Meet the Man Who Thinks He Can Help Lure Black Voters to Trump

Vernon Robinson relies on outrageous tactics and over-the-top messaging to raise money for his super PAC.

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The list of super PACs supporting President Donald Trump in 2020 reads like verbal Sudoku: There’s Great America, Make America Great Again, Americans for Greatness, the Committee to Restore America’s Greatness, Make America Number 1, and America is Winning Again. So much greatness. 

But one group stands out in both its mission and its fundraising prowess. That group is Black Americans to Re-Elect the President, which has raised nearly $2.8 million since it began accepting contributions in May 2018. According to OpenSecrets.org, Black Americans to Re-Elect the President has raised more more money during the 2020 presidential cycle than any other pro-Trump SuperPAC other than America First Action, Trump’s “official” super PAC, which has raised $46 million.

The mastermind behind the group is Vernon Robinson, a pugnacious controversialist and serial fundraiser who once dubbed himself the “Black Jesse Helms.” Robinson, 65, a graduate of the Air Force Academy and former officer, has spent years in North Carolina running dozens of (mostly) unsuccessful campaigns for local and national office.

Robinson’s most controversial campaign took place in 2006, where the incendiary accusations he leveled against his opponent were similar in tone, if not exactly the same in content, as something ripped from the Trump playbook. 

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  1. Avatar photo
    JohnF

    "Y'know Donald, there's a lot of money being raised by people using your name and none of it is going into your personal bank account".
    Maybe that will bring about some serious campaign finance reform.

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  2. @fakeJohn

    Any time I hear a politician or public figure focus this much on homosexuality I wait for the inevitable scandal to come out. And you know what? 60% of the time I’m right every time.

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    Bill Nelson

    Ronnie and Tip had beer.

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    CVS

    Vernon Robinson has been a grifter for a long time. That's been obvious. Glad someone is pointing this out.

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  5. Nita Hardin

    Tarheels rejected his BS decades ago.

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    Nick H

    If only people like this would recognize that "fighting" effectively does not mean making the most outrageous and hyperbolic statements possible and purposely trying to be offensive. It's fighting, sure, but it's not effective.

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    1. Bradley Potts

      Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are a grifter trying to siphon money out of gullible rubes, it seems very effective.

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  7. Bradley Potts

    I try to be objective and have always had a pox on both houses sort of outlook. I acknowledge that both parties have very loose dedication to the truth.

    But the degree to which the republican party has cornered the market on sheer shamelessness is astounding.

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    Victor Clairmont

    Interesting stuff. The black community is actually ripe for a break away from democrats. I don’t know if it will be this cycle, but even if Trump loses I would expect to see the same or even more turn out especially among black men for Trump. But 2024? Expect to see a shift. Dissatisfaction is getting high in democratic circles.

    But I am not a big fan of Vernon using crazy outrageous stuff for fundraising.

    Can the GOP take advantage of it? Dunno. Will the Dems retain the strong support? We will see.

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    1. Ty

      is this anecdotal or do you have evidence? I personally don't see any evidence of a widespread break of black communities and the democratic party.

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    2. Bradley Potts

      Jo Jorgenson and Spike Cohen from the Libertarian ticket are firmly backing BLM.

      The Libertarian party is a very white group of people, but a pro gun, pro liberty, conservative party that also takes a strong position on the ways in which out political and justice systems marginalize black and poor communities could resonate with black voters.

      Nobody cares about Jorgenson or Cohen and they aren't the personalities to gain popular traction, so its a pipe dream. But I could see the LP gaining traction amongst black voters if they continue this path.

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    3. Peter

      I live in a black community, I can tell you support is strong against any move to the gop.

      Folks keep saying it’s “ripe” for change. But change to what? The gop? They care even less about minorities.

      After the report came out that the republicans were trying to change the census to help non Hispanic whites (which would include my mother whose Hispanic white ) I became a staunch democrat supporter.

      You folks should really see that people of color pay attention to the motives of the gop.

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    4. Avatar photo
      merseyyank

      I don't see it Victor. Vernon Robinson seems a bit crazy and I can see why he fits in the Party Of Trump, but having any persuasive powers over the majority of the African American community is a bit much. The GOP may be able to attract the blacks in the middle class and higher, but they have nothing to offer those blacks who are stuck in the cycle of poverty.

      Pre-pandemic, look at the audience at a Trump rally. What percentage were African American? Maybe 1 percent? Trump and the GOP pander to the blacks but they aren't prepared to do the hard work, go into the communities and work with them.

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      1. Joe1776

        "The GOP may be able to attract the blacks in the middle class and higher, but they have nothing to offer those blacks who are stuck in the cycle of poverty."

        School choice and record low unemployment.

        Have you noticed so many more self check outs? Companies are getting ready for democrats higher minimum wage which almost always hurts lowest paid black communities the hardest. Hurting low income blacks was the original intent of the laws.

        https://mises.org/wire/racist-history-minimum-wage-laws

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        1. @fakeJohn

          I don’t think low unemployment is something you want to use as an example you want to use right now.

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        2. Peter

          Unemployment was dropping under Obama. And many voters remember we had a boom under Clinton.

          I think a lot of voters don’t attribute economies to administrations as much anymore. Trump wouldn’t have such high negatives of its mostly about the economy (only president in modern times to have a higher negative approval compared to his approval rating).

          And school choice? Really? We want our public schools to improve across the country and in cities.

          I support choices but not at the detriment of public schools.

          You really are not speaking to issues worrying black communities (which I’m part of).

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        3. Bradley Potts

          Republicans are going to have trouble taking credit for something so cyclical and has craters at this point.

          Unemployment rates were dropping consistently under Obama. And he was a black president rather than a white one with a long history of race baiting.

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      Chris L

      I think the most likely outcome (or maybe I'm just being naive in my hopes) is that there will be a sort of realignment of both parties, big enough like what happened during the Civil Rights Era. The lunatic fringe will consolidate around the Trump-Obama supporters in adherence to the Horseshoe Theory, and the centrists from both parties will rediscover classical liberalism. Which party names they adopt, I couldn't say, but I doubt a true third party since the US seems to always be so averse to that.

      Aw who am I kidding, I know it's painfully unlikely, but I'm trying to be optimistic here.

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    6. Scroop Moth

      Crazy outrageous stuff is to be expected, but what about the false accusations?

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        Victor Clairmont

        It’s so crazy these days I wonder if anyone is paying attention honestly....

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        1. Scroop Moth

          It’s discouraging to read lies and false accusations being described so often in conservative circles as “crazy outrageous stuff,” bombast, bragging, too much Tweeting, impoliteness, and so on. I get the sense that Republicans have an unwritten compact not to call a lie a lie, because of the advantage that might give Democrats. It’s kind of like the blue wall of silence that police maintain.

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