Trump asked for the black vote Tuesday. But some black Republicans said the message didnt jibe with how black people have been treated by members of the campaign. Several black Republicans referred to an incident involving Sean P. Jackson, a young Floridian Republican strategist. Jackson, whose plan to reach black voters has reached the inboxes of select black conservatives in his state and nationally, recently told friends that the Trump campaigns chief Florida strategist Karen Giorno told him during that primary that Trump didnt need his classification of people to get elected.
At a recent event in Florida, two sources said that Jackson was approached by Secret Service and escorted out of the event. But when he confronted Giorno to vouch for him, a source said she declined to acknowledge Jackson, the chairman of the Black Republican Caucus of Florida, a group that once hosted Dr. Ben Carson.
Giorno did not respond to an email seeking comment.
According to Jackson, he first reached out to Giorno in January. He said the states Republican leadership needed to get on the ball when it came to trying to reach black voters. Jackson said Giorno got annoyed when Jackson sent an email to her and then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. I made it clear we had to start sooner than later. You cant afford to come 100 days before the election and expect to do anything. It just wont happen. They will look at you like an opportunist.
But according to Jackson, Giorno told him in person during the primary that Trump didnt need black voters to win, I was just floored, Jackson told BuzzFeed News. I didnt know what to say to it. Im, like, holy shit, she actually said that to me.
Black conservatives were buzzing about the Jackson incident because Jackson had worked closely with the Trump campaign and was a fixture at the RNC in Cleveland, which was low on young black delegates, surrogates, and media personalities.
