Billionaire founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television) and lifelong Democrat Robert Johnson had some unwelcome comments for his fellow Democrats in a recent interview with CNBC. The current group of Democratic presidential contenders, said Johnson, is incapable of taking down Donald Trump in 2020.
“If you take a snapshot today, I don’t think that group is capable of beating Donald Trump, despite what the polls say,” Johnson told CNBC this week, in comments reported by The Washington Post on Friday.
“I think the president has always been in a position where it’s his to lose,” said Johnson, who the Post notes is “America’s first black billionaire.”
Part of the problem, Johnson suggested, is that the current crop of candidates have gravitated too far left, particularly for most African Americans.
“I do not see anybody in the Democratic primary race today that is enough in the center where I believe most are the voters are, and particularly where most African Americans are,” he said.
Trump’s “incendiary” rhetoric, as the Post describes it, has a “double effect,” said Johnson: It revs up his base while also prompting Democrats to overreact, which further adds to the president’s support.
Another problem for Democrats is the historically high employment numbers among African Americans, particularly African American women, as CNN Business detailed in September (formatting adjusted):
Black unemployment fell to a record low in August, helped by a jump in the number of black women on the job. The unemployment rate for black workers fell to 5.5% from 6%, according to the Labor Department data. The previous record low of 5.9% was set in May 2018. The unemployment rate for black women fell to a record 4.4% from 5.2% in July. The unemployment rate for black men crept up to 5.9% from 5.8%. But the previous month’s rate was a record, so the rate is still near its historic low.
And employment statistics aren’t just looking good for African Americans, Hispanics are also enjoying record numbers, as CNN explained: “Unemployment among workers who identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino also fell in August to 4.2%, which matched a record low set earlier this year.”
In its report Friday, the Post makes a point of attempting to undermine Johnson’s credibility as a voice for the black community due to his billionaire status.
Johnson’s “wealth has drawn criticism from activists who say Johnson is out of touch with many African Americans when it comes to their access to wealth and opportunity,” the Post underscores, before providing a couple of disparaging quotes about Johnson from leaders of African American organizations.
“Bob Johnson is not working class. He does not reflect the issue, nor does he even seem like he has the ability to speak to the issues of the working class,” Black Voters Matter Co-Founder Tosha Brown told the Post in July.
“[W]hile Mr. Johnson may share the interests of millionaires and billionaires, he’s out of step with black voters,” said Black Pac Executive Director Adrianne Shropshire back in July.
In the interview with CNBC, Johnson also addressed Trump indicating after the 2016 election that he might offer him a cabinet position, which Johnson said he made clear he had no interest in pursuing.
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