Ex-Black Panther leader calls Trump 'friend of African Americans', grandson says remark stems from dementia

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Former Black Panther leader David Hilliard praised Donald Trump during a recent interview, describing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as a "friend of African Americans."

However, his grandson later clarified that his grandfather suffered from cognitive problems and was reminiscing about the past rather than commenting on the current political climate.

David Hilliard claimed Donald Trump 'owned all of Harlem'

Hilliard, who served as the Black Panther Party's chief of staff and was one of its founding members, claimed he knew Trump in the 1960s.

In a TikTok interview with influencer Carol D Mitchell, Hilliard made the bizarre allegation that Trump, then a fledgling real estate mogul, "owned all of Harlem" and financially supported the Black Panther Party during its heyday.

During the interview, Hillard said, "Trump is a person who is a decent man and he supported the Black Panther Party. He was someone who gave us money and Trump was a decent guy. Trump’s a friend of African Americans … He’s not a racist. He’s not a racist, fascist, White man. He supported the Black people."

Hilliard further emphasized that Trump "likes Africans in America" and "Black folks," adding, "He’s always been a friend of Black people. That’s how I know him."

David Hilliard's grandson says he was 'purely speaking in terms of the past'

The interview quickly garnered attention, prompting Hilliard's grandson, Eric Jones, to respond on social media. He criticized Mitchell for making the interview public "without any permission" and explained that his grandfather has been suffering from dementia since 2014.

Jones said his grandfather's comments were "purely speaking in terms of the past." "That is not a nod of support to any of today’s political climate, and with Donald Trump and with any other candidate," clarified the grandson, with Hilliard affirming, "That is correct."

In a separate post, Jones explained that his grandfather "does not even know Trump is a politician. He has been dealing with cognitive issues since 2014. He can only recall the past."

Bid for Black support intensifies amid surging poll numbers

This comes as the Trump campaign aims to increase its support among Black voters ahead of the 2024 election against President Joe Biden.

Recent polls suggest Trump is gaining record levels of support within the Black community, with a New York Times poll showing 23% backing the Republican candidate — the highest percentage for a GOP presidential nominee since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as per the New York Post. 

Biden received 92% of the Black vote in the 2020 election, according to the Pew Research Center. Biden campaign pollster Jefrey Pollack acknowledged the challenge, stating that their campaign needs to improve outreach to younger voters, Black voters, and Hispanic voters.

He warned that if Trump managed to secure 20% of the Black vote, it would mark the strongest performance with non-White voters for a Republican candidate since the Civil Rights Act.

In response to the MAGA leader's outreach efforts, the Biden campaign has launched ads targeting Black voters, particularly highlighting Trump's controversial past remarks, such as his call for the execution of the "Central Park Five," who were later exonerated of the 1989 sexual assault of a jogger in the Manhattan greenspace.

Netizens react to David Hilliard's grandson's claim that his remarks about Donald Trump stem from dementia

One wrote, "The old man is right," while another said, "Dementia doesn’t mean you forget the past. You do have moments of clarity."

"So does our current president, what’s your point? To discredit a black man from voicing his opinion on the quite obvious corruption happening in the current administration? Bit racist if you ask me but whatever, cope harder," stated a person. 

Someone else opined, "I understand your concern But if he can recall the past than he can speak on DJT character back then which is what he did. DJT supported the Black Panthers and was NOT a racist. He also supported Jessie Jackson and more. THATS the only point taken from this video."

Meanwhile, an individual expressed, "so heartbreaking to see someone take advantage of a senior with cognitive issues & twist them for political points I wish your grandpa a happy & peaceful retirement far from ppl who'd misrepresent him." 

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