The black GMC Yukon pulled up outside the National Republican Club of Capitol Hill on Wednesday night, blasting a song featuring Nicki Minaj.
As the lyrics spilled out, five young Black conservatives, a group of political influencers and rising activists, hurried inside for the Black Americans for Trump Trailblazer Reception.
“We had to play MAGAMinaj,” conservative commentator Xaviaer DuRousseau told Capital B, laughing, referencing the rapper’s recent public support of President Donald Trump, a moment he and his friends see as evidence of Black conservatism’s momentum.
Earlier that day, many of the same attendees gathered at the White House’s annual Black History Month reception, less than two weeks after outrage erupted over a post from the president’s Truth Social account depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes — the latest in a series of controversies in which racist tropes were amplified on social media by members of the Trump administration. And earlier this month, Mississippi Today reported that the Trump administration urged the National Park Service to remove the word “racist” from descriptions of Medgar Evers’ killer — a known Ku Klux Klan member.
These latest controversies did not shake Trump’s support in this room. Conversations with attendees at both events suggested that Black conservatives do not see their support of Trump as a contradiction of their identity, but as an expression of the values they say matter most to them — faith, family and safety — priorities they argue outweigh accusations of overt racism.
Unwavering support
Last year’s White House reception featured high-profile guests like golf legend Tiger Woods and rapper Rod Wave in a packed room, with attendees standing shoulder to shoulder. This year’s event appeared smaller and more subdued — about 100 lifelong conservatives, Gen Z influencers, Turning Point USA–affiliated organizers, and Republican candidates — with fewer marquee names, no visible MAGA hats, and only a couple people stopping to speak with the press.
Still, the tone inside remained overwhelmingly supportive. “I fell in love with this man, with his heart,” pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson said during the program. Halfway through Trump’s remarks, Trump repeated false claims that President Joe Biden hadn’t won the 2020 election. Some attendees followed with chants: “Four more years!”
Amir Hassan, a Republican candidate seeking to flip Michigan’s 8th Congressional District — which includes Flint and Saginaw and has been held by Democrats for decades — called himself a “pragmagatist,” a term he uses to signal a solutions-first conservatism rooted in policy over rhetoric. A Navy veteran and retired federal law enforcement officer, Hassan said he came to Washington during Black History Month to represent his district, connect with other Black conservatives, and position his campaign within Trump’s political orbit.
When asked directly about recent controversies, including the president’s widely criticized social media post that drew accusations of racism, some attendees downplayed the significance or dismissed it outright. Hassan called the incident a distraction, saying, “President Trump clearly said that video was not a part of what he was intending to share. And I take that as his word.”
Hassan credited Trump with lowering prescription drug costs and boosting American manufacturing, reflecting a view shared by attendees that the administration’s economic policies are good for Black Americans — even as housing prices continue to rise and experts predict medical costs will also continue to spike throughout Trump’s term.
Amir Odom, a 30-year-old podcaster, said that under Trump, “we have been better as Black people. I’m not being attacked, not being bought, not being harmed,” adding that he was “not invested” in the video circulating online.
Attendees argued that the Trump administration’s policies are benefiting Black communities, but 2025 data tells a more complicated story.
After reaching historic lows in 2023 (4.8 %), Black unemployment ticked up to 7.5% at the end of 2025, more than twice the rate of white workers and well above the national average of 4.4%. Black women face a slightly higher rate of joblessness than Black men, with an estimated 300,000 leaving the labor force last year. A 2025 study on well-being found that 46% of Black Americans have a positive outlook on their current and future circumstances, down 6 points from the previous year. And since the start of Trump’s second turn, his approval rating among Black Americans has dropped.
Jaden Heard said that he values finding community with others who see Trump’s record with Black communities as a success. The 24-year-old who is now a social media manager for TPUSA Rise, the organization formerly known as Blexit, which operates under the Turning Point USA network, said being a Black conservative in 2026 “means holding fast to traditional values of faith, family and freedom.”
Those themes of faith, family, and cultural conservatism were especially pronounced in almost every conversation. Linda Tarver, a Republican since 1982, donned her signature embellished Republican donkey pin at the reception and expressed strong support for Trump’s leadership, adding that she believes he is delivering on his agenda.
“I want him to do what he promised on the campaign trail. And it’s working out well,” she said.
For Tarver, public safety and order were central to her political priorities, citing personal experiences with violence in her family and community. She praised the presence of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., a move that some Black residents welcomed, while others expressed fear and anxiety about increased presence of law enforcement. A Washington Post analysis found that National Guardsmen officers targeted low-income neighborhoods in the city, leading to the arrests of mostly Black men and more than 900 immigrants.
Tarver said people “expect perfection” from Trump, and that’s unrealistic. “I’m very happy and very proud to be a Black conservative in 2026,” she said.