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As a journalist, I dont publicly confirm my voting history for reasons of professional ethics even though a lot of people on X assume they know when they call me a leftist and a commie.

I will, however, confirm that my decision as a Black woman will not be determined by any candidates sudden status as a convicted felon. In fact, Im more likely not to vote for that person. I am not a felon, nor are most of the people I know.

So, nah.

I bring this up, of course, because of the maddening theory eagerly pitched by members of former President Donald Trumps reelection campaign that his recent 34-count guilty verdict in New York makes him uniquely relatable to the African American community because of our historic failure to receive equal justice in court. Axios Sophia Cai recently considered all the arguments and eventually seemed to agree that theres little evidence that Trumps I-am-a-victim-just-like-you argument is swaying many Black voters.

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To even pose this as not just a possibility but a campaign strategy is deeply condescending, dehumanizing and cynically, diabolically racist.

To be clear: the situations are not remotely the same. We are comparing the prosecution of a very rich and famous white man who has been dodging criminal and civil complaints since the 1970s to a population that, in Manhattan alone, is convicted of both misdemeanors and felonies at a staggering rate 21 times greater than white defendants over the last two decades, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Yes, there are some Black celebrities and random Internet people publicly pledging support to Trump because of his alleged swagger, and probably because it gets them headlines and clicks.

Fine. I dont speak for the entire Black community; we are not a monolith. I have even long joked that I am one of two Black women born to my parents on my birthday and even my twin and I dont always share opinions on everything.

But I am comfortable in saying that all the people of African descent that I know and I know a good bit have never listed has to be a felon on their must-haves for a presidential candidate. Particularly not one with a history of racial housing discrimination, reported prejudices, alleged utterances of the N-word on the set of NBCs The Apprentice, as well as general racial callousness, like calling for the death penalty for Black and brown kids later exonerated for a violent rape in Central Park.

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I am sure there are Black people who are voting for Trump for different reasons, but I dont see relatable feloniousness as a main draw. This is not to say I dont know and love some formerly incarcerated folks, because I do. But its foul suggesting that criminality is a foundational situation in my community that would make me go, Hey, Id never consider that guy, but he might be going to jail! Were the same!

This stupidly insulting narrative has been alive since last August, when Trumps mugshot hit the Internet. Fox News Raymond Arroyo said on-air that a Black lady (notice the people in these stories never have names) told him the photo gave the former president cred in front of a new bloc of voters.

UGH. This is most terrible because its not based on shared miscarriages of justice, but because its cool to get arrested.

Arroyo also faced well-deserved controversy for crowing about Trumps alleged cultural mastery in the release of his gold Ronald McDonald-looking sneakers, which former Republican National Convention chairman Michael Steele called a big miss and ugly as hell on his MSNBC show.

But to Arroyo, those cartoonish kicks were an obvious connection between the former president and Black Americans. They love sneakers, certainly in the inner city, Arroyo said, thus reaching them on a level that defies politics. The culture always trumps politics. He added that anyone who buys $400 sneakers will absolutely vote for the person whose name is on them because it shows affection.

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Im not sure which heinous BS theory to address first.

Is it the simultaneously presumptive and dismissive use of they to describe an entire community as if theyre a separate species being observed from spaceships above their planet like in Avatar? Or is it the incredibly racist declaration that Black people are stupid enough to vote for someone whose political and personal stances have often been antithetical to us because they like his shoes? Rights? Who needs em! Gimme them spaceman rave shoes!

I have spent hundreds of dollars in the last decade on Michael Jordan sweatshirts and sneakers (mostly secondhand) for my son, which does not mean I would vote for the basketball legend should he ever run for office. It just means my kid likes his sneakers.

Who you vote for matters. I am very concerned about this country and the upcoming elections in November. I hope that as many people as possible exercise their rights to effect change. And I hope to God their choice is not based on being impressed that somebody is a felon. That would be stupid, right?

Right?

Leslie Gray Streeter is a columnist excited about telling Baltimore stories about us and the things that we care about, that touch us, that tickle us and that make us tick, from parenting to pop culture to the perfect crab cake. She is especially psyched about discussions that we don't usually have. Open mind and a sense of humor required.

