pike and her 2-month-old daughter, Destinii Hope, were shot to death on November 7 after police were called to an apartment in Independence, Missouri, in response to a domestic disturbance.
In the weeks for the reason that shooting, local law enforcement has released few details, but eyewitnesses have provided local media with their accounts of what happened.
said Talisa Coombs, the baby’s grandmother Kansas City Star that she was the one who called the police after a physical altercation with the kid’s mother. Family members say Maria Pike has had mental health issues, anger issues and most recently suffered from postpartum depression.
Coombs said that when she called the police, she thought authorities would arrive, arrest Pike and get her the assistance she needed. She told her son and Destinia’s father, Mitchell Holder, that she desired to press charges against Pike for assault.
When police arrived, Holder initially refused to allow them to inside, however the apartment constructing’s assistant manager persuaded him to let two officers inside.
Assistant manager Gavin Delaney told The Star that when police entered the apartment, Pike was sitting within the bedroom closet, holding Destinia, not doing or saying anything.
Destinia’s father, who witnessed the shooting, recounted the moments leading as much as the shooting to his sister, Ashley Greenfield.
Greenfield told The Star that when officers entered the apartment, she and Holder tried to take the baby from Pike as she moved from the closet to the bed. Greenfield stated that when Pike reached for an object on the nightstand, the officer shot the baby in the top while he was still in his mother’s arms.
Holder later recalled his horrified response to the shooting of “The Kansas City Defender.”
“They shot my baby,” Holder said outlet. “It looked like her head had exploded. Her blood splattered throughout my glasses and throughout me. All I could do was scream. I just kept repeating three words – the identical three words – “You killed her!” I screamed it. Time and time again.”
He added that Pike jumped after the primary shot and the officer opened fire on her.
Accounts vary as as to if Pike had a gun when officers entered the apartment.
Local news outlets reported that among the many few details police have released up to now concerning the shooting is that Pike was armed with a knife.
“When we arrived, officers encountered a woman who was ultimately armed with a knife,” said Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman. “As a result of this encounter, two people died, one was an armed woman and the other was a child.”
However, family members say otherwise. Before calling the police, Destinia’s grandmother stated that there have been no weapons in the home. Holder also said he never saw Pike holding a knife in the course of the encounter with police.
“Yes, I was in the room when it all happened,” Holder he said. “From what I saw, I never once saw Maria armed with anything. Honestly, I do not even know where that got here from. I heard crazy things like she held a baby hostage in a closet, that she had a knife, and all this crazy stuff that is not true. I mean, all I can say is that it’s possible she had a knife and I didn’t see it, but all I do know is that I never saw her holding anything – and I used to be there within the room.
Independence police said the investigation has been turned over to the Jackson County Police Involvement Investigative Team (PIIT), a team of detectives that investigates police shootings and use of force incidents.
Chief Dustman said just one officer, a “long-time law enforcement veteran,” fired in the course of the incident. The officer and two other people on the scene were placed on administrative leave.
Capt. Kyle Flowers, who heads the PIIT team investigating the shooting, said last week that investigators had reviewed body camera footage and planned to interview witnesses. According to KMBCthe team will turn over the findings of the investigation to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, but Flowers didn’t specify exactly when that will occur.
Family members have called on authorities to release the body camera footage, which is able to hopefully reveal once and for all whether Pike was armed with a knife on the time of the shooting. They also call for punishment of the officers involved within the shooting.
“Why hasn’t the body camera footage been released?” Amber Travis, cousin of the victims, he said at a community vigil for Pike and her daughter. “Give my family a break.”
“It means a lot that the community feels the same way we do,” Holder he said. “It means the world. It won’t bring her back, but no less than we all know now we have loads of support here.
AND GoFundMe page was created to assist pay for Destinia’s funeral. As of Wednesday afternoon, greater than $3,000 had been raised.
On November 22, Destinii would have turned 3 months old.
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