Laura Ingraham Goes Off on Jesse Jackson for Saying Trump Isn't Helping Black People
The Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared on Laura Ingraham’s show Thursday to talk about Colin Kaepernick’s collusion case against the NFL, and wouldn’t you know it, he’s not particularly a fan of President Donald Trump or anything the economy has done for African-Americans in this administration.
Jackson was on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss Kaepernick’s collusion case against the NFL given that none of its teams has signed him this offseason. Apparently, Kaepernick thinks you can have your girlfriend tweet out a picture of a team owner that suggests he’s a slave master while you’re in negotiations with said team and still get signed. One might suspect, given actions like that, that he’s more interested in the spectacle he’s making than actually playing.
Another sign of this is the fact that Kaepernick’s lawyers are now trying to subpoena President Trump to put him on the stand in the collusion trial. (I would say this has less chance of succeeding than Robert Mueller’s subpoena, should either come.)
Jackson, who was on was Ingraham’s program ostensibly to talk about this case, was asked why the president should be called to testify in an NFL grievance.
“By interfering in the process,” Jackson said, “the president has convinced his constituents of a de facto boycott, and the owners to, in fact, put a penalty before the players if they choose to protest.”
When Ingraham said Trump was merely speaking his opinion, Jackson had a unique interpretation of the First Amendment: “Well, his opinion is no ordinary opinion, because he’s the president,” the reverend said.
Jackson continued on the topic of the cancellation of the Philadelphia Eagles’ White House honors, and he said Kaepernick and NBA stars LeBron James and Steph Curry were “insulted by the violations of our people by this president.”
It’s at that point that Ingraham fired back with the president’s achievements in that department, noting the record-low black unemployment and Latino unemployment.
“Is that because of black unemployment? Is that part of the violations of the people? Is there any good news for black America under this administration?” Ingraham asked. “Do you like the unemployment numbers? Do you like small businesses being created?”
“He inherited a growing economy,” Jackson said.
Here’s the video:
“He gets no credit?” Ingraham asked of Trump.
Jackson decided to sing the praises of Obama’s economy.
“Wages weren’t going up,” Ingraham responded.
Jackson segued into a talk about the G-7 and tariffs, which prompted an angry response from Ingraham.
“Were you OK when like millions of jobs were being sent overseas due to globalization and millions of jobs were being bled off to countries like Mexico? That was good for black America?” she asked.
“Because call me crazy, but I don’t think that was good for working class people at all. We lost millions of jobs. And this president is actually bringing back jobs into the United States and doing stuff like prison reform with Jared Kushner and others who were working together, including with Democrats. From what I could hear, this president has done nothing good for black America, is that what you’re saying tonight? Nothing?”
Jackson said he didn’t say that, but he couldn’t really say anything that the president had done right, instead continuing his list of laments, straight out of the 1988 Democrat playbook.
Whether or not that will work for anybody anymore is anyone’s guess. The Democrats managed to win the White House twice off of it in 2008 and 2016; they also lost big in the midterms in between those years.
They’re counting on it to make bank this year — or, as the media like to call it, create a “blue wave.” We’ll see about that. The airing of grievance politics is in part why many Americans gave up on the Democrats in 2016 despite a panoply of advantages on their side. Why do they think 2016 will be any different?
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
