From ‘THUG’ to ‘low IQ,’ Trump escalates personal and racist attacks against Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

The president’s posts came days after the Supreme Court ruled on April 29 that congressional districts drawn to ensure fair representation for Black voters are not protected under Section 2 of the VRA because they are based on race and thereby are discriminatory against white voters. However, the court’s conservative majority argued that maps that dilute the voting power of Black districts are permissible under the law if it cannot be proven that the intent was racially motivated.

The court ruling, penned by Justice Samuel Alito, said Republicans are allowed to target Black voters under the law because they overwhelmingly vote for one political party (Democrats).

On the day of the ruling, during a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Jeffries slammed the Supreme Court as “illegitimate” and said the Voting Rights Act ruling was “designed to undermine the ability of communities of color all across this country to elect their candidate of choice.”

He added, “But we’re not here to step back. We’re here to fight back. ”

Antjuan Seawright, CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC and an advisor to Jeffries, said of President Trump’s attack on the Democratic leader: “It’s not the first time that the privileged voice of Donald Trump has found it beneficial and necessary to attack an African-American leader, particularly in a time in which the African American leader has outmaneuvered him or is perceived as more astute than him. ”