Forbes quietly removed an article asking whether “surviving a gunfight” would be former President Donald Trump's “next appeal to black voters.”
On Saturday, Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which he was shot in the ear. Forbes quietly removed an article written by “diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) expert” Sean Harper, who wrote that he hoped an image of Trump raising his fist in front of the American flag would not be used to garner support from black voters. (RELATED: 'Died a hero': Ex-volunteer fire chief identified by family as member of crowd killed at Trump rally)
If you try to access the article, Forbes displays an error message. state“The page you are looking for cannot be found.” However, pieceThe document, which was first made public about four hours after Trump was shot, can be accessed through an online archive.
Forbes tried to remove the article, but everything on the internet lives forever. pic.twitter.com/F0sMGOpYQX
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) July 15, 2024
“The photograph, which has since become known as the 'Black Power Salute', is one of the most iconic photos in global sporting history, and Trump could argue that his raised fist is a tribute to the courage of Smith and Carlos in triumphing against considerable odds,” Harper wrote.
The article states that it is “historical revisionism” to “falsely link” President Trump's raised fist to the “Black Power Salute” that became popular during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The writer argued that President Trump “weaponized” the National Guard and police “against” BLM protesters. (RELATED: FBI identifies shooter who tried to kill Donald Trump)
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) July 13, 2024
Extended Clip: The moment President Trump appears to escape assassination attempt in Pennsylvania
🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸🙏 pic.twitter.com/ok4XCX47z5
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 13, 2024
“Using his powerful base to advocate for solving the problem through public policy and significant financial investment in urban black communities is an opportunity that awaits Trump as he recovers from the tragedy at his rally,” the article states. “Deploying yet another racially problematic kinship narrative is unlikely to encourage black voters to see Trump as one of their own — and it is unlikely to solve the gun violence crisis in rural, suburban and urban areas, where too many Americans are at risk of being shot needlessly.”
According to his biography in Forbes, Harper is a tenured professor at the University of Southern California's (USC) Marshall School of Business, the Price School of Government and the Rossier Graduate School of Education. He also founded the USC Center on Race and Equity.
“My work has included advising executives and coaching leaders on DEI strategies and designing and delivering high-quality professional learning experiences for employees at all levels. I have published 12 books, more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and scholarly papers, and more than 125 essays and op-eds in magazines and newspapers. The Foundation has invested $22.2 million in my diversity, equity and inclusion research, and I have raised an additional $18.5 million for my center at USC,” Harper's bio states.
Harper acknowledged that “more black men than four years ago” are saying they will vote for Trump in November. Biden has lost black support to Trump, whose approval rating is 20 percentage points higher than in 2021. according to To AP-NORC Analyzing the polls Associated Press And the reporter Axios.
Trump held a historic rally in the South Bronx in May – his first in New York since 2016 – and as the presumptive Republican nominee, he has been focusing on battleground states and Democratic strongholds in an attempt to chip away at support from Biden.
