Created Equal: Who will Black conservatives support this election? 

Despite often being a loyal voting bloc for Democrats, Black Americans are politically diverse. Garrison Hayes, a journalist for Mother Jones and the Reveal podcast, has been spending some of this year talking to Black Republicans to determine what draws them to the GOP — and, in many cases, to Donald Trump. He joined Created Equal on Thursday to discuss the motivation behind their votes, and what they hope to gain from this election.

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Hayes explained that many of the conservative Black voters he met at the Republican National Convention aligned with the party’s flagship issues of the importance of the Second Amendment, opposition to abortion, and protection of individual freedoms. He also explained that all of them outwardly supported Trump’s candidacy and that many espoused a feeling of being taken for granted by the Democratic Party.

He also discussed a growing tide of Black conservatives and Republicans who are unwilling to vote for Trump because of his lack of racial sensitivity and his stances on issues facing Black communities.

“For many Black Republicans there is this lifecycle, where you may hold your policy ideas or your interests politically. But when those political interests come into conflict or tension with your personal racial identity interests, you often are left as a Black Republican with a decision to make,” Hayes said.

Guest: 

• Garrison Hayes is a journalist and video correspondent for Mother Jones and the Reveal podcast.

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.