One of the most discussed storylines of the early 2024 campaign season is the historic shift of black voters toward former President Donald Trump.

The idea that Trump is picking up more support from the black community, and black men in particular, has been mentioned in multiple polls and in television programs ranging from Real Time with Bill Maher to Saturday Night Live to MSNBC’s Morning Joe. But it was Trump himself who may have gotten the ball rolling with his February appearance at the Black Conservative Federation.