President Obama on Friday dismissed Donald Trump’s knowledge of black history, after Trump said a day earlier that “African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape than they’ve ever been in before, ever, ever, ever.”
“I think even most eight-year-olds would tell you that whole slavery thing wasn’t very good for black people. Jim Crow wasn’t very good for black people,” Obama said in a joint interview with his wife on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The interview was taped at the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is opening this week in Washington. Obama suggested that Trump should visit the museum if he’s serious about understanding black communities across America.
“What we have to do is use our history to propel us to make even more progress in the future,” said the president.
Trump has addressed the violent unrest in Charlotte, N.C., and called for peaceful protests, but he has long made a point of standing up for those in law enforcement. The billionaire received the endorsement of the National Fraternal Order of Police last week and has said his administration would work closely with local police to curb violence in America’s inner cities.
