Donald Trump’s visit to a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday created quite a stir. Not just in the restaurant, but across social media as well.
The presumptive GOP nominee for President was seen ordering “30 milkshakes and also some chicken” for customers.
“I know this menu better than you do,” he joked with employees at the fast food restaurant. “I probably know it better than anybody in here.”
The media had a typical knee-jerk reaction, trying to find a negative angle on a pretty cool story. The New York Daily News denounced the visit as an “attempt to woo local voters.”
Left-wing outlet Axios questioned: “Is this coming out of his wallet, or his campaign funds?”
Donald Trump just walked into a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta and ordered 30 milkshakes! What do you notice about their reaction? pic.twitter.com/hqGx5FHgUb
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) April 10, 2024
The media’s reaction is ironic. Especially considering one video of Trump’s visit to the Chick-fil-A that went viral.
“I don’t care what the media tells you, Mr. Trump,” a young black woman declares in the clip posted to the X social media platform. “We support you!”
The comment prompts Trump to make a playful request.
“Let me give you a hug,” he states.
The woman happily obliges and embraces the former President before posing for pictures.
Another man around the same time as this exchange can be heard shouting, “I love you, man. I love you.”
He truly is the people’s presidentpic.twitter.com/OuoDvFuQ2j
— Family Moments (@Family_viralvid) April 11, 2024
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Perhaps the media’s reaction is understandable when you put it into context. First, they don’t want anything out in the public sphere that might indicate Trump is earning support from black voters. That would be devastating to the Biden campaign.
Second, well, we know how the media feels about Trump, but we also know how the media feels about Chick-fil-A.
Just ask former New York Times editor Adam Rubenstein who wrote about his job orientation at the newspaper of record. An orientation where an exercise was conducted and he admitted his favorite sandwich is “the spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A.”
That comment created a four-alarm fire at the Gray Lady. And gave us one of the greatest stories ever told about the NYT and why they are the way that they are:
The HR representative leading the orientation chided me: “We don’t do that here. They hate gay people.” People started snapping their fingers in acclamation. I hadn’t been thinking about the fact that Chick-fil-A was transgressive in liberal circles for its chairman’s opposition to gay marriage. “Not the politics, the chicken,” I quickly said, but it was too late. I sat down, ashamed.
– Adam Rubenstein, The Atlantic
Trump famously served Chick-fil-A to a college football team celebrating their championship in 2019, and the media was bent that he would dare serve fast food in the White House.
In fact, they started analyzing his health and linked it to his penchant for fast food. Because Bill Clinton never enjoyed fries from McDonalds apparently.
As for the support of black voters?
MSNBC recently conducted a focus group discussion in a black barbershop and things didn’t go according to plan. Participants explained that Trump was indeed an option for African-American voters like themselves.
“For sure, ” one man replied. “A lot of my friends are obviously my age, so we’re a little younger. We’ve only voted once, you know, for president, and Trump is kinda all we know.”
“They’re like, ‘Well, we’re broke with Biden. We weren’t with Trump.’ And that’s kind of the only thing that I’m hearing over, and over again… ‘With Trump, we had money,’” he explains. “Well, okay, I hear you guys. But personally, morally I couldn’t see myself.”
MSNBC: “There are some people in your orbit either voting for Donald Trump or considering it?”
Voter: “For sure. A lot of my friends are… they’re like well, we’re broke with Biden, we weren’t with Trump… with Trump, we had money.” pic.twitter.com/Q5IuAZ1nN7
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) February 2, 2024
A New York Times poll from November shows support for Trump from black voters approaching unheard-of heights.
“Black voters — long a bulwark for Democrats and for Mr. Biden — are now registering 22 percent support in these states for Mr. Trump, a level unseen in presidential politics for a Republican in modern times,” the Times worried.
The Philadelphia Inquirer cites two polls with nearly matching numbers that show roughly 23% of black voters supporting Trump.
Perhaps it’s because, as the woman above states, they don’t care what the media says.
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