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I'm Black, and being a felon or putting your name on sneakers isn't getting my vote - The Baltimore Banner

In 2009, Donald Trump fired Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, from The Celebrity Apprentice. Your Harry Potter facts were not accurate, Trump told Blagojevich, who was under indictment at the time, for trying to sell President-elect Barack Obamas vacated Senate seat the previous year. Blagojevich was found guilty, and in 2012 he began a fourteen-year prison sentence, which Trump commuted eight years later. Seemed like a very nice person, Trump said after the commutation, calling Blagojevichs punishment a tremendously powerful ridiculous sentence in my opinion. Blagojevich emerged from prison a self-described Trumpocrat.

Id have just been coming home a couple weeks ago had President Trump not, you know, shortened it, Blagojevich said recently. I keep having this dream where Im still in prison, he went on. Probably because Im writing this book. Since last August, Blagojevich has been at work on a memoir about his time in the clink, with Gangster Disciples... Sinaloa drug-cartel leaders... murderers, bank robbers, sex offenders, and Enrons Jeffrey Skilling. I went from Obama, Clinton, congressmen, senators, and lawmakers to Smelly and Socks and Sharky and Mr. B., he added. They all have nicknames. His was Gov. The former governor does not enjoy writing but said that he hopes that his prison memoir will be helpful to folks facing hard times. Trump, who is now facing up to four years in prison for thirty-four felony counts of falsifying business records, might want to skim the CliffsNotes.

To begin with, Blagojevich points out, a long sentence, while otherwise undesirable, can be used to your advantage. The fourteen-year sentence made guys think, The Govs a badass, he didnt snitch on anybody, he said. In that world, the snitches, to quote them, are bitches who deserve stitches.

Blagojevich suggests getting in the shape of your life. He figures that he ran probably ten thousand miles, if not longer, during his eight years inside, along with probably twenty thousand pushups. He went on, You walk around the track, you do pushups. It helps deal with the bitterness and anger and sense of disillusionment. He added, Im as fit as a fiddle, in stark contrast to the current governor of Illinois.

I know its the championship game, but Id rather watch a movie with a dog in it.

Cartoon by Frank Cotham

A hobby is also helpful. My band was G-Rod and the Jailhouse Rockers, he said. I did an Elvis medley, which started out with all of Dont Be Cruel, two verses of Thats All Right, two verses of All Shook Up, and all five verses of Jailhouse Rock. He continued, Music was so helpful to me because it was therapeutic. If you practice it, you get better at it. Your range increases a little bit. Your voice kind of expands. Then you can work on what Frank Sinatra was big onphrasing. Before I knew it, the day was over.

Rather than watch TV or movies, Blago recommends books. I read the Bible every day, he recalled. He devoured Viktor Frankls Mans Search for Meaning three times. Its very short, and it has a lot of profound things in it, he explained. One lesson that he drew: If I can come out of here stronger and smarter, its a fuck you to those motherfuckers who did it to me.He also read Shakespeare. Henry V a few times. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. Richard II. Richard III. Hamlet, of course. King Lear. Henry VI. He cleared his throat and recited, The first thing we do, lets kill all the lawyers.

Watch what you eat at the chow hall, he warns. Some guys do crazy things to some of the food, he said. One time, a guy urinated in the pot of oatmeal because he was pissed offno pun intended. Black-market restaurateurs on your cellblock are a good alternative: Once in a while, Id say to myself, Im gonna go off for a longer runten milesand then Im gonna treat myself to one of Osos tacos. You could see he liked his own food. So once in a while Id have itonions, tomatoes, peppers, chicken, cheese, all smuggled from the kitchen.

Finally, Blagojevich advises identifying any supporters. There was a cop that wanted to make an example of me, so he gave me the worst job, he recalled. Washing pots and pans at five oclock in the morning. I got rescued from that because his superior was from Chicagos South Side and his mother still lived there and she liked me. So he put me in the kitchen warehouse, a highly coveted job. Conspiracy theories soon spread among his fellow-inmates. I was supposedly getting special treatment because Obama had called the warden, Blago said. Im telling you, he didnt make the call.

Read the rest here:
Rod Blagojevich's Tips for Prison Survival, Just in Time for Trump - The New Yorker

Doug Burgum, the Republican governor of North Dakota, has emerged as a key adviser on energy issues in Donald J. Trumps campaign to retake the White House, acting as a liaison between Mr. Trump and the oil billionaires whom the former president has encouraged to fund his presidential bid.

Along the way, Governor Burgum has articulated a sophisticated policy approach that can at times seem environmentally conscious, but in fact is designed to benefit oil, gas and coal, the fossil fuels that are driving climate change.

