Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently condemned President Donald Trump for the self-congratulatory remarks he made at a Black History Month reception at the White House on Wednesday. And one expert in Black history agreed that the president’s comments “missed the mark.”
During an appearance on “The Briefing with Jen Psaki” on Wednesday evening, Psaki asked Moore to respond to a clip of Trump boasting at the event about how Black sports figures like Mike Tyson and Herschel Walker have shown their personal loyalty to him.
“Mike Tyson, boy, I tell you, Mike has been loyal to me,” Trump said in the clip, before he emphasized that Tyson always defends him against accusations that he’s racist. “Herschel Walker, speaking about loyal, how good of a football player was Herschel?”
Moore told Psaki that he was “hardly ever speechless,” but that “this is a time where it’s difficult to have a response to that, when the way you’re addressing Black History Month is just talking about the individual Black friends that you have.”
“Black History Month is not about an individual sports hero. Black history is about the foundation of America,” the governor continued. “It’s about the fact that this country’s history would be incomplete if we don’t fully embrace the contributions that Black Americans have made — oftentimes to a country that never showed them the same respect back.”
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Trump did also reference the historic contributions of Black Americans in his remarks, including African Americans who served in the U.S. military, like the Buffalo Soldiers.
But in addition to Tyson and Walker, the president name-dropped several other prominent Black figures and celebrities he perceives as loyal to him, like boxing icon Muhammad Ali, whom he called a friend, and rapper Nicki Minaj, who has aligned herself with the MAGA movement in recent months. Trump talked about her long nails and “beautiful” skin.
Moore emphasized that Black History Month is also about understanding that America is “deeply uneven in its history.”
“I think about this in context of the president talking about things like banning books and banning our history,” he said, before later adding: “They’re trying to ban history because they don’t want people to understand their power.”
On the first day of Trump’s second term as president, he signed an executive order to dismantle federal government programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. He then directed all federal DEI staff to be put on leave and eventually laid off.
Federal agencies have halted celebrations of Black History Month, and companies and retailers have subsequently changed their practices on promoting diversity and investing in Black-owned businesses in the wake of Trump’s crackdown on DEI.
Trump has also signed executive orders to remove so-called “divisive ideology” from national parks, which has resulted in the removal of exhibits that address, among many important topics, America’s history of racism and slavery. Last year, he ordered U.S. schools to stop teaching what he calls “critical race theory.”
Trump’s Black History Month reception seemed “disingenuous,” said LaGarrett King, professor of social studies education and director of the Center for K–12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education at the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo.
King told HuffPost that the event appeared as a “check mark to continue the discourse that ‘he is not racist.’”
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Earlier this month, the president faced widespread condemnation for sharing a clip on his Truth Social platform that featured a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Trump blamed a staffer for posting the video in error and refused to apologize.
King said that Trump’s lack of apology for the video is “inexcusable.”
“It did not matter if a ‘staff’ member posted [it]; the image came from his account, and there needed to be some accountability for that action,” he said.
King said that he believes Trump’s Black History Month event was a “formality” and that it was “political.” He also said that he thinks Trump intentionally featured people who would speak highly of him to “reiterate that he is not racist.”
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“If you are not racist, you should not have to continue to push the narrative that you are not,” he said. “Your actions will show that.”
Black History Month is “not a time to highlight friends,” King said.
“Black history month is not a time to highlight friends. In many ways, BHM is countering traditional knowledge that has been absent in our discourse because a good number of the Black population experienced the country differently,” King said.
He said it’s important to note that Black History Month is not only about centering the oppression Black Americans have faced throughout history. It’s also about celebrating the uniqueness of Black people, and “bringing in new narratives, new ideas, and new perspectives that help us become better.”
Trump’s focus on celebrities who agree with his policies is “propaganda” that undermines the real purpose of Black History Month, he argued.
King said he has no issues with the White House celebrating figures like Tyson and Minaj. He acknowledged that many Black History Month events do often celebrate celebrities and major sports figures. He also emphasized that “Black people are not monolithic people,” and that those who attended the White House reception “have the right to be at that event and tell a certain history.”
But the event really appeared to be politically motivated, King argued.
“It seemed to be some form of [a] PR stunt for previous questionable decisions made through his administration … to use Black people to reiterate that he is not racist,” he said.
King later added: “There is so much to learn about Black history, and that event missed the mark.”
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