Former NFL safety Jack Brewer declared President Trump the “first black president” during a round table discussion with black supporters Thursday.
Mr. Trump sat down in the White House Cabinet Room for a discussion with leaders from the black community, including Mr. Brewer, Diamond and Silk, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece Alveda King, among others.
They talked about a range of topics, but the one that particularly touched Mr. Brewer was Mr. Trump’s accomplishments on prison reform.
“I’ve been a Democrat all my life but I’m not a Democrat now,” the former Vikings player-turned-ordained minister said. “You’ve changed me. You touched me. And you made my work go to another level. You inspire me. And every time I go into those prisons and I ask my guys how many of them had their sentences reduced and they raise their hands, I know I’m doing God’s work and I thank you for that.”
At the end of the discussion, Mr. Brewer stated that he had one more thing to say.
“I’ve got to say this because it’s Black History Month. Man, you’re the first black president,” he declared.
The comment sparked a round of cheers and applause from the other supporters. Mr. Trump chuckled and said, “Thank you.”
The comment was particularly stunning because former President Barack Obama, a Democrat who was born to a black father and a white mother, became the country’s first black president in 2008.
Fox News noted that Mr. Brewer may have been making a reference to the “first black president” nickname given to former President Bill Clinton during his time in office.
