Trump Spoke at Benedict College, an HBCU, but the Students Weren't Invited. So What Was the Point?

Donald Trump, White House photo

President Donald Trump spoke yesterday at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. Benedict is a historically Black university or college (HBCU). President Trump, as we know, has received little support from African American voters. Only 10 Benedict students were invited. The mainstream press seemed to think the event was pretty silly. But Trump used the event to manipulate his image.

Trump’s speech said nothing remarkable. He boasted about the economy and complained about impeachment. No surprise. One student said that she thought Trump attended only to “antagonize” the students. I understand why she felt that way, but she was mistaken. Actually, Trump was manipulating the situation for his own purposes. The college was just a prop. For that matter, the seven students were just props.

But: only ten Benedict College students attended the speech, only seven of whom showed up. The rest of the audience consisted of reliable supporters who Trump’s staff invited.  Benedict students and professors were asked to remain indoors unless they had business that required them elsewhere. Students, confined to their dorms, missed the historic event. Area streets were blocked off. That guaranteed a calm event. A small protest group gathered just off campus. For some marginally explicable reason, Trump received an award for criminal justice reform.

What was the point? Trump is not unrealistic enough to think that he is going to harvest African-American votes. Nor is there any possibility that this charade would fool anybody who paid attention. So what was Trump doing?

First, Trump and his supporters constantly maintain that Trump’s policies are good for African-Americans. Although few African Americans believe this, that does not make Trump’s rhetoric pointless. According to a recent Associated Press poll, “Large majorities of black and Latino Americans think Donald Trump’s actions as president have made things worse for people like them, and about two-thirds of Americans overall disapprove of how he’s handling race relations.” But voters don’t like to be called racist. His supporters don't like to be called racist. That means that Trump has an image problem.

Second, there is no possibility that Trump could give an actual speech to actual students at an HBCU institution without encountering a nasty protest, hard questions, heckling, and an altogether unpleasant experience. To prevent that, he needed to control the environment.

Third, in politics, image is everything. Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, two men who spent little time with their families, both presented family values images. Franklin Roosevelt, paralyzed below the waist, projected an image of vigor. John Kennedy, who suffered from a raft of terrible health problems, created an image of youthful athleticism. Politics is not about reality. Trump cannot seriously create a pro-civil rights image – it’s far too late for that – but, by pretending to reach out to an African American community, he could create the impression that he was.

Fourth, no one was fooled. That doesn’t mean Trump failed. Now that he has given this ridiculous speech in this ridiculous situation, his right-wing supporters have additional ammunition to defend his record on racial issues. Trump spoke about African Americans at an HBCU! Wow! We can expect to see tweets, comments, and talk radio discussions about Trump’s brave effort to reach out to African Americans and the tremendous good that he has done for them. Again, no one on the planet believes any of this, but that won't stop his supporters from saying it. There is a lot to be said for giving his supporters a reason to feel less guilty. Harsh racial rhetoric has long been part of Trump’s appeal. Events like this help Trump have it both ways: he can continue to adopt unpleasant racial policies, while, at the same time, he can give his supporters a way to assuage their guilt. He can play both sides. Trump is very, very good at playing both sides, and he pulled it off once again.