Remember the long and hard 2016 presidential campaign? Remember when the president pointed into a crowd in California, and praised a man he called "my African American?"

Let us refresh your memory:

That man, "my African American" was Gregory Cheadle. He and the other people at the rally laughed the president off. But those watching at home did not. 

They felt that Trump's words smacked of ownership, that Cheadle had been treated as a slave at worst, a prop at best. And though there was a lot of anger directed at the president, there was also a lot directed at Cheadle for not clapping back.

The past few weeks have seen us get to know Trump's black supporters. We've heard from Herman Cain. We've learned about Michael the Black Man. We've seen Wayne Bradley exercising his First Amendment rights and almost losing his job over it, and we've seen Gianno Caldwell in tears, feeling betrayed.

So what about "my African American?" What about Gregory Cheadle?

Well, The LA Times decided to find out what was going on with him.

After the incident at the rally, which Cheadle initially called "just a fun thing that happened," Cheadle found himself under attack. His address and phone number were released; he faced constant abuse online. He didn't leave his house for days, terrified that he'd be harmed.

He was frustrated. He felt like he was being falsely accused.

Yes, he was and is a Republican. But he said that he was no huge fan of Trump. He claims that he punched for Trump last November not as a vote for the now president, but as a vote against Hillary Clinton.

And now he likes Trump even less.

“I would like for him just to show an interest in black people,” Cheadle said. “Why can’t he go to a black city? Why can’t he trumpet black business? Why can’t he have more black people in his administration?”

And he's no fan of the Republican establishment either.

“Look at our Congress, the Senate and House of Representative,” he said. “Everybody is bought, and that I can’t stomach.”

Which isn't to say that he's revised his views on Democrats or President Obama. 

"He didn’t do anything publicly to satisfy me he was for black people," Cheadle said of 44.

According to Cheadle, both parties are pursuing racist policies. He said that Trump invoking "law and order" is nothing less than code for "We're going to arrest more black people."

Still, Cheadle did have some sympathy for the president when it came to Charlottesville.

“I don’t know what response would have been perfect for the media,” Cheadle said. “No matter what he said, he’s going to be punished for it.”

The whole reason that Cheadle was at Trump's rally in the first place is that he would like to be a politician. He's run for Congress four times as a dark horse, and was wrapping up his campaign when the now president came to town. He figured it would be a good place to hand out flyers.

Although he's never cracked more than 10 percent of the vote, Cheadle thinks this time will be different, in part because of his newfound fame.

He'll be running against Republican incumbent Representative Doug LaMalfa for a seat in the House, and believes that the fact that he's just an ordinary citizen will appeal to voters.

“He’s a multimillionaire,” Cheadle said of his opponent. “Land passed down through generations. The only thing I’ve had passed down for generations is bills.”

Cheadle said it doesn't bother him that some feel he's an Uncle Tom. Instead, he said that he plans to use the spotlight that the president has placed on him to fight for people like himself.

That rally almost a year ago “gives me a chance to talk about things that are important as a person who’s not bought by corporations, or corporate America.”