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Eric Trump Excluded This Entire Demographic

by Melissa Cruz

On the third night of what has been a very unusual Republican National Convention, Eric Trump gave a rousing speech that concluded by telling the audience who it is exactly his father Donald Trump would work for as president — and unsurprisingly, that detailed list did not include a single minority voter. Just as his father's primary campaign was built on the plight of the LGBTQ community and people of color, Eric's 15-minute-long speech left them out entirely. The campaign, it seems, even when given this momentous platform on which to at least pretend to court minority voters, cares very little about trying to do so.

Eric's speech certainly focused on his father's passion for helping others, but this supposed passion only extended so far. His list largely relied on appealing to those who are short on money — apparently the promise of his father's American dream can be entirely encapsulated around people who appreciate "the value of a dollar." Eric told unemployed voters, single mothers, financially struggling veterans, and displaced workers "my father is running for you."

And while all of that is certainly admirable, Eric still managed to simultaneously blame and exclude a minority group for other people's lack of stable income: "To the laborer who is watching me right now, forced out of job by undocumented workers, illegal immigrants, my father is running for you."

These promises of riches are made to appeal to the crux of Trump's base — the low income, white American who feels that their ability to rise in the system has been compromised by "the other." Eric's speech played to these fears without calling them out directly. From immigrants coming to steal America's wealth of jobs to much-needed affirmative action, a Trump presidency promises to be rid of it all.

Of course, the ironic thing about this specific list of voters is that if Trump was truly willing to help them, he would be helping the very people he has consistently left hanging out to dry. According to a study featured in The Atlantic, the unemployment rate for black Americans in 2015 was 9.5 percent. Compare that to the 4.5 percent unemployment rate for white Americans, and you see where Trump's discrepancy lies: these promises would be better fit for the minority voter. Same goes for single motherhood — 68 percent of black women and 43 percent of Hispanic women who gave birth throughout 2012 and 2013 were unmarried. Only 26 percent were white.

But as has been made clear throughout his campaign, Trump doesn't care about these people as voters or, seemingly, as human beings. Even in a time when the Republican Party could use the minority vote, Trump's train will likely only be fueled by hatred toward them, as opposed to mere pandering. At least he's being honest about that?