Donald Trump’s Visit To Predominantly Black Church In Detroit Sparks Controversy From Social Media: ‘Never Saw A Black Church Filled w/ White People’

Donald Trump’s Visit To Predominantly Black Detroit Church Sparks Controversy From Social Media: ‘Never Saw A Black Church Filled w/ White People’

Former President Donald Trump visited 180 Church in Detroit on Saturday, June 15th, aiming to connect with Black voters, particularly men, as part of his 2024 presidential campaign strategy.

Donald Trump’s visit is part of a broader effort to win over Black voters from President Joe Biden, with both campaigns recognizing Michigan as a crucial battleground state. The Trump campaign sees an opportunity to attract Black voters through his economic and border-security policies.

During his previous campaign in 2020, Donald Trump disparaged Detroit, calling it “corrupt” and casting doubt on its election results. Despite this, he returned to the city and spoke at 180 Church, a predominantly Black congregation, drawing a mix of local residents and many loyal supporters.

Social media quickly highlighted footage showing that the pews were mostly filled with white people, sparking debate about the event’s actual demographic.

BREAKING: Black church in Detroit ERUPTS in cheers for Trump as he arrives for the roundtable with various community leaders pic.twitter.com/pHknHMQwqc

— George (@BehizyTweets) June 15, 2024

Journalist Don Lemon took to X to express his thoughts on the crowd, stating,

“I grew up in the Black church. I’ve been to a lot of Black churches in my life. I’ve never seen this many White people in the congregation. It’s giving Bronx MAGA rally staged, traveling vibes.”

Political Analyst Ameshia Cross echoed similar sentiments, remarking,

“Never saw a Black church filled with white people but go off.”

See more reactions below:

The discussion at 180 Church was moderated by U.S. Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, a reported potential vice-presidential candidate for Trump.

Rep. Byron Donalds

Rep. Byron Donalds recently faced backlash for his comments about the Black family structure during the Jim Crow era, a period marked by racial violence and segregation, suggesting it was a time when “the Black family was together.”

At the event, Donald Trump focused on criticizing the Biden administration, citing issues like inflation, crime, and illegal immigration, which he argued disproportionately affect Black communities, stating,

“They’re coming into your community, and they’re taking your jobs.”

He also promised to revitalize Detroit’s auto industry by imposing tariffs  onvehicles built outside the U.S.

Pastor Lorenzo Sewell of 180 Church praised Trump for visiting, drawing a comparison to previous presidents, remarking,

“President Obama never came to the ‘hood.”

BREAKING: Black Detroit pastor tells Trump, “President Trump, I’m so humbled that you would be here. President Obama never came to the hood, so to speak, and President Joe Biden only went to the big NAACP dinner, but he never came to the hood. So thank you.” WATCH pic.twitter.com/Hr4Tx9FFcD

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) June 15, 2024

Pastor Lorenzo Sewell’s comments drew considerable criticism from social media users.

One X user commented,

“You mean the same @BarackObama from Chicago??”

Another X user wrote,

“There’s a difference between coming to the hood and actually helping the hood. Yall so easy to be bought it’s sad.”

Trump’s visit to Detroit came shortly after his conviction on 34 felony charges related to a “hush money” scheme during the 2016 election. Despite this, his supporters in Detroit welcomed his outreach efforts.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!