President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union speech on Tuesday and took credit for the African American and Hispanic employment being at an all time low, among other things.
The Congressional Black Caucus, who collectively showed up wearing all-black and kente cloth fabric, was absolutely not feeling it. One classic gif captures this moment:
Trump: "African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded…"#SOTU pic.twitter.com/yKj70TDwBY— Ryan Mitchell (@TheSlayGawd) January 31, 2018
The Congressional Black Caucus members who aren't boycotting tonight's #SOTU all are wearing coordinating afro-centric prints. #StateOfTheUnion #StateofOurUnion pic.twitter.com/uSn7ZFXaJQ— Beatrice-Elizabeth Peterson (@MissBeaE) January 31, 2018
While Trump's numbers are correct, with African American unemployment hitting an all-time low in December at 6.8 percent and Hispanic unemployment reaching a low of 5.9 percent, he is not the one responsible. According to NPR, unemployment for African Americans and Hispanics have been falling since the Obama administration in 2010, and have not picked up speed under Trump's control.
Likewise, unemployment rates tend to fall and rise together amongst all ethnicities; therefore, as unemployment drops for minorities, it also drops for white Americans. Trump, however, did not mention this in his obvious appeal towards minority voters.
See white, black and Hispanic unemployment rates over the past 10 years https://t.co/voZ9mxdozI pic.twitter.com/rwSQtf0Qi3— St. Louis Fed (@stlouisfed) January 28, 2018
According to NPR, the average job creation has actually slowed under the Trump administration, with 171,000 new jobs being added in 2017, compared to 187,000 new jobs in 2015. The reality is that only 8 percent of black voters and 29 percent of Hispanic workers voted for Trump in the 2016 election, and the Black Caucus is not here for Trump's propaganda.