Its a tale of two Dougs, said Dustin Gawrylow, a conservative political commentator in North Dakota.

Mr. Burgum set a goal in 2021 that North Dakota would stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by 2030, becoming carbon neutral. Carbon dioxide from burning oil, gas and coal is a major driver of global warming.

What other state is doing carbon neutral by 2030? said Heather Reams, the president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, a group that tries to engage Republicans on climate policy.

I was very impressed by the level of detail that he had, said Ms. Reams, who recalled speaking to Governor Burgum about his carbon neutrality plan at a Republican Governors Association meeting. Not like he gave me a couple of talking points and walked away. He talked about how this was about economic prosperity, national security, energy independence.

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Trump's Energy Guy Talked a Green Game but Now Sells Big Oil Priorities - The New York Times

Former President Donald Trump's teleprompter apparently broke down at a Las Vegas rally on Sunday, giving the former president free rein to meander into a debate over whether it would be worse to electrocuted or bit by a shark, a rant apparently meant as an indictment of electric vehicles.

I say, what would happen if the boat sank from its weight, and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery is now underwater and theres a shark thats approximately 10 yards over there, Trump said. After referencing shark attacks that injured three people in Alabama, including two teenagers, he concluded that he personally would "take electrocution every single time. Im not getting near the shark."

Although the shark attacks added new flavor, Trump's story about the supposed dangers of battery-powered boats is recycled from a speech in Iowa last year. Both there and in Las Vegas, Trump used the prospect of sinking in an electric boat to attack President Joe Biden.

"He wants to have all electric cars, everything has to be electric, and by 2030 ... that's in six years from now, and you know what, electric cars are fine, they have a problem, they don't go far, they cost a lot to buy, and they're made in China, other than that I think they're wonderful, right?" he said, contradicting U.S. carmakers who say that government support is precisely what they need to remain in a competitive global market (under the Biden administration, electric cars with major Chinese components are ineligible for tax credits).

It also turns out that people have been on boats that use electricity for a very long time. In the 21st century, nearly all boats that are not powered by oar have some electric component to them, whether to operate the main engine, lights system, radio, or motor, and the makers of those boats have considered Trump's grisly scenario and used safety standards before he ever raised the subject.

Electric-powered boats do not pose a unique threat of electrocution, but if they did, Trump is betting that electrocution might be a quicker way out than death by shark bite. Stormy Daniels, the adult-film actress at the center of his hush money conviction, once recalled his fear and hatred of the seaborne predators. Terrified of sharks," she said. "He was like, I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks. I hope all the sharks die.

Read more:
Trump rants about sharks and death by electrocution after his teleprompter goes out in Las Vegas - Salon

astead herndon

What do you mean by that? What did you because what were you intending to communicate?

So I believe, going back to that conversation and what I can remember from it, I believe I was asked, would you vote for Trump, and then would you vote for him if he was convicted? And I said, I dont want to vote for him, but I also dont want to vote for Joe Biden. And then, even if he was convicted, I still wouldnt want to vote for him. But given the choice between the two, thats who I would vote for.

Mm-hmm, so thats how you felt back in October?

Yeah.

Has anything changed for you in the months following?

No, not really. I still dont want to vote for either of those people. But given our phenomenal system, those are the choices that Im given. So between the two of them, yeah, I guess Id have to go for the criminal.

Mm-hmm. A lot of people are in this position of not really liking both of their options. What leads you to Trump in that scenario over Biden?

A couple of things. Number one, under Donald Trump, I had affordable rent, I had affordable cost of living. Under Joe Biden, my cost of living, Im looking at housing, Im looking at inflation. Im looking at these major factors. Im looking at not only those, Im looking at the events happening in Israel and Palestine. And Im seeing the way that were handling those situations.

Do I believe that the Palestine thing would change much with Donald Trump? No, I dont. If anything, I believe it would probably be worse. But looking back at inflation, cost of living, housing, that type of stuff, I have major problems with those. And I believe that Donald Trump, his main goal is to handle that.

So youre saying your decision to go back to Trump over Biden is based in the belief that you were better off economically in those years versus how you feel now?

Yeah.

What did you think of the recent conviction of Trump?

Im not surprised. Im not a big fan of Donald Trumps moral character, I would say, without having personally met the man. I can say what Ive inferred from him. I sincerely doubt his moral character. So if someone came up and saying he had 34 charges of criminal misconduct, I would, in no way, be surprised.

