A CNN panel exploded in debate after GOP strategist Scott Jennings suggested Kamala Harris is losing black male voters due to the Democrats’ heavy focus on transgender issues. Jennings made the controversial statement during State of the Union on Sunday, pointing to Harris’ polling struggles with black men just weeks before the presidential election.
“I think a lot of men think Democrats care more about dudes who want to become women than dudes who just want to be dudes,” Jennings claimed, sparking an immediate response from his fellow panelists. Democratic strategist Doug Thornell, visibly frustrated, interrupted with a quick “no, no,” challenging Jennings’ assertion that black male voters see Democrats as overly focused on transgender issues.
The heated exchange follows recent polls that show 51% of registered male voters support Trump over Harris, with particular pressure on Harris to regain ground with black male voters — a demographic that backed Biden at 85% in 2020, but only polls at 75% for Harris.
To reconnect with these voters, Harris has launched initiatives like legalizing recreational marijuana, offering forgivable loans for black entrepreneurs, and rolling out “Black Men Huddle Up” events, using celebrity endorsements to energize the black male vote. But with former President Obama himself warning last week that some black men are “not feeling the idea” of a woman president, Harris faces a steep hill to climb.
Meanwhile, Trump is doubling down on efforts to attract black and Hispanic voters, holding roundtables with black entrepreneurs and stoking racial tensions by suggesting that jobs are being lost to illegal immigrants.
