Excerpts From a Draft Script for Donald Trump’s Q&A With a Black Church’s Pastor

Excerpts From a Draft Script for Donald Trump’s Q&A With a Black Church’s Pastor

SEPT. 1, 2016
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Donald J. Trump at a campaign event in Cincinnati. Credit Sam Hodgson for The New York Times

Donald J. Trump is scheduled to make a highly anticipated visit to an African-American church in Detroit on Saturday, the first such visit of his campaign. There, he will participate in a question-and-answer session conducted by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of the church, Great Faith Ministries International.

Given the importance of the visit, the Trump team went so far as to script Mr. Trump’s answers to Bishop Jackson’s questions, which were submitted in advance. After this article was published on Thursday night, a campaign official said that Mr. Trump would also speak to the church’s congregation and then tour some neighborhoods with Ben Carson, a former presidential candidate and Detroit native.

Below are excerpts from a draft of the script that was obtained by The New York Times.

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Mr. Trump there is racial divide in our country and it is evident that the tension is boiling over. Case and point Reverend Pinckney in South Carolina was gunned down when a white young man came into their Bible Study and slaughtered the Reverend and eight other individuals because he wanted to start a race war. What would your administration do to bring down the racial tension that is in our Country? In the Bible Jesus said that a house divided cannot stand.

Our best hope for erasing racial tensions in America is to work toward a color-blind society. In business, we hire, retain and award based on merit. In society, however, we have divisions that can only be eliminated if we have equal opportunity and then equal access to programs and institutions that will lift all people in the country. We have to reform our tax system so that we can spur economic growth for the long haul. We have to have stronger enforcement of immigration laws. We have to renegotiate our trade deals so that we can bring advantage back to the American workforce. But perhaps most important is that we must provide equal opportunity for a quality education for all Americans. The higher the educational attainment, the greater the likelihood one can climb the economic ladder. We must bring school choice programs to our cities and we must get rid of Common Core. We must make sure that access, affordability and accountability are brought into our higher education system. Without a focus on educational outcomes for every American, we will perpetuate the permanent underclass that progressive policies have sustained. Republicans like me need to have the courage to speak the truth about where we are and what has to be done. We have to have the courage to go into communities and work with everyone there to make sure that our schools are good and that our children have access to the whatever educational situation they may need. This is not something one person can do, but it is something that we can do together.

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Mr. Trump there is a perception that your administration is racist. With many of the African American voters their belief is that the Republican Party as a whole does not cater to African American needs. In 2008 and 2012 we had two Republican Candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney and neither one of them came to Detroit, or any urban area that I can remember to even address the concerns of our community. First I would like to commend you for coming to our community as a Republican Candidate. Second I need to know how would you change that perception in our community?

The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding. Coming into a community is meaningless unless we can offer an alternative to the horrible progressive agenda that has perpetuated a permanent underclass in America. We need to be true to our word and offer all Americans more opportunities so that each and every one of them can reach their full potential. This means economic policies that will bring jobs back to America and will raise wages for all. This means working hard to provide as many educational options as possible to our parents and children. This means cleaning up drugs and making our neighborhoods and communities safer. We need to get people off welfare and back to work. We need to make sure that anyone who qualifies can go into a bank, get a loan and then start a business. We need to reduce regulations and expand options for people who want to be independent of government. We need to make sure that people can worship how they want and where they want without worrying that some federal agency is going to threaten the religious liberties. Republicans have better options. We just need to have the courage to present them with conviction.


More Questions in Link.

[link to www.nytimes.com]