Black and Latino supporters of former President Donald Trump who attended his rally in the Bronx on Thursday shut down an NBC News reporter’s attempts to confront them about Trump’s allegedly “racist” and “bigoted” remarks.
Dasha Burns, the NBC News reporter, said during an MSNBC appearance on Friday that the Trump supporters she spoke with were more concerned about their current economic situation and the state of the U.S.-Mexico border than any controversial statements made by the former president.
“They are just so focused on what their lives are like right now, what they can feel tangibly, that when I push back with those comments, they shut that down,” Burns said. She added that many of the attendees were immigrants themselves who agreed with Trump’s tough stance on illegal immigration.
Burns also noted that some supporters brought up President Joe Biden’s 2020 comment to podcast host Charlamagne Tha God, in which Biden said that African Americans who were considering voting for Trump “ain’t black.”
“Multiple people actually mentioned that Charlamagne tha God interview,” Burns said. “I did press back with some of those folks, mentioning some of Trump’s rhetoric that’s been seen as racist and bigoted. They said they don’t have a problem with that. They view his actions over his words in terms of what they feel he can do for their community.”
The Bronx rally, which drew a crowd estimated at 25,000 people, marked the first time a presidential nominee campaigned in the borough since Ronald Reagan over 40 years ago.
