June 7th 2024.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was not pleased with Rep. Byron Donalds' recent statements on the House floor. Jeffries warned Donalds to "check yourself before you wreck yourself" after the latter seemed to praise the Black family's condition during the Jim Crow era.
The exchange between Jeffries and Donalds occurred on Wednesday, June 5, just one day after Donalds made controversial comments about the Black family's unity during Jim Crow, according to Axios. Donalds, who is being considered as a potential running mate for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, had made these remarks at a Trump campaign office opening in Philadelphia.
During his speech, Donalds claimed that "the Black family was together" during Jim Crow and that more Black people voted conservatively during that time. He also criticized the welfare policies put in place during the 1960s, which he believes have been continued by the Biden administration. However, when Jeffries got wind of these statements, he strongly opposed them and called them "out-of-pocket observations."
"It has come to my attention that a so-called leader has made the factually inaccurate statement that Black folks were better off during Jim Crow. That's an outlandish, outrageous, and out-of-pocket observation," Jeffries said. "We were not better off when people could be systematically lynched without consequence...How dare you make such an ignorant observation. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself."
Jeffries' speech was followed by a statement from Democratic National Committee spokesperson Marcus Robinson, who accused Donalds of "praising" Jim Crow. "This is Donald Trump's MAGA Republican Party: VP contender Byron Donalds is praising Jim Crow," Robinson said.
However, Donalds took to social media, specifically X (formerly known as Twitter), to clarify his stance and address the accusations against him. He wrote, "@JoeBiden @RepJeffries @harrisonjaime & @DerrickNAACP are gaslighting Black America. I was talking about Black families, conservative mindsets, and conservative voting. Receipts are a beautiful thing! And don't clip my words to keep lying. I'm watching."
In a separate video post, Donalds spoke directly to the camera to explain his comments on Jim Crow, which he claims were misinterpreted by the Philadelphia Inquirer. "America, Joe Biden's campaign is lying to you once again, and they're gaslighting. Now they're trying to say that I said Black people were doing better under Jim Crow. I never said that. They are lying," Donalds clarified.
He went on to explain that his original statement was about the increase in Black families and the destruction of the Black family caused by the Democratic policies under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. "So don't listen to the lies from the Biden administration. I know what I said, and I'll say it straight to the camera. They got to run to the Philadelphia Inquirer to move their lives," Donalds concluded.
The controversy surrounding Donalds' statements also caught the attention of Paul A. Szypula, who criticized Jeffries for lying about Donalds. Szypula also urged the Democratic Party to do better and not resort to spreading false information.
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