Former President Donald Trump proudly announced on Wednesday that he had secured the endorsement of the Black Lives Matter organization after receiving praise from a former leader of the movement.
But according to other leaders within the group — which has publicly opposed Trump and the Republican Party for years—the endorsement of former activist Mark Fisher does not reflect BLM’s official position.
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“You know, I like Trump personally and I think right now who we have sitting in the Oval Office is just a deep disappointment,” said Mark Fisher to the hosts of Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” on Tuesday. Fisher was introduced as the co-founder of the Rhode Island chapter of Black Lives Matter and a former leader within BLM, Inc., a quasi-corporation that exists to “support” the larger movement. While his political alignment has shifted since starting the group, Fisher claims that he is still affiliated with Black Lives Matter and advocates for unity within the movement.
Addressing why Black voters are leaving the Democratic Party in droves ahead of the 2024 election, Fisher blamed the trend on the “duplicity” and “hypocrisy” of the Democrats.
“We’re not stupid,” he said. “The brothers are not stupid. We understand when someone’s for us and when someone is not, and it’s obvious that the Democratic Party is not for us.”
(Related: Biden Loses Support with Black Voters)
Fisher’s commentary on Tuesday echoed remarks made earlier this month during an interview on Fox’s “The Kim Iversen Show,” where he directed further criticism at Democrats.
“We’ve been used and abused for so long by that party, they don’t value our vote,” he said. “Their policies are basically racist policies. I believe it’s a racist party. Donald Trump is just the opposite. He’s going to tell you how it is. He’s going to give it to you straight.”
In response to Fisher’s praise, former President Trump said he was “very honored” to have his endorsement and “BLM’s support.” In a Truth Social post, Trump also touted his record of support for the Black community and declared that he has “done more for Black people than any other president”—including perhaps Abraham Lincoln.
However, other representatives from the Black Lives Matter organization—a largely decentralized group of state and local chapters—pushed back against Fisher’s comments and denied endorsing Trump.
“Mark Fisher stated he was one of the co-founders of BLM. Absolutely not,” said Gary Dantzler, the current leader of BLM Rhode Island. “He was a respected advocate for BLM. That’s it. And he was paid and somewhere he got fired and demoted.”
The Black Lives Matter Foundation also condemned Fisher in a statement to Business Insider. “This is a publicity stunt,” the foundation said. “The right-wing continues to use and amplify fringe Black voices to create an idea of broad support for their corrupt candidates.”
The foundation denounced Fisher as an “illegitimate” member of BLM attempting to “muddy the waters of our movement,” and further called former President Trump a “terrorist who committed treason and tried to subvert American democracy.”
Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, currently trailing Trump at a distant second in the Republican primary race, seized the opportunity to attack the former president for suddenly celebrating a group he once called “a symbol of hate.”
“BLM praising Donald Trump — and Trump celebrating it — makes perfect sense,” DeSantis wrote on X. “When BLM was burning down cities and assaulting police officers in cities across this country, Trump did nothing but sit in the White House tweeting ‘LAW & ORDER!’”
BLM praising Donald Trump — and Trump celebrating it — makes perfect sense.
When BLM was burning down cities and assaulting police officers in cities across this country, Trump did nothing but sit in the White House tweeting “LAW & ORDER!”
We did it differently in Florida. I… pic.twitter.com/bh83GxxNZH
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 29, 2023
A related post from the DeSantis War Room account recirculated a 2020 Trump campaign ad sympathizing with BLM protesters during their violent riots.
“This — plus tweeting “LAW & ORDER!” over and over again — is pretty much all Trump did in response to the destruction,” the post said.
Surprised that Trump just said he’s “honored” to have BLM’s endorsement? Here’s something that will shock you even more.
This is a 4 minute ad the Trump campaign put out in Summer 2020 sympathizing with BLM rioters as they torched American cities.
This — plus tweeting “LAW &… pic.twitter.com/qAHXimo8kn
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) November 30, 2023
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