DIAMONDALE, Michigan—Citing poverty, high unemployment and broken education systems, Donald Trump on Friday continued to court African-American voters with the simple question: "What do you have to lose?"
"Look at how much African-American communities have suffered under Democratic control. To those hurting, I say: What do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump?" he read from a teleprompter at a Michigan rally.
"You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good. You have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose?" he added in the overwhelmingly white town of Diamondale.
The Republican presidential nominee also guaranteed, if elected, he would win "over" 95 percent of black voters in a potential reelection campaign in 2020.
Trump argued that he would be a better candidate for African American issues compared to his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
"Hillary Clinton would rather provide a job to a refugee from overseas than to give that job to unemployed African-American youth in cities like Detroit — who have become refugees in their own country,” he told the stuffy room.
Most surveys now show Trump polling in the low single digits among African-American voters compared to Clinton. Mitt Romney earned the support of about six percent of black voters in 2012.
Earlier in the day, Trump visited parts of Louisiana that had been devastated by recent flooding.
"To the people of Louisiana we are with you and we will always be with you,” he said, calling out President Barack Obama for not yet visiting the affected areas.
"In my vision, I saw not only the suffering of our people but also their strength, courage and really unbeatable spirit,” he added.
