But for Trump, allegations of racism amount to recurring themes in his larger-than-life career. Two weeks ago, when he was asked during a radio interview about whether or not he is supported by African-Americans, he sparked another firestorm when he blurted: I have a great relationship with the blacks. Ive always had a great relationship with the blacks. Trumps comments were highly offensive, Walter Fields, former head of NAACP New Jersey, told Capital New York.
Trump styles himself a modern-day beacon of racial sensitivity, often discussing the importance of the civil-rights movement. In his 2000 political manifesto, The America That We Deserve, Trump outlined his dream of an America unencumbered by racism, discrimination against women, or discrimination against people based on sexual orientation. He once donated office space to Jacksons civil rights group, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he likes to pal around with African-American celebrities such as P. Diddy and Lenny Kravitz and he once hosted an NAACP convention party.
But Trump has been called out several times for racial insensitivity by former co-workers and civil rights activists. In 1991, Trump was accused of making racial slurs against black people in a book written by John R. ODonnell, former president of Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, called Trumped! ODonnell wrote that Trump once said, in reference to a black accountant at Trump Plaza, laziness is a trait in blacks. He also told ODonnell: Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.
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Yet the most damaging episode in the saga of Trumps fractured relationship with the black community came in 1973, when his familys real-estate company, Trump Management Corporation, was sued by the Justice Department for alleged racial discrimination. At the time, Trump was the companys president. Just last month, at Trumps Comedy Central roast, Snoop Dogg referenced the case by joking about Trumps potential 2012 run for the White House: Why not? It wouldnt be the first time he pushed a black family out of their home.
The case alleged that the Trump Management Corporation had discriminated against blacks who wished to rent apartments in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The government charged the corporation with quoting different rental terms and conditions to blacks and whites and lying to blacks that apartments were not available, according to reports of the lawsuit.
Two years later, Trump Management settled the case, promising not to discriminate against blacks, Puerto Ricans and other minorities. As part of the agreement, Trump was required to send its list of vacancies in its 15,000 apartments to a civil-rights group, giving them first priority in providing applicants for certain apartments, according to a contemperaneous New York Times account. Trump, who emphasized that the agreement was not an admission of guilt, later crowed that he was satisfied because it did not require them to accept persons on welfare as tenants unless as qualified as any other tenant.
But the company didnt sufficiently fulfill its promise, because three years later, the Justice Department charged Trump Management with continuing to discriminate against blacks through such tactics as telling them that apartments were not available. As part of its demands, the government asked that victims of discrimination be compensated and that Trump Management continue to report to the Justice Department on its compliance. Cohn lashed out, according to the New York Times, claiming that the court motion was nothing more than a rehash of complaints by a couple of planted malcontents.
