Donald Trump made his most direct appeal to African Americans on Friday, asking "What do you have to lose?" while slamming longstanding Democratic policies that have destroyed inner cities and sent manufacturing jobs to Mexico and other countries.
"We cannot fix our problems by relying on the same politicians who created our problems in the first place," Trump told a rally in Dimondale, Mich., a suburb of Lansing in the southwestern part of the state. "A new future requires brand-new leadership.
"Look how much African-American communities have suffered under Democratic control," he continued in his appeal to the party's longtime base. "To those I say the following: What do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump? What do you have to lose?
"You're living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. Fifty-eight percent of your youth is unemployed.
"What the hell do you have to lose?" Trump asked before predicting, "at the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 percent of the African-American vote — because I will produce.
"I will produce for the inner cities and I will produce for the African-Americans.
"One thing we know for sure is if you keep voting for the same people, you will keep getting the same — exactly the same result," Trump said.
"Hillary Clinton is a throwback to an ugly past where politicians preyed on our poorer citizens while selling them out for personal gain."
The Republican presidential nominee's speech comes after a bruising week that saw a major shake-up of his campaign staff, including a new chief executive, Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon, and Friday's resignation of campaign chairman Paul Manafort amid reports of lobbying ties to Ukraine.
Trump has been referencing African Americans in speeches — mostly in suburban or heavily white communities — since last week's racial unrest over a police-involved shooting in Milwaukee, but Friday's comments marked his most direct appeal to date.
He cited the contributions blacks have made to the country throughout history, hammered Democrat Hillary Clinton for backing policies that have "harmed" African-American communities over the years and said that his jobs plan would restore manufacturing to cities like Detroit and other Midwestern states.
"The African-American community has given so much to this country," Trump said. "They fought and died in every war since the Revolution. They've lifted up the conscience of our nation in the long march toward civil rights. They've sacrificed so much for the national good.
"Yet, nearly four in 10 African-American children still live in poverty, and 58 percent of young African-Americans are not working. They cannot find a job.
"We must do better as a country."
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