Why, then, is a lack of moral character or even the reality now of a criminal conviction, why is that not disqualifying for you?

Because Im looking at my alternatives. And I see what the alternative has done in the last four years. I believe that thats worse.

Yeah, Im saying, I mean, if its purely about economics or kind of what the reality was while they were in office, where does moral character factor in to you? Does it factor in to you?

Ooh, OK. There we go. If I had the choice between candidates with good moral character that would lead our country into a more prosperous time, that would be my candidate, right? Thats who Im looking for the most. If you were to rank the importance of those two issues, moral character or economic prosperity, I would probably have to go economic prosperity because right now I work too damn hard for too little to be concerned with the exact moral character of the individual that got us there.

Can I ask how you voted in 2020 and in 2016?

I did not.

You did not vote in 2020?

I did not.

Did you vote in 2016?

I did not.

Will you vote this time?

I absolutely will be.

Im curious, what makes you motivated to vote this time that didnt motivate you before?

I suppose I was four and eight years younger, and the situation at hand didnt affect me or affected me less, right? As a 22-year-old, I was far less concerned with my economic well-being. Now, that matters to me a lot more. As Im getting into house purchasing age, as Im getting into needing to deal with all of the repercussions of these decisions myself, now Im much more interested in voting and making sure that I have some type of say in what were going to accomplish in the next four years.

Well, thank you, Dakota.

Yeah, absolutely. No worries.

Have a great day.

You as well. Bye. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Hi, my name is Astead Herndon. Im a reporter with The New York Times. I was looking for Walter Bear.

Yes, how can I help you?

Thank you. I appreciate it. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, Walter? What part of the country youre in, how old you are, what you do for work, things like that.

Im retired, live in Las Vegas.

Retired and live in Las Vegas, awesome. What did you do before you retired?

Oh, I was in real estate.

Are you someone whos considered themselves a Democrat, Republican, independent? Any political label?

Im not a Democrat. Im not a Republican. I only vote for who I believe is going to do the job. I dont care who you represent. If youre going to do the job and represent the people, then Im for you.

Well, let me ask specifically about the last couple of elections. Did you vote in 2020 for the presidential race?

Yes, I always vote.

Mm-hmm. Do you mind telling me who you voted for in 2016 and 2020?

I voted for Obama.

Well, Im asking in 2016, when it was between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, whatd you do?

Oh, I voted for Donald Trump. I did not vote for Hillary.

And what do you do when it was Donald Trump versus Joe Biden four years ago?

I vote for Donald Trump. I didnt vote for Joe Biden.

Well, since you voted for Trump in 2020, Im wondering what has soured you on him a little bit four years later.

Well, it really hasnt soured on that. I dont like some of the things hed been involved in. But then again, it just could be politics, you know?

Anything specifically?

Well, his court cases, you know? But then, the court cases are personal, really.

I was going to ask specifically about that. I think you told The New York Times polling last fall that you would think about voting for Trump, but you might change if he was convicted. What were you thinking at that time, and what changed?

Well, I really wanted to see what was really taking place, to see if he was really guilty of what he had been accused of.

And in this case, you have 34 guilty counts now on falsifying business records. For you, what was your reaction to that verdict?

The falsification that is taking place

I dont know. I really have mixed emotions about it, really.

Well, take me through that. What are your mixed emotions?

Well, is he really guilty? I mean, is this a plan of attack against him? And so I dont really like the way theyre really slamming him, you know? And I guess I really havent kept on top of it like I should have. And sometimes, when you hear the news, its not exactly the way it really should be.

So youre saying that when you mentioned it last time, you were open to seeing what type of evidence emerged, but theres something about this one that doesnt seem to have fully convinced you.

Well, that I havent really been following it.

But you havent really been following this one?

No, I really havent been keeping up with it like I should have. Ive been involved in a lot of other things, you know? Your personal life sometimes comes before everything else. This is politics, and politics is going to be what politics is, and you cant stop it.

I totally understand that, especially since you guys still got some months before the presidential race. Do you think youll catch up on the news? Do you think that the verdict will matter in terms of how you eventually land?

Im still in favor of Donald Trump, really. Something about Donald, I just sometime I think he really represents the stand for the truth of the people. Most politician are known for lying. All they do is all they are is paid liars. They just sit up there and lie. They say one thing and do a complete opposite.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time.

All right. You have a wonderful day.

Yes, you too. Bye.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Read more:
Trump's Guilty. Does Anyone Care? - The New York Times