Panic in the White House: Obama and Biden Hold Midnight Strategy Sessions to Defeat Trump
According to a report by Fox News on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, the White House is abuzz with activity as former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden hold midnight strategy sessions in a bid to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
This intense preparation underscores the high stakes of the 2024 race, which has seen a significant mobilization effort by Trump’s allies to garner support from Black voters.
Two of Trump’s prominent supporters in the House of Representatives, Reps. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Byron Donalds of Florida, have been actively engaging with Black voters.
On Wednesday, they were in Atlanta hosting an event titled “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” at a local cigar lounge. This event, co-hosted by former ESPN host Sage Steele, aimed to foster a “real conversation about the Black male vote, leadership, and how they will impact the 2024 election,” according to an invitation obtained by Fox News Digital.
Hunt emphasized the critical role that Black voters, particularly in swing states like Georgia, will play in determining the outcome of the election. He criticized the Republican Party’s past failures to effectively communicate with Black communities and advocated for a new approach.
“The thing is, in the past, the Republican Party has not done a very good job of going to these communities, articulating why our policies are in the best interest of the Black community,” Hunt told Fox News Digital.
“Black issues are American issues. We just need voices to go articulate that.” Hunt’s message to Black voters was clear: “You don’t have to vote for Democrats anymore because your mama and your grandmother and your parents told you to do it. The Republican Party right now is in your best interest.
If you hate what’s going on at the border, if you hate what’s happening with inflation, if you hate crime, I’m telling you that… electing [Trump] and getting him back in office is definitely going to be in your best interest.” This outreach is part of a broader strategy aimed at securing 25% to 35% of the Black male vote for Trump.
While Biden’s victories in the 2020 primaries and general election were bolstered by substantial support from Black voters, Trump’s campaign sees an opportunity to make inroads. In 2020, Trump won 19% of the Black male vote, according to multiple exit polls, a record high for a Republican presidential candidate in modern history.
“That’s the highest that we’ve ever seen in modern history for a Republican president,” Hunt noted. “We need to add about five or six percentage points and grow from what we did four years ago. And given the environment that we’re in right now, we think we can accomplish that.”
The “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” event in Atlanta follows a similar gathering in Philadelphia and is part of a series of engagements planned across key battleground states.
The next event is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, coinciding with the Republican National Convention. These events are designed not only to mobilize Black male voters but also to engage the broader Black community. Reflecting on the Philadelphia event, Hunt shared an important insight: the potential to appeal to Black women as well.
Despite their strong support for Biden in 2020, some Black women are open to considering Trump. “The biggest takeaway from that event is – again, Byron and I have been really focused on Black men, but there were Black women in that room that raised their hand and stood up and said, ‘Don’t forget about us.
I’m a Black woman, I’m voting for President Trump, and I’m fed up with this, too. And I’m not saying you’re going to get as many of us as you are men, but what I am saying is, don’t just cater these events to Black men; cater them to the Black community,’” Hunt recounted.
This strategy highlights a shift in the Republican approach to voter outreach, particularly among communities that have historically leaned Democratic. By directly addressing the concerns of Black voters and articulating how Republican policies could benefit them, Trump’s allies hope to sway a critical segment of the electorate in a fiercely contested race.