Donald Trump is gearing up for his clash with Democrat rival Joe Biden in the upcoming US election in November. This year’s stand-off will differ from previous elections due to coronavirus, which could make it harder for voters to cast their ballot. The 74-year-old incumbent president will hope to replicate the success in 2016 when he won the Electoral College with 304 votes compared to Hillary Clinton’s 227. Despite the verdict’s ruling, many were frustrated over allegations of voter disenfranchisement and also called for a change to the voting system itself. This came after it was revealed that while he won the Electoral College he lost the popular vote – the total of all ballots – by over two million. This was the fifth time in US history that a victorious candidate had won despite not gaining the majority of votes cast. President Trump dismissed the protests at the time and in secretly recorded comments revealed why he thought he won the election.
President Trump made a number of potentially inflammatory comments during a meeting four days before his inauguration, when he met with a group who hoped to change the voting process.
The Drum Major Institute, which was originally founded by Martin Luther King Jr and others from the Civil Rights Movement, pitched a new photo ID card that they believed would prevent people from being struck-off the ballot.
Lawyer turned activist and performer Tootsie Warhol, who was in attendance with Martin Luther King III and other members, recorded the meeting on his iPhone.
During the meeting at Trump Tower, Mr Warhol witnessed the president-elect boast about his collection of sports memorabilia, predominantly from black athletes, without prompt and claimed it was a “tasteless move”.
He listed Shaquille O’Neal’s sneaker, Mike Tyson’s belt and Sugar Ray Leonard’s boxing glove, who he claimed to be friends with – before he made a claim about his support from the black community.
Mr Warhol told Express.co.uk: “It was a point of desperation, the whole meeting he needed to name as many black people as he’d ever met in life, whether they liked him or not.”
In the recording President Trump said: “I listen better to the African-American people than anybody else. Anybody else in this room.”
Donald Trump news: US President made comments about the 2016 election in secretly recorded audio (Image: GETTY)
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Mr Warhol branded the comment “surprising and deeply offensive” in general but he felt it was even more so because it was said in front of Martin Luther King III.
He told Express.co.uk: “This was a solemn occasion, because he was meeting one of Martin Luther King Jr’s children so he needed to be on his best behaviour.
“If I didn’t take the recording to hear what he really said to black leaders I don’t think people would have believed it.
“No one in that meeting felt in a position to call Trump out on his ridiculousness and offensive comments.”
In another remark, he dismissed the beliefs about voter disenfranchisement in 2016, which were claimed to have been caused by individual state’s registration processes.
A 2017 Mother Jones report into voter suppression found that in the state of Wisconsin alone around 45,000 people were deterred from voting due to strict voter ID laws.
In the city of Milwaukee, a majority black state, voter turnout had decreased by 41,000 – which election director Neil Albrecht attributed largely to that reason.
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He said: “I would estimate that 25 to 35 percent of the 41,000 decrease in voters, or somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 voters, likely did not vote due to the photo ID requirement.”
The Drum Major Institute sought to redress issues like this during their meeting with President Trump by suggesting that citizens’ social security cards should carry a photograph.
Mr Warhol claimed that when the US leader was presented with one he professed to “love it” and asked to keep it – but did not take further steps towards implementing the idea.
He also requested that the group should make one for his then-political aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who was also present at the meeting.
Mr Warhol continued: “We told him he could call it the Trump Card and he was entertained by it – but he didn’t appear to understand the issue as he said the darkest thing later in the meeting.”
In the recording President Trump said: “Many blacks didn’t go out to vote for Hillary because they liked me, that was almost as good as getting the vote.”
Mr Warhol was flabbergasted by the comment because, in his opinion it showed no awareness of voter disenfranchisement – despite their meeting being about that issue.
He said: “We couldn’t speak up, no one wanted to make it into a fighting match but it was infuriating the way he lapped it up.
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Donald Trump news: US President made comments about voting in a meeting with Martin Luther King III (Image: GETTY)
“I wanted to say, ‘They didn’t not vote because they liked you, it’s because they were disenfranchised by voter ID laws’.
“Some Wisconsin studies show tens of thousands people were disenfranchised and he only won the state by around 23,000 votes.
“It reiterated what I thought about him being apathetic, he didn’t know who he was talking to, what the talk was about and didn’t care.”
Mr Warhol claimed this alleged lack of understanding was also shown earlier during their meeting when he showed-off his memorabilia and “boasted about his black friends”.
He told Express.co.uk: “He’s not their friend, he’s using them as trophies and props in the reality TV show that never ended – there was ‘The Apprentice’ and now there’s The Apprentice: White House version.
“It’s all a photo-op and a TV show and in reality you know he doesn’t have a strong relationship with the black community… he’s apathetic to black people’s suffering.”
When Express.co.uk approached the White House for a response to the claims, they did not make any comment about voter disenfranchisement nor did they deny the recording’s legitimacy.
They said: “Donald Trump’s record as a private citizen and as president has been one of fighting for inclusion and advocating for the equal treatment of all.
“Anyone who suggests otherwise is only seeking to sow division and ignore the President’s work for underserved communities.
“The President is grateful for his support among Black Americans, and their many contributions to helping make America great.”