Black Christian Leaders Back Trump At White House Event Amid Racism Controversy (Worthy News Focus)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Several Christian Black leaders rallied behind U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday, days after he faced bipartisan criticism for sharing — and later deleting — a social media video widely condemned as racist for portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates in a jungle.

At a White House reception marking Black History Month, speakers referred to Trump’s presidency in Biblical terms, suggesting God had placed him in office “for a special season.”

Trump did not reference the deleted video during his remarks, nor did he mention Barack Obama directly. Instead, he focused on the significance of the month.

“We celebrate Black History Month. We honor the memory of those who came before us by continuing their legacy,” Trump said.

He name-checked prominent Black supporters, including boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Nicki Minaj, and highlighted policies he said benefited Black Americans, including the First Step Act and the elimination of federal income taxes on tips.

TRUMP DEFENDS RECORD AMID BACKLASH

The reception came a day after Trump wrote on social media that he had been “falsely and consistently called a Racist,” in a post intended to honor the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Wednesday that the president “has absolutely been falsely called and smeared as a racist.”

Trump has long recognized Black History Month, though critics argue some of his policies and rhetoric conflict with broader celebrations of diversity.

Several speakers emphasized themes of faith, redemption, and divine purpose.

Among them was White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, who served more than two decades in federal prison for a non-violent drug trafficking conviction before Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018 and later granted her a full pardon in 2020.

FAITH, REDEMPTION, AND SECOND CHANCES

“My story is truly a Joseph story,” Johnson said, referring to the Biblical figure in Genesis who was imprisoned before rising to leadership in Egypt. “This president right here, President Donald Trump, brought me from the prison pit … to the White House. Only in America could there be a story like my story.”

Johnson called her experience a testimony of second chances and praised Trump’s signing of the First Step Act, saying it enabled more than 40,000 inmates to return home early.

“I did not get comfortable in my own freedom,” she said, invoking abolitionist Harriet Tubman. “When you see me, you see a miracle, you see hope, you see second chances.”

“As you look out upon this sea of Black Americans, this president hears you. This president cares for you,” Johnson added. “Don’t let anyone tell you that this president right here, Donald Trump, is not for Black America — because he is.”

Trump joked that he appointed Johnson despite being advised to consider candidates from top universities.

GRANDMOTHER PRAISES CRIME POLICIES

“She’s cleaner than anybody in this room,” he said, drawing laughter, before adding that he had “fallen in love with her,” which he joked had “upset the First Lady.”

Another emotional moment came when Trump invited Felicia Cook, a Washington resident who lost her grandson to violence in 2017, to address the gathering.

“One thing I like about him, he keeps it real, just like grandma,” Cook said. “I appreciate that ’cause I can trust him. Thank God for this president. I am filled — my cup runneth over.”

Cook said she had long advocated for families affected by violent crime in the District of Columbia.

“I marched, I rallied … and nobody heard me,” she said. “Until this Republican sent his constituents, his people out there to interview me in my home.”

SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT

She later testified before Congress in support of legislation aimed at strengthening penalties for violent crime.

“If you kill somebody, you take a life, you do life. Just that simple,” Cook said. “If you do a harsh crime, you do harsh time. And if we need National Guard … he brought it on.”

Cook dismissed accusations of racism against Trump.

“I love him. I don’t wanna hear nothing you gotta say about that racist stuff,” she said. “Get off the man’s back. Let him do his job.”

Trump jokingly asked whether she planned to run for office and offered his “endorsement,” prompting cheers.

HEBREWS 11:1 AND SMALL BUSINESS FAITH

Another supporter, the owner of the HeBrews 11:1 Coffee Shop and a youth pastor, grounded her remarks in Scripture.

“Hebrews 11 and 1 is my very favorite Scripture,” she said, quoting: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

She said she and her husband launched their business without loans or investors.

“It was us and faith in God,” she said.

She credited Trump’s elimination of taxes on tips with allowing her to hire seven additional employees and open a second location.

DEI AND BLACK HISTORY POLICY DEBATE

“At the end of the day, Jesus has been an amazing blessing for me,” she said. “President Trump has been an amazing blessing for me.”

Trump has targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, calling them discriminatory and seeking to eliminate them from federal agencies while encouraging the private sector to do the same.

The White House also highlighted a $500 million boost directed last year to historically Black colleges and universities, though the funding followed cuts to certain federal grant programs serving colleges with large Hispanic student populations.

Early in his second term, Trump issued an executive order aimed at “restoring truth and sanity to American history,” resulting in revisions to some federal historical materials, including certain Black history markers in national parks.

Despite the controversy, Wednesday’s reception was marked by overt religious language from supporters who portrayed Trump’s presidency as part of God’s providential plan, invoking themes of redemption, second chances, and faith drawn from Scripture, particularly Hebrews 11:1.

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