Trump adviser: Dems want 'token black female' to 'prop up' Biden presidency

Democrats often accuse Republicans of "tokenism" on issues of race, yet they want a "token black female to stand next to Joe Biden to prop up his presidency," according to Pastor Darrell Scott, CEO of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump. 

As a candidate during the Democratic primary debate season, Biden, now his party's presumptive nominee for president, promised onstage to pick a female running mate.

Pastor Scott, an African-American and early supporter of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, told Just the News in a video interview that he thinks black women should be offended by reports that the Biden campaign is seeking a black woman as his running mate, rather than basing his search solely on qualifications.

"That's the epitome of tokenism right there, that you've already disqualified any number of potentially capable candidates because they are not black," Pastor Scott said. "That I have to have a black person to stand next to this white man so I can get the black vote ... so this person that is next to me is not next to me exclusively because of their qualifications. They're next to me because they are black. I need a black. That's the epitome of tokenism in America right now, and I don't see how any black female would not be offended over the fact that ... the main reason you're picking me is because I'm black.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who ran for the Democratic nomination herself, said during an MSNBC interview in June that she had withdrawn from consideration to join the Biden ticket, instead advising Biden to select a woman of color as his vice president.

However, an overwhelming 73% of U.S. voters say Biden should pick the most qualified person to be his running mate, regardless of race or gender, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen. That total includes 55% of Democrats.

Overall, 15% say Biden should pick a woman of color, 10% say a woman, and 2% would like a person of color. 

Pastor Scott slammed Democrats for what he said was hypocrisy in how they accuse Republicans of tokenism. Specifically, he took aim at Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who called legislation on police reforms introduced by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the sole black Republican U.S. Senator, a “token" approach. Durbin later apologized for the possibly racially-tinged slight.

Sen. Scott's proposed legislation, The JUSTICE Act, includes significant policing reforms, like more funding for police-worn body cameras, anti-lynching statutes, and de-escalation training.

"Those words hurt me in my soul," Sen. Scott later wrote in an email to supporters. "I don’t know exactly what Senator Durbin meant, but his rhetoric was out of line and represents a divisive moment for our country. As the only African American Republican Senator, I have been leading  efforts for years to reform our police and on the issues impacting communities of color all across our country."

Pastor Scott told Just the News that Durbin's tactic was common with the Democratic Party.

"The Democratic Party, that's the way they think, that anyone that does not align themselves with their principles and practices and precepts, if they're of the African-American ethnicity, they're automatically an Uncle Tom, they're automatically a sellout, and they're automatically a token," Pastor Scott said. "Any black that's in a position of prominence in the Republican Party, they call them a token, it's a word that I'm used to hearing it myself. And Durbin let it slip in, he let it slip what he was really thinking."

Pastor Scott also expressed dismay at language from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who mistakenly referred to slain African-American George Floyd by the name of George Kirby, a black comedian.

"When Nancy Pelosi called George Floyd 'George Kirby,' she was letting it slip that to her one black, another black, they're all the same," Pastor Scott said. "It's it's indicative of the mindset that they have."

Pastor Scott believes that in order for Republicans to make inroads with black voters, they need more nuanced messaging.

"Our messaging needs to be adjusted and tailored for the black community because for a while we had these newer, younger conservatives that were bringing forth a message that was offensive to the black community and stating that anyone that voted Democrat was a slave or on a plantation, and that was a very offensive message," Pastor Scott said. "We're not going to insult people over to our side, we don't insult them into voting our way, we need to enlighten them into voting our way. So if the messaging changes, we need to tout and proclaim and publish Donald Trump's achievements, his positive achievements not only for the American society, but for the black community. And I believe if they filter those and process those achievements intellectually, it will win more people to our side, rather than insulting their intelligence by not voting for Donald Trump."

To watch the full interview with Pastor Darrell Scott, click below: