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An opinion piece discussing Donald Trump’s attempted assassination and its potential impact on his appeal to Black voters was removed by Forbes after facing significant backlash online. The article, penned by DEI specialist Shaun Harper, sparked outrage among social media users, including Harper himself, who is Black.
Harper’s article, titled “Will Surviving Gunfire Be Donald Trump’s Next Appeal To Black Voters?” addressed the “inexcusably” high rates of gun violence against Black people in the U.S. and noted Trump’s history of making racial claims about his relationships with Black people. Trump has previously asserted that his criminal mugshot resonated deeply with Black voters because they “know firsthand the unfairness of our nation’s criminal justice system,” Harper wrote, as reported by The Root.
“Hopefully, being shot doesn’t become a similarly problematic strategy to link Trump with an experience that far too many (not all) Black people have,” part of the now-deleted article read. Harper speculated on a hypothetical statement Trump might make, “And the Blacks, they love me because they know the terrifying sound of gunshots,” and commented, “Hopefully, he doesn’t.
But it isn’t all that unthinkable,” suggesting such a claim wouldn’t be surprising from Trump. Harper also drew a controversial comparison between Trump’s raised fist response to the assassination attempt and the iconic gesture by two significant Black leaders from the Civil Rights Movement. “After winning gold and bronze medals for their spectacular performances in the men’s 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, American track athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists as they stood on the podium,” Harper wrote.
“Hopefully Trump doesn’t claim that his raised fist was an homage to Smith and Carlos, two powerful Black Americans.” In a statement to The New York Post, Harper explained that his article was misinterpreted online. Despite this, many social media users criticized Harper’s implication that Black people might resonate with Trump. “Just casual racism from Forbes. No biggie,” one user wrote, sharing a screenshot of the article. “Journalism is broken,” another user commented.
Political commentator Tim Miller noted, “One thing everyone in my feed from MAGA to progressive agrees on is that this random Forbes op-ed sucks. Maybe that can be a starting place for healing.” “Forbes is so offensive. In addition to the racism, why would anyone who has experienced gun violence now decide to vote for the candidate and the party who opposes any kind of gun control?” a user questioned.
The backlash was so intense that even Forbes’ own union criticized the article, stating, “This post does not represent who we, @ForbesUnion, are as a newsroom, or our ethical and journalistic principles.” The controversy underscores the sensitivity and complexity of discussing race, politics, and gun violence in America, highlighting the need for responsible and thoughtful journalism.
