Billionaire and Democratic presidential contender Tom Steyer said he needs a strong finish in South Carolina’s primary next weekend.
During a Fox News Sunday interview, Steyer was asked if he needs to place in the top three in order to maintain his candidacy for president. “I think I do for sure,” Steyer said.
“But Chris, I think I have done best with black people. I have done best with Latinos. I think that when we get to the diverse Democratic electorate, when we get to the diversity that is America and the Democratic Party, I do a lot better,” Steyer told Chris Wallace, the host and an anchor at Fox News. “So South Carolina happens to be a place that has a pretty high concentration of African Americans and those happen to be people that I talk to a lot and have a lot of — have a long history of working with and, therefore, that’s a population where I do really well in,” he added.
Steyer said he is the only candidate willing to discuss public policy that directly affects black Americans. “I believe there is a substantial racial subtext in virtually every policy area in the United States,” he added later in the interview.
Steyer has endorsed reparations for slavery and a “justice-based climate policy.” During an interview with CNN political analyst April Ryan, Steyer said his policies are geared toward helping the black and Latino communities, which he claims “can’t breath” or “ask for a drink of water” without getting sick.
The billionaire qualified for the 10th Democratic Primary Debate on Tuesday and is ranked in third place in polls ahead of the South Carolina primary, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
